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4 A word from the Costa Blanca People Managing Director, people here tonight have done
Claire Richards
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to the eleventh annual Costa Blanca People Pride of Spain awards. For the eleventh consecutive year, we are hosting this unique event where we have the chance to celebrate the unsung heroes from our local community. Once again, alongside our main sponsors Moneycorp, we are delighted to be behind this local initiative, honouring and celebrating the community here on the Costa Blanca. It is an inspiration to see what we can achieve by working together – look
how many hundreds of thousands of euros have been raised by local people, for local people. The sheer number of people working in voluntary roles for local charities is staggering and the dedication and attitude of our local volunteers is both heart-warming and humbling. Our businesspeople, our youth community, our teachers, our volunteers – it is all of YOU who are the beating heart of this community, making it a place in which we are all so proud to live. I would like to thank all of our finalists for being here with us tonight and wish you the best of luck in your categories. Having been on the inter viewing panel myself, I can vouch for how difficult the process was. When so many
such good work, and achieved so much, it is hard to single out winners when all are so deserving of recognition. Tonight wouldn’t have been possible without the help and suppor t of all our sponsors (you will find more details on our sponsors later on in this programme), all of whom are local businesses who, like the Costa Blanca People, wish to recognise the spirit of kindness and generosity in the expat community here on the Costa Blanca. Once again, thank you all for coming and enjoy the evening.
Claire Richards Managing Director, Costa Blanca People -Your essential weekly read
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A word from our Main Sponsor know what we are doing. Our products and expertise can save our customers money and help t moneycorp, we are currency them to manage the exchange specialists. Some of Norman Marks unpredictability of the currency the things we can help you to do, through our international payments markets.We offer trading by telephone with services are: pay a mortgage overseas, convert our London office, where customers speak to UK pensions into euros, transfer money to a qualified currency dealer, for guidance on friends and family overseas, convert rental the rate. This is most appropriate for customers income back to your desired currency, and, of trading large amounts of currency, such as course, help to convert the currency for you to when buying a property abroad. buy or sell property in Spain or other countries. Our online platform Moneycorp online is In fact, if you are selling a property in Spain available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This and moving the sale proceeds overseas, our is ideal for ad- hoc transfers of smaller repatriation service could help you make amounts. considerable savings on Spanish bank fees. For people wishing to make regular (Normally you would pay bank fees to deposit payments of smaller amounts, who may not a banker’s draft in your bank, and additional necessarily want to use an online platform, fees to transfer the funds out of Spain. In most we offer a Regular Payment Plan. This is cases, we can help you to do this free of where we take the sterling by direct debit charge.) from a UK account and transfer the euros We have helped many people make purchased into a Spanish account. It is an international payments, over the years, and easy and convenient way of making small, with more than 37 years experience, we regular transfers.
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For most other general finance providers, like high street banks, transferring money into other currencies is not their specialist area. For us, it is at the heart of our business and for our customers this represents value for money, peace of mind and superior service. Our Costa Blanca office is in Quesada, close to the Costa Blanca People office. We are here to guide you wherever possible. Our main dealing floors are in central London and our currency dealers are qualified in line with industry standards. We are a registered Money Service Business with HMRC. TTT Moneycorp is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for the provision of payment services. For further information about our services, or to become a customer of moneycorp, please contact our Costa Blanca office on +34 965725755 or email costablanca@moneycorp.com. In all cases, please quote Costa Blanca People when registering your interest with us.
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young achiever award
sponsored by
Annabel Veryard Annabel has been playing football for eight years. She started out with the local team here, Junior Strikers, and won the Murcia Cup with the mixed team before moving on to CFF Uryula Femenino, winning the 2014/15 league. She then moved to FFCV Valencia, winning the league in 2016/17. This year Annabel was signed to Manchester City Girls Under 16s team
on a two year contract. She was handpicked from 850 girls to join a squad of 17. She trains four nights per week at Manchester City Academy and is currently on the team competing in the FA U16s Girls North West League.
young achiever award Zoe Connoly
Zoe Connolly is a highly accomplished swimmer and the World Champion for the half ocean man sea swimming championships. In fact, not only is she world champion, she also had to get special permission to race because she was the youngest ever competitor! She swims to Tabarca Island and back in rough seas and although she only
sponsored by
started fin swimming this year, she was good enough to compete against the existing Spanish Champions and came 6th in the whole country! She trains six days per week for up to four hours at a time, mixing swimming sessions with gym work. Not only that, but she spends her time poolside with her head in the books, as she intends to attend Oxford or Cambridge to study maths and physics. Watch this space as we expect Zoe Connolly will go far!
