Age Care Association, a registered charity helping elderly people, is looking for
someone interested in supporting the community by giving their time and expertise.
Some of these watches need to be valued and, if appropriate, repaired. Then we can
sell them to raise more funds to help those in need!

If you can help, please contact Beverley Morland, Manager of the Charity Shop on tel:
675 874 308 or pop into the shop which is open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 4 pm
or on Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. Don’t waste time, help make a difference, get in
touch now!

Handing the cheque to Tony Bellamy, President of Age Care, Valerie explained that the Club had raised the funds for Age Care because they are very keen to support this charity for all its good works with the older community on the Costa del Sol who may not always be able to help themselves

J. Adolfo Fernández Romero, Benalmádena Tourism & Foreign Residents City Councillor, said “Age Care is doing a very worthwhile job and my department is keen to support it in any way.”

Tony Bellamy said how great it was to see such wonderful cooperation between the local charitable groups. He thanked Valerie and her members, saying how with their support Age Care will be able to continue to improve the lives of the local older community, in particular to help them be less isolated by getting them out of their homes and into a social environment.

Sid Wright, Master of the Fuengirola Masonic Lodge 96, and local celebrity for many years, had nominated Age Care as his Master’s Charity for 2012.

Sid celebrated his 92nd birthday with a visit to Age Care’s Advice Centre in Calahonda to give Age Care a donation of €2,300, before returning home to mark the occasion with his family and friends.

Handing the cheque to John Greaves, Treasurer of Age Care, Sid explained that the Lodge had raised the funds for Age Care because he is very keen to support this charity for all its good works with the older community on the Costa del Sol who many not always be able to help themselves

David Long, a member of the Lodge said “The Lodge is not a social club, our aim is to raise funds for local charities. However, we have a full social calendar including dinners, quizzes and race meetings and new members are always welcome.”

John Greaves, Treasurer of Age Care and Taneka Mantle, an Age Care volunteer – both also members of the Masonic Lodge – show clearly the wonderful collaboration between the local charitable organisations. John Greaves thanked Sid and the members of the Masonic Lodge saying how grateful Age Care was and that these funds will enable them to do more for the local older community, in particular to help them be less isolated by getting them out of their homes and into a social environment.

Also present were Tony Bellamy, President, and Beverley Morland, Vice President of Age Care. And from the Fuengirola Masonic Lodge 96 were David Long, and John & Taneka Mantle.

Maurice and his wife, Lola, had been visiting Lola’s Spanish family on the Costa del Sol for over 50 years and had seen some enormous changes. In 1999 they decided to settle in Los Boliches, Fuengirola – Lola’s home town. When his wife of 41 years died in 2002, Maurice joined FAB at St Andrews and was introduced to Age Care.

Maurice has been with Age Care almost since its inception and soon took up the role of Treasurer of Age Care. Unfortunately, he ended his tenure as Vice President at the AGM in March 2013. Maurice had organised the Christmas Welfare Luncheon with his team and played Santa every year! And in 2012, he introduced the Summer Tea Party which was a great success.

A Farewell for Maurice was held at the Manilla Bar, Fuengirola, where 30 people attended, some have known him since 2002 when Maurice joined Age Care, such as Hal Rockcliff and Elsie Newman. Gordon Cox, the Welfare Coordinator at Fuengirola said he has known Maurice for the last three years after he met him at the Age Care Drop In at the Manilla Bar and was recruited immediately. “He is a very caring person and has been like a father to me. I wish him good luck for the future. He will be missed at the Age Care Drop In but we will keep in touch.”

When asked about his most unforgettable memory, Maurice said that there were many but the most difficult was breaking sad news from the doctors to people who didn’t speak Spanish. Or dealing with homelessness – when people have been thrown out of their homes for a variety of reasons – and having to persuade a landlord to let them stay until help can be arranged. His most satisfying memory was helping a particular client, a single lady retired to the Costa del Sol, who had to have her leg amputated. She had been so healthy prior and needed considerable support. Now she is very positive and in spite of her disability, a regular participant at all the Age Care events.

Maurice is very proud of all his colleagues at Age Care and the work they do helping older people on the Costa del Sol who may not always be able to help themselves. When asked if he had any advice for his Age Care fellow volunteers, he said “They must continue with all their good works, it’s so important to so many, and I wish them all the best.”

Picture Credit: Gordon Cox

As the aim of the Age Care Advice Centre is to be a one-stop-shop for information, particularly for the older local community on the Costa del Sol, this was a good way of starting with a firm foundation of correct information to counteract the rumours and misinformation that circulate. Anette also advised about the many events run by the Mijas Foreigners’ Dept throughout the year including Friendship Days and the Blues Festival in July.

Claudia is delighted that the Mijas Foreigners’ Dept is supporting the Age Care Advice Centre and said that she was looking forward to working with them in the future to the benefit of the older local community.

