AMOVATE—Association of Residents and Friends of Vale da Telha—is a Community, not a Clique!
Over the years a perception has grown that this organisation, established to promote the best interests of Vale da Telha, Arrifana, Espartel, Paisagem Oceano, Vales, Monte Clerigo etc., is controlled by a group of self-interested expats looking out for themselves.
The common accusation is that it is a clique—dictionary defined as a narrow circle of persons associated by common interests or for the accomplishment of a common purpose (generally used in a bad sense) and to associate together in a clannish way; to act with others secretly to gain a desired end; to plot.
Not guilty, M’Lud!
The Committee that has largely been in place for the past two years—a committee comprising five Portuguese nationals and a Swedish resident, apart from the Brits on board—has only one aim; to broaden the membership base and get people working together to keep pressure on the Camara who at times seem to forget we exist, despite the pre-election promises of the current ruling party.
It is an Association of EVERYBODY!
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So, what’s in it for me?
What do I gain from being a member, what do I get for paying a €15 annual subscription to join Amovate?
Well, let’s just talk money for a moment.
Alan, based in Britain but who has a villa here in Paisagem Oceâno, admits he never saw any reason to join. But eventually he thought he’d give it a go and paid his €15 to collect his Membership card.
“I got that money back in less than a week,” he said. “I used the discounts offered by Amovate sponsors, bars and restaurants, etc, and within the week I’d saved more than my annual subscription.”
Amovate also arranges free copies of the Portugal News, otherwise costing €1.50 in most shops and supermarkets, each week, brought up from Lagos to the Old Schoolhouse. Those free copies save you in the region of €75 per year if you were to buy the News weekly.
We are arranging for discounts on insurance and we are in talks with other potential sponsors who we hope will offer discounted deals to members.
Then there is the free library, the various classes, the tennis club etc…..
And of course, as you can read here, you get the benefits of being a member of an organization that will be strengthened by the benefit of your membership!
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We sometimes feel we are up here, out of sight, out of mind, that although a great deal of money pours down the hill into Aljezur, not much of it comes back up the hill.
We don’t think that’s fair and we think it’s about time something was done about it.
Vale da Telha has many glorious natural resources, and remains an absolutely wonderful place to live.
But we want to see more of the Camara’s resources spent up here—our own street cleaner wouldn’t be a bad start!
But to do that, to make them listen, we need a bigger voice which means we need YOU!
We need you to abandon your out-dated perceptions about Amovate and to join us in making a great place an even greater place.
Recently, a German couple keen on living here, were hugely impressed by everything they saw as the estate agent showed them the area, from Arrifana to Amoreira.
Afterwards, the couple dropped into the Karisma for a coffee and a brandy, and to chat about what they’d seen and what villas they wished to view in more detail.
But an hour later they walked into the Estate Agent and said they’d changed their minds; that they’d been sitting next to a group of four British expats who’d done nothing but moan about Vale da Telha, completely putting them off!!!
They were unlucky—they could have been sitting next to any number of other British residents who would have been extolling the virtues of life in VdT as they drank their wine and enjoyed good company.
Most people are super-positive about living here and rightly so.
Certainly, moaning doesn’t solve any problems. The only way to do that is to pull together in the same direction. Moaning in small groups creates a moaning syndrome.
One small voice is rarely heard. Individually we are weak, but together we are strong.
Collectively, we can make a difference as the politicians, both local and national, draw up their plans for the National Park on which we live.
If we do nothing we could lose so much. If we don’t get together and make things happen there is a danger that everything we have could lose value.
But by joining us, adding your voice to the growing collective voice, fighting for what you believe in on a united front we can bring more power to the whole area and shape our own futures in this fantastic part of Portugal where we have chosen to spend our lives.