hemeroteca-1101 by mijas.semanal

Youth informs about

THE JUNTA HIGHLIGHTS

OF THE MIJAS GOVERNMENT TEAM

The delegate of the Andalusian Government in Malaga, Patricia Navarro, met with the mayoress Ana Mata to discuss housing, health and education

NEWS/07

The Virgen de la Paz is getting

The British Legion celebrates

In keeping with tradition, the meeting began by paying tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in the line of duty scholarships to study abroad ready for its 40th anniversary

Funded by different organisations, they are aimed at university students who wish to continue their education in Europe or the USA

On Sunday, after mass in San Manuel González, the patron saint of Las Lagunas will take to the streets at 11:30 hours on a longer route than usual

‘Immerse yourself in Mijas’ shows the richness of the local offer at Fitur

The sea, the coastal path, the mountains and the white streets are some of the attractions that the town has been promoting these days in Madrid NEWS/04-05

Initial approval of the municipal budget for the year 2025

The Mijas Foreigners Department dealt with more than 28.000 enquiries during 2024

Last year they dealt with 9,580 enquiries in person, 7,310 by phone call and 11,340 by email

NEWS/06

Last year, the municipality reduced the generation of urban waste, increasing recycling rates

In total, it generated 45,801 tonnes of non-recyclable waste in 2024, compared to 46,883 tonnes in 2023, 1.3 kilos per inhabitant per day

SPANISH /13

Tourism presents the next artisan exhibitions in its village office

The Mijas Town Hall approved on Friday 17th in an extraordinary plenary session its budget for 2025, which amounts to 133.6 million euros, 3% more than last year. The government team stresses that the budget has been drawn up ‘without raising taxes, without debt nor financial burden’ and that it prioritises expenditure in the areas of Social Inclusion, Family and Equal Opportunities and Senior Citizens, which add up to more than 6,367,000 euros. Cleanliness, Parks and Gardens and Mobility and Transport are other departments that have experienced major budget increases. The accounts went ahead with the support of PP, Vox and PMP and the vote against PSOE and Cs / B.M. / NEWS/02-03

The first one, in February, will show the work of Fatima Chbihi, who makes jewellery, and María José Calvente, dedicated to flamenco dressmaking

Extraordinary Plenary Session

The budget amounts to 133.6 million euros, 3% more than the previous year

Ed. Dep / Data: Beatriz Martín / Design: Isabel Merino

The Mijas Town Hall approved on Friday 17th in an extraordinary plenary session its budget for 2025, which amounts to 133.6 million euros, 3% more than last year. According to the councillor for Economy and Finance, Mario Bravo (PP), the accounts proposed by the government team “have not raised taxes, do not generate debt to the town hall nor financial burden”. Bravo also explained that this year’s municipal budget is somewhat different to that of previous years, “because this one shows the expenses in their entirety, as the investments will probably be presented in February or March, in a second plenary session, and for them we will use the remaining treasury, so in today’s budget we only include the projects that are already underway or up for tender”. In addition to the item dedicated to the staff of the Mijas Town Hall, the government team highlighted in its accounts other areas of interest such as Social Inclusion, Senior Citizens and Family and Equal Opportunities, which add up to more than 6.3 million euros. “The latter department has already announced that it is going to create a new aid programme for births, endowed with 100,000 euros”, said the councillor for the economy. Parks and Gardens has an increased budget of 6 million euros and 4.8 million euros for Cleanliness. Also, just over 5 million euros will be allocated to the extension of the Mijas Coastal Path and the budget for promoting mobility in general will be increased. Regarding this last section, Bravo emphasised that “the budget for Youth has increased to include the university transport grants for the two years we have pending, and this year we are also making a new contribution to the Transport Consortium to keep the bus lines running, both in summer for tourists and in winter for workers and students”. As for the revenue for 2025, it is also set at 133 million euros, “four million more than last year and is basically the result of the increase in population as well as the increase in

ANA MATA Mayoress of Mijas (PP)