The Advice Centre is located at Doña Lola, Calahonda, next to Oscar’s Bar and on the Bus 220 route.  It is open Monday to Friday, 10-2 pm and everyone is welcome.

In his President’s Report, John Greaves welcomed everyone saying how wonderful it was to see so many volunteers present. After highlighting the main events of the previous year, he said that facing the future,”Age Care must not remain static” and suggested projects for 2013 of reintroducing Carers’ Meetings, opening a new Drop In Centre in La Cala and expanding our client base by regular advertising in local bars & restaurants, Health Centres and Doctors’ Offices. Tony Bellamy presented the accounts after which elections were held. The following Officers were elected:

President – Tony Bellamy

Vice President – Beverley Morland

Treasurer – John Greaves

Maurice Featherman resigned as Vice President due to ill-health. Maurice has been a member of the Executive Committee for over 11 years and was the Welfare Leader for Fuengirola. John Greaves thanked him for all the work he had done for Age Care and wished him well for his move to the UK. This year’s Annual General Meeting was a huge success, with over 40 people attending, including volunteers from Benalmadena, Fuengirola and Calahonda, and Age Care’s Patron, Bruce Macintyre, MBE. Following the meeting John Greaves commented that he hoped that those attending the AGM had found it to be informative and enjoyable, and thanked all the volunteers for their hard work.

Copies of the annual report will be available from our Advice Centre, Dona Lola Local 10 Calahonda

Karen was able to put Tony at his ease and he explained that Age Care is a charitable organisation entirely run by volunteers to help the local older English speaking residents who may not be able to help themselves. Volunteers undertake various activities such as help with shopping, a visit to the doctors, or just to visit for a chat as there are many lonely, and maybe isolated, people in our community. Age Care is also looking for Spanish speaking volunteers to help with the hospital visits particularly, as in the case of the Costa del Sol hospital, where translators will not longer be provided. Volunteers should be willing to commit themselves on a regular basis. Volunteers with their own transport are particularly sought. Tony did point out that although volunteers would not be remunerated, their expenses would be paid so they should not be out of pocket.

Age Care also works with several other charitable organisations such as the Alzheimer’s Family Association of Fuengirola and SenVol – students who want to improve their English by socialising with more mature English speakers. Tony also told Karen about the various functions run by Age Care throughout the year such as the Summer Tea Party, Christmas Luncheon where Salon Varieties provided the entertainment for free and some of the fundraising events such as the Fashion Show. Most of the funds raised comes through the Charity Shop in El Zoco where people have been very generous in donating clothes, books and bric-a-brac.

Age Care can help with advice on a wide variety of subjects. For example, care homes or funeral companies. Tony pointed out that they were very happy to help people make a choice and take them to see various places, but would not recommend any particular care home or other company as they wanted to remain unbiased. Although Age Care is not an emergency service, they were very willing to do what they can. He told Karen about a lady who wanted to go to the UK for a family event but had no one to look after her 102 yr old mother and Age Care was able to help with some respite care, allowing her to get away for a few days.

Looking forward, Tony advised that Age Care has now also opened an Advice Centre which will be a one-stop-shop for people who need information about all sorts of things, such as repatriation to the UK or where does one go for a wheelchair? And if we don’t know the answer, we will know who to pass you on to! Tony finished the interview by advising Karen that the Annual General Meeting of the Age Care Association was going to be held on Saturday, 16th March at the Tamisa Golf Hotel at 10.30 for 11 am and all are welcome. For more information about how to become a volunteer or if you, or someone you know, needs any help, please contact our Age Care Helpline: 691 76 10 88 or the Advice Centre: 952 93 34 09 or visit our website: www.agecarecosta.org

The interview was a wonderful opportunity to let the foreign residents know all about Age Care. If you have a chance to watch a repeat – it will be worth it!

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Julie Grenfell, Welfare Leader, Calahonda said: “Having access to information and support when you need it is the key to helping older people cope with the day to day challenges they can experience living in Spain. The Advice Centre will provide a personalised service to support them with the right services and access to information by volunteers who understand their needs.”

The Advice Centre will be managed by volunteer Claudia D. Langer who speaks Spanish, English and German, and also a little Portuguese, Italian and Dutch. Claudia brings a wealth of expertise to this position having worked as a communications professional with over 25 years’ experience of relationship building and management and has been a resident in Spain since 1986. The majority of Claudia’s career has been spent in the Finance Sector, where she managed 3 offices providing financial advice. Claudia said: “Over the last 10 years, I have been helping non Spanish speaking people in regard to translations, visits to hospitals, doctors or police and I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with Age Care in this new role and play my part in supporting the local community.”

The Advice Centre is situated in the Doña Lola Local, 10 Calahonda 26469, Mijas Costa. It is open Mon-Fri 10am – 2pm.

The Advice Centre can be contacted by telephone on 952 933 409, or out of hours – please use our Helplines: 691 761 088 & 655 903 182

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