On October 3rd, the Social Rights Area of the Castellterçol City Council presented a video about its community activities model, designed to combat ageism and promote active aging. This initiative, which has already been presented in Brussels, has become a benchmark for other Catalan municipalities.
Javier Silva, delegate for the Area of Social Sustainability, Life Cycles, and Community of the Barcelona Provincial Council, highlighted that the municipality has placed the elderly "at the heart of community life." Silva announced that the local program would be discussed at the upcoming forum on ageism in Europe, held in Brussels on October 14th, to position it as a leading experience in "fostering participation, community ties, and the co-production of public policies".
The presentation event for the video, available on the Ràdio Castellterçol YouTube channel, was attended by authorities such as the Health Councilor of the Consell Comarcal del Moianès, Montse Paule, and the mayor of Castellterçol, Toni Massot. The Councilor for Social Rights, Albert Obrero, explained that the video can serve as a guide for other city councils interested in active aging prevention policies and the fight against ageism.
The project, initiated in 2013 by Castellterçol's Social Services, is based on active listening, community co-production, and constant collaboration. It originated from the detection of unwanted loneliness in a group of women. Currently, it has over 350 registrations and has expanded from one to eight activities. The model stands out for not requiring significant resources or new structures, but rather coordination between the City Council and local entities, technical staff, and a clear political orientation, moving away from a purely welfare-based approach to promote active aging and group self-management.
The project has been presented at various forums, including the 1st Congress against Ageism (October 2025), the 3rd Catalan Congress of Public Management (June 2026) at the TecnoCampus of Mataró, and the panel "Inclusive Territories for All Ages: Combating Ageism to Strengthen European Cohesion" on October 14th, as part of the European Week of Regions and Cities 2026.
