We are three keen Camino walkers, Graham, John and David, who want you to join us in supporting the charity Age in Spain. We are walking the 1,400-kilometer Camino from Almeria to Santiago de Compostela to raise money to provide vital services for older English speakers who live in Spain.

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Getting older, wherever we live, brings change and challenge! Keeping active and contributing to our communities helps us to give back and ensure maximum independence in later life. But sometimes, everyone needs a helping hand - this is where we and Age in Spain step in!

 

Read more and donate here.

I make  a Friendline call every week to a lovely lady in Tenerife - we’ve never met, but I know all about her life and family, and she knows the same about me! We chat about all sorts, from Airfryer recipes to TV dramas. She is housebound, so I feel that our regular calls break up the monotony of the four walls. She’s always got a tale to tell me, and I enjoy making her laugh with some yarns of  my own. It’s quite special to make a friendship across the miles, without ever having met.

 

I am also an Ambassador for Age in Spain, covering  the North Costa Blanca. I attend a lot of local events hosted by different organisations and charities, and try to spread the word about what we do. On the Costa Blanca there are many English speakers living in the region, and the concentration of non-Spanish residents and holiday home owners provides its own support network through clubs, groups and charity events. However, we hear of people who moved to small inland villages many years ago, where this network does not exist, so they need to call on services such as ours when they need help or guidance. Along the Costa, there are many charities with shops or offices, so they are well known because of having a physical presence. 

 

The first question I’m usually asked about Age in Spain is ‘Where is your shop ?’. We don't have a physical presence and whilst the other local charities do an amazing job of raising money and supporting people in need, we  can fill in some gaps through the Infoline and our website, particularly for those people living away from a large community.  

 

I get involved with various events in various ways! It could be a Dance Fitness class in fancy dress… or a coffee morning - all to raise funds and raise awareness of what we do. 

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I do worry about the ageing English-speaking population here, particularly those who may have lost a partner who they previously relied on, or those settled in remote areas without local help. I’m proud to be part of an organisation that can provide  support and guidance across the whole of Spain and the Islands. 

My name is Dave Dransfield and I am proud to be a volunteer with Age in Spain. I am a Caseworker, a Friendline volunteer and a Trustee on the Board with specific responsibility for veteran and military personnel.

 

As a Friendline Volunteer I have befriended a couple of people over the years and contact them weekly or more if required to chat and support them in whatever way the organisation can.

 

As a Caseworker I visit clients that may have fallen on some degree of hardship and assist with  the bureaucratic systems, signposting them in the right direction or carrying out a full holistic assessment of  their situation to ascertain their shortfalls and needs.  Then trying through our casework manager to identify sources of support or charitable support that may be available to them, be that emotional support, short or longer term financial support or even assistance with repatriation

 

As a trustee I feel my support is given through my Military and NHS background in understanding what support is needed and what support may be available.  I am also assisting with the content of the Veterans page of the Age in Spain Website looking at appropriate links and information sources.