“There are many challenges to work on, ones that inspire hope, without false expectations, always informing the neighbours of the real situation of a municipality that has been governed for eight years by some and four years by others’’

In

MARIO BRAVO Councillor for Economy and

Finance (PP)

“As for the social section, we also maintain the 525,000 euros in aid for people with disabilities, the only municipality in the area to do so, as well as the 200,000 euros in rental aid”

an extraordinary plenary session

JUAN CARLOS CUEVAS DAWSON Spokesperson for Vox

“This year, the Mijeños will be able to see the results of an efficient management, adapted to the needs of each area. This budget is designed for the people and invests in the future of the families in Mijas”

JUAN CARLOS MALDONADO Spokesperson for Por Mi Pueblo

“I would like to thank all the delegations of the town hall that have participated in the elaboration of this budget, which is much better than the one of two years ago, when there was no budget debate”

accounts for 2025. gives initial approval to its the Mijas Town Hall

The budget was finally approved with the government team voting in favour and the opposition voting against. The budget was finally approved with the government team voting in favour and the opposition voting against. This extraordinary plenary session also included two other items for debate and approval. The first one referred to the limit of expenditure for the Mijas Town Hall, which for 2025 is set at 119.8 million euros, an amount which, the opposition criticised, differs from the total budget set by the government team, where it is reflected that the expenditure will be 133 million euros. On the other hand, the list of municipal staff foreseen for this year was also voted on, with around 900 workers, said the councillor for the economy. Both sections did not have the support of PSOE and Ciudadanos.

economic activity, especially urban development”, summarised the councillor for the Economy.

Vox y PMP

Both parties stressed the importance of the fact that the document was brought to the plenary for debate, was initially approved and, among other things, did not have to resort to tax increases for its drafting.

“We have designed these accounts to meet the real needs of the Mijeños without jeopardising our future”, said the spokesperson for Vox, Juan Carlos Cuevas Dawson, who added that “we have made the best possible budget, which puts people at the centre, which is planned with the growth of this municipality in mind”. For his part, the spokesperson for the PMP, Juan

Carlos Maldonado, said that “I agree, firstly, with Mr Bravo that the most important thing is that there is a budget, secondly, that taxes have not been raised and, thirdly, that we do not ge-

Social Inclusion, Family and Equal Opportunities and

Senior Citizens add up to more than 6.3 million euros

nerate debts to leave to future generations or mortgages, as has happened here in previous terms of office”.

Votes against The opposition groups, PSOE and Ciudadanos, voted against. The socialists claimed that

that are pending from 2022 in the area of La Cala, in the C23 and do you know why they are pending?, because the previous government team made a requalification”.

these budgets “are worse than those of 2024 and do not excite” the population. The spokesperson for the socialists, Roy Pérez, pointed out that these budgets “are illegal, unrealistic and unambitious” and warned the government team that “they could be declared null and void”, as well as saying that “they will present allegations”. Their main reproach to the document focused on the urban planning model, where they highlighted the increase in income from planning permission, which amounts to 9.6 million, 4.7 million more than in the previous year, denouncing the lack of affordable housing for the people of Mijas. In response, Bravo said that the current situation “is mainly due to the two hundred and forty licenses

The socialists also criticised the lack of projects, they stressed, that are up to the standards of Mijas, which would improve the quality of life of the Mijeños. Amongst others, they spoke of the creation of affordable housing, the cuts in funds for the Fire Brigade, Civil Protection, family aid, and education, and the rise in taxes, they claimed, “covertly”. For his part, Bravo reproached the Socialists for not having allocated the money for the Gran Parque to the construction of affordable housing when they were in government.

The spokesperson for Ciudadanos, José Carlos Martín, said that the budgets “do not excite because they do not announce anything”. Martín criticised the fact that no investments have been contemplated beyond those already planned by the previous government team, when he was responsible for

A moment during the vote on the item on the municipal budget for 2025 / B.M.

