Jorge Mendes sponsors the construction of a shelter in Ferraria de..

Businessman Jorge Mendes financed the construction of a fire shelter in the village of Ferraria de São João, in the municipality of Penela (Coimbra district), whose foundation stone will be laid next Saturday, in an investment estimated at 300,000 euros.

For the mayor of Penela, Eduardo Santos, this is a very important moment, stating that the project took longer than expected because it is a prototype of a community shelter that could be replicated in other villages and locations.T

he construction of this shelter, which comes in the wake of the 2017 fires and a protocol established in 2019, is being developed within the scope of the Resilient Villages” project, promoted by the Association of Victims of the Pedrógão Grande Fire (AVIPG).

The shelter in Ferraria de São João will be the first built from scratch in Portugal for protection against forest fires. It’s an innovative structure that can respond to a total catastrophe situation where the village is completely surrounded by fire, as happened in the 2017 fires, highlighted Luís Teixeira, president of the Ferraria de São João Residents’ Association.

The shelter, which will be located in the center of the village, will be built of concrete and will have a set of protective and insulating structures to control the temperature.

The project is sponsored by businessman and football agent Jorge Mendes, who will cover the full cost of 300,000 euros, plus VAT, for the construction of the shelter and will be present at the laying of the foundation stone.