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OCTOBER 2015 NEWSLETTER
Firstly, I am delighted to announce the birth of my beautiful grandson, Caden Ben Barr, a wee brother for Layla and first son of Ben and Linda. Can’t wait to meet him soon!
A very warm welcome to all the new members who have joined us in recent months. As the Guardian Angels name becomes more familiar, more people are referring us to those who want our services. Needs are varied – legal issues, emotional support, financial challenges, help with school books etc. We have two solicitors who help and whose details are available on our website under Service Providers. After registration, the first contact is normally with Becky, our chief mentor, or myself. If it’s in the vicinity, Becky travels to meet the new member accompanied by the designated Mentor and hears their story, assessing how best the member and her children can be helped. Subsequently the Mentor regularly contacts their member by email, phone, social media etc. The member is able to access help from any of the Service Providers and attend free workshops and social events.
The GA committee meets monthly to discuss developments and raise ideas about fundraising events. Often a mentor attends the meeting to keep up to date with information and see the “bigger picture”. Likewise, a committee member will attend Mentors' meetings to keep informed. Everything discussed about members is confidential.
We value feedback from our members and have decided to run a competition this month with a GREAT prize to encourage members to participate... details below.
I wish to thank all our readers for their continued support and look forward to seeing many of you at our forthcoming events.
Tricia Barr (Founder) 622 795 542 tricia@guardian-angels.es
We make a living by what we get, we make life by what we give. Winston Churchill |
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Guardian Angels’ first
new-born baby
Congratulations to member Mercedes Lucy Oliver on the birth of gorgeous Angelina, a sister for Valentina. We wish them all lots of love and happiness together.
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Prize Draw for Members
Win a Day Pass to the Obsidian Wellness Centre, Benissa
This is a great opportunity to experience a day out to this local retreat, which includes all food and drinks and all classes taking place that day. You can arrive from 8am and stay until the evening activities or movie which finishes about 9pm.
Rules to enter the draw:
1. You must be a registered member with GA and provide your ID number.
2. The prize is not transferable.
To enter, you are required to answer the following questions:
1. How have you and your children benefited from joining GA?
2. What service have you used the most and why?
3. Can you suggest a new service that would help single parents?
Providing you answer all 3 questions, your name will be put into the Prize Draw and the winner will be announced after the closing date, Saturday 7 November 2015. Any entries received after that date will not be included.
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Sunday 6th December in Jávea Childrens' Christmas Party!
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UPCOMING FUND RAISING EVENTS
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Eastern Delight Evening
15 October, 7.30 till late
Thai Monsoon Restaurant, Jávea
We expect this to be an evening of great food and fun. There will be a welcome drink, 3 course mea
including ½ bottle of wine and entertainment from Clair Gingell Parsons and saxophonist Frank Abrams - all for only 25€. Don’t miss it! Tickets are available now from Ann: 647 844 260. Fancy dress optional.
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Guardian Angels Masquerade Ball Saturday 14 November at 7.30 Hotel Denia Marriott La Sella Golf Resort & Spa
This will be a FANTASTIC NIGHT out! The amazing Allerton Road Band have been booked to provide the music for dancing after dinner. They have a great energy and are sure to have everyone up dancing. You can come along in "disguise" wearing a beautiful mask or mask-less, the choice is yours. Why not make it a fun weekend by booking a room at the Marriott on the Saturday and enjoy their facilities – mention you are coming to the ball to get a special rate. Tables are already filling up so don’t delay in booking your tickets, 40€ per person to include a champagne reception, 3 course dinner with wine, beer & soft drinks and entertainment. Anyone who hosts a table of 10 will go into a draw for a surprise prize!
Tickets and more information from Linda: 629 554 561
PAST EVENTS
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Eat For Your Age Seminar
Ann Mather held a very interesting and amusing talk about what’s good for our bodies and what’s not at any age. We were informed that two of the foods that cause inflammation and illness to the body are wheat and dairy products, about which Ann gave all the scientific background.
If you would like a nutritional consultation with Ann you can contact her on aemather@gmail.com |
Multi-National Music Event
This was a lovely evening listening to the music combination presented by Nati Ballarin (piano) and Pau Savador (dolcaina). Our thanks to them and to Monica Suarez Penoucos and Jessica Bataille for all their hard word in organising the event.
