The Aura Association, which has been working for the integration of people with intellectual disabilities in Los Palacios and Villafranca for 30 years, renews its board of directors. Charo Salas, mother of a user, takes over the presidency with the support of the Town Hall.
The mayor of Los Palacios and Villafranca, Juan Manuel Valle, welcomed the new board of directors of the Aura Association at the Town Hall, an entity that has been working for the social and labour integration of people with intellectual disabilities for three decades. The meeting served to welcome the team led by Charo Salas, who replaces Conchi Cid after four years in office.
Charo Salas takes on the role with very personal motivation. She is the mother of a young user of the association affected by a rare disease, and her experience seeing her daughter integrated and happy in Aura drove her to take the step. "Seeing her integrated, happy, and being part of this great group has been the best motivation for me to get even more involved and try to help all families," she stated during the meeting.
A new stage with continuity and experience
The new president faces the responsibility with enthusiasm and with a team that combines experience and new faces. Among its members is Conchi Cid, the outgoing president, whose management has been recognised by both the association and the Town Hall. Salas highlighted that having people who know the internal workings of Aura will facilitate the continuity of established projects and allow for the promotion of new initiatives.
The association, which started thirty years ago under the presidency of Manolo Parejo, has grown thanks to the work of all these years. The mayor emphasised this trajectory and stressed the importance of associations knowing how to renew themselves while maintaining the experience of those who have been part of previous stages. "Aura plays a fundamental role in our town. Its daily work for the full integration of its users deserves recognition from all of society, and for the Town Hall, it is a source of pride to continue walking this path alongside them," Valle affirmed.
Training and employment integration, the next challenges
During the meeting, the new needs posed by social evolution and the projects that the entity wants to promote in terms of training and employment integration were discussed. The Town Hall, through the Social Welfare Delegation, will continue to support these initiatives. Valle emphasised that one of the major challenges is to continue advancing so that Aura's users can complete their training and have real opportunities for integration into the labour market, thus promoting full integration and greater personal autonomy.
The mayor announced that the Town Hall will continue to support the new board in the projects already on the table, with the aim of strengthening joint work and achieving results that improve the quality of life for the people served and their families. For the residents of Los Palacios, this means that the association will continue to be a pillar in the social fabric of the municipality, offering resources and support to those who need it most.
Thirty years of altruistic effort
Valle wanted to recognise the enormous altruistic effort of all the families and volunteers who, over these three decades, have dedicated part of their time to growing Aura. He highlighted that the association has not only improved the lives of its users but also transformed the social sensitivity of the municipality. "What seemed impossible three decades ago is now a reality. Aura has normalised its presence in the life of the town, contributed to changing the mindset of society, and demonstrated the enormous value of inclusion. All that work deserves recognition from Los Palacios and Villafranca," he concluded.
Finally, the mayor encouraged Charo Salas and the entire new board to face this new stage with the same enthusiasm, commitment, and spirit of service that have always characterised the entity. The Town Hall, he reiterated, will continue to be a permanent ally of Aura in the development of its social projects. The association continues its work, and the residents of Los Palacios can expect that occupational workshops and employment integration programmes will continue to grow in the coming months.
You may also like
