A-Porta, a program to encourage neighbouring empowerment

Publications Bank of innovations

A-Porta, a program to encourage neighbouring empowerment

Confederació d’Associacions Veïnals de Catalunya (CONFAVC) and Cooperative “ser Barri”

“Picaportes” advising a neighbour. Retrieved from a-porta.cat

Social Project of neighbouring empowerment trough charismatic neighbours living in neighbourhoods where there are significant social needs. These neighbours are named “Picaportes” (in Catalan: those who knock on doors) and are hired, trained, and coordinated to make visits to all the people living in the neighbourhood. In these visits they give support, advice, information and resources on how to improve quality of life. They deal with issues such as access to social rights, job search, energy vulnerability, accompaniment to older people…

The project seeks to take over the neighbours, to break the mistrust that may exist, and to report on the resources, both public and self-managed, that are located in the neighbourhoods so that they can gradually develop a solid and supportive community. This social cohesion is achieved through the role of the “Picaportes”, who also live in the neighbourhood and can better empathise with the situation of neighbours than an outsider.

A-Porta