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FundraiSer oF The year award
sponsored by
Neil Wyatt & Janet Figueroa Neil Wyatt and Janet Figueroa are the brains behind ‘Rock Against Cancer’, a hugely popular event in Torrevieja which uses rock music to raise awareness – and money – for cancer prevention. The event has been staged twice to huge public acclaim, with fans calling for an even bigger event to take
place in 2018. The family friendly event is bursting with positivity and connects people of all ages, and from all walks of life, through a love of music and coming together for a common cause. Organisers estimate they have raised €10,000 over the last two events and hope to continue long into the future.
FundraiSer oF The year award
sponsored by
ACTs Theatre Group ACTs theatre group has been staging professionally written plays over a number of years and have managed to raise money for the Benijófar Crisis Appeal and local people in need of assistance - and have even been awarded a special plaque of recognition by the Mayor for their work in the community. They started out with just five members, and now boast over 20 and have raised over €6000 over the last two years.
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FundraiSer oF The year award
sponsored by
Yvonne Walker Yvonne Walker work tirelessly on behalf of many local charities, organising collections, events, fundraisers and the annual Variety Show in Benidorm Palace. She estimates she has raised around 10 thousand euro a year and as she has been actively fundraising for the last 8 years here in Spain, we can all agree that she has raised a spectacular amount of money. She staged a three day event, raising over
FundraiSer oF The year award
€2000 for the Elche Children’s Care Home. She collects Christmas gifts for the children, gathers toiletries and other much needed items and even helps cook food in exchange for donations at a local bar every Wednesday. Her Benidorm Palace shows take nine months to organise and she is constantly thinking of new ideas to help people part with their cash for a good cause. sponsored by
Studio 32 Studio 32 is a professionally run musical theatre group, performing in the Cardenal Belluga Theatre in San Fulgencio since 2013. Over the course of eight shows, the group has raised €21,000 for Caritas, a charity which helps those most in need in the area, and in support of young musicians in the area via donations to the music school in San Fulgencio.
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Teacher oF The year award
sponsored by
Steve and Maria Campbell – Magnets Magnets has been in operation since summer 2004 and is a free friendship club, organised and run by Steve and Maria. The aim is to have fun, teach the children about kindness and love, and spread the word about the Christian faith. Both Steve and Maria are passionate about the children they teach and 13 years later, children that
started at Magnets as youngsters are now in university and still keep in touch with Magnets. Not without its challenges,
Teacher oF The year award
Magnets is a rewarding calling for the Campbells, who ensure that every child is awarded a prize at the annual prize giving and that those with learning difficulties are given the love and attention they deserve. As Steve and Maria told our judges “Every child is a winner to us. We learn as much from them as they do from us.” sponsored by
Erica Dorrill – Footworks Dance Studios
Erica has been a teacher for 35 years and, establishing her own dance school in Spain after having taught in the UK, brought a wealth of
knowledge and experience to the Costa Blanca. She is a trained dancer, gymnast and contortionist and attended a professional ballet company at just 13 years of age. Erica prides herself on running a fun and versatile dance studio with students from toddlers right up to their 70s. Her vast knowledge allows her to train her dancers to an extremely high standard and says one of the most rewarding aspects of her
work is when she meets former students who have now become dance teachers or who have taken up professional dancing careers. As Erica herself said, “Our school provides a fun, happy, and most importantly a safe environment where people of all ages can come together to either train, exercise, or even just socialise knowing they all have at least one thing in common…a love to dance!”
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Teacher oF The year award
sponsored by
Rebecca Weeden – London Idiomas
Rebecca Weeden owns, manages and teaches at
London Idiomas, an English language academy based in Elche, teaching English to Spanish-speaking adults and children. Rebecca has many years' experience in teaching English and has visited the UK many times. She is passionate about the language and teaching. Rebecca has enabled students to benefit from one-to-one speaking and listening sessions and have reading and writing practice on site with teachers available to advise and assist. Rebecca attends regular
training courses and seminars to develop her skills and increase experience. Unlike other Academies, London Idiomas does not close over the summer, putting students' needs first. Rebecca also runs an Intern programme in which new teachers are offered extensive on the job training, invaluable experience and the opportunity to take a TEFL course. The programme has been very successful and 15 people have benefited from it over a 3 year period.
