Promoted by Cidade Social, the Municipal Excellence Awards have been distinguishing good practices developed by Portuguese municipalities since 2024, valuing projects for their quality, innovation, sustainability, and community impact.
The two diamond awards were secured in the sports category. This distinction acknowledges the continuity and evolution of projects awarded in previous editions. The Gondomar em Movimento program – Municipal Plan for the Promotion of Physical and Sports Activity was recognized for bringing physical activity closer to the population through free, decentralized offerings. The Municipal Training Plan for Sports Leaders also received a diamond for its work in qualifying leaders and sports agents.
In sports, the Observatório do Desporto Infantojuvenil (Youth Sports Observatory) won gold, distinguishing a project that unites the Municipality, clubs, families, and the scientific community to understand and improve the sports experience for children and young people, already involving 16 clubs and over 140 agents.
Health was the area with the most distinguished projects, receiving four gold awards: Gondomar Cuida – Caregiver Rest Support Network; Mais Saúde – Active Aging; Gabinete de Avaliação Integrada (Integrated Assessment Office); and Walk With a Doc Gondomar, which promotes health through walks led by healthcare professionals.
In social action, GondoPET received gold for a project based on the human-animal bond to combat isolation and encourage responsible adoption. In the Free Theme category, two gold awards were given: Desporto Vai à Porta (Sports Comes to Your Door), in public housing, offers free sports activities to communities, involving 600 beneficiaries; and Guardiões dos Rios (Guardians of the Rivers), in the environment category, combined environmental protection and social inclusion, with approximately 9,500 people involved and 5,000 native species planted.
In total, the 10 awards recognize projects united by a common approach: creating responses close to people, leveraging existing resources, working in networks, and transforming public policies into concrete actions. The distinctions reflect a transversal municipal intervention aimed at meeting the population's needs and improving the quality of life in Gondomar.
