The Mayor of Paredes Municipality, Alexandre Almeida, presented on Thursday, October 15th, at LX Factory in Lisbon, the Municipality's projects developed under the PRR, focusing on disadvantaged communities. The municipality's participation in the event “Lisboa e Porto: Duas Metrópoles, Transformar Territórios” facilitated knowledge sharing through projects, testimonials, and debates.
Within the scope of Integrated Operations in Disadvantaged Communities of the Porto Metropolitan Area, Paredes and Vila do Conde developed interventions combining proximity responses, inclusion, people's empowerment, community participation, and qualification of facilities and spaces. The Municipality of Paredes completed 12 projects, representing an investment of €7,850,606.04.
The intervention covered proximity projects in the areas of education, mental health, social inclusion, culture, sports, and professional qualification, alongside structural investments in heritage recovery and valorization. Highlights include educational inclusion, support for vulnerable families, the enhancement of the Mosteiro de Vilela, and the creation of a space dedicated to literacy and personal development. The strategy aimed to meet the needs of the populations and enhance the territory's resources.
Alexandre Almeida highlighted the significant results and the intended continuity of the created dynamics. "With these funds, the Municipality of Paredes had the opportunity to advance with several Material and Immaterial Projects," he stated. He pointed to the Museum of Furniture of Paredes and the Literacy Center honoring the poet Daniel Faria as major material projects. Projects such as “Escola Mais Inclusiva” (More Inclusive School), involving psychologists and technicians, and the resettlement of the Roma community, were cited as examples of significant social impact and integration.
The projects include:
Education, youth, and skills development: Escola + Inclusiva Program (€478,938.99) for supporting vulnerable students and families; GenialMENTE – Psychosocial Support and Educational Success Promotion (€50,000.00) for emotional well-being and academic success.
Health, care, well-being, and active aging: Support for Families and Individuals with Disabilities and/or Incapacity (€273,145.52) for autonomy and quality of life; Promotion of Mental and Community Health (€75,225.35) for prevention and support in fragility.
Social inclusion, citizenship, culture, and community participation: Participatory Platform — Culture, Citizenship, and Inclusion (€615,165.23) for cultural and artistic dynamism; Inclusion Program for the Roma Community of Paredes (€205,956.39) for social and housing integration; Network and Inclusion Program through Sport (€359,116.77) for inclusive sports practice.
Employment, solidarity, circular economy, and sustainability: Collaborative Platform for Professional Insertion, Qualification, and Valorization (€184,511.09) for articulation between entities and the job market; Solidarity Platform for Sharing and Resource Valorization (€117,967.49) for community cooperation and sustainable practices.
Heritage, facilities, and territorial valorization: Integrated Valorization Center for Furniture and Wood Arts (€3,315,553.81) at the former Mosteiro de Vilela; Literacy and Personal Development Promotion Center (€1,914,835.45) at the Palacete dos Pereiras, in Baltar.
Coordination, monitoring, and learning valorization: Management and Dynamization of the Integrated Operation Action Plan (€260,189.95) for supporting the coordination and integrated execution of various responses.
