ISSUE NO. 1586
26 Nov - 2 Dec 2015
Stop Press
COSTA BLANCA SOUTH
YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION
DON’T MISS OUR PROPERTY SUPPLEMENT INSIDE! PAGES 49 - 56
Poppy appeal success COSTA BLANCA pulls together to support ex-servicemen and women By Gemma Quinn The 2015 Poppy Appeal has exceeded all hopes once again, raising a record €31,000 with more money still to be counted. The total is already more than last year’s local figure of €30,850.85 showing that once again residents on the Costa Blanca South have dug deep to support the Poppy Appeal and the Royal British Legion (RBL). The annual Poppy Appeal raises much-needed funds for ex-servicemen and their families who might be in need of aid, whether that is directly financial or perhaps emotional. All funds raised in Spain stay in Spain to help beneficiaries who live here, with 91 per cent of all monies collected going directly to help ex-servicemen and women, and just nine cents in the euro going toward administration costs. The fundraising efforts are testament to the work and dedication of the RBL branches of Gran Alacant/La Marina, Torrevieja and the Orihuela Costa.
Gran Alacant and La Marina Branch Treasurer Brian Hunt said last year they raised €10,000 and were breaking the €10,000 mark this year. The Torrevieja Branch is blessed by rather more members than La Marina and Gran Alacant and in 2014 the branch raised €18,000. Chairman Gerry Lynch explained that local efforts took a major knock recently with the closure of the municipal theatre and the cancellation of the planned Armistice Show. However, they already had
€11,000 in the pot prior to the official count including a €3,000 donation raised from the collections at Iceland Torrevieja. The Poppy Golf events organised by Mick ‘The Grip’ Reeves, who last year raised over €6,000, are still to declare their final total. At the recent Poppy Appeal count which took place at Casa Ventura, San Luis, the total sum raised by the branches currently stands at €31,000, which will increase in the coming weeks when final monies come in.
For more information on the work of the RBL in Spain or to become involved in their work, visit www.britishlegion.org. uk/counties/spain-north. For welfare enquiries call 676 451 780 with all other queries to 648 860 251.
WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM