Nearly 19,000 people benefit from Fundación Cepsa's initiatives in the Canary Islands in 2021

These data were released this morning at a meeting attended by the head of Corporate Relations for Cepsa in Andalusia and the Canary Islands, Jesús Velasco, and the head of Fundación Cepsa in the Islands, Belén Machado.

Jesús Velasco highlighted Fundación Cepsa's involvement with the islands since its creation in 2016 and highlighted the work being carried out by the entity to channel all social actions. He added that these are also initiatives that have a significant radius of action, taking into account that last year they indirectly reached 58,281 people, playing a fundamental role in meeting the needs of the most vulnerable groups. , while making a commitment to promote sustainability and care for the environment and to promote the scientific-educational field.

For her part, Belén Machado emphasized the effort made to meet the needs of each moment, as has happened this year with the eruption of La Palma, enabling the necessary mechanisms to cover the most urgent issues. Likewise, she highlighted the work that Fundación Cepsa has been carrying out, since its creation in 2016, when supporting the actions carried out by social entities, as well as the collaboration that is evident with the different administrations.

Last year, Fundación Cepsa allocated a total of 302,722 euros in direct aid to NGOs, associations and institutions in the Canary Islands. Likewise, six initiatives corresponding to Cepsa's volunteer program, Voluntas, and donations made by the company's professionals in various fields were added to the projects carried out.

Social projects accounted for most of the actions, with a total of 26, aimed at favoring the well-being of different groups and promoting healthy lifestyles. Likewise, seven environmental projects were developed, focused on the conservation of biodiversity, the rehabilitation of natural heritage and environmental education and awareness. Education, employability, the development of research and innovation in the energy and industrial sectors were the focus of the four scientific-educational projects carried out.

Social support

The Social Value Awards are Fundación Cepsa's most emblematic action in this area, focused on the development of social projects aimed at vulnerable groups and the promotion of solidarity values ​​among the company's professionals.

In last year's edition, the awards went to six entities, including the Spanish Red Cross, with the 'SOS La Palma' project, focused on meeting the needs of people who are in a situation of extreme vulnerability or social exclusion by the eruption of the volcano. Added to this was CEAR Canarias, with the 'Itinerary' initiative to support personalized itineraries that favor the social integration of refugees, asylees, displaced persons and immigrants.

The action 'Volunteering in the first person', of the Canarian Mental Health Federation, was another of the winners, to promote volunteering in this associative network with the support of those affected. The 'Voces' project of the Association for the Social Reintegration of Minors Anchieta was another of those chosen in order to give visibility to victims of sexist violence through the performing arts.

On the other hand, the 'Program for linguistic and cultural inclusion', of the Nahia Assistance Association, is committed to creating adapted learning spaces for young migrants who arrive in the Canary Islands. While the project 'Know my life, know my hemophilia' of the Hemophilia Association in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Ahete, will respond to the demand of those affected by this pathology to normalize the disease in society.

To these six actions was added that of the Association of Caregivers, Relatives and Friends of People with Dependence, Alzheimer's and other Dementias (Acufade), which won a Special Employee Award, which will create a care unit for mild cognitive impairment in La Matanza , Tenerife.

Since the beginning of these awards, 575,000 euros have been distributed in the Canary Islands, which have made it possible to make 62 solidarity projects a reality.

Another of the most relevant social interventions last year came from the signing of an agreement with the City Council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, through the Municipal Institute of Social Care (IMAS), to promote eight programs focused on improving quality life of the most disadvantaged sectors of the capital of Tenerife.

In this case, a total of 6,179 residents of the capital municipality benefited directly from initiatives aimed at psychosocial transformation, access to essential products, the elderly, the promotion of activities for people with functional diversity or care for minors. of vulnerable families.

On the other hand, fuel cards worth 10,000 euros were delivered to 53 NGOs in the municipality to collaborate in the transfer of food and other benefits related to COVID-19. Likewise, the delivery of 16 tons of consumer products to the Food Bank of Tenerife materialized.

Special mention was given last year to the island of La Palma, where the Cepsa Foundation, in collaboration with the Red Cross, launched a psychosocial intervention project to help those affected by the volcano's eruption. In this case, a total of 190 people benefited directly and 570 indirectly.

