Category Archives: Amovate Events

Health Talk on Diabetes

As we said before now that we have all walked away from our working lives to enjoy a life in the sun we want to make sure we stay fit and well in order to enjoy our well deserved retirement for as long as possible.

That is why Amovate and Solange Escobar from Aljezur’s Farmacia have linked up with our “Health in The Community” initiative to make sure we all have the best available advice to stay in the best health we can manage.

Solange contacted us to say she was keen to promote good health among the local Expat community and to talk them through the various aspects of prescriptions and the Portuguese Health Service.

She proposed a visit, or a series of visits if so required, to the Old School House to meet with residents and talk about ways of achieving this, and perhaps run some tests on individuals if so required.

Her first talk at Amovate on Wednesday November 19 was a well-attended success as she talked about cholesterol and prescriptions.

Now, after a request from a member of that audience, she plans a second talk on living with diabetes which is a condition that affects a good number of people in the area. And even those who are not diabetic can benefit from Solange’s advice on how to avoid the risks of developing the condition.

This latest “Health in the Community” talk will take place at the Old School House Vales on Wednesday January 21, beginning at 2pm prompt, as Solange is arranging these talks to coincide with her lunch hour.

Amovate committee member John Williams, who organised the event with committee colleague Alan Nightingale, said afterwards:

“Solange’s talk was excellent and those that attended have asked her to come back and next time talk about diabetes, which she has agreed to do on January 21.

“So, once again we would ask residents, not just Amovate members, to contact us at the e-mail addresses and phone numbers below for either Alan or myself, in order to let us know if they would like to attend this second meeting about diabetes and any other issues they would like to raise.”

John added: “We would like to thank Solange for the generous use of her time, and for the valuable information and advice she was able to give to those who attended that first meeting. We are sure this second meeting will prove just as valuable to the community.

“She is prepared to hold these briefings monthly or-bi-monthly or at any intervals suitable to the residents and is ready to discuss a wide range of health issues with those attending.

“Everyone is welcome to ask her any questions on issues they are not sure about, so we would appreciate it if as many residents as possible would let us know of their willingness to attend on future occasions.

“Remember, this is a broad health issue organised by Amovate but by no means restricted to Amovate members. The meetings are open to all residents.”

For your information, and contact books, details of the Farmacia are:
Email address: farmaciafurtado@gmail.com

FARMÁCIA ALJEZUR

Av. General Humberto Delgado S/N

8670-001 Aljezur

HORÁRIO: 2ª a SÁB.: 9.00-20.00H

HORA DE ALMOÇO: 13-15H

Tel No: 282 994 430
Mobile: 91 887 3019.
Anyone interested in attending this next meeting, and discussing their health issues with Solange should contact John Williams or Alan Nightingale from the Amovate committee. Their contact details are:
John Williams – Email address, sandraandjohn@lycos.com Telephone 282 997 194
Alan Nightingale – Email address, alamo38@btinternet.com Telephone 282 997 059
Alan says: “Whilst everyone would be welcome to just turn up on the day, if people could advise their attendance to either of the above this would assist us in preparations for Solange’s talk”

Christmas Party 2014—Putting It Right

Christmas is coming—again!

Well, not exactly Christmas. But Amovate has arranged with restaurant owner Paulo Silva that everyone who attended the Christmas Party at O Paulo in Arrifana is entitled to another party, this time with a free meal.

It was with huge disappointment that the meal on December 20^th, indeed much of the evening, did not come up to the standards expected.

And Amovate’s committee reacted quickly after consulting a number of the people who attended and who felt badly let down both by us and by what is normally regarded as a restaurant providing a high quality dining experience.

Paulo himself, who was unable to be at the Christmas Party due to ill-health at the time, was horrified to hear our list of complaints when we met with him a few days ago to go through the events of that evening and to voice our deep concerns.

His response was swift and generous.

Paulo would like to offer everyone who attended that evening an opportunity to revisit his restaurant and take up his offer of a free meal (drinks, of course, must be paid for) and he will again provide the music.

He and Amovate have arranged that this should take place on Saturday January 31^st and we are writing to everyone who attended on the original date to inform them of this and to see if they will be available on the night.

If you can’t make it, don’t worry!

