Vila Galé Social Responsibility Award

The winners of the Vila Galé Social Responsibility Award — Onda Solidária were announced at a ceremony at the Belém Cultural Centre, which brought together solidarity and culture in the year of the group’s 40th anniversary.

Orquestra Geração, the Âmbar + Project by Vila Galé and As Pastoras Felizes are the winners of the Vila Galé Social Responsibility Award — Onda Solidária. The projects were awarded grants of 20,000, 10,000 and 5,000 euros respectively at a ceremony held yesterday, 15 October, at the Belém Cultural Centre in Lisbon.

In the year it celebrates its 40th anniversary, Vila Galé recognised the work of three organisations that promote inclusion through music, provide palliative care at home and contribute to the enhancement and protection of the local area. The awards were presented by Jorge Rebelo de Almeida, founder and chairman of the Vila Galé group; Gonçalo Rebelo de Almeida, a director of the group; Luís Neves, Minister for Internal Administration; and Bárbara Costa Pinto, executive director of Caixa Geral de Depósitos.

The first prize, worth 20,000 euros, was awarded to the Orquestra Geração, part of the Associação das Orquestras Sinfónicas Juvenis Sistema Portugal. Inspired by the Venezuelan programme El Sistema, the project uses orchestral practice as a tool for social inclusion, providing free musical training to children and young people aged 6 to 25 from vulnerable backgrounds.

Now in its 18th year, the Orquestra Geração involves more than 1,800 children and young people in around 30 schools across the Lisbon, Coimbra, Évora and Castanheira de Pera metropolitan areas. Through lessons, rehearsals and concerts, it helps to tackle school drop-out rates, bring families closer to the school and open up new academic and career prospects. It was the only project selected by all seven members of the jury.

The second prize, worth 10,000 euros, was awarded to the Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa — Porto Branch, for the ‘Âmbar + by Vila Galé’ project, dedicated to providing palliative care at home. A multidisciplinary team responds within 24 hours of a call, ensuring pain management, psychological support, physiotherapy, support for carers and bereavement counselling.

This support will enable the project to continue and allow for the testing of a co-payment model tailored to each family’s means, contributing to the initiative’s sustainability and ensuring that this care can reach more people.

The third prize, worth 5,000 euros, was awarded to Baldios de Cepos and Casal Novo for the ‘As Pastoras Felizes’ project, carried out in the Serra do Açor, in Arganil. The initiative combines fire prevention, job creation and the promotion of local resources through a community goat-rearing scheme.

Launched in 2020 with 50 animals, the project now comprises 170 mountain goats, looked after by a team of three women. The herd helps to clear the undergrowth and protect the villages, whilst cheese production and the sale of local produce generate an income. The next step is to develop the ‘As Pastoras Felizes’ School, designed to train new shepherds and take this model to other villages.

The Onda Solidária initiative received 496 applications from over 450 organisations across the country, of which 27 reached the final assessment stage. The judging panel comprised Ana Mendes Godinho, Nicolau Santos, Bárbara Costa Pinto, Isabel Jonet, Maria de Belém Roseira, Fernando David Nunes and Gonçalo Rebelo de Almeida.

The assessment took into account social impact, sustainability, innovation, implementation capacity, growth potential and the alignment of the projects with Vila Galé’s values. The award covers five areas: social inclusion and the fight against poverty; education and skills development; health and wellbeing; environmental sustainability with social impact; and culture and heritage with community impact.

The ceremony concluded with a concert by the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Pedro Neves and featuring soprano Andrea Conangla, who took the guests on a journey through the opera repertoire, followed by a cocktail reception.

Through Onda Solidária, Vila Galé reinforces its commitment to local communities, continuing its work which includes supporting more than 80 organisations and carrying out 160 initiatives across the country.