- Provivienda, Envera, Save the Children, Atelsam, and AsperCan, recognized for their social work
- These now well-established grants have enabled 74 social projects in the Canary Islands to be carried out to date
The awards ceremony for the Fundación Cepsa Social Value Awards in the Canary Islands 2023 was held this morning in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. This year's awards went to Provivienda, Iberia Employees, Parents of People with Disabilities (Envera), Save the Children Foundation, Atelsam Mental Health Association and Asperger-TEA Canary Islands (AsperCan).
The event was attended by the Diputado del Común and president of the jury, Rafael Yanes, and the head of Fundación Cepsa in the Islands, Belén Machado, as well as a large representation of the rest of the jury: the Councilor for Social Welfare, Equality, Youth, Children and Families of the Government of the Canary Islands, Candelaria Delgado; the Councilor for Social Action, Citizen Participation, Volunteering and Inclusion of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Águeda Fumero; the Councilor for Social Action of the City Council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Rosario González; the head of the Tenerife Isla Solidaria program, Beatriz Sicilia; and Amayra García, representing the Cepsa professionals in the Islands. They were also joined by Cepsa's Director of Institutional Relations in Andalusia and the Canary Islands, Jesús Velasco.
This year, the jury focused the awards on addressing energy poverty, functional diversity, mental health problems, and migrant minors. A total of 853 people will see their well-being and quality of life improved through the five distinguished projects, which will be implemented throughout this year and will be visited by Fundación Cepsa representatives and by their solidarity sponsors at Cepsa.
Rafael Yanes emphasized during the meeting that "the Social Value Awards ceremony is always an emotional event where Fundación Cepsa confirms its commitment to the most vulnerable people in the Canary Islands. For me it is a true honor to preside over a jury like this one, made up of people with a career committed to protecting the groups that need our recognition and our support. And, on behalf of all of us, I congratulate Fundación Cepsa for its initiative, the award winners and, in general, all the associations that make this state of well-being possible."
In his words, Jesús Velasco reviewed the most significant data of this social call, noting that "a total of 19 editions have passed since these Social Value Awards were launched in 2005. During this time, they enabled the development of 497 projects in the areas where they are carried out—Canary Islands, Madrid, Huelva, Campo de Gibraltar, Portugal, and Colombia—distributing up to now more than 4,880,000 euros. In the Canary Islands, where they have been implemented since 2008, a total of 74 projects have been developed as part of these awards, with a contribution of 712,000 euros from Fundación Cepsa." These awards have also served since their creation as "an impulse and inspiration for the generation of other similar awards," he emphasized.
For her part, Belén Machado highlighted the value of these awards as "the most outstanding social action of Fundación Cepsa in all the areas where it is present, which goes much further than a mere economic contribution, as it is a recognition of the effort and the priceless work of so many third-sector entities that fight every day to improve the society in which we live, to make it fairer and more egalitarian." At the same time, he highlighted the importance of the links and the union generated by these awards, which she described as "a true celebration of solidarity, due to the links created between the NGOs and the Cepsa professionals who endorse them by supporting their initiatives as solidarity sponsors."
Projects awarded in 2023 in the Canary Islands
Through the 'Energy Saving Solutions for the Home' initiative, Provivienda will improve access to energy for the most vulnerable households, thereby curbing the increase in energy poverty. To that end, it will diagnose the energy needs of the selected households and implement measures to improve their efficiency, education on energy consumption habits, methods to save energy and improve comfort, understanding and optimization of utility bills and the possibilities of access to the social electric voucher (bono social eléctrico). The trophy was received today by Fernando Rodríguez, territorial director in the Canary Islands, with Ana Belén Álvarez as the solidarity sponsor at Cepsa. They estimate 230 direct beneficiaries and 591 indirect beneficiaries.
The Iberia Employees' Association Parents of People with Disabilities (Envera) seeks, through its proposal `VESTA Envera: rising up after the flames', to carry out educational activities in the recovery of burnt agricultural land for people with disabilities, also aimed at restoring several plots of land in the municipality of Tacoronte affected by the fire that hit Tenerife last August.. At the same time that it improves the group's qualification and job placement opportunities, natural soaps made from the ashes of the fire will be donated to organizations that care for the homeless. A total of 20 people will benefit directly, with 200 indirect beneficiaries. Its solidarity sponsor at Cepsa is Carlos Belenguer. Enrique Grande, CEO of Envera, received the award.
The 'Safe space for children on the move: shelter and protection' will help Save the Children Foundation to offer, through a meeting point in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, support and counseling for migrant minors who are in protection centers as well as for young people formerly under guardianship up to 23 years old. The ultimate goal is to contribute to their protection and inclusion by providing a space for listening and support, which will directly benefit 150 people and, indirectly, 600. Juan Luis Álvarez, coordinator of Infancia en Movimiento Canarias, received the trophy, joined by Carolina de la Guardia, the project's solidarity sponsor.
The Atelsam Mental Health Association is committed, through its initiative 'Healthy and Active: specialized care for people in the process of aging', to creating a new resource to provide psychological support in the process of healthy aging for elderly people with serious mental health problems, so that they do not feel abandoned or subjected to involuntary loneliness. A total of 293 users of the Association will benefit directly from the program, with 242 indirect beneficiaries. Ana Concepción, the organization's director, received the award with Fernando Hernández as the solidarity sponsor.
The proposal made by the Asociación Asperger-TEA Islas Canarias (AsperCan), under the title 'Mental health care for people with ASD Grade 1: prevention of self-harming ideas and approach to self-injury,' will provide specialized psychological care both to people affected by this mental health problem and their families (through group support sessions), in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote, addressing a need that is practically invisible in today's society. The number of direct and indirect beneficiaries of the program will be 160 and 250, respectively. May Bernal, member of the Board of Directors, received the award, together with Yurena Santana, the solidarity sponsor at Cepsa.