VOTING

Extraordinary Plenary Session

ROY PÉREZ

Spokesperson for the PSOE Municipal Group

“We denounce the urban development boom they promote and that favours a more privileged private sector, while they turn their backs on the Mijeños who cannot afford to buy a house in their town and have to go abroad”

JOSÉ CARLOS MARTÍN

Spokesperson

for Ciudadanos

“There is no news about the end of the building of the sports centre, car parks, the fire station, the collectors of the east and west cornice, the widening of the Camino de Coín and Mijas Pueblo, the remodelling of streets and the hospital”

The councillor for Economy and Finance, Mario Bravo, justified the accounts of the Mijas Town Hall for 2025 / B.M.

THE ACCOUNTS IN DETAIL

FOUR KEYS budgets to analysing

SPEECH OF THE MAYORESS

mayoress of Mijas (PP) “These budgets are

in line with what

MIJAS DESERVES”

Mata recalled that her government team has been leading municipality for a year, in which, she said, a “very important effort” has been made

The Economy and Finance department, stresses that it is essential to present a budget every year, which, in this case, is capable of bringing the three parties that make up the government team closer together

Infrastructures. “You have reduced the investment budget by 57.70%, 10 million euros less, and only one project is included, the coastal path, which you already had a year ago”. On

this project, which has a budget of 5.33 million euros, the councillor for Finance recalled that it was the PP who initiated its construction and said that “it seems that the PP has had to

For her part, the mayoress of the city, Ana Mata (PP), said that these are “exciting, accurate and sincere budgets, in line with what Mijas deserves”, to which she added that the budgetary execution “is the highest since 2019”. The mayoress of Mijas also thanked “the titanic effort” of all those involved in the drafting of the accounts. “Last year we managed to provide Mijas with a budget in record time and this year we are once again fulfilling the responsibility of being in charge of the third most important municipality in the province”, she concluded.

NO INCREASE

Taxes are not increased

The budget does not generate debt for the Town Hall o increase in the financial burden

REVENUE COMMITMENT INCLUDES in tax burden growth to social issues

Revenue rises by 3% compared to last year, some million euros IBI (porperty tax) rises by more than one million euros due to the increase in dwellings

come back to finish the other stretch” and highlighted a series of investments that the government team will implement such as “the car park projects in Los Santos, in front of the Indira Gandhi school, another one underground in Barrio Santana, and another one in La Candelaria, and 600,000 euros to finish

the Gran Parque”. Martín, on affordable housing, invited the government team to go for the model of the last municipal car parks built, instead of ceding land to a private developer. He also denounced the possible outsourcing of the beach maintenance service and the fact that the maintenance of electrical

all expenses

The 2025 budget only includes investments in progress or up for tender

The idea is to present new investment in the future, using the remaining cash flow

The areas of Family, Senior Citizens and Social Inclusion add more than 6.3 million euros Cleanliness, Parks and Gardens and Health have also increased their budgets

infrastructures, among other maintenance services, is not being considered.

On this last point, Bravo reproached Martín for “not putting out to tender certain service contracts” such as, he said, “the purchase of electrical material and the maintenance of air-conditioning systems”.

Ana Mata,

The mayoress, Ana Mata, during the plenary session / B.M.

MIJAS invites tourists to dive into its charms

Special correspondent Micaela Fernández / C. Martín / N. Luque / M.J. Gómez /

Mijas became on Wednesday 23rd the focus of attraction of the Costa del Sol Tourism stand at Fitur, the international fair of this sector in Madrid, which this year expects to attract 250,000 people until Sunday 26th, of which 150,000 will be professionals. The councillor for Tourism, Francisco Jerez (Vox), presented the campaign ‘Sumergete en Mijas’ (Immerse yourself in Mijas), defending the strategy with which his department aims to promote the municipality as a comprehensive destination that awakens sensations and provokes experiences.

Jerez, who stressed that the event is a unique way to show visi-

The aim of

Mijas is to “try to convey what is intangible about the destination”, said Jerez

tors and professionals all that Mijas has to offer and to highlight its strategic positioning, began his speech by thanking Turismo Costa del Sol “for the effort that, as every year, it makes at Fitur to position the Costa del Sol as one of the great international destinations and to allow us, the different municipalities, to participate actively to present our proposals and strategies”.

