The Department of Seniors of the Córdoba City Council will launch a summer program benefiting 4,620 seniors from the city and its outskirts. The excursions, taking place throughout June, July, and August, represent a significant increase from the 57 trips organized last year, which involved 3,100 participants.
The Deputy Mayor and delegate for Seniors, Eva Contador, highlighted that the initiative serves a dual purpose: providing leisure alternatives against the high temperatures of the Cordoban summer and fostering community among users of municipal active participation centers to combat unwanted loneliness.
The beaches of the province of Málaga, such as El Palo and Rincón de la Victoria, are the most popular destinations, although trips to Cádiz, El Puerto de Santa María, Huelva, and Granada are also organized. The first excursions have already taken place in the early weeks of June.
To participate in these excursions, individuals only need to possess a membership card from any of the 14 municipal senior centers, a free card granting access to all activities organized by the Department. "Everything we do from the Department of Seniors is free," Contador recalled.
The municipal official emphasized the program's continuous growth, with plans to reach 196 trips throughout the year, benefiting approximately 10,800 seniors. This figure could potentially increase with extraordinary trips if requested by the centers.
After the summer, the program will focus on cultural trips within Andalusia and nearby provinces. For the past two years, these excursions have included a tour guide, a measure well-received by users for enhancing their visits and deepening their understanding of the chosen destinations' heritage.
Contador further stressed that these trips are an effective tool for promoting social relationships among seniors, aiming for them to "find spaces for coexistence, make friends, and have reasons to leave home and spend time with others."
The City Council currently allocates 110,000 euros annually to this program, compared to approximately 30,000 euros invested in 2018. During that period, the number of organized trips has notably increased from around a hundred per year to nearly 200 planned for this fiscal year.
