November opened with two important close appointments on the Hospitality Europe office agenda.

On Tuesday, 8 November, Dr Galasso spoke at a working meeting at the EU Parliament dedicated to the risks and psychophysical and social effects on exposing children and adolescents to online images and videos of sexually explicit content.

Dr Galasso told MEPs and officials of the EU institutions about the specialised work performed by the St John of God Psychiatric Hospital in Dublin in providing psychological care and treatment of psycho-social disorders among children as a consequence of exposure to pornographic material (addictions, compulsive behaviour, low self-esteem, and in adulthood relational problems or violence against women). The meeting was parrt of the debate on the level of implementation of the EU Strategy for the Protection of Children on the Web.

****

A long way from Brussels but still under the aegis of Hospitality Europe, the first meeting of the European AGELESS project was held in Spain, dedicated to preventing the premature ageing of vulnerable people, such as patients suffering from dementia or intellectual disability. The project partners (Sisters Hospitaller: Madeira, Betanzos and Paris; the Order: Gijón and Paris) met in Gijón at the Order's 'Sanatorio Marítimo' Centre to share their programmes for the rehabilitation and physical maintenance of vulnerable people, particularly in this instance through motor and sports activities  promoted in care and residential facilities.

The project will be followed up with a second meeting in spring in Paris, to discuss the organisation of rehabilitation activities in both public and private outdoor sports facilities.