Mijas’ lines of action

According to Jerez, the Mijas lines of action are focused on promoting the experience, the authenticity and the evocative nature of visiting the municipality. “It is a line that began just a year ago with which we intend to go beyond its cultural and leisure offer, its exquisite gastronomy, its craftwork, its sporting offer, its rich coastline, its nature and inland tourism. The aim is to try to convey the intangible aspects of the destination”, the councillor explained. In this sense, the director of the Tourist Office, Juan Carlos Acevedo, explained that

Councillor for Tourism, Francisco

Jerez, defends at Fitur the promotional campaign ‘Immerse yourself in Mijas’

DISCOVER

A stand to the attractions of the city

Mijas has had a space in Turismo Costa del Sol to showcase this year’s promotional campaign at Fitur. The councillor for Tourism, Francisco ere , and the director of the ourist ffice, Juan Carlos Acevedo, headed the delegation that travelled to the International Tourism Fair in Madrid this year.

“we have to distinguish ourselves from the rest of the offer that the Costa del Sol and the other municipalities have and Mijas has three main aspects that attract a lot of people, the sun and beach tourism with 14 kilometres of coastline and some unspoilt coves where there is no mass tourism, we have a white Andalusian village that is the envy of the rest of the coast and we have the golf offer that allows us to deseasonalise, we have a lot of people in spring and autumn”.

Fitur is without a doubt the best place to present the attractions of a municipality like Mijas and share experiences from different areas: tourism, economy and culture, where everyone agrees that “Mijas is one of the most beautiful and varied municipalities in Spain”, said the singer from Málaga, Javier Ojeda, who was at Fitur.

There, not only Mijas is promoted, but also important meetings are held with professionals from the tourism sector.

Mijas’ offer at Fitur is not only promoted by the Town Hall, the private sector also collaborates in the promotion of the town. This year, new projects have been added to the ALREADY CONSOLIDATED HOTEL OFFER IN MIJAS, such as the Hotel Tamisa, which recently reopened. “From the first moment we landed in Mijas, the Town Hall opened its doors to us, the mayoress welcomed us when we asked for a meeting. THAT HELP HAS BEEN ESSENTIAL to open the hotel in six and a half months”, said the director of the hotel, Casimiro Rodríguez, who stressed the importance of public-private collaboration. “WE ARE IN A GOOD MOMENT, we have the golf courses, the hotels, the beaches, the natural landscapes, without a doubt, a fantastic mix that is our little secret, but we like to share it with many people so that Mijas is positioned in the tourism world where it deserves”, emphasised, for his part, the director of Human Resources at Wyndham Hotels, Juan Miguel Marcos 1 2 3 4

1. The President of the Junta de Andalucía and the Regional Minister for Tourism, Arturo Bernal, attended the opening of Fitur. 2. Councillors Francisco Jerez (left) and Daniel Gómez Teruel, at Fitur. 3 y 4. Ifema’s indoor and outdoor facilities

Presentation of the Costa del Sol Tourism campaign with the President of the Provincial Council, Francisco Salado / M.F.

The councillor for Tourism, Francisco Jerez (right), the director of the Mijas Tourist Office, Juan Carlos Acevedo (centre), and the director of the Hotel Tamisa, Casimiro Rodríguez, watching the promotional video of Mijas, produced by Mijas / Micaela Fernández.

The director of the Mijas Tourist Office, Juan Carlos Acevedo, at the Mijas stand / M.F.

Immerse yourself in the town

The Town Hall presented at Fitur the cross-cutting campaign ‘Sumérgete en Mijas’ (Immerse yourself in Mijas) which, in addition to the richness of the Mediterranean waters, highlights the fact that visiting the town is an immersive experience that “allows us to dive into its crafts, be fascinated by the richness of its golf courses, dive into the secrets of its wonderful mountains and navigate through its traditions. In other words, the common thread of the Mediterranean Sea allows us to travel or sail ‘other waters’ that make visiting Mijas an evocative and sensory experience, which speaks of character, of a way of understanding life, of hospitality; Mijas as a complete destination, as a collection of experiences and emotions”, said the councillor for Tourism, Francisco Jerez.

