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 S.A.” company, represented by Mr Víctor Salamanca, is in charge of consultancy and accounting.
6. Donations by Their Royal Highnesses.:
1.- 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.
2.- Consistent with the above, Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Asturias have, to date, made donations to the amount of 259,789.86 euros.
7. Assets and Endowment:
1.- At 31 December 2011, the Foundation's assets stood at
€5,017,645.73.
2.- 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. The Foundation's Budget and Action Plan.
Tax Year 2013:
1.-Restoration of the
Llabrés Pharmacy
The Plenary Session of the Minorca Island Council of 28 December 2009 agreed to register in the Minorca Island Catalogue of Historic Heritage the “Llabrés Pharmacy”, which is located in Calle Josep María Cuadrado in Ciudadela and is currently owned by the Hesperia Foundation.
The Hesperia Foundation is aware of the great cultural value of the “Llabrés Pharmacy” as well as the wish of the inhabitants of Ciudadela to recover the premises for public use and enjoyment. Consequently, in 2012 the Foundation began cleaning and sanitation of the building housing the Pharmacy. The most recent meeting of the Board of Trustees decided to proceed with the Pharmacy's restoration so that once the work is completed the premises may be used for purposes of general and social interest. Specifically, it is the wish of the Board of Trustees that the premises be initially used by the Foundation for Persons with Disabilities of the Island of Minorca (FPDIM), for the pursuit of its aims.
The cost of the agreed restoration will involve a significant financial outlay for the Hesperia Foundation and this will be paid over several financial years. When a total budget for the work needed is available it will be made public.
The Minorca Island Council and the Ciudadela Town Council have been informed of the wish of the Board of Trustees by the President of the Foundation and by the Household of H.M The King, with which they have enjoyed a close and fruitful relationship.
With the agreement adopted by its Board of Trustees, the Hesperia Foundation will carry out the wish of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Asturias for the funds from the estate of Juan Ignacio Balada Llabrés to be devoted to purposes of general and social interest.
2.-Loan to the Municipal School of Music and Dance
The Board of Trustees have decided to make a temporary loan to the Municipal School of Music and Dance of Ciudadela of the Petrof piano, which forms part of Mr. Balada's estate. This piano will be used by the School's young pupils for teaching purposes.
3.-Other projects
The restoration of the “Llabrés Pharmacy” will represent a part of the budgetary allocations of the Hesperia Foundation for forthcoming financial years.
In addition, there has been a renewal for 2013 of the collaboration with the research project undertaken by Doctor Aurora Pujol Onofre and the Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA) on the neurological disease Adrenoleukodystrophy, at the Institute of Biomedical Research of the Bellvitge Hospital in Barcelona. The sum awarded to this project over this year is 25,000 euros.
11. 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.