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coMMuniTy SPiriT
sponsored by
Orihuela Costa Rainbows & Brownies Moving to Spain Anneka Goodrich and her family noticed some differences, but what her girls missed most was going to their Brownie group – so Anneka decided to establish her own. Since its inception in April 2017 the group has gone from strengthto-strength with the Rainbows (for the younger children) and the Brownies working hard for their
badges and enjoying numerous fun activities. The group is an official Rainbow and Brownies pack and is part of British Guiding overseas, worldwide network. The idea behind the organisation is to empower girls, bring community together and facilitate creative adventure in a girl only space. The local group, based at the
coMMuniTy SPiriT
Madhouse on the Orihuela Costa, meets every Wednesday evening and has 27 girls – although it is hoping to welcome more new members after the success of a recent fun day. In addition to the Rainbows (5 to 7 year-olds) and the Brownies (7 to 11 year-olds) Anneka is busy forming a Girl Guide pack for those aged 11 and over. sponsored by
Playa Flamenca Walking Football Club
Founded four years ago, the Playa Flamenca Walking Football Club is a success story in itself. The founding members happened to watch an advert for
Barclays Bank which featured the sport. This, having piqued their interest, led to the formation of the Costa Blanca’s first ever walking football club. Word soon got around and the club grew and grew, and now boasts over 300 members (...although not all on the pitch at once!) As well as the sport itself, the members have their own ‘WAGS’
coMMuniTy SPiriT
(wives and girlfriends) as support and the club has proved to be a vital social outlet for its members and is proud to put people in touch, create friendships and promote work in the community through its fundraising work. We asked club spokespersons Terry and Bob to name the most rewarding aspect of their work and both replied in unison, “The pint afterwards!” sponsored by
Nancy Bingham Nancy began her animal welfare charity - the Feline Rescue Society – alongside her business, Arkwright’s supermarket. Borne out of her fundamental love of animals and concern for their welfare, Nancy spends her spare time helping
abandoned and injured cats with a neutering programme, veterinary visits and general care. She herself says she ‘cannot just drive past’ an injured animal and as well as personally helping the animals she encounters, she is working
hard to educate the local community about the importance of neutering. With the help of a small volunteer team, Nancy fundraises to pay for the vet, medication and food for the many animals helped by the Feline Rescue Society.
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buSineSS oF The year award
sponsored by
Telitec Telitec has been in operation in Spain since 2003, initially set up to provide low-cost calls before expanding to the provision of ADSL and wireless internet. Telitec is committed to keeping people connected with their friends and family and to allowing people to still run their business even if they now live abroad. The team strives hard to provide quality solutions for clients and take aftersales
very seriously. Telitec also likes to get involved with the community whether it be taking part in local events or supporting local charities – or even organizing their own fundraising events such as the adopt a dog day. Telitec told us they were thrilled to have been nominated for the Business of the Year award, saying, “We have made a real effort
buSineSS oF The year award
in the last year to promote more in the southern Costa Blanca area by opening a new office and also cutting the prices so this shows it has worked for us!”
sponsored by
Clínica Mejórate
Clinica Mejorate has been established on the Costa Blanca since 2001, starting as a single, small clinic in Los Montesinos and over the last number of years, expanding to bigger and
better premises and opening a sister clinic in Torrevieja. Clinic owner and manager, Trini, is passionate about the work that they do and says that the most rewarding aspect is ‘seeing someone come in to the clinic in pain, and knowing you will be able to help them leave in a better condition.’ Trini says it is
imperative that all her staff speak a good level of English as she highly values her clients from the English speaking community here. She is constantly striving to improve the services offered and the list of services is constantly under review. The most important ethos at Clinica Mejorate is offering a good service at a fair price. Trini adds that if it can be the ‘three Bs’ (bueno, bonito y barato) all the better.
