HESPERIA FOUNDATION
1. Background:
Mr Juan Ignacio Balada Llabrés passed away on 18 November 2009, and appointed as heirs to half of his estate, in equal parts, Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Asturias and the eight grandchildren of Their Majesties The King and Queen. He also entrusted the Prince and Princess with creating, with the other half of his estate, a Foundation of general interest.
It is worth noting that Mr Balada stipulated in his will that, in the event that the heirs should renounce the inheritance, it should be given to the State of Israel.
2. Constitution:
Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Asturias, in compliance with the wishes of Mr Juan Ignacio Balada Llabrés expressed in his will, constituted the Hesperia Foundation on 23 April 2010, which was recorded in the Ministry of Education's Register of Foundations by Order EDU/2133/2010, of 30 June
3. Purpose:
Mr Balada stipulated in his will that the Foundation's purpose should be the study of and support for the institution of monarchy, both in Spain and abroad, as well as its promotion through science and the arts, and he authorized Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Asturias to set other goals, which are as follows:
a) training young people to better enable them to access the labour market.
b) promoting, participating in and fostering projects of a social nature.
c) fostering culture in its diverse expressions.
4. Board of Trustees and Aegis
Under the Honorary Presidency of Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Asturias, the governance, representation and administration of the Foundation has been entrusted to a Board of Trustees, whose members are:
Chair: Mr Gonzalo Urquijo Fernández de Araoz.
Secretary: Mr Enric Brancós Núñez.
Advisor: Mr Luis de Carlos Bertrán.
The trustees perform their duties without remuneration.
The Foundation is under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport.
5. Auditing and Accounting:
The auditing of the Foundation has been entrusted to the “PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUDITORES, S.L.” company, and the “AUXADI, CONTABLES – CONSULTORES S.A.” company, represented by Mr Víctor Salamanca, is in charge of consultancy and accounting.
6. Donations by Their Royal Highnesses.:
Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Asturias publicly informed, on 16 January 2010, that their corresponding part of Mr Balada's inheritance would be allocated in its entirety to social purposes.
7. Assets and Endowment:
The projects carried out by the Foundation are financed through the returns of its assets and the donations made by Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Asturias.
8. The Foundation's Budget and Action Plan.
Tax year 2011:
The Hesperia Foundation's Action Plan of for 2011 focused on young people and some of their most important problems. In this respect, the Foundation's priority objective during that year was helping young people access employment, combating school failure and early school leaving, as well as offering assistance and protection to unprotected or vulnerable minors.
The amount spent on the projects implemented totalled € 275,000.
Specifically, the four projects approved were:
1.- Project for integration into the labour market of young persons with disabilities. In collaboration with the Foundation for Persons with Disabilities of the Island of Minorca (FPDIM), young persons with mild intellectual disabilities were assisted in accessing their first job. The amount for the Project totalled € 45,000, to which Their Royal Highnesses added a contribution of € 95,000.
2. Project for reintegration into the educational system of young persons who have dropped out, and/or access to the labour market. In collaboration with Cáritas Spain, the aim of this project was to help young persons who had stopped studying, either because of school failure or because they had chosen to drop out, to once again enter the educational system, or get a job, or receive specific training enabling them to get a job. In particular, the project was carried out by Cáritas Málaga for the implementation of the occupational programme called "Pre-workshop for Assistant Mechanics of light vehicles". Amount for the Project € 45,000.
3. Project with minors in situations of social risk and/or exclusion. In collaboration with the Spanish Red Cross, a project was implemented proving care and education to children in situations of social risk, offering backing and support for their families. In particular, the project approved was called “Family Preservation Project for children in contexts of social risk" targeting families with children between the ages of 4 and 14, in situations of social risk, at the Spanish Red Cross Children's Day Care Centre in Salamanca. The amount for the Project was € 45,000.
4. Research project in the field of rare diseases. The aim of this project was to finance the research work coordinated by Dr Aurora Pujol Onofre, Researcher at the ICREA (Catalan Institute for Advanced Research and Studies), and Head of the Neuro-Metabolic Diseases Team at the Biomedical Research Institute of Bellvitge, on the neurological disease called adrenoleukodystrophy. Amount for the Project: € 45,000.
9. The Foundation's Budget and Action Plan.
Tax year 2012:
In 2012, the Foundation, in its Action Plan, has maintained its policy of investing in projects with a social content, whose targets have mainly been young people and people with the greatest need for protection.
The amount spent on the projects approved totalled € 100,000.
The three projects approved were:
1. A one-year renewal of the collaboration with the research project implemented by Dr Pujol and the ICREA on the neurological disease called "adrenoleukodystrophy", which is being carried out at the Biomedical Research Institute of Bellvitge. Amount for the project € 25,000.
2. In collaboration with the ONCE Specifically, the ONCE programme is called "Mediation Programme implemented by the ONCE Foundation to care for deaf-blind persons". Amount for the project: € 25,000.
3. In collaboration with the City Council of Lorca, a project was approved with the purpose of repairing the structural damage caused by the earthquake to the Pilar Soubrier School, a school for children with mental and physical disabilities. Amount for the Project: 30,000.
10. Visits by Their Royal Highnesses to the Projects
As part of their programme of activities, Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Asturias visit the projects implemented by the Hesperia Foundation in collaboration with other institutions.
On 2 March 2011, they visited the Project for integration into the labour market of young persons with disabilities, implemented in collaboration with the Foundation for Persons with Disabilities of the Island of Minorca (FPDIM), through which young persons with mild intellectual disabilities were assisted in accessing their first job.
On 23 September 2011, Their Royal Highnesses visited, at the Spanish Red Cross Children's Day Care Centre in Salamanca, the "Family Preservation Project for children in contexts of social risk" implemented in collaboration with the Spanish Red Cross and targeting families with children between the ages of 4 and 14, in situations of social risk, offering backing and support for their families.
On 22 May 2012, they visited the project carried out by Cáritas Málaga for the implementation of the occupational programme called "Pre-workshop for Assistant Mechanics of light vehicles", for the reintegration into the educational system of young people who have dropped out, and/or access to the labour market.