Category Archives: Amovate Events

Amovate Masterchef – Photographs

Great Entertainment was the label given to Amovate’s first Master Chef as Johnny Wilson purred through the afternoon before the food tasting.

Three dishes had been prepared, Bacalhau with cream and fresh shrimp (Bacalhau com nates com shrimp), Pork Ragu and Chicken, Coconut and Peanut curry and rice.

The voters’ choice was the Portuguese dish and Maria Mauritty and her sister were worthy winners. All three teams received bottles of wine for their efforts, and the evening entertainment continued with an Irish and Rock theme that had people on their feet dancing the night away.

Thanks go to Antonio for allowing the event at his restaurant and Jose from Restaurant VDT for loaning some equipment.

Now to look forward to the next Master Chef when lessons learned will hopefully ensure all leave full and contented.

Below, is a selection of photographs from the day.

Amovate’s Family Fun Day Helps A Family In Need

Amovate Raises Funds For A Severely Disabled Boy

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Diego Messias Pedrosa

Amovate’s Family Fun Day has helped to make the life of a family with a severely disabled child just a little easier.

Some of the funds raised from the keynote event have been used to buy all of the fittings required for a new wetroom for two year-old toddler Diego Messias Pedrosa who is suffering from cerebral palsy.

Diego lives with his great grandmother in Burgau and she has been having immense problems dealing with Diego’s basic daily needs like bathing and feeding.

The toddler is said to be a happy little boy despite the severity of his cerebral palsy, and the fact that he has to spend a lot of time in hospital.

The family, according to reports, receive no support from the Portuguese government and Diego’s great grandmother, who also works at the Esquina restaurant in Burgau to help support him, faces a constant struggle to obtain the specialist equipment he needs.

Diego’s medication alone costs €80 per month and the equipment he needs is not only to ensure that Diego is safe and comfortable but also to aid his great grandmother with day-to-day activities like bathing and feeding.

So, Amovate stepped in, and with €198.31 of the funds raised at last month’s Family Fun Day, we have purchased all of the fittings required to convert his grandmother’s bathroom into a wet room.

The firm Raminhos & Raminhos just outside of Lagos from whom we bought the items also donated all of the tiles required along with the adhesive and grout.

Amovate was responding to an appeal launched in June to raise money for Diego and we felt it fitting that our Family Fun Day could help a family in need.

Campaigners are now trying to raise the cash for a specialised pushchair tailored to Diego’s needs but which costs in the region of €5,000.

Natasha Seromenho who is spearheading the fundraising efforts, along with Louise Chamberlain who is also deeply involved with fundraising, says: “Diego’s cerebral palsy is severe. He cannot hold his heads up, he cannot stand and until now doctors have been unable to say whether he will be able to walk at any time in the future.

“He is approaching his third birthday and cannot talk although he makes a few sounds which suggest he trying, although again only time will tell.”

Anyone wishing to make further donations should contact Natasha’s PayPal address (used only for donations for Diego) at:

natasha.seromenho@hotmail.com

For those of you who don’t use PayPal.IBAN:

PT50 0033 0000 45464443007 05 and swiftBCOMPTPL. Bank is Millennium BCP.

ENDS

Amovate Masterchef – 2nd September

Masterchef comes to Vale da Telha!

The final announcement about Amovate’s first ever master chef competition.

The events committee have now chosen the three chefs to cook off, for hopefully 60 plus ticket holders on Wednesday 2nd September.
From the list of budding chefs, the committee have been able to choose three teams all headed by different nationalities. This should bring three sample dishes with a difference, and with a wide choice of ingredients available here in Portugal, who knows if the dishes will have the flavour of Portugal, China, Germany, India, Hungary; there are so many choices.
Tickets go on sale today and you can purchase these from, Steve Scott, Ian Bedford, Kate Lang, Rick Hursthouse, Dave Ogborn and Chic Wilson.
Priced at €5 this is a reasonably cheap afternoon out. Enjoy tasting the food, Antonio’s hospitality and music with Johnny Wilson throughout the afternoon and evening.
Make sure you bring your ticket as this is not only a voucher for the food, but also a voting slip.

For all those still unsure what this is all about hopefully this will clarify the situation.

3 Teams will cook a taster meal of their choice at their home (all teams having the same amount of money for food supplied by Amovate) and these will be served one at a time to ticket holders at the event. When all 3 meals have been tasted people will vote on what they judge to be the best and the winner wins a prize.

The afternoon should be good fun and at least you won’t have to cook when you get home.

Amovate Fun Day – Photographs

Amovate Family Fun Voted A Big Success

By Matt D’Arcy (Photographs by Sue Bedford)

Out of the mouths of babes…

And here, might I beg your indulgence and quote my four year-old granddaughter, Summer Serafim D’Arcy. As we left Amovate’s Family Fun Day after five enjoyable hours she settled back into her car seat and said contentedly:

“That was fantastic—can we come back again next week?”

Unfortunately, Summer will have to wait longer than that—she will be a 5 year-old by the time next year’s event takes place.