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buSineSS oF The year award
sponsored by
Ants Fat Fighters
Ants Fat Fighters grew out of nothing after, six years ago, Anthony’s employer
asked him to do a fitness class after watching him trying to cheer a friend by getting her to dance. Anthony grasped the opportunity to move from working in the kitchen to creating dance-based fitness classes and has grown the class into a successful business over the last six years. From his first class of one to now teaching hundreds of people via a full rota of
eMPloyee oF The year award
classes a week, Anthony believes his success is down to creating fun and interesting classes and becoming friends with all his members. He also feels he has an important role in the community, raising money for charity and giving his ‘girls’ a social outlet and a confidence boost. His business has gone from strength to strength and has even been featured on UK television. sponsored by
Alison Massingham, UK Supplies Alison from UK supplies was surprised and delighted with her nomination for employee of the year. She has been working at UK supplies for three and a half years and during that time has built up a wonderful reputation in the local area for her friendly and helpful manner. Not only
does she go the extra mile for her customers in helping them purchase quality
British products, but she has become known as a helpful local guide and people often drop in to ask questions about the local area. Alison was full of praise for her bosses, saying they are wonderful to work for, and that she is happy and proud to represent them and see the business doing well.
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eMPloyee oF The year award
sponsored by
Ann McGivern, Right Move Insurance When we first told Ann that she had been nominated for Employee of the year, she thought it was a ‘wind up’ but soon realised her customers appreciate her expertise. Nominated for her down to earth manner, and her helpfulness, Ann has worked at Right Move for five
years. She likes dealing with members of the public and says it is important to always ‘be yourself’ when dealing with clients – in fact, she suspects that this is why she was nominated by her clients. She wants to do her best for her customers and ensure they have the cover they need.
eMPloyee oF The year award
sponsored by
Kim Holden, Simply Doors Kim has worked at Simply Doors for two years. She loves her job – meeting people and offering friendly, helpful advice. She understands the importance of being available to advise customers on the right product,
SPecial recogniTion
but also finding the balance of not being pushy. Kim considers herself very lucky that she is one of the few people who looks forward to going to work every day and considers her strengths to be her dedication and her honesty. sponsored by
Restaurant Catorce
When Martyn and Paul, owners of Catorce heard they had been nominated for a Pride of Spain Award, they graciously bowed out. Due to the fact that they have for many years sponsored a category and were also catering for the event, they felt it was inappropriate. However, they agreed to continue on the understanding that the
nominations were not for them as such, but rather for their customers and the local residents who support their events. Over the last 14 years the bar has supported numerous local good causes and charity appeals. Recently Catorce has raised funds for the Benijofar Crisis Appeal by hosting Party in the Park and collected items every three weeks for the appeal. More recently Catorce bought a defibrillator for the local police patrol car and paid for officers to be trained in its use – this was prompted by the death of a 37 year old local man which could have been avoided. Usually first on the scene to any emergency call, the local police could possibly have saved the man’s life
had they had the right equipment on board at the time. Paul and Martyn have been told that the defibrillator has already been used and therefore has already helped saved lives. In between, the bar collects money for vouchers for Elche Children´s Home and raises funds for various charities. The pair describe themselves as ‘just one bar, doing the right thing in the community’. They want to make it clear that all the achievements are down to the people who support their campaigns and want to dedicate award to them. All that and serving great food to boot, makes you wonder where they get the time to run the bar!
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liFeTiMe achieveMenT
sponsored by
Norah Bond Norah Bond always puts others before herself. Despite her own health concerns, for many years Norah has championed the rights of expats living locally. She is a huge advocate of gender equality and equality for the elderly and disabled and has been involved in lobbying for change and establishing numerous charities, association and action groups in the southern Costa Blanca. Norah worked with and was a founding member of Orihuela Costa-based political party CLARO. She was also fundamental in forming PUMA22 an action group which lobbied for the provision of healthcare to expats who fell into the gap of not working but not retired, after the Valencian
government removed it. From there Norah established Help at Home Costa Blanca, a charity providing home help and general basic medical care to those who need it, such as the elderly or those living alone. Most recently Norah has battled to establish a registered Community Care Association on the Coast with a drop-in centre oering friendship, activities and treatments such as Stroke support and physiotherapy for local residents. Norah has an inbred tenacity and despite having cancer three times still manages to have the energy and determination to rattle the UK and Spanish authorities enough that they take notice of what she is
saying...or ignore her at their own peril. Norah is a force to be reckoned with and has devoted her life in Spain to helping others and ďŹ ghting for their rights, she gives her time freely and tirelessly and also fought many a battle with the local authorities on behalf of the expat underdog. If you are on the ropes, then this is the lady you want in your corner.
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