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- The programme, promoted by the Endesa Foundation in collaboration with the Integra Foundation, is undertaken in four Spanish cities (Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Zaragoza) and now begins its fifth edition.
- The act of launching the new edition of “Changing Lives” has been closed today by the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, at the headquarters of Endesa.
The Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, at Endesa’s headquarters in the city, presided over the presentation of the new edition of “Changing Lives”, a programme that the Endesa Foundation undertakes in collaboration with the Integra Foundation, which promotes the incorporation into the world of work of people at risk of social exclusion.
The event was also attended by the chairman of Endesa and the Endesa Foundation, Juan Sánchez-Calero, the CEO of Endesa and vice chairman of the Endesa Foundation, José Bogas, and the chairwoman of the Integra Foundation, Ana Botella.
In addition, those attending the event were able to listen to the testimonies of an Endesa volunteer, who presented his experience on the project as a trainer, and to those of two people who participated in the programme.
“Changing Lives” was launched in 2016 and currently takes place in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Zaragoza. Since its launch, it has found employment for 969 people.
In Madrid, the programme closed its first edition in 2019, finding employment for 120 people from the most vulnerable neighbourhoods of the capital and municipalities in the metropolitan area. For this year, the objective is to find work for another 120 people and start up 3 schools to strengthen skills.
The people participating in the programme were identified by a total of 50 entities, including NGOs, public and private social institutions, and Social Services from different municipalities.
In addition, “Changing Lives” promotes corporate volunteering, as it is Endesa's own workers who provide the participants with a pre-employment training programme to help them successfully face job selection processes and be better able to access work. In Madrid, a total of 39 company volunteers collaborated with this school in 2019.
In his speech, the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, stressed that “good works are demonstrated with facts. More than 100 volunteers have demonstrated their commitment to society and to a more social future. You make the city of Madrid proud. Congratulations to the Endesa Foundation and the Integra Foundation”.
In turn, the chairman of Endesa and the Endesa Foundation, Juan Sánchez-Calero, stressed that “the holding of this meeting reaffirms our strong commitment to social development. I want to congratulate all those who, with their effort and determination, have managed to overcome very difficult situations in order to obtain the confidence and strength necessary to find work. All this provides us with forward momentum to continue this project in 2020”
For his part, the CEO of Endesa and vice chairman of the Endesa Foundation, José Bogas, acknowledged the selfless work of the company's volunteers in the development of "Changing Lives" and stressed that "this programme also changes the lives of the Endesa employees who collaborate in it. Many of them have valued the fact that participating in it has enabled them to get a better and more accurate picture of the social reality and the reality of their own company”.
For Ana Botella, the chairwoman of the Integra Foundation, “This is a project that focuses on people. The Integra Foundation was created precisely to give new opportunities to those people who find things even more difficult and who, through a job, can reverse their situation of exclusion. Today, we are proud of this collaboration and of celebrating the insertion of 969 people into the labour market.”
About the Endesa Foundation
The main objective of the Endesa Foundation, chaired by Juan Sánchez-Calero, is to contribute to social development through educational projects, training for employment, and through environmental and cultural training.
The educational projects of the Foundation are mainly aimed at promoting innovation in education at all levels and fomenting academic excellence at university level through grants, scholarships and chairs.
Employment training projects focus on promoting the talent of people at risk of social exclusion, young entrepreneurs with limited resources and professionals of over 50 years of age.
Its environmental projects are primarily focused on promoting ecological education and culture.
As for its cultural projects, those dedicated to the illumination of artistic monuments, the conservation and dissemination of the historical industrial heritage of the Spanish electricity sector and the collaboration with top-level Spanish cultural entities are outstanding.
More information at: http://www.fundacionendesa.org/
About the Integra Foundation
The Integra Foundation is a social entity created in 2001 to help people suffering from social exclusion and people with disabilities regain control of their lives through finding employment. Thanks to its partner companies, it has succeeded in offering more than 14,500 jobs.
Authorised placement agency No. 9900000391