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NORTH EDITION roundtownnews.com
13-19 SEPTEMBER 2013
Issue 726
Children’s charity in winter lottery CHILDREN’S CHARITY EMAUS faces a government lottery this winter to continue its 30 year programme of care for disadvantaged youngsters. by Jack Troughton
Safe and sound
Out of the soup... A RARE Loggerhead Turtle is to be returned to the wild following a health check at Valencia’s Oceanographic centre after being caught in fishermen’s nets off Denia. For the full story turn to page 10.
See page 70
CHARITY CHIEFS will be forced to enter a tender process to be awarded grants from the Valencia Community in a bid to continue its valued work. The November “auction” is the latest crisis to hit the cash-starved charity this year. Dedicated EMAUS carers fear the process could spell the end for EMAUS. And this week RTN was told how putting the programme out to tender could only harm vulnerable youngsters placed in the care of the charity as bidders looked to cut costs. In demonstrations outside the Valencia Parliament in a bid to shame politicians, social workers have accused the authorities of ignoring the “forgotten children.” Anca Roman, a spokeswoman for the charity’s carers, said: “The programme is going out to auction. A government run auction and the one giving the best price will take over the programme, the winner has to offer a very good price. “But where will they make these cuts? First it will be the wages of the social workers....then it will be the money for the children themselves. You cannot cut the cost of electricity or water.” PAY EMAUS workers went seven months without pay this year until Valencia settled
some of its outstanding debts. Currently professional social workers – whatever their seniority – are being paid just 500€ a month. And Anca said EMAUS had only been able to continue its work thanks to the ongoing support of expats throughout the region – literally putting food on tables at the homes. “The expats are still helping us. The government still owes EMAUS over 1 million Euros. Thanks to the foreigners there is food and water and things for the children like books and pens for school. “But these children often need specialist professional help. If we are left without money we will not be able to do this – we will not have the time to take them to the beach or to the park, everything these children need, everything they deserve.” Anca said the charity’s programme of looking after children placed with foster parents of adopted had already been scrapped after another body successfully bid to run the service. OUTRAGE “This is all outrageous when you are dealing with children. Civilisation is judged on how it treats the most disadvantaged in society – children, the disabled and pensioners,” she said. “What does this say about Spain? Continued on page 6