The Christmas season tends to accentuate the spirit of solidarity and the desire to help those most in need. In a group such as the FC Barcelona supporters’ clubs, in which this is one of its main values, this circumstance has once again manifested itself this year. Solidarity initiatives have taken place all over the country, with special attention to children and most vulnerable families.
Visits to hospitals and social centres
One organisation that is very active at this time of year is the Peña Barcelonista Villabalter, which in December celebrated its XIV Solidarity Christmas. This supporters’ club visited the Day Centre for the Elderly and the State Reference Centre for Disability and Dependency, both in their town of San Andrés de Rablanedo, where they held talks and handed out blaugrana gifts. The organisation, which had the collaboration of the Confederació Mundial de Penyes and the Federación de Castilla y León, also organised its VIII Blaugrana Christmas Exhibit, a drawing competition in which people from the two aforementioned centres took part, along with the youngest culés in the region.
The paediatric areas of hospitals have also been one of the focal points of the solidarity of the supporters’ clubs over the last few days, in this case on the part of two regional federations. In Albacete, the Federación de Peñas de Castilla-La Mancha visited the University Hospital Complex, where it distributed several tablets to children who have had to spend Christmas in this centre. In Palma de Mallorca, the Federació de Penyes de les Illes Balears went to the Son Espases Hospital to hand over the cheque with the proceeds from the charity raffle of its last Trobada de Penyes, as well as several blaugrana gifts that brought a smile to the faces of the youngsters in the paediatric ward.
Food and toys for the most vulnerable
Another example of the movement’s solidarity mobilisation was that of the Penya Barcelonista de Palafrugell, which belongs to the Federació Empordà i Catalunya Nord. The supporters’ club became fully involved in the Red Cross “Cap nen sense joguina” (No child without a toy) campaign, and opened its headquarters for anyone who wanted to help to hand in a toy. At the end of the campaign, the supporters’ club handed them over to the Red Cross so that they could distribute them among the most disadvantaged children.
On the other hand, entities such as the Penya Barcelonista de Torrelameu, of the Federació Ponent Nord, took part in the food collection. Once again, this year, the members of the Penya collected non-perishable food to give to the Food Bank of Lleida, which has delivered it to vulnerable families. The PB Torrelameu also organised the traditional “Tió de Nadal”, which mobilised all the local children, who played together and got their presents.
For its part, the Peña Barcelonista Pedrito (Fed. Canarias), once again collected food for the Copile Association, which helps vulnerable families, and also collected letters to the Three Wise Men for solidarity toys. The Peña Familia Blaugrana de Panamá (World Federation) also acted in this sense, with donations by its members of clothes, toys and food to a children’s soup kitchen near the Panamanian capital.