WORKING MEETINGS

Fitur is also a BUSINESS FAIR that drives a sector that is constantly changing. Tour operators, investors and representatives of public institutions meet to find out about their needs and expectations. “There is no end to the meetings with professionals from different sectors and companies that come to propose different types of business, hotels that want to know the municipality IN ORDER TO INVEST, people from all sectors, from all areas”, said the councillor for Tourism in Mijas, Francisco Jerez. His department has already held meetings with Telefónica, the magazine ‘Viajar con hijos’ and the Spanish-Japanese Association. “The outcome of Wednesday and Thursday is very positive, you make contacts with people from other municipalities with very similar interests and exchange ideas to DO SOMETHING INNOVATIVE”, he added.

Above, the councillor with the commercial director of Hotel La Zambra, Noelia Neyro. On the left, Jerez, with Enrique López, Juan José Millán and Juan Miguel Marcos, representatives of Wyndham / M.F.

Foreign population

Editorial department

For forty years, the Mijas Town Hall has had a Foreigners Department responsible for dealing with enquiries from foreign residents and visitors. It was the first service of its kind to be set up in Spain and since then it has established itself as a reference point for foreigners. Proof of this is that just in 2024 a total of 28,230 queries of all kinds were responded to through this municipal service.

As explained by the department, the number of enqueries has been increasing every year due to the rise in the number of foreign residents settling in the city. Thus, in 2024, 9,580 queries were dealt with in person, 7,310 via phone call and 11,340 by email.

The most common issues dealt with include tax matters,

can be made by different means: in person, by phone or by telematic means Enquiries

such as the payment of taxes and fees, direct debits and instalments; registration and deregistration in the register of inhabitants, as well as census certificates; those related to the NIE and immigration procedures, highlighting permits for citizens from the United Kingdom; digital certificate and proof of international life; translations of texts; interpretation services for women victims of gender violence; and more general issues related to urban planning, social services or the Andalusian Health Service, among others.

In addition, and related to the citizen care, information sheets on municipal and general topics are available in English and German and are updated on a continuous basis. The Department also has its own mailing list to which more than 5,000 foreigners, communities of owners

28,000 Foreigners Mijas enquiries during 2024 DEALT WITH OVER

With each passing year, for the last four decades, the department has increased the number of queries resolved

“Bearing in mind that a third of the resident population in Mijas is of foreign origin, this department does essential work. We will continue to work to ensure that the foreign population is attended to quickly and efficiently”

40 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE FOREIGN NEIGHBOUR

ENQUIRIES BY EMAIL ENQUIRIES IN PERSON ENQUIRIES BY PHONE

The Foreigners Department began operating in March 1985. It started in the old Town Hall, located in the Plaza de la Libertad, where the Folk Museum is today. Its founder was Ana Skou, who started out as an interpreter, but soon realised that translating was not enough and that it was necessary to provide information on how public administrations worked. This is how it was conceived and its creation was a milestone, as it was the first service of its kind to be set up in Spain, responding to a growing need.

11.340 9.580 7.310 OVER FOREIGNERS, COMMUNITIES OF OWNERS AND ASSOCIATIONS IN THE MAILING OF THE DEPARTMENT

5.000

and social associations have registered for information in English and Spanish.

Meetings and appointments

But the work of the department does not end there, as it also organises all kinds of activities, such as informative talks, initiatives in collaboration with clubs and associations, the develop-

ment of an international trade fair, collaborative activities and meetings with consulates, language exchange workshops and the coordination of the Viogenex working group to assist foreign victims of gender violence.

