San Bartolomé de Tirajana strengthens its commitment to active aging with the closing of the gymnastics course for seniors.

 

More than 200 people participated this Friday, July 18, in the closing ceremony of the 2024/2025 senior gymnastics course, held at the Aeroclub Restaurant in San Bartolomé de Tirajana. The event was enlivened by a performance by the musical group Sweet Cocoabrought together program users with the First Deputy Mayor, Alejandro Marichal; the Councilor for the Elderly and Social Services, Dimas Sarmiento; as well as the technical team and trainers from the Department for the Elderly.

 

 

 

During the course, nearly 300 seniors participated in this municipal initiative, which has become one of the most successful initiatives within the Active Aging Program. Activities took place weekly at the senior centers in Tunte, Castillo del Romeral, Juan Grande, Aldea Blanca, San Fernando, El Tablero, Cercados de Espino, and El Pajar, combining motor development exercises, cognitive stimulation, and sociocultural activities.

 

 

New goals for the 2025/2026 academic year

 

During the event, the Mayor's Councilor, Dimas Sarmiento, outlined the main new features for the upcoming academic year, emphasizing the continuity of a service he considered essential to the quality of life of the municipality's seniors. The program, awarded to the entity En-Fórmate Canarias SL, will have a budget of 256.830,76 euros.

 

Sarmiento emphasized that the goal remains clear: "to prevent dependency, foster healthy lifestyle habits, and promote active participation in community life. It's about ensuring a stable range of activities that not only keeps seniors active, but also connected and supported."

 

For his part, the first deputy mayor, Alejandro Marichal, wished to convey a message of profound appreciation to the elderly community. He argued that it is not only about thanking them for the legacy they have built, but also about doing justice to a generation that, with effort and sacrifice, cemented the prosperous and humane municipality that San Bartolomé de Tirajana is today.

 

Marichal stated that for the governing group, the well-being of seniors is not an option, but an unquestionable priority. "Social policy must translate into actions, resources, and programs like this one, which promote physical health, personal autonomy, and social participation," he stated.

 

 

 

In his speech, he also emphasized the importance of approaching this vital stage as a "third youth," active, fit, and with its own voice. He asserted that strengthening and expanding these types of services will be a strategic focus during the current term, because—he insisted—"a society that values and cares for its elders is a stronger, wiser, and fairer society. Ultimately, a better municipality for everyone."

 

Beyond physical exercise: travel, culture and coexistence

 

The program not only includes weekly workshops, but also two annual trips for groups of 50 people, monthly cultural visits for up to 55 participants, and intergenerational activities aimed at strengthening community ties.

 

During the month of July, course evaluations, registration of new participants, and planning for the next course will be carried out. August will be a break, and activities will resume in mid-September.

 

With the closing of the current academic year and the ongoing planning of the next, the Department of the Elderly of the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council reaffirms its commitment to public policies that promote dignified, active, and participatory aging. The objective is clear: to continue offering services tailored to the real needs of one of the most important groups in the municipality.