Other actions in the social sphere were linked to the continuation of the 'Immerse yourself in Santa Cruz' programme, with the creation of two murals, one on San Sebastián Avenue, dedicated to immigration, and another outside the CEIP Los Verodes , which had the active participation of the 140 students of the school.

Fundación Cepsa and the Santa Cruz Basketball Club developed a collaboration program through the ten nursery schools, in which 250 children participated, in addition to two multi-sport campuses. To this was added a new action to promote diversity and inclusion among the youngest through talks on different aspects, such as the experience of African migrant minors, athletes with functional diversity, as well as delving into the presence of women in the sport.

The collaboration with the Red Cross for the transport of disabled people to Las Teresitas beach in order to enjoy the adapted bathroom service, completes the actions carried out in social matters.

Commitment to sustainability

Fundación Cepsa intensified actions in the last year in order to preserve the environment and move towards sustainability. Among them, its support in the recovery of the Parque de Las Mesas, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in collaboration with the City Council of the capital of Tenerife, through the Santa Cruz Sustainable Foundation and experts from the University of La Laguna. With this action, it is committed to rehabilitating and reforesting this environment, after making an inventory of the natural and plant heritage, in addition to returning it to public use. Likewise, the initiative has allowed the participation in these tasks of 30 students of the IES El Sobradillo of the cycles of forest management and the natural environment, and agro-gardening.

On the other hand, it participated with the Santa Cruz Sustainable Foundation in various environmental actions such as the 'Pequehuertos' initiative to promote healthy eating and sustainable consumption through local products, with which it reached more than a thousand chicharrero schoolchildren, or the program of guided family visits to the Palmetum of Tenerife, which exceeded 400 beneficiaries.

Fundación Cepsa also collaborated with the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council in remodeling the roundabout of the Nuestra Señora de África market to turn it into a sustainable garden, also creating the first space in the city dedicated to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Added to this are various activities to clean the chicharrero coastline, underwater and on land, as well as guided routes to discover the paths of the Macizo de Anaga.

The entity has participated in the elaboration of a study, pioneer in its field in the islands, aimed at knowing the impact of microplastics in the sediments of the seabed of the Canary Islands. An action that was accompanied by the celebration of a 'Scientific Women's Day', to give voice to this group through their personal experiences and professional careers, as well as the 'SOS Tortugas Marinas' dissemination campaign, in order to give publicize the real problems of ocean pollution and its impact on this species in danger of extinction.

Scientific-educational field

The Cepsa Foundation Chair for Ecological Transition and Innovation of the ULL brought together a good part of the actions in the scientific-educational field, with its program aimed at promoting research, training and dissemination in the areas covered by the Chair. An entity that at the end of last year renewed its management, placing the professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of La Laguna Elena Pastor at the helm.

One of the initiatives developed focused on sponsoring the second industrial doctoral thesis of the University of La Laguna and the first of the Chair, focused on obtaining biofuels from the hydroprocessing of cooking oils and other non-food fats.

To this was added a training program with master classes and training sessions on alternative energy sources for a sustainable circular economy, the ecological transition and energy efficiency and circular economy.

On the other hand, the presence in the informative project 'Girls with Cienci@ULL', of the General Foundation of the University of La Laguna, stands out, an initiative that emphasizes promoting scientific and technological vocations among young Canarian women, with a view to to advance equal opportunities. The action includes a program of guidance, motivational and educational activities in schools to help improve the school performance of students and increase their interest in pursuing university studies that improve their career prospects, as well as an informative audiovisual series with the testimony of 24 researchers in different areas that make their experience known.

Another novelty came from the launch of the 'ProFormación' scholarships, aimed at improving the competitiveness of the productive fabric through qualification and specialization. The initiative is intended to support Basic, Intermediate or Higher Vocational Training students with economic difficulties with the costs derived from registration, school supplies, books, transport, dining room and other expenses associated with studies, with contributions of 2,500 euros. In this case, of the 57 scholarships awarded, 13 went to students from Tenerife.