The Conseller de Benestar Social of the Consell de Mallorca has inaugurated the new course, which will have more groups than ever to respond to the increase in demand
The Conseller de Benestar Social del Consell de Mallorca and president of IMAS, Guillermo Sánchez, accompanied by the mayor of Sineu, Tomeu Mulet, and the insular director of Community Care and Promotion of the Autonomy of the Elderly, Catalina Maria Mascaró Bestard, today attended the official inauguration of the 2024-2025 academic year of the IMAS Memory Workshops, organised in the Cloister of Sant Francesc de Sineu.
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Nearly 1,800 elderly people have enrolled in the new edition of the IMAS Memory Workshops
Nearly 1,800 people over the age of 60 have registered for this year’s edition, which has broken records not only in terms of participants but also in terms of groups. Specifically, the number has risen from 75 in previous editions to 80 groups spread across the entire map of Mallorca, as some municipalities, such as Sa Pobla and Binissalem, have added new ones to those they already had, to meet the increased demand from people interested in attending. In addition, the workshop has also resumed at the Llar d’Ancians residence in Palma.
‘Throughout our lives, we accumulate an incalculable treasure: memory. It is the key that opens the doors to our past, which allows us to relive special moments and remember the stories that have woven us. Our memory, like a garden in need of care, needs to be exercised to stay alive. That is why these workshops are so important,’ said Councillor Sánchez during the inauguration of the new course.
A total of 13 professionals from the fields of psychology, pedagogy and social education make up the IMAS Section for the Promotion of Autonomy of the Elderly, which this year celebrated 30 years since it began its work. This multidisciplinary team, which has the support of the municipal social services, prepares the material that forms part of the book that serves as a manual during the classes and where, in addition to cognitive skills, socialisation is encouraged.
‘It’s not just about learning techniques to improve cognitive skills, it’s about cultivating a space for the mind, encouraging social interaction, discovering new skills and, above all, enjoying the path we walk together’, emphasised the president of IMAS.
During the event that marked the start of this new edition of the workshops, representatives of the memory groups of Costitx, Maria de la Salut and Sineu gave a glossary. Also present were Margalida Vives and Liberto Macías, professors from the University of the Balearic Islands, who have collaborated in the preparation of the book, which, as in previous editions, has a section on ‘extraordinary people’, which highlights the gestures, events or notable situations of some of the people who participate in the workshops, who have stood out for their social, historical or personal contribution and who wish to share them with the rest of the groups. The manual also deals with a variety of current affairs, new technologies or the uses of mobile phones and other curiosities, such as recipes or Mallorcan words that are used differently depending on the different areas of the island.
As a novelty, this year 13 memory groups have set up a series of intergenerational dynamics with second-cycle primary school pupils called ‘Connecting generations’. In addition, as usual, in recent years, the ‘People to People’ project will continue, where groups from one municipality will receive groups from another and vice versa, as well as cultural outings and Apropa Cultura activities.