Good neighbours rewarded

heroes who go beyond the call of duty to help in their community. The awards were judged by an international panel and endorsed by the UK Ambassador to Spain, HMA Hugh Elliott.

Outright winner of the award was Lucia Miguel Bores who lives in Carrion de los Condes. Lucia was nominated for the Good Neighbour Award because the language school she started, Forum Idiomas, has be­ come a portal for newcomers to Spain. As well as teaching them language skills, she helps students with the challenges of everyday life in a new country.

There was a special commendation for Kay Rowbottom in Mojacar whose action during lockdown to help local women led to the setting up of a support group ­ Kay Frances SturdygirlsRus.

Pat Love, one half of the ‘Love Team’ in the Loja area of Granada won special commendation for the group she started for English­speaking migrants to Spain. With her husband, Peter, who passed away recently, Pat co­ordinated with UK Consular services in Granada and Malaga to help newcomers navigate aspects of a new country.

The winners received certificates from Age in Spain and commendation from HMA Hugh Elliott, who said: “These

Betty

Henderson

WITH the return of international travel and a focus on sustainable transport, Spanish train company Iryo’s plans for a new link between Spanish cities and the Portuguese capital of Lisbon seem to have charmed the European Union. The European Commission announced its endorsement for a rail link between A Coruña and Lisbon, placing it on their top 10 list of rail projects to be carried out in the near future.

awards are a great recognition of the difference people make to their communities and I was truly delighted to see the number of English speaking­nationals nominating their Spanish neighbours and vice versa. “

The train company expressed their delight at being selected but said that “obstacles” remain in their path to creating the rail link, particularly in the lack of infrastructure agreements between Portugal and Spain.

Portugal currently has very limited rail infrastructure which the company believes will “serve as an impetus for other companies to develop their own sustainable transport”.

However, Iryo remains ambitious about the project saying, “This train will become the most popular choice with travellers since it will be comfortable and sustainable”. Iryo already operates several train lines in Spain including a highspeed service from Madrid to Barcelona and connections to the south of the country.