Good neighbours rewarded

A LANGUAGE school that does more than teach language, a help line for vulnerable women, and a support group for new arrivals in Spain have earned their organisers accolades in the Good Neighbour award scheme, launched recently by Age in Spain.

The scheme is designed to acknowledge the often­unsung 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 become a portal for newcomers to Spain. As well as teaching them language skills, she helps her students with the challenges of everyday life in a new country.

There was a special com­ mendation for Kay Rowbottom in Mojacar whose action during lockdown to help local women who felt isolated or vulnerable led to the setting up of an online support groupKay Frances SturdygirlsRus. Beginning as a local group for Spanish women and incomers, it now has more than 1,500 members throughout the world offering mutual support.

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 their way through unfamiliar aspects of a