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Josep Gassó Espina. President
He is an educator and was born in Barcelona in 1951. She has dedicated her whole life to promoting free-time education for children and young people, especially for those at risk of exclusion. He started more than 45 years ago creating the Bellvitge Recreation Club and in 1996 he promoted, together with other people, the Fundació Catalana de l’Esplai, an entity he presides. He actively participated in the creation of the Social Action NGO Platform, which he chaired in its first stage between 1998 and 2003. For Josep Gassó, “leaders are those people capable, with optimism, of building a dream, that is, the aspiration of a community to improve their quality of life”.
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Carles Castells Oliveres. Vice President of Economic and Financial Management
He holds a degree in Economics and Business Studies from the University of Barcelona and was born in Barcelona in 1955. He is also a technician in General Administration of Local Administration, and has studied Public Management and Seminar in the Financial Area at ESADE. He is a consultant (own company T-19 Estudis i Projectes SL). He has been Managing Director of the Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navigation of Barcelona (1995-2002) and Executive Secretary of Fira 2000 SA (1993-1998) and General Coordinator of the Strategic Metropolitan Plan of Barcelona (2013-2016), among others. His association with Fundesplai began when he was young, when he worked as a monitor at the Bellvitge Club. “I hope to continue contributing, in what I can contribute, to the growth of the project and its permanent adaptation to time, circumstances and constantly changing challenges.”
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Anna Romeu Ripoll. Vice-president of Heritage, Environment and Quality
She has a degree in Biological Sciences from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Much of his professional career has been in the world of environmental education, implementation of different aspects of quality and sustainability and management of summer camps and nature hostels, as facilities with a powerful educational function. She joined in 1984, first to the Catalan Association Cases de Colònies, and, later, as a founding member of the Fundació Catalana de l’Esplai and for 8 years she has been in charge of the patrimonial management of Fundesplai as administrator of ACES. “I bring the history and experience accumulated in 30 years of educational and management work and the desire to continue creating and improving everything we do day by day.
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Amparo Porcel Mundó. Diploma in Social Work and Degree in Education Sciences. Vowel
Diploma in Social Work and Degree in Education Sciences. Specialized in care for the elderly and in quality management and auditing in dependency care centers. She was president of the Association of Social Workers (now the Professional Association) and has also been president of the Institute of Social Work and Social Services (Intress). She is currently part of the Fundesplai and Intress Volunteer Committee. De Fundesplai highlights its commitment to volunteering: “accompanying volunteers helps to fulfill its mission”. “I believe that from the Volunteer Committee I can help volunteers to also be incorporated into the new networks of solidarity and justice and to work with a global vision and the necessary community and local proximity.
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Enrique Arnanz. Vowel. Sociologist. President Fundación Esplai.
Sociologist, philosopher and president of Fundación Esplai. She has dedicated her life to community development and especially to the world of social inclusion, both in Spain and Latin America. As a new member of the Board of Trustees, he wants to make visible the relationship between Fundación Esplai and Fundesplai, creativity and mutual work from respect for the identity and autonomy of each entity. What stands out most about Fundesplai is its mission to put the person at the center of life and its educational and supportive character with the people who need it most. “I believe deeply in the value of the team, of the collective and the community, and of the ability to add and multiply with each other.”
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Salvador Carrasco Calvo. Professor of Sociology at the University of Barcelona
Professor (retired) of Sociology at the University of Barcelona, he was born in Valencia in 1942. Historian and sociologist. He was part of the Advisory Board and its core since the creation of the Foundation. He joined the Board of Trustees in September 1999. He is Chairman of the Policy Committee and member of the Good Governance Committee, both of the Foundation. For twelve years he has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Club d’Esplai Pubilla Casas – Can Vidalet.
