A mass of bubbles envelops a group of children enjoying a moment of holiday bliss on Cabourg beach in north-western France.

They were there as part of the yearly "Forgotten by the Holidays" campaign by non-governmental organisation Secours Populaire for children whose families cannot afford to go on holiday.

This year, a hundred buses set off for the coast from the eight departments of Ile-de-France (Greater Paris), carrying on board 5,000 young people who have not had the chance to go for a vacation.

Secours Populaire has held the event, usually in the second half of August, for more than 40 years.

The Greater Paris region - the country's wealthiest - is home to nearly 19 per cent of the French population, with four out of 10 immigrants said to reside there.

However, poverty and wealth inequality in the country have been on the rise since the early 2000s, with protests in recent years exposing a deep societal divide.

Nevertheless, France's poverty rate and wealth gap are considered relatively low compared with those of many member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

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