News
Iberdrola España Foundation supports those affected by the cold drop with two social projects in collaboration with Spanish Red Cross and Betania
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The collaboration with Spanish Red Cross arises from funds raised through a donation campaign among the company's employees and will be directed towards a mental health support and psychosocial assistance project
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The aid to the Betania association focuses on preventing the severe deterioration of the situation and helping families and minors overcome the crisis they are facing through direct emergency aid
From left to right: Rafael Gandía, first vice president of Spanish Red Cross; Mario Ruiz-Tagle, CEO of Iberdrola España; Susana Camarero, Vice President of the Consell; Jaime Alfonsín, President of the Iberdrola España Foundation; and Begoña Arana, Director of the Betania association
The Iberdrola España Foundation will launch a series of social projects in collaboration with two entities, Spanish Red Cross and Betania, to respond to the thousands of people affected by the cold drop, particularly the most vulnerable groups.
For Jaime Alfonsín, President of the Iberdrola España Foundation: “The purpose of this initiative is to provide a set of grants aimed at helping those affected by the cold drop. Among these actions, which are of various natures, social ones will be the first to be carried out.”
The institutional event for the signing of agreements with each of the entities was attended by the Vice President of the Consell, Susana Camarero; the CEO of Iberdrola España, Mario Ruiz-Tagle; the President of the Iberdrola España Foundation, Jaime Alfonsín; the first Vice President of the Spanish Red Cross, Rafael Gandía Balaguer; as well as the Director of Betania, Begoña Arana.
Susana Camarero highlighted the importance of this agreement “for bringing together the solidarity and commitment demonstrated by social, economic agents, and entities during and after the disaster to work together in the reconstruction of Valencia.” Camarero emphasized the “especially decisive role of Iberdrola España, Betania, and Spanish Red Cross, who contributed and continue to contribute significantly to the recovery, reconstruction, and emotional and psychological support of those affected by the flooding.”
The First Vice President also thanked and described as “heroic” the enormous selfless help from civil society, a true example of brotherhood, empathy, and solidarity never seen before. In the same vein, Camarero reiterated that, for the Generalitat Valenciana, “it remains an absolute priority to recover from the terrible disaster we suffered through the Endavant plan, presented yesterday, which details the necessary actions to consolidate the reconstruction of our land by working together with the firm goal of moving forward and restoring normality in our municipalities.”
The CEO of Iberdrola España, Mario Ruiz-Tagle, emphasized the company's involvement in the recovery of the affected areas: “From the very beginning, we mobilized our teams to restore the power supply in record time and are currently developing the Il·lumina plan, through which we will invest 100 million euros over this year and next to redesign the affected electrical grid with the latest resilience and digitalisation standards. As a demonstration of our commitment to the Valencia region, we will collaborate with these two associations to contribute to the rebuilding of the social and emotional pillars of those who have suffered the most from the consequences of the cold drop.”
The collaboration with Spanish Red Cross, amounting to €400,000, was made possible thanks to a donation campaign among Iberdrola España employees, where the company contributed four euros for every euro donated by workers. This amount will go towards a mental health and psychosocial support project, with the main goal of improving emotional well-being, reducing the impact of psychological suffering, and strengthening coping skills, thus promoting recovery and the rebuilding of lives in all municipalities affected by the cold drop.
According to the Vice President of the Spanish Red Cross, Rafael Gandía, the consequences of the emergency caused by the cold drop “are multidimensional and, in many cases, require long-term support. That is why, in the Spanish Red Cross's response plan to the effects of the cold drop, one of the key areas of work is psychosocial support: not only is it essential for the immediate coping with a tragic event, but it is also crucial for sustained long-term work. It’s about ensuring that material and physical recovery is accompanied equally by emotional recovery.”
Regarding Betania, an economic aid of €334,000 will be provided for the ‘Emergencia 365’ project, aimed at family units affected by the cold drop. This initiative will take place in the towns of Alfafar, Algemesí, Benetússer, Catarroja, El Saler, Massanassa, Paiporta, Picanya, Torrent, and Utiel, aiming to address the severe deterioration of the situation in these municipalities and help families and minors overcome the crisis they are facing through direct emergency aid to meet immediate and priority needs in the structural, physical, and social areas of those affected.
This association also benefited from an economic aid of €40,000 for 130 children, aged 3 to 16, to attend a day camp at the CEIP Castellar-Oliveral (Valencia) during Easter and another residential camp at Iberdrola España facilities in Cortes de Pallás. Among the activities carried out by the entity with both groups was helping them manage the emotional and psychological stress caused by the cold drop through personalised support, with comprehensive and specialised care during non-school periods, as well as offering support for family reconciliation.
Begoña Arana, Director of Betania, highlighted that with the project “we want to help families cover their most immediate needs, giving them the foundation to restructure their lives and start rebuilding their future and present after overcoming such a traumatic situation. Emergency structural and social support will be provided to the affected families, and a verification of the vulnerability situation of each applicant will be carried out to ensure that aid reaches those who truly need it, optimising the resources we have.”
Over €12 million invested in social initiatives
Iberdrola España, through the Iberdrola España Foundation’s Social Programme, has allocated over €12 million to social initiatives in the country, helping a total of 414,546 people. Since the launch of this Plan in 2010, the company has supported more than 500 projects in collaboration with over 100 social entities, contributing to the fight against child poverty, educational support, and the social integration of children, young people, and women in vulnerable situations. The Social Programme has led to the creation of 1,830 jobs and the participation of 8,538 volunteers.
The Iberdrola España Foundation also focuses its activities on its scholarship programme in the fields of energy, biodiversity, and the environment, supporting research on energy and climate change, as well as in the cultural sector, with a focus on the restoration and preservation of the cultural and artistic heritage of the Iberian Peninsula.
Grupo Iberdrola
