The Department of Social Welfare of Orihuela Council has launched the ‘Costa Summer 26’ programme, a new educational leisure initiative aimed at teenagers aged between 12 and 16 who live on the Orihuela coast. The scheme specifically targets those who use the Municipal Social Services or are in situations of social vulnerability.
Agustina Rodríguez, the Councillor for Social Welfare, explained that this project is running for the very first time in Orihuela Costa. It has been developed to respond to demands made by local families, the coastal youths themselves, and professionals working across the educational, health, and social sectors.
The main objective is to offer participants a shared space for learning, fun, and living together during the summer period. The initiative aims to promote personal development and active participation through educational, sports, environmental, and healthy leisure activities.
Furthermore, Rodríguez highlighted that this initiative forms part of the Department of Social Welfare’s commitment to education in values, equal opportunities, the prevention of social exclusion, the promotion of healthy leisure, and the psychosocial development of the municipality’s youth, investing in programmes that contribute to the welfare of children and adolescents.
The programme takes advantage of the natural environment of Orihuela Costa to develop activities that foster healthy lifestyle habits, teamwork, coexistence, self-esteem, and respect for the environment. Throughout the month of July, participants will enjoy experiences combining sport, nature, creativity, and education in values. Everything takes place in a safe environment supervised by four professionals from the Municipal Social Services. The councillor expressed her gratitude for the hard work and dedication of the staff at the Department of Social Welfare.
Among the scheduled activities, a highlight includes a water sports day at Campoamor beach, where participants will practise surfing, paddle surfing, and bodyboarding. Intergenerational workshops will also be held to encourage coexistence between the teenagers and older people who attend activities at the Alameda del Mar Civic Centre, which is the venue where the majority of the schedule will take place. These workshops aim to boost creativity and promote the exchange of experiences between different generations.
The schedule also includes an excursion to a multi-adventure park, where the young people will enjoy activities such as zip-lining, kayaking, and quads.
Additionally, there will be workshops for clothes customisation, crafts, and handiworks; a visit to a climbing wall with an introduction to climbing and bouldering; gymkhanas; cooperative games; and group dynamics. To round off the experience, participants will go on an excursion to the island of Tabarca, where they can practise snorkelling, discover the marine wealth of the natural reserve, and enjoy a day out together.
To complement the entire schedule, all participants will receive a healthy lunch every day, reinforcing the promotion of balanced eating habits. ‘Costa Summer 26’ is completely free of charge for families and has limited places available.