“Bearing in mind that a third of the resident population in Mijas is of foreign origin, this

municipal department does an essential job providing information and solving enquiries. We will continue to work so that the foreign population continues to be attended to quickly and efficiently”, explained the councillor for Foreign Residents, Mario Bravo (PP), who also emphasised that “we are very proud of the functioning of this

The Foreigners Department at La Cala Branch Office / Archive.

department, which has managed to turn into residents, many tourists who came to Mijas attracted by its offer and who finally decided to stay in our land”. For this reason, Bravo, during the presentation of this assessment thanked those responsible for the department for their unceasing work during these four decades.

MARIO BRAVO Councillor for Foreign Residents (PP)

Report by M.J.Gómez / Design: Isabel Merino

The highest representative of the Junta de Andalucia in Malaga, Patricia Navarro , took advantage of her institutional visit to Mijas on Tuesday 21st, to highlight the drive of the Mijas Town Hall to guarantee access to housing. In this regard, the Mijas Town Hall has a municipal public housing plan that includes the construction of more than 550 dwellings. “I would like to acknowledge in a very special way the work that this Town Hall and this government team is doing in this area, because it is not only responding to a current need, but it is focusing this town of Mijas towards the future”, Navarro pointed out.

In health matters, Patricia Navarro announced that the Junta de Andalucía and the Mijas Town Hall will sign a collaboration protocol to move forward with the construction and commissioning of the new health centre in the municipality. The delegate thanked the collabora-

The delegate

tion of Mijas Town Hall, which will cede a plot of land and will construct the building to house the future health centre, which will have not only primary care, but also specialised and emergency care, as well as the possibility of increasing the range of services as needs dictate over the coming years. “It is going to be one of the most complete infrastructures in primary care and medical specialities in the province of Malaga”, said the delegate, who reported that “it will be a pioneering health centre, like the one in El Palo in Malaga, a one-stop centre where patients who come in, leave with a diagnosis and treatment in most cases. In that way we will provide a much more effective response to all the needs that patients have”.

Budgets

In her speech, Navarro also congratulated the government team for its management at the head of the Town Hall, among other issues, for the recent approval of the 2025 budgets. “They are accounts that bring the order and stability that citizens need and that those in government need to put on the table so that all those services and infrastructures that depend on them can be promoted, some political

Institutional visit

The Junta highlights the management of the Mijas government team

The delegate of the Andalusian Government, Patricia Navarro, also announced that the town will have a pioneering health centre on land offered by the Town Hall

environment COMMITMENT TO THE REGENERATION OF THE SIERRA

The delegate recalled that the Regional Ministry of Sustainability and Environment is processing the tender to remove all the dead material after the fire of 2022 in the mountains, in order to prevent the spread of bacteria that can make the mountain sick. This is ‘’an essential plant health action to give continuity to the work that was already done in the past and to start reforestation as soon as possible‘’ ... ‘’mainly with Mediterranean woodland”. “A mountain range that has concerned us so much and now with this government team and these budgets we are going to continue working on fire prevention”, said the mayoress.

housing

ABOUT

550 FLATS

for rent or purchase

23.5 MILLON

INVESTMENT

According to the delegate, Mijas is the municipality in the province that has received the most investment in education in recent years, with eleven actions for the construction, adaptation and extension of educational centres.

In addition, Patricia Navarro announced that the building which houses the Ana Carmona ‘Veleta’ Secondary School in Las Lagunas, which opened its doors in September, coinciding with the start of the new school year, will soon be officially inaugurated, housing 610 secondary and baccalaureate students.

order through the lines of work that the government is going to promote in the budgets”.

Education and health

The dwellings will occupy 36,000 square metres distributed between Las Lagunas, Lomas del Real and Ensanche de La Cala. The Junta showed its commitment to Mijas to guarantee access to housing.

“In terms of housing, this Town Hall is going to have the Junta by its side unwaveringly in the two lines it is working on, firstly, in the battle against squatting. Making land available to build and promote affordable housing is the other line of action that the municipal government is also carrying out”, said the delegate.

