Message From the President, Matt D’Arcy

We have received a letter from the former Mayor of Aljezur (please see below), President José Manuel Lucas Gonçalves, and I wish to thank him for his support and assistance over the last four years

In his leadership role he worked together with the Amovate Committee in moving forward the children’s playground and multi-use court planned for the Old Schoolhouse site. I wish him the very best in the next life chapter. I also wish to acknowledge the work of the Vereadores who were instrumental in providing the coordination and cooperation necessary to complete the steps required to confirm the Câmara’s commitment to accomplishing our projects. An additional thank you to Mr. António José Montiero Carvalho who worked numerous hours with Amovate members to ensure that the proper language was added to the Mandato 2021-2025 regarding the projects. Finally, I offer my warm congratulations to Mr. Manuel Marreiros, our new Mayor. My best wishes as you prepare to take on the responsibilities and challenges of high office. We have had good interactions in the past during your previous Mayorship and look forward to working together again to build on our positive relationship and momentum.

Additionally, I would like to provide an update on the status of our planned projects for a children’s playground and a multi-use court as well as roof replacement at the Old School House. On July 17^th, 2025, the Municipo De Aljezur, Camera Municipal, issued their Mandato 2021-2025 Act 17. In Section 7.4 of the Mandato specific reference is made to Amovate and funding of our projects as follows: “The Chamber resolved, unanimously, despite the lack of funds endowed in a sufficient Budget to support the expense, according to information from the Financial Management Service the Administrative and Human Resources Division, to allocate the financial support in the amount of eighty thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven Euros (€80,897.00) to meet expenses for implementation of the playground and with the reformulation of the multi-use sports mini-game field”

Important to note is that a major driving point for the Câmara to join in the effort to fund the playground and multi-use court was the €10,000 raised by the local community to contribute to the projects. The Câmara also agreed to fund roof renovations at the Old Schoolhouse.

I, along with other members of the Amovate Committee, plan to work diligently with the Câmara to implement this agreement.

Upcoming Events- Please Save the Dates

Sunday, December 7th, 2025 from 5:00-8:00 PM

Amovate Membership Gathering at the Fonte do Vale Restaurant in Vale da Telha. Details to follow!

Saturday, December 13th, 2025.

Christmas Market at the Fonte do Vale Restaurant in Vale da Telha. Come and do your holiday shopping and lend a helping paw to the dog and cat shelters of Aljezur. There will be cakes, savories, stands with jewelry, AEZA merchandise, art, jams and more! Please contact Jennifer at 912 418 589 or Rowan at 937 135 486 for more information or to purchase raffle tickets. Volunteers greatly appreciated!

Tuesday, January 20th, 2026 at 6:30 PM

Annual General Meeting (AGM) Please plan to attend. All members welcome!

Update on Litter Collection and other collaborative efforts with the Camara of Aljezur in VdT

Members of Amovate and other VdT residents participated in a litter clean up on 26/9/2025. We all respect the beauty of this area and plan other such beautification projects in the near future.
The Freguesia de Aljezur donated bags and gloves for the Community Cleanup. They were a great help as we picked up 30 bags of litter in VdT.
• The crew cleaned up the bags from the streets for litter pick up.
• The crew loaded up the discarded waste that was left at the Old Schoolhouse.
• The Freguesia are cutting a forest barrier around Vale da Telha (they are getting started in Sector H soon)
• They have put in defibrillators in VdT and Aljezur

Excitement is building for the next cleanup which will be announced soon!

Autumn/Winter Sports

Tennis

Over the weekend of Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th of September there was a new chapter of the never-ending Doubles Tennis Tournament at the Amovate Tennis Club.
Twenty intrepid and tireless tennis players took part in a two-day tennis battle which was played on the first day with the “Americano” system.

In the Americano system each player has to change partner in every doubles game. In this way the competition is very dynamic and playable. At the end of the first day a ranking among all players is created, and it is possible to form stable teams which will play on the second day throughout quarters, semis and finals to crown the champs. The second day of the Tournament is played with the classic system of one set made of six games.

The September final was played by Francesco/Niek (first team) vs Roos/Roberto (second team), who won in two sets (6-2, 7-6). The second set was particularly tough and exciting, with some players literally rolling on the courts – a good show for the people watching!

Winners Roos and Roberto (the double “Rs”) were rewarded with a good bottle of wine and a glorious first prize: a free entry pass to the traditional social tennis lunch, which took place on October 10th at José Restaurant.

The money raised with the Tournament was used to complete the on-going work to renovate the courts and re-paint. “We are particularly happy with the improving conditions of our tennis courts” said Francesco Tedesco, the organiser of the Doubles Tournament. “Courts are now becoming safer for all the members of the Tennis Club, in particular with the new fences between the courts which we are going to install in the coming weeks”. The Tennis Club in Vale da Telha counts approximately 200 annual Members plus other 200 Visitors along the year. Social events are planned every Sunday morning at 10am as well as Tuesday afternoons at 2pm. For becoming a new Member or register as a weekly Visitor please visit: www.amovate.com/tennis-club/ tennis lessons are also possible contacting the tennis coach at tennislesson78@gmail.com.

Walking Football

The play resumed on Wednesday, 24 September after a short summer break. We aim to continue through to the end of June with a short break over Christmas every Wednesday from 10:00 to 12:00.

Although the pace may be slower than the more familiar form of football, it’s no walk in the park! Our emphasis is having fun, keeping fit and aim to avoid physical contact. There are a few different rules such as a maximum of 3 touches on the ball, no heading of the ball and keeping the ball below head height.

I you wish to have a try, the first match is free and anyone is welcome to watch. If you haver questions, please email at football@amovate.com

Old Schoolhouse Calendar and Class Updates

New classes for the month of November:

Kids after school Program is newly added to the Amovate School House programming. Project 36 is a space for children between 6 and 12 years old focused on creativity and socialization. We want to offer a new activity option for people who live in Vale da Telha and the surrounding areas through use of different activities (games, dance, singing, theater, crafts, workshops, and more). We aim to strengthen each child’s qualities and abilities, respecting their individual learning pace.

HIIT bootcamp is a new addition to the schedule on Sunday mornings at 10am. Instructors Shirin and Kim will lead you through a complete body workout. In this hour you can expect to do work on strength, agility and mobility. Energize your body every Sunday at 10am.

HIIT continues with Leonie and Kim who are experienced physical trainers and they will keep you in shape! In the HIIT workout we do a circuit with different exercises based on functional training. This means you train in various skills that contribute to the quality of our lives, improve performance, and prevent injuries. This will help you achieve your goals which may include working on more strength, endurance, and mobility.

Send a PM at +31627272808 if you want to book a class

Local News and Events

Aljezur Sweet Potato Festival

The dates for the 2025 Aljezur Potato Festival are set: 28-30 November! Please follow the link provided for more information and details. https://festival-batatadoce.cm-aljezur.pt/

Art Exhibition

There will be an opening of the exhibition “Sossego” by Nuno Ezequiel on November 7^th, 2025. The artist presents “Quiet”-a universe of vibrant colors, intense strokes and fragmented shapes that bring to life emotional narratives full of movement, celebration and personal depth. For more details, please follow the link at: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GcZuqeTHZ/

International Choir of Aljezur

Please mark your calendars for the International Choir of Aljezur Christmas Concert on Sunday, December 14^th, 2025 at 16.00 in the Igreja Matriz (main church) of Aljezur.

Feedback?

Please give us your news stories, public interest stories and any events that you would like to contribute by replying to this email or emailing:  noticiaseeventos@amovate.com.