Charities and Associations registered in Orihuela Costa have been looking after the welfare needs of coastal residents since 2008, not the Orihuela city government.
Why, one wonders, is Orihuela oblivious to our needs, to the point of allowing them to struggle when they are in need of help or social care.
In 2009, Norah Bond and Roman Jimenez Gill founded PUMA22 Association to promote the serious deficit of qualified Doctors working in the Valencian region. They helped many families register in the Spanish Health System, supporting them with information and help.
In 2011, Norah Bond went on to create Help At Home Costa Blanca, the 2nd registered charity in Orihuela Costa, providing help for those on discharge from hospital or suffering long term conditions.
But what assistance did they get from Orihuela city in setting up the charity? None; she was advised by the British Consul to seek advice from the Social Welfare team in Torrevieja, not Orihuela city.
In 2017, she established Community Care Association, which enabled people to integrate, socialise and learn Spanish, Arts and Crafts.
More recently, a month ago, an invitation to meet with the Cllr for Social welfare was sent to open discussions about available support for Orihuela Costa residents but, to date, there has been no response.
There are currently hundreds of vulnerable, elderly, frail or disabled people, who are being ignored by the Orihuela Government? Hundreds more struggle continuously with serious medical conditions.
What should be fairly simple thing like the provision of Mobility Permits / Blue Badges, can take two or more years to obtain, another situation that needs to be simplified and speeded up.
Cancer support is provided by Maria, the Pink Ladies and Panthers, who raise funds for AECC Orihuela Costa. The truth is, if all volunteers stopped working now, the residents of Orihuela Costa would not be able to cope.
P.I.O.C is well aware that coastal residents need more help to access the social welfare system and, with Orihuela Costa resident Ramon Fuste at the helm, they will work hard to ensure that it is improved, but in the meantime, as an inhabitant of this part of Spain, “Charity really does begin at home”.
