Category Archives: Charity Donations

Update on Vale da Telha Defibrillators

photo (7)

You will recall that the amazing generosity of the people of this area made it possible to purchase two defibrillators that will be such a life-saving asset to the Vale da Telha and Aljezur communities.

This incredibly warm-hearted district leapt into action once the project to raise €4,500 for these two machines and a piece of training equipment was announced.

Such was the incredible response from you, the people of this community, that the money needed to buy the defibrillators and an item of training equipment from the UK was raised WITHIN A MONTH both on Vale da Telha and from the surrounding districts.

On April 12 this year Amovate President Peter Johnson along with Dr David Quinton—the Vale da Telha resident who inspired the campaign—officially presented the machines to Aljezur Fire Chief, Mario Costa and three of his firefighters.

But, as some of you may be aware, we have been struggling through the Portuguese Bombeiros bureaucracy to register the defibrillators.

We are almost there. The newly appointed Bombeiros President in Lisbon should complete the process in next few weeks! The machines then can be placed in the Hotel Vale da Telha lobby and the other in the second Bombeiros Ambulance.

At the same time we will run another Basic Life Support course at the Amovate HQ, The Old School House, for the 8 remaining volunteers (and anyone else interested–see below). We will also start Defibrillation courses with the training machine for those who have already passed their BLS and the certificates then, at last signed by the President, handed out. E-mails will be sent out.

We should all thank the Bombeiros de Aljezur and especially the Captain and Davide Costa for their perseverance with the authorities.

More than 60 people immediately signed up for the original CPR training courses, with more registering their interest in the following weeks, and going on to complete the courses.

The classes were conducted by experts from the Bombeiros assisted by Dr Quinton, Vale da Telha resident Sue Kenyon, a UK-certified trainer and instructor in Hands-Only CPR and also use of AED (automatic devices), and Amovate committee member Steve Baker, a former UK police officer.

If you have not yet applied but wish to take part, please contact us atinfo@amovate.com or to Sue Kenyon direct at diversue@gmail.com We will add you to the list, letting you know in due course when your training session is to be held.

A “Fun-In-The-Sun” Day!

Well, it did what it said on the tin…!

Amovate’s Family Fun Day was family-oriented with 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.

Gloomy predictions about the weather happily proved unfounded and it is estimated that a total well in excess of 400 people from toddlers to great-grandparents were at the event throughout the day which began at 2pm and ended as dusk fell almost seven hours later.

There were sideshows, stalls, games, competitions, and plenty of musical entertainment, firstly with the Bombeiros Band who entertained during the afternoon, then with Just John who had people on their feet and dancing with his cross-section of pop and country in the early evening.

Of course one of the main thrusts of the day—organised by Amovate’s General Committee and run by the Entertainment sub-Committee of Steve Baker, Steve Scott and Rick Hursthouse—was to raise money for charity and that, too, had a successful outcome.

The headline charity for the event, the Madrugada Charity which assists people with life-threatening illnesses was handed two cheques totalling €944.22—one for €761.87 from Brian Jutsum’s American Evening and the other for €182.35 which was raised by the Tombola organised and run by Cath Baker and her daughter Emily.

(Cath would like to thank all those who so generously donated prizes).

That total was swelled to over €1,000 as another €110 was raised in a collection for the Bombeiros.  And the total amount raised for local charities climbed to almost €1,200 when AEZA added the €120 raised by their stall, where the “apple-bobbing” or “duck-apple” proved so popular with the children.

So, another good day for the generous people of Vale da Telha and the surrounding areas, who know how to enjoy themselves whilst raising money for good causes.

Well done to everyone involved!

And a special thank-you to Jose at the Restaurante Vale da Telha and Antonio at the Taska da Karisma for their help and support which enabled us to stage this event so successfully.

(Here, in pictures, you can see a cross section of the day’s activities and events. Just click on any of the photographs and it will present itself in a much larger size)

 

Amovate Helps Out AEZA Animal Charity

AezaBing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters sang “Don’t Fence Me In”, almost exactly 70 years ago, in July 1944, to huge success.

But the volunteers of Aljezur’s AEZA animal charity would rather sing “please fence me in” as they seek to improve conditions at their Animal Shelter not far from the Sports Centre and Swimming Pool outside the town.

They have launched an appeal to raise €2,500 to erect fencing around a field next to the Shelter, which has been given to them by a generous supporter.

The aim is to provide a large fenced area which can help the dogs to become healthier and happier with the space to run and play.

And Amovate has responded quickly by donating €250 from our charity funds to get the Fence Fund up and running.

AEZA Vice-President Kerry Gross wrote to us, explaining: “Our organisation AEZA runs the local Aljezur Animal Shelter and we are seeking to raise €2,500 for the provision of fencing around a field that has been given to the Shelter in order that the dogs can have a secure space for them to run and play.

“Currently they are kept in confined kennels almost 24 hours a day with just 10 minutes in a small run outside, while the kennels are cleaned. If they are lucky and there are enough volunteers, the dogs get a 30-minute walk 3 times a week.

“Could Amovate please help us raise some money for this worthwhile project?”

We received Kerry’s e-mail On April 30, and 24 hours later at Amovate’s monthly committee meeting we agreed to send AEZA a cheque for €250 from our charity funds.

Amovate Administrator Ian Bedford, on behalf of President Peter Johnson, wrote back to Kerry informing her of the committee’s decision, adding:

“We have a Fun Day on 19th July in the grounds of the VDT Restaurant and the Karisma and we also agreed that your organisation could have your stall there promoting your cause as well as selling the Charity’s wares.”

Kerry responded: “Thank you very much, on behalf of AEZA, for your really generous donation of €250 towards our fencing project for a secure area where the dogs will be able to run and play in safety.

