The Government of the Canary Islands has celebrated the first day of the AlGolpito programme in Hermigua, which promotes active ageing through walking football. The event brought together teams of seniors from various islands and marks the implementation of the project across the archipelago.
Last Saturday, Hermigua became the epicentre of active ageing in the Canary Islands. The regional government, through the Ministry of Social Welfare, organised a gathering for the AlGolpito programme, which brought together walking football teams from La Gomera with those from the day centres of Santa Cruz II, Los Realejos, and Guía de Isora. The initiative, part of the Maresía Plan, aims to combat unwanted loneliness and promote physical activity among seniors.
A historic day for walking football in La Gomera
The Minister of Social Welfare, Candelaria Delgado, attended the event alongside representatives from the Cabildo of La Gomera and the municipalities of Hermigua and Vallehermoso. Delgado highlighted that "
our goal is to promote active ageing and combat unwanted loneliness in the Canary Islands, and we achieve this, among other actions, through AlGolpito". The minister recalled that the project was presented on the island at the end of April and that "it has been well received, something that has been evident in this first gathering held in Hermigua". With this meeting, AlGolpito is now implemented across all the islands of the archipelago.
The island's Minister of Social Services, Rosa Elena García, noted that "we have initiated the project with the seniors of Vallehermoso and we hope that the rest of the municipalities will gradually join in". She thanked the Government of the Canary Islands and the CD Tenerife Foundation for organising the event. The day also saw the presence of the island's Minister of Sports, Guillermo Medina, and councillors Guillermo Coello and Ricardo Coello.
AlGolpito: adapted football against loneliness
AlGolpito is one of the flagship actions of the Maresía Plan, which integrates all activities aimed at promoting active ageing, social participation, and the protection of the rights of older people in the Canary Islands. The project is funded by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Equality, Youth, Childhood, and Families and is jointly developed by the foundations of UD Las Palmas and CD Tenerife.
The programme revolves around two axes: promoting active ageing through football and improving the social image of ageing, fostering intergenerational solidarity. Through AlGolpito, the 24 senior centres dependent on the Government of the Canary Islands have created walking football teams, an adapted sports modality that encourages physical activity, socialisation, and healthy lifestyle habits.
The aim is to complement support policies for older people using the potential of football as a tool for social change. It also seeks to change public perception of ageing and raise awareness of the activities offered by the regional government in this area. For the residents of La Gomera, this initiative represents an opportunity to participate in a programme that is already functioning in the rest of the islands and promises to improve the quality of life for seniors.
The next event will be in Vallehermoso, where more municipalities are expected to join this walking football network. In the meantime, the teams are already training with an eye on future matches. Who knows, at the pace AlGolpito is advancing, we might soon see a derby between seniors from Tenerife and Gran Canaria in the next inter-island meeting.
