Funding: BPI Fundação “la Caixa”
Duration: January 2022 - March 2023
Partners: Município de Albergaria-a-Velha, PRAVE – Associação de Promoção de Albergaria-a-Velha
The Project
Albergaria + Ativa ("Albergaria More Active") project, which won the 3rd edition of the BPI Fundação “la Caixa” Rural Award 2021, aims, on the one hand, to promote community development in disadvantaged rural areas in the municipality of Albergaria-a-Velha by including and involving the senior population in environmental volunteering activities, interpretive walks and intergenerational knowledge-sharing sessions. On the other hand, this project also aims to promote active ageing and combat isolation and social exclusion, raising awareness among the senior population of Albergaria-a-Velha about the protection and conservation of local biodiversity.
Associação BioLiving was the promoter of this project and had several partners, such as Associação Social para Idosos com Vida (ASIV), a PRAVE – Associação de Promoção de Albergaria-a-Velha and Câmara Municipal de Albergaria-a-Velha.











In urban and especially rural contexts, the senior population has been increasingly affected by isolation and consequent social exclusion, problems that have been accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic due to the need to protect this more sensitive population group from contagion and the need for general prophylactic confinement. Both physical, cognitive and mental health are affected by these factors, especially in this population.
Several actions were developed and implemented, specifically:
- volunteer activities for groups of senior citizens (trash collection, planting, sowing, creating a community garden and bee flower beds, installing wildlife shelters), promoting environmental education and good environmental citizenship practices;
- interpretive group trips (walks, botanical and sensory tours, bird and birds and amphibian watching), showing the fauna and flora of natural spaces;
- intergenerational knowledge-sharing sessions (sewing, carpentry, basketry, horticulture, bread-making, grain milling, using social networks and good waste sorting practices), valuing the knowledge of each generation by bringing them closer together through sharing, and fostering social interaction, mutual respect and a citizenship of dialogue and solidarity.
At the end of the project, we hoped that the participants would see an improvement in their physical, cognitive and emotional condition, resulting in an improvement in their quality of life. At the same time, we expected that the seniors would be more sensitive to environmental issues in the community, increasing their sense of belonging, improving their situation in terms of social inclusion and increasing their motivation for life and active, healthy ageing.
Available outputs
On the project's website you will find various products and resources that you can consult and download for free:
- Diagnostic report analysing public perception of the work and importance of NGOs and other civic groups in the environmental and social fields in the project's five partner countries.
- Introductory handbook to mentoring trainees in NGOs to help association leaders with little experience in hosting trainees and/or volunteers.
- Training Course on Green and Social Entrepreneurship and Associative Leadership.
- Handbook about founding and funding NGOs for those who want to know about the first steps to take before setting up an NGO, the founding process, management tips and examples of funding.
- Policy paper that summarises the main results of the project, highlighting and discussing why it is important to change and evolve the policy associated with the third sector at both national and European level.
albergaria + ativa in numbers
Throughout the project, Albergaria + Ativa directly involved hundreds of people in a wide variety of activities and events:
Testimonials
STRATOS CHATZIGIANNAKIS
"O curso foi esclarecedor em todos os aspectos. A interacção com empreendedores sociais de toda a Europa, bem como as ferramentas e técnicas aprendidas, terão definitivamente impacto nas nossas acções futuras".
MONA FISCHER
‘NGEurope is an excellent way to learn about social entrepreneurship and to start thinking in innovative ways, as well as being more active. In addition, I have met many very inspiring people and gained a sense of connection and solidarity with other European citizens.’
GONÇALO ABREU
"O projecto NGeurope foi uma excelente oportunidade para o meu crescimento pessoal. Não esperava que este curso de formação me desafiasse a deixar a minha zona de conforto e me desse a conhecer tantas realidades diferentes sobre os temas da liderança e do ambiente. Graças a esta experiência aprendi sobre a importância do terceiro sector do desenvolvimento de soluções mais sustentáveis para problemas comunitários a nível local. Além disso, tive a oportunidade de conhecer muitas ONGs, não só no meu país mas também no estrangeiro. Através do programa de imersão do projecto, trabalhei num campo de voluntariado internacional e conheci ainda mais pessoas de diferentes partes do mundo. Esta experiência permitiu-me trabalhar as minhas competências linguísticas, mas sobretudo as minhas capacidades de liderança que aprendi no curso de formação. Obrigado NGeurope pela experiência incrível!"