Six years on for Loja group
The meeting on February 2 of the Informal English Speaking Group in Loja marks the beginning of its sixth year.
Started by Peter and Patricia Love in February 2004, the group has gone from strength to strength and now has had no fewer than 400 people through its books. From the start it was intended that the group should be totally informal - no fee, no committee, no agendas, no minutes, no formalities. The meetings were solely designed to be somewhere where English speakers (no matter their nationality) and people new to Loja and the surrounding area could meet and make friends. In addition those who were in business could bring their business cards and flyers, and network with members. Help and information was offered on the basis that if the answer wasn’t immediately to hand then another member could probably supply one. A number of members of the group are also willing to give time to assist people, who are a little unsure of their Spanish, when making appointments or visits to hospital.
For the last five years, a good deal of time has been spent by Peter and Patricia working quietly behind the scenes helping newcomers to settle into their new life and become fully integrated into the community of Loja. There has been no massive publicity from press or TV, but the group has relied on word of mouth from those members who have found the help offered to be invaluable and the friendships made to be strong. Good contacts have been made with the Consulate, with De Cotta Law (who give free regular talks and updates on some of the more frequently-asked questions and difficulties that can arise when moving to live in a new country) and with various Spanish and British businesses within Loja. The Hotel Almazara has also been extremely co-operative in letting the group use the hotel for their meetings.
Talks on various topics have been given by members of the group, and visits to the Lobo Park and to the lights in Malaga have also been well supported. The summer fayre was a regular June attraction (unfortunately not in 2009) but it will be back in 2010. Also this coming year are planned talks by the group’s lawyer, a visit to the Lobo Park and visits to the Spanish countryside with Mick Richardson, a long-standing member of the group. In addition there will be the usual coffee mornings and events put on by members in various parts of the Poniente and aimed at raising awareness of cancer and supporting the work of the Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer. (Last September and October, coffee mornings and the ‘Walk around the World’ raised nearly 2,000 euros for the Association, of which Patricia is the Loja Vice President.)
The group is now representative of the international community and there is a wide diversity in age and nationality. To date there are members of 12 different nationalities.
Everyone is welcome to come along - the group meets on the first Tuesday of every month from 12 noon until 2pm at the Hotel Almazara, Riofrio, Nr. Loja.
New web site
Informal English Speaking Group’s web site has been re-launched and is being updated on a more regular basis. You will be able to access the web site in the usual way at www.englishinloja.com.
Royal British Legion
The next meeting of the Loja branch of the Royal British Legion will be on Wednesday 27th January 2010 at the Hotel Mirador, 18:00 to 20:00. All are welcome to join the RBL. You do not have to have served in the armed forces, you only need to share their aims and objectives.
Women’s group in Trabuco
The group meets on the second Thursday of the month - 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Next meeting 11th February at Eduardos in Trabuco.
Information from the UK Consulate - Pension, Benefit & Healthcare
The following information has been received from the UK Consulate, and will also be available on the Informal English Group’s website at www.englishinloja.com
Changes in Issuing European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs) for UK State Pensioners
Are you travelling back to the UK? Or perhaps planning a getaway somewhere else in the EU? If so, you should be aware of changes to the system of issuing the European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs). EHICs are needed to cover necessary medical treatment while you’re away. These changes will only affect those people who currently access their healthcare in Spain on an E121 form, who are mainly UK State Pensioners. If you require cover for a visit before 1st May 2010, you should continue to apply to your local social security office (INSS). If you are planning a trip for after this date, it will be the UK authorities who issue your EHIC.
Please remember that the new regulations will not affect your access to Spanish state healthcare. The new arrangements for issuing EHICs to UK E121 holders are still being finalised by the Department of Health. The processes will be in place in plenty of time so as not to disrupt anybody’s cover. Once we know exactly how the new application system will work, we will communicate this extensively.
Unemployment Benefits
We’re all aware that unfortunately unemployment figures are rising, but did you know that if you’ve worked in Spain, you might be entitled to unemployment benefit? If you have made sufficient social security contributions in Spain in the last 6 years, you may be eligible. Even if you have worked for less than 6 years in Spain, if you have previously worked in another EEA country, your contributions there can be taken into account to establish your entitlement. For this you’ll need form E301 from the country where you worked. To get this form from the UK, contact HM Revenue and Customs.
For more information on Spanish unemployment benefits, including pages in English, visit www.inem.es
Consulate Open Day
The British Consulate based in Malaga has held a series of open days on pension and benefits as they affect British residents in Spain. We are negotiating with the Consulate to bring such an open event to Loja. For this to happen we need to know the number of people who would be interested in such an event. If you think that you would be interested in attending please email us as soon as possible at englishinloja@gmail.com. If the open day can be arranged we will let you have full details in due course. It is hoped that if there are sufficient numbers to make the event viable. It will be late May or early June.
Talks by the lawyer
Rob Westwater will be giving two talks in February and March. Each will last for approximately an hour and they will be aimed at bringing up to date those given by Myles Jackson two years ago. Since the last series of talks there have been numerous changes in Spanish and EU law which will affect the British who reside in Spain. Therefore talks will be relevant to newcomers to life in Spain, also to longer standing residents who are interested in keeping up with the law in Spain.
If you have any topics that you would like Rob to address please let us know as soon as possible by email to englishinloja@gmail.com and we will pass these on to him. Any requests should be of a general nature rather than a specific enquiry relating to your personal circumstances.
Useful Web Sites
Another web site to add to the list of useful sites:
www.juntadeandalucia.es
Parts of this site are being translated into English, although not all pages are yet available in English. It is worth having a look as the site contains much valuable information.
Our very best wishes to all the members of the Informal English Group and to their families, may the New Year bring you peace, good health and great enjoyment of your life in Spain.
by Peter & Patricia Love
