Associação Social Recreativa e Cultural Bem Fazer Vai Avante

The Associação Social Recreativa Cultural e Bem Fazer "Vai Avante" was officially founded in 1962, obtaining the status of IPSS in 1998. It has its headquarters in its own building, in Tardariz, in the parish of S. Pedro da Cova, municipality from Gondomar. It is a local non-governmental, non-profit organization with the status of a private Social Solidarity and Public Utility Institution (IPSS). Its scope of action is mainly focused at the parish where the Association is located, although members of other parts of the municipality of Gondomar are included in its “associative mass”. The great change which set the transition from its markedly sporting and recreational function to a social, cultural, training and (in)formation Association was the range of the promoted activities. The Vai Avante Association's mission grounds on the social and cultural promotion of the inhabitants of the Municipality of Gondomar, aiming to support families, as well as children, youth and the elderly, economically and socially most deprived population. This goal is achieved, not only by the numerous services existing in the institution, but also through partnerships with other institutions and entities in order to complement and increase the quality of the services provided. This institution has as its basic intervention the development of articulated work, involving several social partners in order that the community actively participates, promoting their quality of life and fulfilling some of their needs. It has a wide range of support services to the community, coordinating 5 centers with highly diverse facilities such as: Nursery, Kindergarten, Leisure Center, Community Center, Community Center for the elderly (this being the holder of a project called "REaCORDAR" (roughly translated as bring back old memories) targeting elderly people with Alzheimer's), home support service, RSI protocol and professional insertion office, in partnership with IEFP. It has a motivated and dedicated technical team, as well as an entrepreneurial direction and awake to the community needs. In addition to the social area, the Vai Avante Association has a wide range of activities in the recreational and cultural sphere, namely the dance group "Roda Viva", where around 200 young people practise it, "Vai Avante Theater Group" with already 12 plays performed and 15 years of existence, a sport fishing section (currently federated and in the first division), a classic ladies section and also a hiking group “The Adventurers of the Trails”, which regularly has 20 participants.