New community services centre opens in Algarrobo Costa

The new community social services centre in Algarrobo Costa on the eastern Costa del Sol is now up and running. It has been created by the provincial authority, the Diputación de Málaga, to support vulnerable families and individuals across a total of 19 municipalities in the eastern Axarquía.

The facilities, located on Avenida de los Fenicios, were officially opened on Wednesday 3 June by the president of the Diputación, Francisco Salado, alongside the mayor of Algarrobo, Natacha Rivas.

The centre covers Algarrobo, Almáchar, Árchez, Arenas, Benamargosa, Benamocarra, El Borge, Canillas de Aceituno, Canillas de Albaida, Cómpeta, Cútar, Frigiliana, Iznate, Macharaviaya, Moclinejo, Salares, Sayalonga, Sedella and Totalán.

The opening of these premises marks the relocation of the service previously provided from Torrox. The change comes after this town’s population exceeded 20,000, as the Diputación is responsible for social services in towns with fewer than that number of inhabitants.

Salado highlighted that the launch of the new centre is the result of collaboration between the Diputación, the Andalusian regional government and Algarrobo town hall. He explained that the aim is to improve services for the public and facilitate access to the various resources of the public social protection system.

A team of 23 professionals, including social workers, educators, psychologists and administrative staff, will work at these facilities, providing information, assessment, guidance and advice to the public.

It will also serve as a service point for various programmes linked to the Diputación's equality and employment departments in the Axarquía, bringing together services aimed at dependent individuals, families with children, people in vulnerable situations and residents who need support to access benefits, grants or public resources.

Over the past year, the Axarquía Costa Oriental social services team carried out 4,838 interventions with service users. These activities included interviews, home visits, coordination and administrative procedures carried out by interdisciplinary teams to address various In the area of care for the dependent elderly and social workers carried out 1,403 interventions.

Furthermore, as part of the work aimed at families with children, support and training initiatives were provided to 316 households, including workshops on emotional well-being, preventing bullying and healthy eating. A total of 242 reports were also drafted at the request of local councils on food aid, the social integration of migrants, social emergencies, vulnerability assessments and access to other resources.

The new centre will also manage work-life balance programmes, offering activities during school holidays such as camps and play centres. In 2025, participating municipalities included Algarrobo, Árchez, El Borge, Canillas de Albaida, Cómpeta, Cútar, Macharaviaya, Moclinejo, Sayalonga and Totalán.

Salado has also announced that the ‘Nuestros mayores nunca solos’ (our elderly never alone) project will be launched this year in the Axarquía, incorporating robotics and accessible, personalised technology in the homes of elderly people living alone.