Murcia launches new social inclusion aid

Ascensión Carreño, Murcia’s councillor for women, conciliation policies, older people and disability, said on May 19 that the city will open a new line of aid worth 193,000 euros for 20 entities working in the disability sector. The announcement came during an institutional visit to ASPAPROS, a nonprofit association based in Murcia that supports people with intellectual disabilities, according to the city council and Murcia Plaza. The council said the visit was aimed at tightening cooperation and coordinating new joint actions. Carreño said the city was working to build “a more inclusive, accessible” society with equal opportunities. ### What exactly is the new aid line? The Murcia city council said the 2026 call will have a total budget of 193,000 euros and will finance 20 entities in the disability field. The measure forms part of the work of Carreño’s department, which also manages programs linked to women, conciliation, older people and disability, according to municipal releases. (murciaplaza.com) Murcia’s social services structure already uses public grant calls and formal collaboration with social entities. The city’s social services portal says municipal aid is awarded to nonprofit entities for welfare-promotion and prevention projects, while the participation framework includes coordination bodies with third-sector groups and a social inclusion network created in 2016. (murcia.es) ### Why was ASPAPROS the setting for the announcement? ASPAPROS was the site of Carreño’s visit, where she met the association to review its current needs, demands, programs and activities, the council said. Murcia Plaza, citing the city council, said the meeting also examined new ways of cooperation to improve the use of municipal resources for people with intellectual disabilities. (serviciossociales.murcia.es) ASPAPROS is a nonprofit founded in 1964 whose stated purpose is to promote socialization and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities in areas such as social relations, leisure and culture. The association has a registered seat in Murcia and operates an occupational center in Molina de Segura serving adults aged 18 to 70 with varying degrees of intellectual disability, according to the council and the city’s disability directory. (murciaplaza.com) ### What ties already exist between Murcia and ASPAPROS? Murcia said its disability section has collaborated with ASPAPROS since 1999 through agreements and earmarked subsidies for integration and social support projects. The city described that relationship as longstanding and said the latest visit was intended to deepen it. (murciaplaza.com) A decree dated Dec. 26, 2025 approved a nominative subsidy of 6,000 euros for ASPAPROS to continue its “Programa de Integración para Personas con Discapacidad Intelectual,” according to the municipal account cited by Murcia Plaza and the city release surfaced in search results. The council said the project is designed to address the needs of intellectually disabled people in situations of social vulnerability. (murciaplaza.com) ### How does this fit Murcia’s wider grant system? The city approved the final resolution of its 2025 social services project grants on Dec. 5, 2025 with a total budget of 120,000 euros, according to the municipal citizen portal. A separate municipal social services document says 25 entities received funding through that public-call channel in 2025, while 15 entities received nominative subsidies totaling 1.04 million euros. (murciaplaza.com) The social services area also maintains a directory of social entities and several participation bodies that bring together municipal services, regional authorities and third-sector groups. The city says those bodies are intended to support coordination and integrated policy design across social services. ### What happens next? The next step is the 2026 municipal call that the city said will distribute 193,000 euros among 20 disability-sector entities in Murcia. (ciudadanos.mimurcia.murcia.es) ASPAPROS, which the council says already has a 2025 subsidy in place for its integration program, remains one of the named participants in that wider municipal collaboration network. (murcia.es) (serviciossociales.murcia.es)