Calendar Launch !!!

Olivachicas are proud to announce the printing of the first thousand Calendars by SR Prints of Pedreguer, for the benefit of MABS, the local charity for the support of people with Cancer.

These spectacular uncut versions will be available from Friday night, 26th August after the successful launch at Miramar in Bar-Restaurant 'La Garrota' at 9:00 (pm). There will be light refreshments and music for dancing. Please be there. Buy lotsa Calendars.

Members of the new Charity, 'Olivachicas Support Group' will be outlining their future plans to offer Care and Support to All People in times of illness. Please join them to make our community a more caring place to live.

This is the last message to be published to this Blog as our job to pose, pay for, print and present the Calendars is done. Look out for new messages from the Olivachicas Support Group who have great plans for the very near future.

Comments from Glenda

I found out about your web site via Spanish Brolly and I think what you are
doing is fantastic.

I would like to place an order for the calendar and would like to volunteer
to help in the shop when you get it off the ground,I also have transport
and would be available for home visits and anything else required .

I have limited Spanish,but can get by.

Please let me know where I leave the money for the calendar.

Glenda Bowers

Shoot complete!

That's the shooting over and now we’re going all out to meet printing costs. The post wrap or rewrap party on Sat June 4th was fantastic. This calendar stunt isn't just about raising funds for charity it also helps build our community.

Please feel free to comment on any of the topics that come up or enter new ones of your own. Just click on the comment link (at the bottom of each post) and leave your message. You can also use the email link to send copies of our info to your friends.

If you want to leave donations, order calendars, or find out about how to support our fund raisers or even hold a fund-raiser, just email to join us. The more we join together the more we help each other. Every little helps a lot. Thanks to Margaret, Michelle and Glenda for their comments.

Thanks to Anne-Marie for the brill party, especially the paella from Mike and Joyce and Steven the DJ. (He did a brilliant job - if you want to hire him for your own party or function you can contact him on 650274363.) Thanks too to Tony and Sheila for the wonderful Hamper to auction, and to the Host and Hostess of La Garrota for the bottle of brandy to throw coins at, which was won by a very, very young man (who did give it to his Mum and his Grandma). The same young man sang very nicely in Welsh (after being sponsored of course).

And a special gracias for the sterling service on BBQ from Ron and Dave and commitment over and above the call of duty from Tony at the Bar and Chris as Mine Host. Both he and Anne-Marie say a big thank you to all of their guests for clearing up and leaving everything tidy. It's great to get the guys involved. Oops, I forgot Ted and Tony on guitar!! And we can't forget a mention for Dangerous 'Patrick' Magrew and his stirring tale of the girl called Lou.

But most thanks go to all of our friends old and new who came along had a good time sunning, eating drinking, dancing and laughing. They also gave generously to the costs of printing the calendar. It was a wonderful fun afternoon in the sun and after all that's why most of left the UK, isn't it???!!! To feel more stress-free and have fun, living the good life.

If I have omitted anyone from the honours list I crave your indulgence and promise I will do better in future. Really!

Looking forward to hearing from you. Give us your news and views.

Karmanie

Comments from Margaret Brown

Many thanks to Margaret Brown in Paisley for the following comments by email:

"I was so touched by the story of Eileen. Your descriptions of events was so vivid. All the highs and lows, the laughter and tears. It must have been an incredible journey for all concerned. It is amazing what can be achieved when people pull together. What would have initially seemed an insurmountable task, when broken down bit by bit and taken up by a lot of people became manageable. I'm not saying easy mind you because I'm sure it was not. But my hats off to all of you for allowing Eileen some dignity, fun and life for the time she had left with people that she obviously loved very much. You can put me down for a calendar or two. What would we do without our friends."

Oliva Chicas at San Roque

Here it is: the first ever picture of the Chicas, posing on the steps of San Roque, Oliva.

MABS Update

After further discussions with MABS, the Oliva Chicas committee have agreed that combining efforts is the quickest way to achieve the group’s stated aims of producing a Calendar for 2006, opening a Charity Shop in Oliva in the near future and therefore improving the support system at this end of the Costa.

We will therefore be operating through MABS as the sponsoring Charity and will not seek separate status at present. We thank the MABS committee members for helping us once more to see the path more clearly.

