Madrid has been the chosen stage to carry out the ceremony to grant the EDP Solidaria 2015 awards. Said program aims to promote the projects designed by associations, institutions and NGOs that have a vocation to support the improvement in the life quality and the integration of the least fortunate.

The president of the Spanish Associations of Foundations, Javier Nadal, and the vice president of the EDP Foundation, Manuel Menéndez, were the ones in charge of leading the ceremony of awards, starred by the eleven winning humanitarian entities. Miguel Stilwell de Andrade, CEO of Group EDP in Spain, and Joâo Manso Neto, CEO of EDP Renováveis, also attended.

11 winners out of 37 candidacies

In this edition of EDP Solidaria 2015, the EDP Foundation received a total of 37 candidacies. Finally, 11 of the proposed actions were selected, that will receive a total payment of 344 000 euros. The jury of the awards was formed by the people in charge of the different areas of the EDP group, and the execution of the projects will be supervised by the managers and volunteers of the company.

Madrid, Asturias, the Basque Country and Cantabria

Five institutions of the Community of Madrid were present among the awarded: the Foundation Tomillo of Madrid, with the project “Energy Efficiency: an opportunity for the employment of youngsters in vulnerability”; the Foundation Menudos Corazones, by the program “Design and development of Moodle courses: The return home after the surgery and the elaboration of a guide for the preparation to the surgery for adolescents.”

The proposals o Apostólicas CJ – Community of Social Works were also awarded, by the “Program of accompanying and support to the socio-labor insertion of homeless people”; the Foundation Development and Assistance for the project “On Saturdays, we go out together!” and AFANIAS, A. Pro People with Intellectual Impairments, for the development of a “Service of integrated support”.

In the Principality of Asturias, three associations were awarded: the International Association Hope Telephone for the project “You are energy: plug in to life. Program for people with depression”; the Association of Families of Children with cancer of the Principality of Asturias; “Galbán”, that presented a “Project of integral development for children with cancer and their families” and the Solidary Foundation Amaranta, that will be developing a program of “Employability and economic autonomy for women victims of different forms of violence.”

From the Basque Country, the proposals of the Cruz Roja Bizkaia, for a “Program to fight poverty and social exclusion” and the project of Cáritas Diocesanas of Bizkaia for the “Night Center Hontza” were created.

Fr its part, the Down Syndrome Foundation of Cantabria was awarded for its “Project of continuous formation and labor insertion for people with Down syndrome.”

Support to social integration

EDP Solidary is an initiative of the EDP Foundation, which goal is to improve the life quality and the integration of the least favored. The selected projects should be connected with the most priority social needs, like the support to socially disadvantaged people, the integration of communities in risk of social exclusion and the job and entrepreneur promotion.

About the EDP Foundation

The EDP Foundation aims to reinforce the commitment of the Group EDP with society in the geographical areas where it develops its activity. Specifically, its actuation areas are those involving social, cultural, environmental and educative issues, as well as the ones related to investigation, that aim for a common sustainable development.