Benidorm opens the process to select its Exemplary Neighbor of 2025

Benidorm Neighbourhood Council, with the support of the Department of Citizenship Participation, has launched a new call for applications for the Exemplary Neighbour Award, which recognises Benidorm residents whose conduct serves as a model of coexistence and inspiration for the rest of the population. The councillor for the area, Ana Pellicer, announced today at a press conference that the deadline for submitting nominations opens this Monday, September 1st, and will remain open until the end of the month.

Pellicer, who appeared alongside the Vice President of the Neighborhood Council, Antonio Zamora, and the President of the Exemplary Neighbor Award Committee, Teresa Garrido, pointed out that this award, which is unique in that it "comes from civil society," is "a magnificent opportunity to highlight the work, dedication, altruism, commitment, and empathy of our neighbors," recognizing "people who embody outstanding and remarkable personal, civic, and ethical values, who have been or are serving the city, and whose daily lives and good practices serve as an incentive for the rest of society."

As on other occasions, to maximise the reach of the event and make it even more diverse, the councillor encouraged "all Benidorm entities, regardless of their area of ​​operation, to participate."

As established in the rules of the call, any citizen or entity may submit nominations for the Exemplary Neighbour Award until September 30th, by submitting the application form at the Neighbourhood Council offices or at the Department of Citizen Participation.

The proposal must be endorsed by the signatures of three individuals or a legal entity, as well as a text detailing the merits that the individual possesses and that make them worthy of this recognition. These merits, Pellicer indicated, "must be related to respect for people, solidarity, peaceful coexistence, and tolerance among citizens, along with personal sacrifice, solidarity, or personal improvement."

From among all the nominations submitted by September 30th, the committee created for this purpose by the Neighbourhood Council will select three finalists. Nominations will be submitted to a jury for the verdict, which will have the final say in the selection of the 2025 Exemplary Neighbour Award.

This jury, according to Teresa Garrido, will be composed of five "significant individuals, chosen by the Neighbourhood Council Committee, all of them Benidorm residents and independent of any nominations." They will also be joined by exemplary neighbours who have won awards in previous editions, who wish to do so.

"We invite associations to nominate the best neighbour they have who meets the requirements," concluded Garrido.

Pellicer, for his part, also encouraged individuals and organizations to "join this endearing initiative by submitting nominations," and recalled that in previous editions, the Exemplary Neighbor Award has recognized "the careers of people who have left their mark and imprint in service to the citizens and our society," thereby contributing "to continuing to build a better Benidorm every day."

To date, eleven editions of this award have been held, and the following people have been recognized: Francisco Fenoll Rostoll (2011), Antonio Gonzaga Picó (2012), Francisco Alvado Barber (2013), Carmen Cerdá Garrido (2014), María Rosa González Mata-Rubio and Juan José García Albarrán (posthumously in 2015), Casimiro Vila Esteban (2016), Eusebi Chiner Vives (2017), María Zaragoza Lloret (2018), Jesús Rosillo Jiménez (2019), Bárbara Pérez Llinares (2023) and Ángel Olmo Quesada (2024).

Participatory Budget

Finally, the Councillor for Citizenship Participation reminded everyone that the deadline for submitting the Exemplary Neighbourhood proposals is September 30th, the same day as the deadline for voting on the proposals presented in the participatory budget. Pellicer encouraged "all citizens to choose and vote on the proposals they like best and that they consider most necessary for the city."