“InOltre” formed in Baranzate: a space for inclusion, culture and social rebirth

The InOltre (In quartiere / Oltre i margini) space, dedicated to culture, services and social entrepreneurism, opens its doors in Baranzate with the aim of becoming a point of reference for the city and suburbs of Milan.

Purchased in 2018 by the Associazione La Rotonda thanks to a personal donation from Diana Bracco, this industrial shared was transformed into a solidarity hub of integrated services of social entrepreneurism, cultural production and food supportnot just for the local territory but for the city of Milan and the north-west suburbs.

The space, thanks also to the contribution of Fondazione Cariplo and the commitment of the Associazione La Rotonda, houses:

• The Sala InOltre: a 130 m² polyfunctional space for events to produce culture and inclusion, stimulate debate and promote initiatives of participated citizenship. The space will host events, offer chances for study and conventions promoted by public and private bodies in the areas of sustainability and attention to individuals. A permanent laboratory to welcome ideas, projects and outside appointments that is set to become a point of reference for the entire Milan area: the space will in fact not be just with the community of Baranzate, but will be available for renting.

• The social tailor’s shop "Fiori all'Occhiello": a social entrepreneurism project of the Associazione La Rotonda, created in 2014 to combine a high level of professionalism and job opportunities in the territory for men and women from far-off countries, which here has a much more spacious and suitable location. So far the tailor’s shop has produced more than 1700 items for about 200 customers, using a total of 11,600 km of thread and almost 7000 km of fabric.

• The Solidarity Emporium in collaboration with Caritas Ambrosiana: this offers help with food to families in difficulty who can do their shopping in the Solidarity minimarket, paying with the points card issued by the operators.

• A para-pharmacy Corner with free distribution of medicines managed in collaboration with the Fondazione Francesca Rava NPH Italia.

• The offices of the Associazione La Rotonda.

The space was inaugurated during an event on May 7, 2021 that followed the blessing by the Archbishop of Milan Monsignor Mario Delpiniof the Emporio della Solidarietà.

Speakers were: Don Paolo Steffano, Don Vincenzo Barbante, President of the Fondazione InOltre, Luca Mario Elia, Mayor of Baranzate, Don Luca Giudici, Diana Bracco, President of Bracco Foundation, Giovanni Fosti, President of Fondazione Cariplo and Luciano Gualzetti, Director of the Caritas Ambrosiana.

The first cultural initiative inaugurated by InOltre is the photographic exhibition “All the hours of the world – Portraits of welcoming, relationship and care in multi-ethnic Baranzate”. Organised by Bracco Foundation and the Associazione La Rotonda, the exhibition highlights diversity starting from infancy and recounts the universal concepts of relationship and care through the images of the great photographer Gerald Bruneau which portray the daily lives of 12 Italian and multi-ethnic families in Baranzate. The exhibition is part of the “Kiriku - A school for inclusion”project to counter educational poverty.

Bracco Foundation has been alongside the Associazione La Rotonda in Baranzate since 2016 with the aim of improving the quality of life of the community by acting on jobs, health and culture to counter educational poverty through integrated interventions such as "Oltre i margini" focusing on women’s empowerment and prevention; "Kiriku - A school for inclusion" aimed at combating educational poverty and "InOltre".

The “InOltre” spaces a model of collaboration between entrepreneurs and the third sector that also involves Opera San Francesco, Paolo Barilla’s Fondazione 13 Marzo, Mapei, Belfor Italia, Fondazione Francesca Rava NPH Italia and Leroy Merlin.