“It is very much appreciated.

“I will endeavour to raise enough volunteers to man a stall at the Fun Day, I am sure we will be there, and we appreciate this opportunity too.

“With our grateful thanks”.

Kerry

AEZA Vice-President

If you, too, wish to help the dogs to become healthier and happier with the freedom provided by the fenced-in field, here are the details for AEZA:

Associação Ecologista e Zoófila de Aljezur

(The Association for Environment and Animal Protection of Aljezur)

President    Armando Frade – Telm: 917 882 492

Vice President       Kerry Gross – Telm: 916 731 831

Secretary    Isabel Motta – Telm: 914 085 052

E-mail:       aeza.geral@gmail.com  or kerry@aeza.org

Address:     AEZA – Associação Ecologista e Zoófila de Aljezur

Apartado 1070

8670-111 Aljezur

Defibrillators Officially Handed Over To The Bombeiros

defib1 - CopyAmovate has officially handed over to the Aljezur Bombeiros the two defibrillators and training machine purchased thanks to the amazing generosity of our members and the people of this area.
This incredibly warm-hearted community leapt into action once we announced the project to raise €4,500 for these two machines and the piece of training equipment.
Such was the incredible response that the money was raised WITHIN A MONTH both on Vale da Telha and from the surrounding areas
These state-of-the-art defibrillators were handed over at an official ceremony on Saturday afternoon in the town’s Exhibition Hall during an Algarve-wide firefighters competition.
Bombeiros from all across the region were competing in the area finals to show off their rescue and life-saving skills in a bid to defib2 - Copyreach the National finals.
And they all gathered to see Amovate President Peter Johnson along with Dr David Quinton—the Vale da Telha resident who inspired the campaign—officially present the machines to Aljezur Fire Chief, Mario Costa and three of his firefighters.
defib3 - CopySpeaking to all the Algarve firefighters in the audience he praised the work of Amovate—who last year also organised the donation to the Bombeiros of €50,000 worth of state-of-the-art firefighting and rescue equipment from the UK—and the generosity of the people of our community.
The pictures show the handover, and the firefighters with the defibrillators.

Laptop Presentation

Laptop Presentation Dec 16 2013 (2)Amovate and Vale da Telha Golfers Pitch In!

Amovate President Peter Johnson this week presented a state-of-the-art laptop to the CMR Sul Rehabilitation Centre São Brás de Alportel which in recent months has successfully treated two Vale da Telha residents during their recovery from serious illness.

The laptop was bought with cash from Amovate’s Charity Fund plus a generous €200 donation from the members of the Vale Da Telha Golf Society, who felt it was such a worthy cause they wished to use some of their own surplus funds to help out.

The charitable donation came about as a result from an appeal by Jacqui Lawry who spent three months at the Centre which was able restore her mobility following an unsuccessful back operation in Lisbon that left her unable to walk.

On Monday December 16, Jacqui, her partner Rickie (“Diamond”) Brogden and the Amovate President travelled to the centre beyond Faro where they were welcomed by Dr Arminda Lopes, head of the unit.

She took them to one of the rooms at the centre where all the staff of her department gathered to witness the handover ceremony, as Peter presented Dr Lopes with the laptop, applauded by her team.

It was an emotional moment for a tearful Jacqui, seeing all the highly-skilled professionals who had worked with her during her extensive and intensive treatment and rehabilitation assembled in one place.Laptop Presentation Dec 16 2013 (6)

“These people mean so much to me, they are fantastic and so caring and dedicated,” she said. “It means so much to be able to give them something back to help them continue the work they do, restoring desperately ill people to a normal life, or close to it.”

Said Rickie: “As they came round each day to see Jacqui they had all the patients’ data stored on a laptop, which was old, outdated and very, very slow. It took ages to call up the information for each patient and was driving the staff mad.

“It made us wonder if we could help because we felt we should do something for the unit due to the wonderful way they treated Jacqui and got her back on her feet.

“We thought about Amovate and the way you had raised money for Portimao Hospital and the Madrugada Charity to buy equipment after they had cared for people from Vale da Telha.

“Jaqui told the doctors there about Amovate and we asked the staff what they would like, if Amovate was able to help. They said they would welcome a new laptop with which they could all work quickly and efficiently.

“When we approached Amovate their Committee decided right away that they felt this was something they could do and should do. And it was also great news to hear that the golfers here on Vale da Telha also wanted to help out and contribute to this donation.

“We are so grateful for their support and we know the unit at CMR will value this highly and put it to good use.”

Dr Lopes provided Amovate with all the specifications required to make optimum use of the laptop, and we arranged for the full package to be loaded onto what was already an expensive model.

The doctor told us: “This laptop will mean the staff will be able to work more quickly and efficiently when seeing individual patients and really will help with their care and treatment.

“It will benefit everyone—patients AND staff, and we are so grateful to Jacqui and to Amovate ansd the Vale Da Telha Golf Society for this wonderful gift.”

===

Located in the hills behind São Brás de Alportel, the Centre for Medical Rehabilitation South (CMR Sul), a former sanatorium, has improved the health service in the area of ​​in-patient rehabilitation not only in the Algarve and Alentejo region, but also at a national level.

CMR Sul carries out inter-disciplinary rehabilitation, in cases which need prolonged and complex interventions. It treats patients with spinal cord injuries, cranial-cerebral trauma, stroke and other neurological disorders, rheumatological conditions, orthopaedic, pulmonary and cardiovascular disorders.

With a capacity of 54 in-patient beds, CMR Sul provides care for an annual average of 3200 in overnight stays of varying periods, plus 44,000 outpatient consultations and sessions of the day hospital.