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AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
Well here we are at the end of August and approaching a new and more peaceful month. Many of you will have had visitors during the summer and lovely though that can be, it is often calming to get back to normal.
This year I decided to escape the heat of August, so I arranged a house exchange with an Irish family and flew off to the Emerald Isle with a sense of anticipation. All the boxes were ticked: I stayed in a lovely house in a village near the coast; my brother and wife came to visit and we took a trip down memory lane and visited the village in Northern Ireland where our mother lived as a child; I took a coach trip round the south of Ireland seeing the sights; met up with an old friend and took a trip to Dublin and the Wicklow mountains. Next I flew to the UK to see my family and friends, which was food for the soul. It is always a delight to see how much Layla, my granddaughter, has changed and this time we had “proper” conversations! I was also fortunate to meet up with one of our members and hear about her amazing story.... hopefully more on that at a future date.
Well done to those members who have cleaned/worked their way through the hot summer, no easy task, but it brings in the euros and provides for the family. I know you will enjoy the downtime that September brings. We have the new parenting courses next month, which I strongly advise you to attend, as it’s something we will all learn from (even grandparents!)
My thanks to Gill Somers and the team for dealing with the GA issues in my absence. Gill has taken on the role of the new Vice President, as Ann Mather has now stepped down. We are very, very grateful to Ann for all the hard work she has done for GA during her term.
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” – Henry Ford
Tricia Barr (Founder) 622 795 542 tricia@guardian-angels.es |
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Annual Pool Day
This event was enjoyed by 30 members and their children at the beautiful villa in Lliber of one of the charity's supporters Dorothy Place.
It was a good opportunity for members to chat and make new friendships, whilst the children enjoyed cooling down in the swimming pool. It was also a sad day, as the group said farewell to one of its members, Gary Foreman, and his 5 children, who returned to New Zealand to start a new life this month. His departure was celebrated with a beautiful cake made by Javea-based Ann Martin and the gift of a Guardian Angels' plaque.
Hostess Dorothy was presented with a bouquet of flowers by Tricia Barr, who thanked her for her kindness and generosity. "It was such a privilege for me to be able to do something to help such a deserving cause. I enjoyed the company of all the parents and their lovely children and found the whole afternoon very uplifting," said Dorothy.
I am also grateful for the hard work of BBQ chef, Vernon, and Celia and Ann Lawrenson who helped out. Tricia
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Teddy bear raises money for GA
A kind donation from Heaven, Hair and Beauty, Moraira. Every month a teddy bear is raffled and the lovely staff at Heaven this month nominated GA as the charity to receive the proceeds of 82 euros. Well done and thank you to everyone who purchased a raffle ticket. Gill Somers, VP, seen receiving the donation.
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Faith, Hope and much more
1. Once all villagers decided to pray for rain, on the day of prayer all the people gathered, but only one boy came with an umbrella. That's FAITH
2. When you throw a baby in the air, she laughs because she knows you will catch her. That's TRUST
3. Every night we go to bed, without any assurance of being alive the next morning but still we set the alarm to wake up. That's HOPE
4. We plan big things for tomorrow in spite of zero knowledge of the future. That's CONFIDENCE
5. We see the world suffering but still we get married and have children. That's LOVE.
6. On an old man's shirt was written a sentence 'I am not 80 years old....I am sweet 16 with 64 years experience'. That's ATTITUDE
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Birthday cards from
Jacqui Lawson
We try to send electronic birthday cards to as many members' children as we can until they are 16 years old and if we know their dates of birth.
We use a service which sends a link to the member's email address on the child's birthday but are often disappointed to see that these e-cards are not viewed. We wonder if members think the email is spam or untrustworthy in some way, so, if you receive an email from Jacquie Lawson on your child's birthday, please click on the link and go to the website to allow your child to enjoy the greetings card and a 'happy birthday' song!
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Benidorm Wing
Please spread the word for Susana Cojocaru, who is establishing the new GA Benidorm wing. Susana will need 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: susana1@angelic.com 609 409 327. |
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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Remember to check out our website at www.guardian-angels.es with a Meet the Team feature, Upcoming Events, a Past Events section, containing lots of photos of past events, an updated list of Service Providers and much more. We are also gradually translating the whole website into Spanish. If you know anyone who is interested in becoming a member, refer them to the website and encourage them to complete the Single Parent Registration. We will then be notified of their interest and can quickly welcome them to the group. |
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Upcoming Fundraising Events
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Multi-National Music Event, Studio Jessica Bataille, Javea
Saturday 19 September
7.00 for 7.30pm
(please note date change)
We are delighted to link up with the Spanish music conservatorio of Javea to present this lovely musical event with two artists, Nati Ballarin, Artistic Director of the International Piano Competition "Vila de Xabia" (before she begins her European and American tour) and Pau Savador, one of the most important Dolcaina players we have in Marina Alta. The concert will last about 40 mins (no break) and there will be a glass of wine on arrival. Ticket price 15 euros. To book your tickets please call Tricia asap on 622 795 542
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Eastern Delight Evening
15 October, Monsoon Thai Restaurant, Javea, 7.30 till late
Following on from the great success last year, Guardian Angels are holding another Eastern Delight evening at the fabulous Monsoon Thai Restaurant in Javea. Come and join us for a fantastic value 3 course meal, including a welcome drink and half a bottle of wine per person. Music and dancing all evening with Clair Gingell Parsons and Colin Hulmes, plus an amazing raffle. Fancy dress is all optional. All for only €25! An evening not to be missed. Contact Ann Mather on 647 844 260 or on facebook to reserve your place.
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Guardian Angels Masquerade Ball Saturday 14 November, 7.30 Hotel Denia Marriott
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 maskless - 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, three 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
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September Workshops in Parenting Skills for Members
We are delighted that Ann Lawrenson, a new GA supporter, has recently joined us and will be running workshops in the Denia and Benidorm areas from September. Ann ran similar workshops in the UK very successfully and we feel these workshops will be hugely beneficial to our members. Topics include:
Baby care 0-2 years old
The importance of play
I want to be good
Help me make friends Supporting your child’s learning Establishing trust, routines and boundaries
Happy mealtimes and bedtimes
Understanding your teenager
Too much screen time?
We expect the workshops to be run on Saturday mornings and an email with dates and venues will be sent out soon.
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PR/publicity assistant
We are still looking for a volunteer, who preferably has publicity experience and is fluent in Spanish, to help Tricia to expand Guardian Angels into other areas.
This person's role would be to seek out the places where single parents can be reached (schools and 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 62 279 5542. You can find out more about Guardian Angels on our website - www.guardian-angels.es
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