Encamp Councillor Joan Sans Hails Youth Programme Advances

Joan Sans, Encamp's councillor for Culture, Childhood, and Youth, has expressed satisfaction with progress on nearly all programme commitments since joining the UP+DA list after years in opposition with the PS.

In an interview, Sans highlighted the parish's extensive support services for children and young people up to age 35, describing Encamp as "the leading parish in accompaniment" despite the challenge of duplicating them across the distant nuclei of Encamp and Pas de la Casa. These include the Llaç d’animació, Àrea de Jovent, Espai Jove, and Punt d’Informació Juvenil, all operational year-round. The Pas de la Casa nursery currently serves almost 80 children with near-daily services and capacity for expansion.

To manage budgets across the two locations, the council prioritises strong central programming in Encamp—such as the Festival de Titelles—while providing transport for Pas residents to participate, rather than fully duplicating events. Traditional festivities like Carnival, castanyada, Three Kings' arrival, Festa Major, and escudella are replicated in Pas de la Casa. Local volunteers and groups, including Encamp's festa commission and Pas's neighbours' and traders' association, play a key role in delivery, with Sans noting a shift from formal associations to individual altruistic involvement compared to his own youth.

Looking to 2026, approved in last week's budget, priorities include adapting space at Pas de la Casa's sports centre for a new library and consolidating Espai Jove in the former nursery—projects Sans described as personally exciting. Another flagship is a nearly €500,000 refurbishment of the Baronia albergue to modernise facilities, used for summer youth programmes and events like All Saints' week activities with adolescents. Concession of the site remains unconsidered but not ruled out, provided youth needs are safeguarded.

Sans also outlined plans to expand the consolidated Festival Ànima, featuring international award-winning puppet companies, with support from the Spanish and French embassies and Andorra Turisme to attract visitors beyond locals.