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JUNE 2014 NEWSLETTER
How beautiful the weather is now in Spain, sunshine and heat is so good for our health and for making us feel good. The summer brings with it happy holidaymakers in abundance to the area. My family are joining me soon and it will be a joy to share quality time with them.
“If you don’t ask, you don’t get” is something a manager of mine used to say, and she was so right. She would ask for a pay increase, a promotion, more help etc. and most of the time she got it. I took it on board and it has served me well over the years. We have members who ask for help and get it and we get flooded with messages of gratitude......... although of course that’s not why we are helping - it is just something we want to do and, yes, it makes us feel good. We have members who don’t ask, so guess what? - they don’t get the help. It is not brave to be struggling along when you really need help. I believe we all want joy and happiness in our lives, so we need to remove “struggle”, “hard work”, “problems” from our vocabulary. Some think they are too proud to ask, pride in this respect is a negative .... if you are experiencing a very challenging time, just ASK for help! We have a whole team of Guardian Angels here who are more than eager to help you. In fact, I hear the odd grumbles from our Mentors when you haven’t contacted them for a while!
The Valencia Bioparc event for members was a great success and we look forward to seeing many of you at our Pool Day on 17th August. Have a great summer!
Tricia Barr (Founder) 622 795 542 tricia@guardian-angels.es
“If you will believe it, you will see it.” Wayne Dwyer
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Positive Mental Attitude Workshops
The workshops have been held so far in the Javea area. However we have quite a number of members in Calpe/Albir/Benidorm areas who have not been able to attend. I am very happy to hold workshops there but will need a venue, either at somebody’s house or possibly a separate room in a bar. There would be 2 sessions of 2 hours each to cover the four workshops. These are FREE for our Guardian Angels members, although the public can attend for a nominal cost. If you can help with a venue please contact Tricia: tricia@guardian-angels.es
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Celebration of Guardian Angels 4th Birthday
Guardian Angels committee members, mentors and helpers gathered on Sunday, 22nd June at Tamsin's villa on Cap de San Antonio, Javea, to celebrate the organisation's 4th birthday.
It was a hot, sunny day but Tamsin's garden provided some excellent shade. Everyone had brought a plate of food so, after a celebratory glass of cava and a speech from our founder, Tricia, there was lots to eat.
It was a great opportunity for everyone to chat around the table about their roles in GA and it was generally agreed that we had come a long way and helped many single-parent families in the first 4 years.
Vernon Pearce, Mentor
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FUNDRAISING EVENTS
Golf Day, Ifach Golf Club,
Monday 30 June.
If you enjoy a round of golf, this is the event for you. Situated in Moraira and forming part of a country estate, this golf course has spectacular views of the Rock of Ifach itself. Entry for the 18 hole “Mixed Texas Scramble” is only 45€ including a buffet lunch. Awards for best male and female players.
To book your place contact Carole 609 085 609 or Gill 655 415 003
Guardian Angels Ball at The Republic, Denia Marina on 20th September at 7.30pm
This will be GA’s inaugural ball so we are very excited about it. The Republic is renowned for its fantastic food with loads of five star reviews. The location is perfect, facing the beautiful yachts in the marina and across to Denia. We are very fortunate to have both Rob Sweeney and Strikland for the entertainment and there will be some excellent raffle prizes. The tickets are great value for money at 35€ per person for this black tie event.
To purchase your tickets call Linda on 629 554 561 or contact Ann on ann@guardian-angels.es 647 844 260.
Pick a Date in the Calendar - 3 PRIZES to be won – 150€, 100€ and 50€. You select a date in the calendar for only 5€. The calendar will be available at all our events.
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Members event- Pool Day!
Sunday 17 August – we have been invited to a Pool Day at a lovely house in Benitachell. This is always a great day out for parents and children. A bouncy castle, BBQ and lots of surprises are lined up for the day. Parents and children, this is especially for you and not to be missed!
Contact Ann on 647 844 260 to let her know you are coming.
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KEEP IN TOUCH
If you have a computer or access to the internet, you can keep in touch with what is happening in Guardian Angels on a day-to-day basis via our website, which contains lots of useful information and details of our supporters and service providers. It also has a regularly updated Events section with a Calendar showing our forthcoming events and a Photo Gallery of past events. If you would like copies of any of the photos shown, please email vernon@guardian-angels.es
If you are a member and use Facebook, you can join our special Facebook group. This is a 'closed' group, for members only, so-called because you can post and comment with confidence, knowing that only those Facebook users approved by Tricia or Vernon can see this page. You can ask to join by selecting the 'join group' option on the page shown in the link above or ask to be added by a 'friend' who is already a group member.
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Macho Men fundraising event
Several big-hearted, brave men faced the public to show their “feminine” side when they had their faces made up at this event. Everyone had a good laugh watching the transformation process and the people in the local bar generously emptied their pockets and donated 165€. As promised, 55€ from this was donated to Cancer Care in Javea.
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Bioparc, Valencia outing
This was a very special, successful event and well attended by 24 happy adults and children enjoying the delights of the Bioparc. The “zoo” is very cleverly designed to let the animals roam freely but to be easily seen on the other side of a glass partition, allowing the public to get very close to the gorillas in particular. It was wonderful seeing the elephants swimming and frolicking together.
One of the children remarked that it was the best day he’d had since he came to Spain and here is a sample of some of the comments we received, which speak for themselves:- “Thank you Tricia and all involved for a fantastic day out”. “Many thanks from us too. Had a really great day”
I guess we might have to go again next year!
(You can see more photos of the day in the Photo Gallery section of our website http://www.guardian-angels.es/information/event-photos/)
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Members' Good News -
A Happy Ending
A GA member, who we will not name for reasons that will become obvious during this story, joined us in March last year after a violent assault by her husband on her 11 month-old child. Despite having moved away from the Spanish village where they lived and with a restraining order against her ex, she decided she was still not safe.
She bravely packed all her belongings into her car and drove from Spain through France, across the Channel and back to her home town in the UK. Although she originally worked in UK and paid NI contributions there, she then lived in Spain for a number of years and so was initially refused any UK benefits. She was also told if she continued to live with her father, with whom she stayed on her return, she would not be rehoused in the foreseeable future.
Once again, she bravely moved into a women's refuge for 4 months, before eventually being allocated an 11th floor flat, which she has furnished with items from charity shops and bought second-hand with some welfare grants. At last she is warm and safe and, with 6 months having elapsed since leaving Spain, her ex cannot force her to return. The case against him for the attack on his son is still outstanding in the Spanish courts, however, and until he is hopefully behind bars with a permanent restraining order, she cannot completely relax.
This is only a very brief summary of what this member has had to suffer and she has promised to write her story in full once the legal processes have finished. I have been her mentor during this very traumatic period in her life and visited her for the first time during my recent visit to UK. I have nothing but admiration for this very brave lady, who was determined to protect her son and escape a very violent man. She has proved that, with determination, it is possible to rebuild your life and for Guardian Angels it is just such single parents who Tricia set up the organisation to support. A happy ending!
Vernon Pearce, Mentor
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School Books for Members' Children
GA are pleased to announce that we are happy to subsidise any members who find it difficult to meet the cost of their children’s school books for September. Please contact Tricia for further information tricia@guardian-angels.es.
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Guardian Angels support lone parents with children living with them. Unfortunately if a single parent marries or has a live in partner they are no longer eligible to be members so should inform us of their change in circumstances.
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