The Bolinha de Neve Children's Centre in Covilhã reopened yesterday, Tuesday, September 1st, with a small ceremony that marked the reopening after 19 months of closure. The partial requalification of the space, which now accommodates 130 children, was the response found to address the closure of the College of the Nuns, managed by the Doroteias sisters, which had announced in January 2025 its closure in September of that year, leaving more than a hundred children without a place in services such as nursery, pre-school, and after-school care.
After negotiations between the Covilhã Municipal Council and the owners of the property, the local authority assumed the payment of rents for another year, with the Jesus Maria José Social Centre, from Dominguizo, taking on the management of the social service. However, it was already known that the closure would be a reality in 2026, which was later confirmed. In parallel, negotiations were underway with the Social Security Financial Management Institute (IGFSS) and the Social Security Institute, owners of the Bolinha de Neve property, to find a solution that would allow the infrastructure to be recovered.
The Parents' Committee played a fundamental role in this reopening, mobilising voluntary work and support from companies that contributed materials and equipment to requalify the ground floor of the building. The mayor of Covilhã, Hélio Fazendeiro, praised this mobilisation and classified the reopening as a "victory for Covilhã" and the community, stating that without this effort it would not have been possible to open the nursery at this time.
What is now missing is a second phase, which involves the full requalification of the entire building. The project, developed by the Council, is approved and the contract, worth approximately two million euros, has already been launched. Hélio Fazendeiro recalled that the responsibility for setting the start date for the works lies with the IGFSS, the owner of the property.
