An art exhibition, handmade jewellery, dancing and a visit from some very special four-legged guests helped raise more than €1,700 for two animal charities at a community event held at El Soto last Saturday, October 10.

Organised by artists and animal lovers Oksana Kocuriene, known as Roxanne, and Lesley Lawrence, the mini-event brought together local residents, creative talents and volunteers united by their love of animals. The event raised €881.25 for ACE|SHIN (Animal Care España|Spaanse Honden In Nood) and the same amount for Donkey Dreamland, bringing the combined total to €1,762.50. Volunteers also collected a further €189 through donations and sales of charity cards and calendars.

Helping abandoned and neglected animals

ACE|SHIN is an animal rescue organisation working in southern Spain to help dogs and cats that have been abandoned, neglected or mistreated. Founded in 1999, it provides shelter, food and veterinary treatment for animals in need, with the ultimate goal of finding them loving permanent homes.

The charity operates shelters in Mijas Costa and Algeciras, caring for hundreds of dogs and cats. Some arrive as strays, while others have been abandoned by their owners or rescued from situations where their lives were at risk. ACE|SHIN also promotes animal welfare, responsible care and sterilisation programmes to help prevent further suffering. Its work relies on donations, volunteers and supporters rather than Spanish government subsidies. More information about its rescue work and animals available for adoption can be found at www.ace-charity.org. Donkey Dreamland, the other beneficiary, provides care for donkeys and other animals in need.

Local artists put their talents to good use

Five artists contributed to the exhibition, with Roxanne and Lesley joined by Kelly Glithro, Anfisa Zinchenko and Margaritha Meus. Visitors could also browse handmade jewellery and macramé created by Gabriela Cervantes and Angelique Roelse-Vis, who donated some of their sales proceeds to the fundraising effort. Two students from Ireland, Ksenija and Anna, helped throughout the day by selling books and golf balls to raise money for the charities. Later in the afternoon, Marisa and Niko organised dance lessons, adding another activity to a programme designed to bring people together for a good cause.

Volunteers from ACE|SHIN and Donkey Dreamland ran a small market, giving visitors the chance to find out more about their work and support the animals in their care. The donkeys themselves were also present, providing a special attraction for guests.

Community spirit made the difference

Organisers thanked everyone who contributed, from the artists and stallholders to the volunteers and visitors who attended. For those involved, the money raised was about more than the final figures. It was also a reminder of what a community can achieve when people contribute their time, skills and enthusiasm to a shared cause. Their message was one of gratitude to everyone who helped make the day possible, with the hope that similar community efforts will continue to support animals in need.

Few things beat a glass of local wine and a slice of creamy goat’s cheese enjoyed in a picture-perfect village square, and this month, Mijas Pueblo is bringing back exactly that.

From Friday, October 23, to Sunday, October 25, the central Plaza Virgen de la Peña will host the eighth Festival del Queso y el Vino, a favourite event for many in the area.

Who will be taking part?

Twenty exhibitors will fill the square, including Mijas hospitality businesses and cheesemakers from across Malaga province. Mijas Town Hall has confirmed the line-up, which includes local venues Bodega del Pintor, Coffee Art, Radikal, Corte de Autor, Confusion, Alboka, Las Terrazas, Las Tablitas, Confitería Maru, La Muralla, Plaza de Toros, El Cañuelo and Salvador Alarcón.

Melisa Ceballos, the councillor for public spaces, praised the commitment of local bar and restaurant owners to promoting the area’s food. She added that the event attracts hundreds of residents and visitors every year, bringing valuable business to the town.

With live music keeping you entertained into the early hours, along with cheese and wine, what’s not to love?

Opening times and how to get to the festival

– Friday, October 23: 12pm to 1am
– Saturday, October 24: 11am to 2am
– Sunday, October 25: 11am to midnight

A shuttle bus will link the Cantera with the village if you prefer not to drive right into the centre. Check the town hall website or contact the Mijas tourism office for timetables before setting off.

From four stalls to a village tradition

This popular event has grown year on year. In 2023, the president of the traders’ association said it had started with just four stalls and grown to 16, with some visitors unable to fit into the square.

In 2022, the then councillor for public spaces, Nicolas Cruz, explained that the aim was to spread the town’s events beyond the busy summer months and help local traders promote their produce. Now it’s reached 20 stalls for 2026, proving what a crowd pleaser it really is.

