News

On 10 May 2026, the BategaMent Fest took place in Barcelona as part of the activities of the European BALANCE project. Under the motto “La força del jovent, el poder del canvi!” (in English, “The strength of youth, the power of change!”), the festival aimed to promote young people’s mental health and well-being, encourage the sharing of experiences and foster networking opportunities. The event was designed and organised by young participants from the Federació Catalana de L’Esplai, part of Fundesplai and involved in the BALANCE project, demonstrating that young people have ideas, a voice and the desire to change the world.

Cáritas Coimbra also took part in the festival with a group composed of one youth worker and nine young people from the Leisure Activities Centres, who are members of the BALANCE Portuguese motor group, alongside two staff members from the Innovation Department and one representative from SOS Estudante, a member of the project’s Advisory Board. There was also time to discover some of Barcelona’s history and points of interest.

Throughout the BategaMent Fest, the young participants engaged in collaborative activities, sharing sessions, thematic workshops and dynamics focused on mental health, youth participation and active citizenship. During the morning, they took part in the “Myths and Truths” activity, an awareness-raising initiative aimed at challenging prejudices associated with mental health, as well as a talk by psychologist Pablo R. Coca (@occimorons), who used his own illustrations to approach the topic in a creative and accessible way.

The programme also included a “Resource Market”, bringing together several organisations, associations and projects working in the field of mental health. These organisations promoted practical activities, games and interactive moments while sharing useful information about services and support available within the community. Emphasis was given to the participation of the Fundació Ajuda i Esperança, a BALANCE project partner responsible for “Esperança en Línia”, an emotional support service providing telephone helplines and specialised support. Some participants also had the opportunity to attend the theatre performance “Tras la luz de Alba”, organised by Associação Lumo and dedicated to raising awareness around various mental health issues.

During the afternoon, the Portuguese young people took part in musical and recreational activities as part of Festa Esplai 2026, an event celebrating Fundesplai’s 40th anniversary, which brought together children, young people, families and professionals in a large educational and community gathering. The young organisers of the BategaMent Fest also presented a manifesto focused on mental health, identifying young people’s needs and advocating for stronger support measures, addressed to all participants and political representatives attending the event.

The participation of the Portuguese group strengthened international cooperation within the BALANCE project, promoted the exchange of experiences between young people from different countries and increased the visibility of the work carried out by the Leisure Activities Centres and Esplais involved in the project. It also contributed to deepening reflection on emotional support responses aimed at younger generations and reinforced the shared commitment to promoting well-being and mental health.

The BALANCE project aims to promote mental health among young people aged 13 to 18 years old. It is funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV) of the European Union and involves four partners: Cáritas Coimbra (Portugal), the Intermunicipal Community of Coimbra Region (Portugal), Fundació Ajuda i Esperança (Spain), and Fundesplai (Spain), which is the coordinating entity.