The autonomous community of Castile and Leon is the largest Spanish region with an occupancy area of 94,227 square kilometers, approximately 19% of the national territory. It comprises nine provinces: Ávila, Burgos, Leon, Palencia, Salamanca, Segovia, Soria, Valladolid and Zamora. In turn, it contained 2,248 municipalities, 28% of the national total.
Its population is 2,447,519 inhabitants, which represents roughly 5% of the national total. As a result, the population density in Castile and Leon is much lower than the Spanish average (26 and 92 inhabitants per km2, respectively).
Demographic trends have been negative since 1950, especially in their rural areas. Its consequences have been manifested in the loss of productive potential and the lack of job opportunities for its inhabitants. The sparsely populated areas have been defined as the group of municipalities belonging to each of the provinces of Castile and Leon in which, on the whole, their population density is less than 15 inhabitants per square kilometer and they have a radius of at least 45 kilometers.
(Extract of the study Study on social entrepreneurship in Castile and Leon, by Lucía Velasco and Marcelo Segales Kirzner)
Thursday, 9th of May
9.00h -10.00. Reception in El Hueco (Soria).
Presentation of El Hueco and short presentation of the initiatives that are carried out here:
10.30-12.00 La Póveda de Soria (Soria)
Presentation of the project Montes de Socios. Amador Marín Gutiérrez
The project Montes de Socios aims to recover and put value on the mounts of partners while contributing to economic diversification, modernization and improvement of life quality in rural areas.
12.30-13.30 Almarza (Soria)
Meeting with Ascensión Pérez Gómez, president of AMFAR in Soria (Federation of women and families in rural areas) and Mayor of Almaza.
(To be confirmed)
13.30-15.00 Lunch in Los Villares de Soria (Soria).
15.30h-17.00h Magaña (Soria).
Meeting with Fernando Marín Redondo, mayor of Magaña. There, the mayor will speak about the problems and opportunities that has the rural life. He will also speak about the initiatives that are being carried out and achieved in the town so it won’t disappear.
Local initiatives.
18.00-19.00 Gómara (Soria).
Meeting with the mayor of Gómara, Juan Carlos; One representative of the Local Action Group PROYNERSO and Jaime, Director of the CRA (Gathered Rural School) of Gómara (to be confirmed).
Gómara is the head of the most unpopulated region of Soria according to the latest statistics of the INE. It is called Campo de Gómara, and the density of population of this area is of 1.98 inhabitants per Km². The depopulation of this region is so alarming that there are only 5 population centers that exceed 100 inhabitants, and none of them reaches even 300 inhabitants. What it supposes for the populations and the great lack of services and great impediment when setting up the commercial or economic activities.
20.00 Estimated arrival to Soria and dinner.
Wednesday 10th May
9.00-10.30. El Hueco Soria . Opening of the III Spring Meeting
12.00 -13.30. Tubillo del Lago (Burgos)
We move from Soria to Burgos, which is another province that belongs to the Castilla y Leon Regional government, to visit a town called Tubilla del Lago. There, we will visit another example of social entrepreneurship: Marta&Maté Wineries. www.martamate.com
They produce ecological wine and they work into a Land Stewardship Network (custodia del territorio). They will introduce us in their different way to produce wine and how this industry can be effective as a way to develop rural areas.
15.00h-16.00. Lunch time. El Burgo de Osma (Soria).
16.00h-18.00 El Burgo de Osma (Soria) and Visit to the Gormaz Castle and the chapel of San Miguel.
Meeting with Javier Martín, form the Local Action Group Tierras del Cid. He will talk about the initiatives in which this group is working and has worked with the aim of slow down the depopulation in these rural areas.
Armando García is also going to participate in the meeting. He will introduce us El Hueco Osma, an initiative similar to EL Hueco but adapted to this specific context, and he will talk about other original initiatives in these rural areas to generate development and to maintain people in rural areas.
19.30 Estimated arrival time to Soria and dinner.
Tuesday 11st May
9.00. El Hueco Soria.
Day 2 of the 3rd Spring meeting on Social Entrepreneurship in Soria. Impact imvesting and Social innovation in Europe
14.00 Lunch.