The SHOOT is continuing and online photos will be available soon.

We expect to see your orders flooding in! Help us to help you.

Email olivachicas@gmail.com for further information.

May the force of fun and friendship be with you.

More about Eileen ...

As mentioned in the last post, the Oliva Chicas group was initially formed as a support group to care for our friend Eileen Stevinson during her final illness. Before she died she asked Karmanie to lead her funeral service. The funeral took place on 15th June 2004 at Javea Crematorium and the service was repeated a few weeks later in Newcastle for her friends and colleagues there.

The Chicas are currently hard at work on producing their Calendar, which will be prefaced by a dedication to Eileen. You can read it here, in English or in Spanish.

Introduction

We are a dedicated group of British ex-pats living in the Oliva, La Safor area of Valencia, Spain, who have experienced and met the needs a person can have when the world goes pear-shaped and the great dream of a wonderful life in the sun, living the relaxed Spanish Mediterranean life, doesn’t quite work out the way it was intended.

As you can see from the first article we are sharing, the group initially formed to support Eileen Stevinson who needed practical and emotional support through her terminal illness. As a result we learned a lot about what was required and even more about how we could all contribute a little, to help a lot.

Eileen was fortunate that she was able to tap into the resources of friendship and knowledgeable support to meet her needs and she often admitted this to us and wondered what would happen to others who didn’t know enough people or who had no one to take them to hospital or speak Spanish or help with looking after them.

It was obvious that there were two main issues. Firstly, immediate information and working the twisting path through the unfamiliar Spanish systems. Secondly, funding was an issue for many people as the extra costs involved with medical problems raised difficulties in a tight budget. Many fund raising ideas were discussed and the concept of a Charity Shop was born but the need for start-up funding was an issue.

Early this year the notion of doing a Calendar was born. Twelve bonny (well, we think so) lassies or chicas, in Spanish, decided to take the plunge, literally (buy the Calendar!!) to raise funds for the Shop. Through Sponsors and advertising, the costs for printing the Calendar are currently being raised. The Calendar is being dedicated to the memory of Eileen who showed us both the need and the way to meet the needs of those who fall sick in our local community. A copy of this dedication is also available here.

Our aims through this help and support group are as follows:

1. to provide information about local medical care
2. to provide support to access medical care (transport to hospitals etc)
3. to provide translators where required to Doctors and hospitals
4. to establish a group of volunteers to provide practical support to the sick person
5. to provide volunteer support to the main carers throughout a lengthy illness
6. to fund this process through the opening of a charity shop
7. to have a community focus through the charity shop
8. to link with the Spanish community
9. to try to take the worry out of already highly stressful situations
10. to be there for each other.

This is not expected to meet all of the needs, of all of the people, all of the time, for free. It is simply seen as part of the helping process. That is people volunteering to help others. Part of this helping process for Eileen was a need to make her funeral arrangements and a copy of her service has been included to show what can be done when you have the courage to address the issue. It’s a lot easier to do before you get sick.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

Short term

1. Sponsor the production of the Calendar as every few euros really, really counts. If you would like to advertise on the Calendar we would love to hear from you.
2. Join us in our fund-raising happenings. Information about time, place, and cost will be posted here. Some incriminating evidence from previous events is already available as you can see. (Photographs of our Irish Night and St. George’s Day Quiz will be published here shortly.)
3. Place an order for your Calendars. We expect them to be available late August/early September.
4. Express an interest
5. Tell us if you need help now

Mid Term

1. Volunteer as a support worker for the Charity Shop
2. Volunteer as a support member of the care group transport, translator, care-giver, home visitor, event organiser etc.

Long Term

1. Visit the shop, bring your no-longer-required items
2. Bring us your worries and your needs
3. Share the Care

We are currently seeking our own Charity Number to have full Charitable status but meanwhile are receiving support and advice from MABS, the Denia-based Care and Support Group.

To contact us about donations or advertising, or to request further information regarding help, email us at olivachicas@gmail.com

To share your thoughts and views: leave your comments by clicking on Comments at the bottom of this message.


We hope the photo shoot for the front cover will be ‘happening’ on the steps of San Roque Church on Monday 23rd May around 4.30 pm. If you are in the area come and wish us luck