São Brás de Alportel was awarded twice in the “Autarchy of the Year 2020/21 Award”, as a result of the work carried out in the fight against social exclusion and the work carried out in the area of culture and heritage, in a year marked by the challenges of an adverse pandemic context.
The award obtained in the category of social area and combating social exclusion recognizes the relevance of dynamic, innovative and transversal work to different areas of work of the municipality, in favor of constant improvement and adaptation to the needs of the population, carried out in São Brás de Alportel, through a Municipal Strategy to Combat Social Exclusion.
«The Municipality of São Brás de Alportel receives with great honor and humility these awards, which we regard as recognition of the work carried out and the resilience of our services, in constant adaptation to overcome adversities for the benefit of the community in an extremely difficult and demanding year. . This work is continuing this year in these and other areas in which the municipality has competences”, says Vitor Guerreiro, mayor.
"This award values the extensive work carried out by the Municipality in the social area, which continued the good practices of integrated intervention and networking, which in a pandemic context, was essential to implement a strategy to combat social exclusion", he says. the autarchy.
«This work had several fronts, namely: the Local Food Aid Platform, which has the Social Shop as its core and which intensified its actions, involved more entities, created new responses, including the “Let's go shopping for you” service and the Social School Canteen, in partnership with the Schools Group and the Food Support, developed in partnership with Santa Casa da Misericórdia, which together allowed supporting vulnerable families and children».
«Another fundamental element is the “Apoio ComVida” project, which reinforced the work of the Senior Intervention Group, coordinated by the municipality, allowing effective support to the most vulnerable elderly, which is making a difference in the lives of many São Brasenses» , he adds.
Also taken into account was the municipal housing program “Mão Amiga” and the launch of support programs for renting, which were immediately put into practice to help families and the “Informática Solidária” project, through the provision of computer equipment for children under the motto “Nobody is left behind in São Brás”, in the area of equal opportunities in education are an example of this work, which is tireless on different fronts».
The many projects unleashed in the midst of a pandemic to support the senior population, the proximity and distance support services of which the Friendship Line is an example were also presented for this award.
The fight against unemployment was another work front, supported by a bridge that was immediately reinforced between the Professional Integration Office and the Entrepreneur Office.
“Strengthening support for victims, which the pandemic has further weakened; the integration of immigrant communities, which are even more vulnerable, and the support for families and young people are other fronts of the work that are highlighted by this award. An example of this is the effort to adapt the Youth Space initiatives: Young Insurance <>Happy Families Project and also the set of community projects for free access to individual protection equipment for the entire community, such as the production of social solidarity masks and visors . A joint work that mobilizes the municipality and the community», says the municipality.
As for the prize awarded in the area of culture and heritage, it recognizes the resilient work carried out in 2020 in São Brás de Alportel, with the strategy of adapting culture to the times of the “Culture at Home” pandemic.
The Municipality sought to readjust and adapt its programming by carrying out initiatives of a non-presential nature, using social networks, technological platforms in the Municipality and with the creation of a digital television channel “Meo Kanal”.
Examples of this work are: the online exhibition cycle “Arte em casa”; the Gala “São Brás a Cantar”, the cycle of 100 online mini-concerts; the first round of the Modern Music – Música JÁ competition; the Library near You; the show “O Homem do Fogo”; the launch of outdoor cinema sessions and at the Cineteatro São Brás and the online celebration of traditions with the celebration of the Festa das Torchas Floridas, an event that competed in 2020 for the “7 Wonders of Portuguese Popular Culture.
Anchor events such as the Feira da Serra de São Brás de Alportel or the “Calçadas – art leaves the street” were also readjusted and adapted to the digital world. The National Day of Historic Centers and the European Heritage Days were also marked with a digital program that challenged the youngest and presented the Municipal Heritage Charter project.
Also in the area of heritage and the enhancement of common memory, the award focused on the inauguration of the EN 2 Memory House and on all the vast work of valuing local history, the publication of the headings “Lojas com História” and “Timeless and transmissible ” which seeks to enhance the intangible cultural heritage and the online launch of municipal editions such as: “From Rivalry to the Union – History of Football in São Brás de Alportel 1913-1970”, by César Correia.
The “Autarchy of the Year Award” is promoted by the Lisbon Awards Group with the support of the online economic newspaper “ECO”. In this 2nd edition, the initiative had the participation of 50 Portuguese municipalities and awarded 30 projects submitted by local authorities to the 10 categories and more than 25 subcategories provided for in the regulation.
In the Algarve, the municipality of Vila do Bispo also won the Municipality of the Year Award with its Bird Watching Festival.
In this 2nd edition, the jury consisted of Miguel Ribeiro Ferreira, executive director of Fonte Viva, Luís Nazaré, university professor at the Superior Institute of Economics and Management of the University of Lisbon, Ana Firmo Ferreira, executive director of the Lisbon Awards Group, Gonçalo Saraiva Matias , university professor at the Faculty of Law of the Catholic University of Portugal, Paulo Padrão, general director of ECO, and also Teresa Figueira, partner of Lift Consulting and president of the Portuguese Association of Communication and Public Relations Council Companies (APECOM).
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