Contract Issues Halt Senior Workshops

The commencement of nan 2025/26 programme of activities successful Alicante’s municipal elder centres has been suspended aft nan City Council grounded to finalise nan institution responsible for delivering nan workshops. Registration for courses was owed to statesman connected September 10, followed by a lottery for places connected nan 19th, publication of vacancies connected nan 22nd, and nan motorboat of workshops connected October 1. None of these deadlines will beryllium met. Instead, nan process remains connected clasp “until further notice”.

Agustín Conesa, president of nan San Gabriel senior centre and personnel of nan Seniors’ Council, explained that representatives of nan centres themselves had requested a suspension of enrolments. Seventeen of Alicante’s 19 elder centres signed a associated connection demanding nan halt, insisting each centres should statesman astatine nan aforesaid time. The hold stems from nan ongoing tendering process. The statement went to nationalist tender connected July 17 pinch a deadline of August4 . Seven companies submitted bids ranging from €189,000 to €427,000. After method assessment, Podium Gestión Integral emerged arsenic nan champion classified pinch an connection of €308,000. The City’s Governing Board approved this classification past week, but nan definitive grant and formalisation of nan statement are still pending.

In nan meantime, nan Council insists nan work is “pre-awarded” and that nan institution will beryllium incorporated “in nan coming weeks”. Officials besides statement that immoderate workshops, tally by municipal unit aliases volunteers, could person begun earlier, but seniors themselves demanded that each activities commencement simultaneously erstwhile nan contractor is confirmed.

The fund for elder workshops has accrued by 44 per cent this year, reaching €446,289 for a two-year period. Plans see expanding nan programme by 42 per cent, from 66 to 114 activities, and expanding monitoring hours by 38 per cent, from 4,900 to 7,950. A full of 339 activities are scheduled crossed 19 elder centres and further spaces specified arsenic nan Municipal Arts Centre, Club Atlético Montemar, and Postiguet beach. Despite this, elder representatives reason that nan hold exposes a deficiency of readying and sensitivity towards a group of astir 27,000 members. They constituent to unresolved problems successful nan centres, including a surgery assistance astatine Isla de Cuba and years without aerial conditioning astatine Villafranqueza and Divina Pastora.

While nan City Council stresses that nan well-being of older group remains a priority, Alicante’s seniors opportunity their courses stay paralysed, pinch nary confirmed day for nan long-awaited commencement of nan caller programme.