- Award-winning projects are focusing on fuel poverty, functional diversity, migrant minors, and mental health
- These awards are committed to promoting the inclusion and welfare of the most disadvantaged groups and promoting actions aimed at a just ecological transition
The awarded organizations will share a total of 65,000 euros to carry out projects over the next year, which, according to the organizations themselves, will benefit about 850 people directly in the archipelago while indirectly reaching about 1,900.
Deputy of the Council, Rafael Yanes, president of the jury, highlighted "the commendable work of support to the third sector by these social awards during their nineteen years of existence, which, if we limit ourselves only to the Canary Islands, have enabled 74 projects to be launched, awarding them more than 700,000 euros to date."
The head of Fundación Cepsa in the Canary Islands, Belén Machado, stressed that the importance of the Social Value Awards "lies in Fundación Cepsa's social commitment to the Canary Islands and in the consolidated trajectory of these awards that, also promote solidarity within the company, involving Cepsa's professionals as sponsors of the NGOs presented. In this way, close ties are created or reaffirmed every year. We seek a fairer and more inclusive society, in short."
The winners were selected, from a total of 45 candidates, by a jury made up of the Deputy of the Council, Rafael Yanes; 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 Council of Tenerife, Águeda Fumero; the Councilor for Social Policy and Accessibility of the Council of Gran Canaria, Isabel Mena; the delegate councilor for Social Action of the City Council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Rosario González; the delegate councilor for Social Services of the City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Carmen Luz Vargas; the head of the Tenerife Isla Solidaria program, Beatriz Sicilia; and, representing the Cepsa professionals in the Canary Islands, the head of the Analytical Services area of Cepsa in the Islands, Amayra García; and the head of Fundación Cepsa in the Islands, Belén Machado, who acted as secretary.
Since its first year in the Canary Islands in 2005, the Social Value Awards have granted a total of 712,000 euros to carry out 74 social projects in the Islands, including the projects selected today, including the 2023 edition
Award-winning initiatives in 2023
The 'Solutions to save energy at home' project, presented by Provivienda, aims to improve access to energy for the most vulnerable households and curb the increase in energy poverty. 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). They have estimated 230 direct beneficiaries and 591 indirect beneficiaries, with Ana Belén Álvarez as their solidarity sponsor at Cepsa.
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.
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, support and counseling for migrant minors who, for various reasons, are not in protection centers and do not have family contacts in Spain, as well as for young people formerly under guardianship until they are 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. Carolina de la Guardia is its 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. Fernando Hernández is its solidarity sponsor.
'Mental health care for people with ASD Grade 1: prevention of self-harming ideas and approach to self-injury' is the proposal made by the Asperger's-ASD Association Canary Islands (AsperCan), with Yurena Santana as the solidarity sponsor. It will offer specialized psychological care both to people affected by this mental health condition 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.
Employees’ Special Award
The jury also selected the initiative 'Family Rest', organized by the Family Association for People with Intellectual Disabilities of Tenerife (ASPRONTE), and 'Circular Inclusion', organized by the Association Nuestra Señora del Amparo (APREME), as candidates for the Canary Islands in the category 'Special Employee Award'. They are sponsored, respectively, by César García and María del Pilar González.
This is an additional award granted by Cepsa professionals working in the countries in which the Foundation operates. It will allow a maximum of 5 projects to be awarded from among the 12 selected (two for each area) by juries in Spain (Canary Islands, Madrid, province of Huelva, and Campo de Gibraltar), Portugal, and Colombia. The winners will share 45,000 euros.