We are aware that not everyone who attended will be available on the 31^st. But those of who cannot attend will be issued with a voucher so you can visit when next you are able to take up the offer—by booking, of course!

(The letter explaining all the details which we have sent to every person who bought tickets can be found further down this page).

Amovate is proud of its place in the local Community and we are aware that what happened on December 20^th did us some damage; damage we wanted to put right immediately.

In the interests of full disclosure this is the way the matter unfolded as we sought to put things right…

On January 2^nd, after considering all the information we had gathered from people at the party we contacted Paulo asking for a meeting to discuss the issues raised.

We pointed out that, after a couple of Committee members had informally raised the issue on the night, a large number of the 80-plus guests had subsequently made complaints; a completely unprecedented number from any event Amovate has ever held in any establishment.

We pointed out that Amovate has enjoyed functions at O Paulo in the past—Including the very well-received Summer Solstice event—for which we received accolades. However, the consensus of opinion was that this latest event fell well below the standards of what generally is acceptable, not only for O Paulo but for any restaurant.

We told him the general comments from the complainants concerned poor quality of the main courses presented, in addition some also complained about their food being cold.

Paulo was also informed that the external areas got cold as the heaters were insufficient and although the doors and some windows to the main areas were open the heat did not flow through. This point in particular was discussed well before the event, as we reminded him, and we were promised that gas heaters were going to be placed in strategic places in the outside area. The fact that these were not available only became known on the day of the event.

And finally we pointed out that this entire issue clearly does not help the Restaurant as it could cost them some valued customers. And we informed Paulo we would like to see a satisfactory conclusion so at least Amovate can make sure its members and guests complaints were heard after their disappointing evening.

We trust that this new arrangement will serve that purpose and at the same we would like to thank Paulo—who, as we said, was not able to be at the event in question—for his quick and generous response once we raised these issues with him.

* * * *

Now, to put you fully in the picture to explain how the guests on December 20^th will be compensated, this is the letter which has been sent out to all those people who bought tickets for that evening:

“I send this note on behalf of Amovate. You and maybe some guests or family went to the Amovate Christmas Party at O Paulo’s Restaurant on 20^th December 2014.

After this event several people complained to Committee people about the standard of the meal and some other points, so much so that Amovate decided to talk to the Restaurant about the evening.

The meeting has taken place and although no major complaint was made on the evening, Paulo was horrified at the scale of our complaint. However he would like to offer all who attended an opportunity to revisit his restaurant as he intends to do the evening all over again but to offer you a free meal (Drinks must be paid for) and he will of course provide the music.

We are aware that not everyone who attended will be available on the night which will be Saturday 31^st January 2015, but for those who can’t attend then he will issue a voucher so you can visit when next you are available, by booking of course.

The reason for this e-mail is to find out quickly who can and cannot attend on that night so I ask please can you reply to me ASAP to let me know your availability, and of course any guests who were with you.

If you need any further information, please do not hesitate to call me on 282 995 249, Steve Baker on 967 005 227 or Steve Scott on 934 809 043.

Amovate think this is a generous offer and hope the majority that attended on the 20^th will attend this revamped version.

Confirmation on the menu will be available soon but the intention is to address the original problem.

Regards

Ian Bedford Amovate Administrator”

Amovate Christmas Party At O Paulo

Eighty-four people attended Amovate’s Christmas Dinner at O Paulo’s Restaurant on the Arrifana clifftop on Saturday.
The photographs here show some images of the evening, the meal, live music and the ticket raffle–the photographs will present themselves in full size if you click on each one twice, and are also easily downloaded if you wish to do so with our compliments.
Steve Baker is also pictured explaining that the two defibrillators bought by the communities of Vale da Telha, Arrifana, Espartal, Vales, Paisagem Oceano and Monte Clerigo in a magnificent fund-raising effort spearheaded by Amovate are now in place, one with the Bombeiros, the other here on Vale da Telha.
In fact we understand from the Bombeiros that already one resident’s life has been saved by the defibrillator we provided for their paramedics, so that is the best possible news.
Steve also explained that 75 people have now attended the basic CPR courses, earning their certificates of proficiency and 24 of these have been trained to use the defibrillators.
But further courses in both disciplines can be arranged if more people wish to take these training sessions. Anyone wishing to do so should contact Sue Kenyon by e-mail at: diversue@gmail.com to register their interest.
Thank you to everyone who made it all possible.

