The Yellows enjoyed Christmas-themed activities and workshops as part of the Endavant Igualtat project
Villarreal Women shared a very special day with the occupational centre of the Fundación Síndrome de Down de Castellón (Down Syndrome Foundation of Castellón), in a visit marked by togetherness, social inclusion and the Christmas spirit. The initiative formed part of the Endavant Igualtat project.
The Groguets travelled to the centre, which supports 40 people of working age with intellectual disabilities, to see first hand the work being carried out to improve their personal autonomy and their social and employment inclusion.
During the visit, some of the centre’s own users, such as Sara and Julio, were responsible for explaining to the players the different training activities they carry out in their day to day lives through a short audiovisual presentation. The centre promotes a wide range of workshops that encourage creativity and practical learning among its users. These include woodwork and stationery and paper pulp workshops, where they make or paint magnets, keyrings, notebooks, bookmarks and tote bags, among other items. They also regularly run painting and finishing workshops, as well as handmade soap workshops.
Players and users were split into several groups to take part in different Christmas-themed activities, such as painting tote bags, ceramic mugs and bookmarks. In addition, some players took part in a Christmas podcast produced by the centre’s users themselves. It was an enriching experience for both sides and reinforced Villarreal CF’s commitment to integration and social responsibility, in a collaboration that has already taken place in previous seasons with the women’s team.
Villarreal Women’s Laura Rodríguez, highlighted the importance of this type of initiative and enjoyed spending time with the centre’s users. “Since I arrived at Villarreal, I noticed that it is a club that is very close to the people. I think it is a really positive initiative to be able to get to know and work with these associations. It is very special to be able to share activities with them.”
Meanwhile, Quique Andrés, an occupational instructor at the Fundación Síndrome de Down de Castellón (Down Syndrome Foundation of Castellón), said: “For us, it is a pleasure to be able to share these moments with such a caring team that is so involved with our users, like Villarreal Women.”
To round off an emotional day, Sara, one of the users, wanted to thank the Villarreal CF players for visiting the occupational centre. It was a day that once again showed that football is a powerful tool for unity, learning and values, both on and off the pitch.
