BIZAN, the network of centers for senior citizens of the Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council, currently has 308 users who actively participate in the committees responsible for proposing, designing, organizing, and evaluating a significant portion of the activities offered to the more than 37,000 people who visit its 16 centers. During the 2025-2026 academic year, there were a total of 106 committees. The deadline to join these groups remains open throughout the month of November.
“"In BIZAN, seniors are not just users of services or participants in activities. They are protagonists, they have a voice and the capacity to decide what they want to do and how they want to organize themselves. The committees precisely represent this way of understanding participation: people who contribute their knowledge, their experiences, and their concerns to build lively, dynamic centers open to everyone"
The committees are one of BIZAN's main participation instruments. This model, which began operating in 2010 and is included in the network's regulations, allows up to eight thematic groups to be formed in each center, with a minimum of three seniors. They are the ones who propose, decide, design, organize, and evaluate the activities programmed monthly. The eight themes are educational, scenic, audiovisual, excursions, reading, recreational, health, and social. Each committee has an annual municipal budget to develop its proposals and receives technical support throughout the process. Additionally, participants in these groups receive training to carry out this work.
Data from the 2025-2026 academic year reflect the diversity of this participation model. Of the 308 people who collaborated in the committees, 229 are women (74%), 78 are men (25%), and one person identifies as non-binary. By age, 174 participants are between 61 and 74 years old (56%); 111 are between 75 and 84 years old (36%), and 22 are 85 or older. These figures show that involvement in the life of the centers is maintained even in advanced ages.
During this past academic year, 65 new people joined the committees for the first time: 41 women (63%) and 24 men (37%). Likewise, data from the last four years indicate a slight increase in male participation. Regarding themes, the educational and health committees are present in all 16 BIZAN centers, and the scenic committee in 15. The health, educational, scenic, and social committees, in that order, have also generated the most interest.
“"The important thing is that each person finds their space and can participate. All contributions count and all enrich BIZAN"
At the presentation of the registration campaign, two individuals who are part of the committees participated. Marisol Hornas and Roman Berriozabal, from Lakua-Arriaga and Judimendi respectively, encouraged others to join the committees "because we can all contribute to the community and new ideas and fresh blood are always welcome." Both pointed out that participating in the committees is an act of reciprocity: "Society has given us a lot, and now we want to give back some of what we have received."
An invitation to participate. Seniors over 60 interested in joining the committees can register until November 30th at any BIZAN center or at the BIZAN Info information office, located in La Florida park. Each person can participate for up to three consecutive years in the same committee and be part of a maximum of two simultaneously.
The work of these groups translates into an average of 250 monthly activities of all kinds within the network of centers. A program that directly responds to the tastes, concerns, and needs of seniors, as they are the ones who participate in its definition and organization. Some of these proposals are also open to people of other ages.
Although the committees are the main channel for participation, BIZAN offers many other possibilities to get involved in the life of the centers and contribute to their functioning. "I encourage all seniors who want to contribute, learn, and meet other people to visit their BIZAN center and get information. You don't need prior experience: the important thing is to have initiative and a desire to participate. The more people get involved, the more diverse, interesting, and enriching the proposals will be. BIZAN is built by all of us," concluded the councillor.