In this respect, both leaders pointed out that “we need all the insti-

trous management in certain actions that we have inherited, such as the swimming pool in La Cala de Mijas or the sports pavilion, to having an established applauded the budgets drawn up by the government team

leaders do not take this work so seriously”, said Navarro. For her part, the mayoress of Mijas recalled that her team brought forward the 2024 budget “in

record time” and that the 2025 budget has already been approved. “We have gone from the improvisation that had prevailed in this Town Hall with a disas -

tutions with jurisdiction over housing to work in the same direction” and “we need greater courage on the part of the Spanish government, we need greater legal certainty, if the housing law offered legal certainty to homeowners we would not have the situation, that we have in a province like Malaga, where 8 out of every 10 empty flats are illegally occupied”, added Navarro.

During the meeting it was also highlighted that Mijas is one of the main municipalities not only in the province, but in Andalusia, with an exponential growth and a population that will soon approach 100,000 inhabitants.

“Mijas has been one of the priorities of the Junta de Andalucía”, said Navarro, who added that “this growth is accompanied by families who need an educational placement for their children, which is why it is no coincidence that it is the municipality in the whole province that has received the most investment in educational infrastructure over the last few years and with forecasts for the coming years, with 23.5 million euros and 11 actions for the construction, adaptation or extension of educational centres.

Mijas is in first place in educational infrastructures in the whole province and third in Andalusia”. Navarro also announced that the Ana Carmona ‘Veleta’ Secondary School in Las Lagunas will soon be officially opened.

Finally, in terms of health, the delegate of the Andalusian Government highlighted the improvements in this area “such as the installation of the 061 headquarters in the town and the extension of the health centre in Las Lagunas”.

Both Patricia Navarro and Ana Mata emphasised that “collaboration between administrations is essential to move forward with projects that are necessary and important for the Mijeños” / M.J.Gómez.

The Royal British Legion returns to Mijas for its annual meeting

In keeping with tradition, the meeting began by paying tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in the line of duty

Beatriz Martín

The Royal British Legion celebrates again its annual meeting in Mijas. The event, held on Thursday 23rd at the Club La Naranja (Calahonda), was attended by members of this NGO from different parts of the country. In keeping with tradition, the meeting began with a ceremony, in which two minute silence was observed for the British soldiers who lost their lives in the line of duty and for all the victims that the current military conflicts continue to cause.

After this tribute, representatives from different districts of the British Legion in Spain met to, among other matters, approve last year’s accounts, present the accounts for 2025 and, above all, to celebrate a day of coexistence.

“Every year, we hold a general meeting to discuss all the issues of the new year with the beneficiaries and members and it also serves to let all the members know what the plan is for this year”, explained the president of the collective in Mijas, Neal Toplis

The Royal British Legion was born in the early 19th century with a clear mission. “The role of our members is to help ex-military personnel with injury problems, currency problems or legal matters”, said Toplis.

The councillor for Foreigners in Mijas, Mario Bravo (PP), accompanied the members of this NGO, which in the province of Málaga has a thousand members, 129 of whom are from Mijas, “because there are many English people living here who still remember the consequences of the first and, above all, the Second World War. The aim of this association is to help all the veterans,

many widows, because there were many dead in the war, in addition to the tragedy, and it also serves as a connection point, as an organisation that helps each other in many other aspects”, emphasised the councillor, who took part in the act of homage to the victims of the war.

Poppy Appeal

Among the events to be held this year, on November 11th, on the occasion of their day, the Poppy Appeal, the volunteers of the Royal British Legion will once again take to the streets to raise funds and continue to help the victims that war continues to leave behind.

Two looks, one inspiration

The Norwegian artists Joanna Butler and Nina Reistad present a photo exhibition at the Folk Museum that mixes places from both countries

M.F./N.L. Shadows, details, glances, reflections... Beautiful photographs, which convey calm and serenity, taken with care, patience and with a different view, that of two women, two Norwegian artists, Joanna Butler and Nina Reistad, who have joined forces in the Casa Museo to show the public corners of both their country and their beloved Mijas, a place which, they assure us, they fell in love with from the very first moment.