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Why do I love you?
I love you because you still go on scaring the time
Waiting behind every compliment
Behind every fear that does not leave without a hope
I love you like you were not asked before
With the strength of the birds and the naked passion of flowers
I love you because you choose to be wrong
Because you even survive the chaos of your silence
Thanks to member Tania Palma for her poem |
PR/Publicity Assistant
We are continually expanding our membership over a much wider area - we already have members in UK and in Kenya. We are looking for a volunteer, who preferably has publicity experience and is also fluent in Spanish, to help Tricia drive this project forward so that we can grow even more.
The person's role would be to seek out the places where single parents can be reached (schools, colleges, health and social centres, social media sites, etc.) and newspaper and radio stations in other areas, arranging for the display of posters, press articles, interviews and talks and helping to set up new groups.
If you feel you have the skills and time to help us with this interesting role, please email your details to tricia@guardian-angels.es or call Tricia to discuss on 622 795 542. You can find out more about Guardian Angels on our website - www.guardian-angels.es |
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Diary of a Single Parent
I am a lone-parent to my amazingly kind and funny daughter Charlotte, who is almost 6. Having separated from her father during pregnancy, I have always been on my own with her. When I state this fact, people often look sympathetic and say things like, “That must have been hard.” So I thought I’d explore that reality for this diary.
We had discussed having a baby ‘just not yet’ and my ex didn’t want me to go through with the pregnancy but decided to be involved and be there for the birth. Taking care of Charlotte alone has never been hard. Handing Charlotte over to her father for the first overnight contact at six months was hard, something I hadn’t considered when choosing to do it alone - that I would have to share her. Due to his inconsistency and lack of contact between 4-5 monthly visits, it is still hard when she goes. The fact he dips in and out of her life, that is hard, as I never wanted her to experience that kind of hurt.
Having brought up two children in a relationship that whilst loving, was like having three children, I prefer being on my own with her. I have no one to share decisions with but I like that, because there are no inconsistencies, no one saying yes while the other says no. I have been there before and being the kind of mother who believes in boundaries, routines and consequences, I was always the baddie.
Would it be nice to have someone to do bath time when I was ill, sure, but I’m not ill that often… so I get all the good stuff, her excellent reports from school, that’s down to me and her. Would it be nice to have someone do the early mornings on a weekend when I fancy a lie in, sure, but Charlotte loves nothing more than snuggling in bed. Would it be nice to not have to worry about money, sure, but her father chooses to not contribute financially, so we live to our means. Maybe it’s because I’ve always been alone with her, maybe it’s because I’ve brought children up in a relationship with a man whose values were different to mine. Whatever the reason, I wouldn’t change it for anything.
Our thanks to Colette Hirst for sharing her thoughts
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Times change and we were sorry to say adiós to mentor, Nettie Squibb (top), Vice President Ann Mather (centre) and long-term committee member, Carole Barnerias (bottom). We are very, very grateful for the huge contribution and efforts these ladies have made in helping Guardian Angels. All mean to continue to support GA whenever they can.
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Do You Want to be Better Parent, Grandparent or Carer?
We are delighted to invite you to our first FREE Parenting Workshops. As parents, we are always searching for answers – how to be a good parent; how to deal with difficult behaviour; how to react to our teenagers etc. Believe it or not, this extends to grandparents as well....who don’t want to make the mistakes they made with their children.
We are very fortunate to have Ann Lawrenson to run the workshops. Ann has worked with children and families for 30 years.
There will initially be 2 workshops, the first of which is in the Help Activity Centre, La Xara, 10.00am- 12.00noon on Saturday 17 October. For members living in the Calpe/Benidorm areas the workshops are Saturday 7 November and Saturday 21 November at Susana's house, Albir - 10.00am-12.00 noon.
Please contact Ann (Jávea/Denia areas) or Susana (Calpe/Benidorm areas) to get directions and let them know you will be there. There are also contact details on the GA Group page.
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Guardian Angels
Benidorm Wing
Please continue to spread the word for Susana Cojocaru, who is doing a great job establishing the new GA Benidorm wing. Susana needs committee members, mentors, fund raisers etc. to help her get going with this wing. Please contact her if you would like to offer your services. Email: susana1@angelic.com tel: 609 409 327
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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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