Head to the Pueblo and indulge. It’s a great opportunity to try regional produce, meet neighbours and enjoy a cooler, quieter side of village life. Bring visiting family or friends and make an afternoon and evening of it, explore the shops and other restaurants. For more information, see the official details on the Mijas Town Hall website.

A homeless woman living in a car in Benalmadena has reportedly requested euthanasia, prompting a local association to launch an urgent appeal for money to help her access medical and psychological care and find somewhere safe to live.

Belén says spinal surgery has left her unable to work and in severe pain. With no regular income, she struggles to afford some of her treatment and sleeps curled up inside a small car.

Now El Vuelo de las Libélulas, a Benalmadena association supporting her, is asking the public to help raise €13,000 towards an adapted old van or motorhome that could give her a place to call home. The group is also seeking support to fund the medical and psychological care it believes could help improve her situation.

The appeal raises a difficult question: when someone wants to end their life while facing pain, poverty and homelessness, what responsibility does society have to make sure they have other options?

‘Nobody should decide not to live because they are suffering’

María, president of El Vuelo de las Libélulas, contacted Euro Weekly News on October 15 to ask for publicity to help prevent Belén from deciding to die. “Today she requested euthanasia,” María wrote, explaining that Belén had nowhere to live.

In a subsequent social media post, the association said a national television programme presented by Jorge Javier Vázquez had also contacted the group. The post did not confirm whether Belén would appear on the programme or when any broadcast might take place.

Despite the growing attention, donations remain limited. The association reported receiving just €10 through Bizum in one update, while another post thanked supporters for bringing the total to €130 towards the €13,000 target.

Its campaign uses the hashtag #ElPuebloAyudaABelén, meaning “The people help Belén”. “Nobody should decide not to live because they are suffering,” the association wrote, adding that it hoped to find someone willing to donate an old vehicle that could be adapted into a home. Readers can follow the appeal through the official Facebook page of El Vuelo de las Libélulas.

Living in a car with severe pain

Belén previously described her circumstances in an interview with Área Costa del Sol. She said her life changed after an operation on her spine and that, before her health problems, she had managed to hold down three jobs.

She now says her physical limitations prevent her from returning to work. She describes sleeping curled up in a small car and needing to lie flat to ease her pain. Treatment has also become difficult to afford. Belén told the local outlet that pain-relief patches cost €33 for around 20 days, a sum she cannot currently pay.

Her application for Spain’s Minimum Living Income was rejected after a reported nine-month wait, according to her account. She says she was told that her place of residence could not be established, despite being registered through social services because she had no home. She has also started the process of seeking official recognition of her disability.

El Vuelo de las Libélulas has been helping with food and practical support. Belén has described the association’s members as the people who have stood by her during her most difficult moments.

Should someone be helped to die when help to live is missing?

Spain legalised euthanasia in 2021 under Organic Law 3/2021, published in the Official State Gazette. The legislation sets medical eligibility requirements and safeguards, including the need for a qualifying serious, incurable illness or serious, chronic and disabling condition that causes intolerable suffering.

A request is not the same as formal approval, and homelessness or poverty alone does not qualify someone for assisted dying. Belén’s eligibility and the status of any application have not been established by the information available for this article.

The debate is not confined to Spain. Canada’s assisted-dying system has attracted huge controversy over cases in which patients have cited social isolation, housing insecurity or inadequate support. An Associated Press investigation into Canada’s MAiD system examined concerns raised by medical professionals about vulnerable people seeking assisted death while facing serious social difficulties.

Supporters of assisted dying argue that people experiencing intolerable suffering should retain autonomy over decisions about their own lives. Critics worry that people who cannot obtain adequate treatment, housing or disability support may feel that death is their only realistic option. Readers can also find background in Euro Weekly News’ with its coverage of Spain’s euthanasia debate following Noelia Castillo Ramos’s case.

Belén’s circumstances raise a difficult question: how can society respect a person’s choices while ensuring that a lack of basic support does not leave them feeling they have no alternative?

How to help Belén

El Vuelo de las Libélulas is appealing for €13,000 towards an adapted old van or motorhome that could provide Belén with somewhere to live. The association has also described a wider need for medical and psychological support.

Anyone wishing to help can contact the group through its official Facebook page to request the current donation details and clarify how contributions will be used.

The campaign’s message is simple: no one on the Costa del Sol should feel that poverty has left them with no way forward.

For Belén, the immediate hope is that practical support, treatment and somewhere safe to live can offer alternatives while her circumstances are addressed. For the wider community, her story poses a question that cannot be answered by money alone: what does a society owe someone who has reached the point of asking to die?