ManacorGuillem Febrer Fons (Manacor, 1973) has been the manager of Estel de Llevant for almost three decades, the mental health pro-entity that has already helped thousands of users and families in the Llevant region. Now that it is opening a new space in the Sa Torre neighborhood of Manacor, we talk about it calmly.
Has it been difficult to transform this old abandoned raffia factory into a training space?
— We have been about three years of works. The project started in 2022 and we haven't been able to open until now. For us it was very important that the space remained recognizable and in a way to be able to recover the old raffia factory as a building for the neighborhood. Achieving that the renovation left its structure recognizable was a challenge.
Satisfied with how it turned out?
— We are very happy with the result, because it is more or less as we imagined it. It has cost almost 2.2 million euros in works, which have been subsidized by the Department of Social Services, plus another 50,000 euros, which have been financed by the "La Caixa" Foundation in order to equip the cafeteria.
How is the building divided?
— The building is structured on a ground floor and a first floor. Downstairs there will be the cafeteria and the occupational service, which would be an extension of what is already in Fàbrica street. In addition to a small supervised apartment for two people, which is complemented by another for 6 on the first floor.
The cafeteria-restaurant will therefore have a social part
— The cafeteria will serve to develop a dual waiter training for users of Estel de Llevant. With 50% theoretical training and 50% paid.
Did you expect to get this far when it started?
— When we started 30 years ago, in 1996 in the sacristy of the parish of Dolors, we did not imagine we would get this far. We attended a dozen people, as best we could… Now, according to the figures for the year 2025: we attended 317 people with a mental disorder and 170 families. There has been a quantitative increase, but above all qualitative. In this sense, we increasingly try to cover all the person's needs so that they have a full life, so that they can recover. As full social and work integration as possible.
Do these years still carry the stigma of mental illness?
— Less and less, it's true. But there's still a way to go to transform stigma into esteem. I believe it's a path we are all treading together. I think diversity and difference are increasingly understood, which sometimes stems from a mental disorder and from wanting to live and do things differently. I believe this message, this pedagogy, has been increasingly understood and shared.
What are Estel de Llevant's aspirations now?
— A growth of services, the most innovative and of the highest quality possible, with new methodologies. You always have the feeling that you could have done it better and it is clear that not all needs are met, but maintaining and improving what we have is also a challenge that is exciting.
What is this dreamed challenge?
— A service to allow people to be attended in moments of crisis without needing to go to the hospital, with more home visits. We are based on an open dialogue methodology developed in Finland.