Caring for the disabled and their families

Obra Social Caja Madrid's efforts on behalf of the disabled have materialised in 321 projects directly and indirectly benefiting 218,818 and 653,036 people respectively.

The focus is on promoting the training and personal autonomy of disabled people in order to help them stave off dependence. Support also goes to the recruitment of voluntary workers and the provision of specially adapted infrastructures.

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Assistance to persons suffering inequalities or at risk of social exclusion and their families

Funding was granted to 186 projects with results benefiting 380,463 people directly and 1,900,987 indirectly. Target collectives include children and young people at social risk, alcoholics, drug addicts and ex drug addicts, HIV-positive and AIDS patients, prisoners and ex prisoners, victims of domestic violence, prostitutes and the homeless.

Most projects fall within the categories of prevention, rehabilitation and training for the persons at risk, and support actions for their families. In parallel, funding is provided for the construction and/or acquisition of centres to house this kind of activity, and their refurbishment, enlargement or fitting-out.

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Employment creation and promotion for disabled persons and groups suffering inequalities or at risk of social exclusion

The 111 employment projects supported under this call have helped create 2,973 jobs and maintain a further 2,403 in special employment centres, social integration and/or social initiative cooperatives, and employment promotion or insertion companies.

The direct beneficiaries are persons at risk of exclusion: young people and women with difficulties finding work, the homeless, immigrants, those suffering physical, intellectual or sensorial disabilities or mental or chronic illness, and any otherwise marginalised individuals. Investment under this head is split between infrastructure and training projects.

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Social inclusion of immigrants

Obra Social Caja Madrid wishes to help immigrants become more fully part of Spanish society. The 71 projects funded in 2007 directly helped 89,082 persons with another 492,955 benefiting indirectly.

Most insertion actions sought to draw immigrants in directly; among them, training courses and leisure and social activities for children and young people. Funding also went to equip and adapt or improve information and guidance centres, occupational workshops, training centres, women's support venues and care centres for immigrant children.

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ECA Caja Madrid - Supported Employment Programme

In 2007, this scheme placed 1,069 people in regular employment in ordinary companies, of whom 756 were in some way disabled and 313 suffering inequality or exclusion risk.

The aim of the programme is to offer job opportunities to disabled and otherwise disadvantaged persons who have special difficulties finding ordinary employment. The idea is for beneficiaries to be able to live independently and lead a more normal social and working life. This is achieved by providing them with on-the-job training and mentoring during the initial period, to prevent attitudes of rejection in the workplace and minimise adaptation risk.

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Other Programmes

In addition to the above annual calls, Obra Social Caja Madrid has supported 107 one-off projects working for people with disabilities or debilitating illnesses, suffering chronic or mental illness or at risk of social exclusion. A total of 1,288,136 persons have benefited from this help.

projects range from the construction of day centres and volunteer recruitment programmes to drug abuse prevention campaigns or the provision of ambulances and other health vehicles to municipalities all over Spain. Meantime, the 2007 edition of the Caja Madrid Social Research Awards was given over to projects and studies exploring the causes and consequences of dependence.

The Pro-Sociality area of cultural centre La Casa Encendida continued with its efforts to support people and institutions working with disadvantaged groups on a professional or voluntary basis. These mainly comprised training events for volunteers and the managers of social organisations as a means to advance the professionalisation of the third sector.

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