COLLECTIVES

Soroptimist organises a charity event in aid of those affected by the DANA

The group is preparing a solidarity jazz concert on February 23rd at its headquarters in Calahonda

Visit to the businesswomen.- Representatives of the collective visited, after the DANA, Algemesí, Paiporta and Massanassa to learn first-hand about the cases of those affected. “It is very important to listen to their stories and get an idea of the magnitude of the drama that is still part of their daily lives. “This is not our last visit, we will help tell the story, ask for more support and make sure we live up to our goal”, said Theunissen. In the picture, together with Amparo, who lost her atelier after the DANA.

M.J.Gómez. Soroptimist International (SI) Costa del Sol recalls that almost three months later, in many parts of Valencia, the neighbours “are struggling to rebuild their businesses and their lives”. The association, based in Mijas, started after the floods with different support initiatives to help the victims both locally and in Valencia. “As the empowerment of women is one of our goals”, said Daphne Theunissen, president of SI Costa del Sol, in a statement, “we decided to focus on women entrepreneurs. When you help a woman rebuild her business, everyone around her benefits as well”. “As well as identifying the women who need support, we also need to find more funds

and we decided it was necessary to go to the affected area to meet the women in person and make sure that the world does not forget them”, said the head of the association.

Donations

To raise funds to help the victims, Soroptimist International Costa del Sol is organising a jazz concert to be held at the association’s headquarters on February 23rd. Those who wish to attend or are interested in collaborating with the DANA Project, organised by the association at national level, can obtain more information and/or make donations via email at soroptimist.costadelsol@gmail.com or at www. costadelsol.soroptimist.es.

For Butler, whose photos are mainly focused on Mijas Pueblo, Barrio Santana is her favourite spot. “It has soul. The locals treat the people very well, I feel at home here. I am in love with Mijas and I always want to come back”, she confessed.

“Our photographs show details and places from both countries. Small and beautiful pieces that capture our attention. Like the beautiful shapes and natural colours in the ice or the old paint peeling off a wooden door, the shadows and re-

flections the sun creates, a white sheet covering something and the detailed weaving of electrical wires on a wall, and how the streets look so different in the fog and rain. Details that are often overlooked”, said the authors in an information sheet accompanying the exhibition.

The councillor for Culture, Juan Carlos Maldonado (PMP), also attended the opening. “They are two Norwegian residents who love Mijas and wanted to share their photographs with us. They make a perfect mix of what Mijas means: an open municipality, where we give opportunities to everyone”, said the councillor.

The meeting began with an act of homage to the soldiers who lost their lives in the line of duty and to the victims of the war / B.M.

Representatives of the British Legion from different parts of Spain celebrated a day of conviviality / B.M.

Councillor for Foreigners, Mario Bravo, and the area’s technician, Katja Thirion, attended the annual meeting / B.M.

The artists with the councillor for Culture, Juan Carlos Maldonado / N.L.

WHAT´S ON

FRIDAY 24TH

‘Donde mueren las palabras’

Manuel España Theatre, 20 h DMLP Producciones brings this play about friendship and miscommunication Free admission until full capacity is reached

Talk ‘Nuevo escenario climático e inundaciones en la provincia de Málaga’, by Antonio Gallegos Reina, Geography professor at the UMA Mijas Folk Museum, 19 h

Organised by Ecologistas en Acción Mijas

SATURDAY 25TH

‘Un secreto a voces’

Manuel España Theatre, 20 h

A comedy by Pablo Puyol, Virginia Muñoz, Noemí Ruiz and David Ordinas 16 euros in advance and 20 euros on the day

Flamencos en tu peña

Peña Unión del Cante, 20 h

With Ana Fargas and Paco Javier Jimeno

SUNDAY 26TH

‘Pinocchio’ by Jabetín Teatro Manuel España Theatre, 12 h The price is 10 euros. Tickets can be purchased at www.lacocheraentradas. com and, from one hour before, at the theatre