But her unsolicited remark was a fitting testimonial to this pivotal event of Amovate’s charity fund-raising for 2015. Summer had a fantastic time as did all the kids and their parents…and that was the whole point of the exercise wasn’t it; plenty of people having a good time while at the same time raising vital funds for Amovate’s charitable causes? (We are still counting and collecting the money, and details will be announced shortly).

And these photographs by Sue Bedford certainly prove the point as the area outside co-host Hugo’s Bar was packed with people having a great time.

As Amovate President John Bergstrom-Potter said afterwards the entire event was the result of a huge effort by the Committee and volunteers.

“Ian and Sue Bedford were outstanding in the design etc. of the programme, Steve Scott, Steve Baker & Rick Hursthouse, the events committee put together all the days entertainment, John Williams with his fantastic group of volunteer helpers, lifting and shifting, Sue Bergstrom-Potter, Kate Lang and Chic Wilson performed heroically, cooking burgers, hot dogs and bifanas all afternoon without a break and of course Dave Ogbourn and Bob (I smell a Rat) Packham for their efforts in raising funds. Thanks too, go to all the Programme sellers”.

“When the Fun Day began at 2.15pm the committee members outnumbered our guests. But very soon a steady stream of people began arriving and within a short time the place was packed.

“It was good to see that some of our long-established surfing community turned up with their children, and the bouncy castle was a big hit with them.

“As I was circulating and selling the programmes I had the opportunity to speak with a lot of people and everyone was unanimous in saying how much they were enjoying the day. By the end only had about 35 programmes were unsold out of the 300 we issued which gives you a good idea of the numbers attending.

“It was difficult to assess how many people turned up—but a conservative estimate would be at least 250.”

John, reflecting on the change of venue from the previous year, went on: “There were those who had reservations regarding the venue but in the end it was the general feeling was that this was the better place.

“We are already starting to plan next year’s event, which is hoped will be bigger, with maybe two stages.

“Watch this space!”

Below is a selection of photos from the hugely successful Fun Day held.

There are two Lucky Programme Draw prizes which remain unclaimed. If you have the Programme with either of these numbers on the front, then please e mail info@amovate.com or speak to an Amovate Committee member to claim your prize.

1 Bottle Red Wine – No. 053

1 Bottle White Wine – No. 038

: Bombeiros Band

: Caporeira Exhibition

: Areano

Family Fun Day – 1st August

A wise woman once said: “As long as you’re having fun, you’re doing the right thing”.

So, why not do the right thing and come along to Amovate’s Blue Riband Event for 2015—the Family Fun Day, our main attraction of the year.

It will take place from 2pm-8pm on Saturday August 1^st at the large field in front of Hugo’s Bar at the apartments on the road leading towards Arrifana and we are planning to pack the afternoon and evening with a variety of activities, events and entertainments for the whole family to enjoy.

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“I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny, but we can have lots of good fun that is funny.”
― Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat

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Clearly, on the first day of August, we ARE expecting sunshine, not rain, and we do intend that everyone will have lots of good fun, whatever the weather has in store!

Last year’s family-oriented event saw perhaps more kids enjoying themselves than anyone’s ever seen in one place on Vale da Telha…and it certainly was a Fun-in-the-Sun Day!

Now, Amovate, your local community association aims to have another FUN-tastic day, plenty of fun and games with even more people having a great time and so much for the family to enjoy together.

Here’s what to expect as you embark on a wonderful afternoon and evening hosted by Amovate and Hugo’s Bar:

MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT

Bombeiros Band 15.30 to 16.30

Caporeira Dancers 16.30 to 17.00

Areano (singer/ guitarist) 17.00 to 20.00

But while all of this is going on there is so much for the kids to do.

There will be donkey rides, a bouncy castle, face-painting and hair-braiding.

They can play games on The Cube, take pot-shots on a coconut shy or play on a football machine.

For the adults there are a variety of stalls offering jewellery, foot treatment, Aloe Vera as well as one organised by the Conferencia de Nossa Senhora DÂ´Alva, the childrens’ charity in Aljezur.

And the Petanca Club are also holding a boules competition should you wish to try your hand.

On a more serious note, should you wish, you can sit down with a representative of Avalon and discuss funeral plans.

Programmes for this event will soon be on sale at €1 apiece and each one includes a lucky number which will be entered into a prize draw. If you are not able to buy one in advance they will also be available on the day.

Just as importantly, while everybody’s having such a good time they’ll be helping to raise more money for the charities supported every year by Amovate.

We are proud that through our Charity Fund we have helped local families in need, helped facilitate the donation of €50,000 worth of firefighting and life-saving equipment for Aljezur Bombeiros plus three life-saving defibrillators, two for the Bombeiros to use in their vehicles and the other for the use of residents in Vale da Telha and the surrounding districts.

We have provided nine wheelchairs for Portimao Hospital, a ripple bed to ease the suffering of long-term bedridden patients, a much-needed new computer for a rehabilitation centre and a washing machine for a local charity, which has also received cash donations from Amovate.

So, while you are having as good time today you can do so knowing you will also be helping good causes in your area.

So come along, bring the family, support our local worthy causes…and have a great time in the process!

Now that’s what you call having FUN!