Amovate Christmas Charity Event at Hugo’s Bar Raises €700

It was an inspired brainwave for a fundraiser—the more you drank the more cash was raised to provide presents for needy children!

So, residents of Aljezur, Espartel, Arrifana,Vale da Telha and the surrounding districts raised their glasses…and collected a fantastic €700 to put a smile on the faces of deprived children and families at Christmas.

On Friday (December 5) Amovate teamed up with Hugo’s Bar with the aim of providing presents for kids who otherwise might not be getting a visit from Santa Claus this year.

And Amovate President John Bergstrom-Potter smiled: “It’s a win-win situation; you have your bevvy and the charity gets some money to put a smile on the faces of children in danger of missing out at a time for giving and well-being.”

As you will probably know, each year the BPI Bank’s branch in Aljezur is supplied with a list of children in deprived circumstances who will not be receiving any Christmas presents, and the branch arranges to collect donations to help out.

Amovate and Hugo Nanitas, owner of Hugo’s Bar, offered to arrange gifts from the cash raised at the charity event for 10 of these children, including a personalised Christmas card with each gift-wrapped present.

Hugo’s pledge to donate a portion of the price of every drink sold in a four-hour period—€1 for every caneca (pint) priced at €2.50, for example—raised €285.50 which Amovate, as promised, then doubled to produce a final total of €571.

Amovate then decided to round the cash up to €700—€200 for the children’s presents and €500 to the St Vincent de Paul society for distribution amongst the area’s poorer families.

Amovate committee member Steve Baker also set up several games of skill during the event—which was attended by Aljezur Camara PresidentJosé Amarelinho, parish priest Padre Nuno and Fernando from the BPI—for which people paid €1 and attempted to win five bottles of beer in an ice bucket.

Said John Bergstrom-Potter: “It was a really successful and enjoyable evening, made even more so by the knowledge that everyone who attended helped to put a smile on the face of a child who may otherwise have missed out this Christmas.”
***Now, why not view the photographs accompanying this story–if you click on each picture it will present itself in a larger size.

: Charity Fund Day at Hugo’s Bar

Christmas Charity Fundraiser At Hugo’s Bar

Let’s bring back the true spirit of Christmas!

Every year, when the Christmas adverts and promotions begin in October we complain that the festive season has been hi-jacked by corporate Fat Cats, turning the whole affair into a commercial circus.

But we can easily remedy that by making this Christmas a time for giving, for putting the smile on the faces of children who might otherwise miss out on the happiness and cheer of a time for giving and well-being.

AMOVATE has teamed up with Hugo’s Bar and the BPI Children’s Appeal to buy presents for 10 needy children and to donate funds to the St Vincent de Paul Charity in Aljezur which helps the poor.

As you know each year the BPI Bank in Aljezur is supplied with a list of children who will not be receiving any Christmas presents this year.

They are asking for people to buy books school backpacks etc., and a nice touch when you wrap the present in Christmas gift paper to hand into the bank is to include a Christmas card.

Amovate will arrange gifts for 10 children in deprived circumstances from the funds raised at the Charity event in Hugo’s Bar which will take place on Friday December 5^th from 4pm to 8pm.

It will work this way…

Hugo is going to donate to the fund a percentage of the drinks bought at the event (for example, a caneca (pint) of Sagres normally sells for €2.50. Hugo will donate €1 for each caneca sold and for each gin and tonic selling for €4 he will donate 50 cents).

So, for every drink bought in those four hours Hugo will donate a percentage to the fund.

Hugo will place a bucket on the bar counter to put the money in from each drink, and every time the cash is dropped in, a horn will sound! Sweet music for the children…

There will also be several games set up, for which people can pay €1 for the privilege of attempting to win five bottles of beer in an ice bucket.

At the end of the event Amovate will match the amount dropped into the bucket by Hugo, doubling the donation.

We believe this may be the first time a restaurant or bar has supported Amovate with hard cash.

But it can only be a real success if you come along, buy a drink or two and make sure the Spirit of Christmas is alive and well in Vale da Telha.

So please turn up and lend your support, in the full knowledge that by so doing you will help to put the smile on the face of a child who may otherwise have missed out this Christmas.