Last week, we hosted a collective interpretation session as part of our ongoing community-led process to reimagine care and wellbeing through a social innovation lens. This initiative, taking place in the Basque town of Galdakao, brings together local institutions, civil society and residents to collaboratively explore how care can be woven into the everyday fabric of community life.

The session gathered a diverse group of participants—municipal professionals from fields such as social services, education, urban planning, and immigration; representatives from local and regional organizations working in health, home care, women’s rights, and humanitarian aid; as well as grassroots networks, faith-based groups and neighbours. This diversity enabled a rich and multifaceted conversation, rooted in real-life experiences and collective insight.

Several core challenges and opportunities emerged during the session. One key issue was the ongoing fragmentation among care actors and resources, often described as a network of isolated “islands” operating in parallel rather than in coordination. Participants also noted the lack of shared information and limited visibility of existing services, which makes it difficult for individuals, families, and even professionals to navigate the local care ecosystem. In addition, there was a strong call for the creation of inclusive, accessible, and intergenerational community spaces—places that can foster connection, informal support, and long-term collective engagement.

Participants also highlighted the importance of inclusive narratives—moving beyond stereotypical representations of vulnerability to embrace the realities of ageing, migration, homelessness, disability and digital exclusion. A shared character used in the storytelling process helped bring these realities to life in an empathetic and collective way.

Building on this collective analysis, participants identified several areas for experimentation and community-based action:

• Everyday places as care infrastructures: apartment stairwells, small shops and shared spaces as informal nodes of connection and support.
• A permanent forum for local associations and collectives, to strengthen coordination and joint initiatives.
• Multifunctional, intergenerational community hubs where people of all backgrounds and ages can meet, participate and co-create.

The local working group will continue mapping the existing ecosystem of care resources, reaching out to those who showed interest in leading specific actions, and engaging with underrepresented groups such as youth, children, people with diverse abilities, vulnerable populations and the educational community.

The next large community assembly is planned for October, where we will share updated insights and co-design new strategies together. This is part of a wider commitment to community-driven innovation in care, where local knowledge and collective intelligence play a central role.