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Sheila Fernandez Alvarez. Member of the board of directors of the Polinyà Group
He works in the family business and is studying law degree. In recent years she has collaborated with the association El Grup de Polinyà, a reference entity in leisure education in the town, as a music teacher and is currently secretary of its board of directors. He combines his dedication to the family business with his work in the Polinyà Group. For her, Fundesplai develops a very important work in the field of leisure education for children and young people that facilitates their recognition at a social level. Also noteworthy is the community action of the entity in favor of families. Fernández sets himself the challenge of opening an important line of work of recreation in the Vallès Occidental.
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Carlos Grau. Vowel. Industrial engineer. Partner Technology and Innovation Konsac Group.
Industrial engineer and expert in new technologies, he joins the Board of Trustees to bring the vision of the business world to the Foundation, betting on employment and to continue translating the activity of Fundesplai into an impact for society as a whole. With more than 25 years of experience in positions of responsibility in large companies in the technology sector, such as Microsoft, a company of which he was director in Catalonia between 2005 and 2014. Precisely, from his responsibility in this multinational he helped to consolidate the Connecta project, promoted by Fundación Esplai and where he himself also volunteered in the center of Diagonal Mar. De Fundesplai, above all, values the commitment to programs such as Jove Valor and Tresca, which combine leisure with the employment of young people in situations of exclusion. Since 2013 he has been a member of the advisory board of Fundesplai.
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Rosa Romeu. Vowel. Diploma in Social Work.
She has a degree in Social Work and was born in Preixens (Lleida) in 1935. In 1961 he started working in the Besòs neighbourhood on a community work project. Her career in this field led her to work at Sant Adrià City Council (1979-1980), Nou Barris (1980-1994) and Barcelona Provincial Council (1994-2002). For 25 years she has also been a professor at the UB. He has been a member of the core of the FCE Advisory Board since its creation, and has been a member of the Board of Trustees since December 2002. Collaborates in several
Social Work Commissions of Administrations and Social Entities. Romeu believes that entities such as Fundesplai should underline their commitment to transformation and social cohesion and highlights the team: “People who identify with the project. And that makes us very strong.”
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Carmen San Miguel. Vowel. Degree in Physical Sciences.
Graduated in Physical Sciences from the UB, she was the director of planning at COOB 92, responsible for information and computer systems, councillor for mobility and security and councillor for the Eixample district of Barcelona City Council. She met Fundesplai during the period when CENTRE ESPLAI was built, coinciding with the years when, as Delegate of the Government of the Generalitat, she was responsible for the Law of Neighborhoods in Sant Cosme. De Fundesplai highlights its activity towards leisure education, especially for the most needy children and its ability to overcome the crisis “by promoting new organizational models and with very committed people”. He has been part of the Advisory Board for seven years and now, as a member of the Board of Trustees, he hopes to continue providing management experience and analysis skills.
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George Simon. Vowel. Founder and CEO of Plan Marketing y Comunicación.
He studied Chemistry and History at the UAB, but finally oriented his career towards the audiovisual sector, founding a communication company that over time has specialized in the digital world. As a young man he lived the world of leisure, but it was not until recently that he managed to find the necessary free time to collaborate with a project of personal commitment, such as that of Fundesplai, an entity that he has known since its inception and whose history he describes as “very inspiring for having started with a small children’s and youth center to end up being a great foundation that supports thousands of children and young people in many fields”. As a member of the Board of Trustees, he hopes to bring enthusiasm and energy and his experience in the field of communication and organization wherever necessary.
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Rosa Valls Carol. Professor of the Faculty of Education at the University of Barcelona
She is a tenured lecturer in the Department of Theory and History of Education at the UB, and was born in Argentina in 1954. She was director of the Bellvitge Recreation Club between 1990 and 1996. She has directed several R+D research projects related to social inclusion. She is responsible for Learning Communities. She volunteers for different entities including the La Verneda-Sant Martí School for Adults (since its inception), Drom Kotar Mestipen and Facepa. Throughout her career she has studied in depth learning communities, social inclusion and educational changes and the gender perspective, among others. Topics on which he has contributed his experience in the different lines of work of Fundesplai.
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