The Balia Foundation provides support to young people and their families in Spain who are at risk of social exclusion. Over the last three years, in partnership with Barclays, it has been providing safe childcare facilities for children and developing the parents to help them secure more highly skilled work.

Many of the families are immigrants with lone parents, who have limited skills and face long working days in order to earn a decent income. This means leaving their children at home, or playing on the street, during working hours.

The Balia Foundation operates an after school club providing professional childcare and opportunities for children’s personal development.

For parents, the Balia Foundation has two new technology classrooms where they can develop computer skills, design new CVs and search the internet for career opportunities. Barclays colleagues are also running a series of workshops to increase their financial awareness levels, including budgeting and opening bank accounts.

 

Project targets

30 young people to have a safe educational environment while their parents are working

30 parents to attend financial awareness sessions

30 parents to develop their skills and seek meaningful and fairly paid employment

12 parents to attend advanced computer workshops

 

Impacts to date

45 young people have been enrolled in the Balia programme enabling their parents to look for better jobs

35 parents have attended financial awareness sessions

9 Barclays volunteers have run financial awareness sessions

GC’s story

After a long and expensive custody battle with the child’s mother, GC found himself heavily in debt. As a full–time carer, GC had to give up work to look after his child. This left him unable to pay his rent. He enrolled his child in the Balia programme, and attended financial awareness sessions, which helped him manage and repay his debts. GC is now working hard to find a new, better paid job.

Related projects