Animal lovers and craft enthusiasts in El Campello have a unique charity event to look forward to this September. The local non-profit animal rescue organisation, Las Reinas del Biberón, is hosting a hands-on leathercrafting workshop entitled “Leather Workshop with Puppies: Create Your Own Leather Glasses Case”. Set to take place at the shelter’s dedicated community facility, La Casa De Las Reinas, this heartwarming event ingeniously combines traditional artisan instruction with the playful company of rescue puppies.

Artisan leathercrafting meets adorable rescue puppies

During the interactive two-hour session, participants will learn how to hand-craft an elegant, custom leather glasses case from start to finish. Prior experience in leatherworking is completely unnecessary, as step-by-step guidance from an expert will be provided throughout the entire creative process. All essential materials, specialised tools, and instruction are included, allowing attendees to simply relax and focus on creating their own high-quality accessory. What makes this gathering truly unforgettable, however, is the presence of the shelter’s adorable and energetic rescue puppies roaming the room, providing a joyful, stress-relieving backdrop as guests cut, stitch, and shape their leather projects.

What to expect: Event details and supporting the shelter

The event will take place on Saturday, September 19, running from 12:00pm until 2:00pm. Participation costs €20 per person, a fee that covers all required crafting materials, equipment usage, and expert guidance. Most important is the event’s charitable heart: 100 per cent of the proceeds generated from ticket sales will be donated directly to Las Reinas del Biberón. These vital charity funds directly support the rescue centre’s daily operations, helping feed, treat, and rehabilitate vulnerable or abandoned animals while actively seeking permanent loving homes for them.

How to reserve your spot

Interested individuals are strongly encouraged to secure their places promptly by booking online through the official website of Las Reinas del Biberón.

Whether you are eager to pick up a new artistic hobby, design a bespoke gift, or simply spend a meaningful afternoon giving back to local animal welfare, this charming workshop promises a rewarding experience for the entire local community, from which attendees will leave with a unique handmade glasses case.

Renting on the Costa Blanca has never been cheap, yet a new state housing scheme is offering 153 homes there from around €350 a month. The eligibility rules buried in the small print mean British and other foreign residents are not excluded simply for lacking a Spanish passport.

British and other foreign residents can qualify

Spain’s new Casa 47 public housing system has made 153 affordable rental properties available across Alicante province, in municipalities including Pedreguer, Dénia, Monóvar, Orihuela, Elche and Novelda. Applications are already open, and the deadline has been extended to September 21.

The detail that matters most for the Costa Blanca’s large international community sits in the eligibility rules rather than the headline figures. The official Casa 47 eligibility information states that applicants can hold Spanish nationality or have legal residence in Spain.

That means British residents living in Spain since Brexit, along with EU citizens and other legally resident foreign nationals, can potentially apply if they meet the remaining conditions. It does not extend to every foreign property owner or holidaymaker. Legal residence is required, and the property must become the applicant’s habitual home.

Applicants also do not need to already be registered, or empadronado, in the municipality where the property is located. That could make the scheme relevant to readers currently living elsewhere in Spain who are considering a move to the Costa Blanca.

Where are the 153 Costa Blanca homes

The homes are concentrated in the Marina Alta area of Alicante province. Pedreguer has the largest share with 66 properties, according to the town hall, while Dénia and the surrounding area account for 46. The remainder are split between Monóvar, Orihuela, Elche and Novelda.

Prices across the Alicante allocation reportedly range from around €350 to €784 a month, depending on the individual property. Dénia Town Hall has confirmed its participation in the programme and, like Pedreguer, confirmed that the deadline for the current call has been extended to September 21.

Residents can browse the properties and current calls through the official Casa 47 portal directly, rather than applying through their local town hall. The portal also includes an eligibility simulator, so prospective applicants can check whether they are likely to qualify before submitting anything, with applications made electronically through the site itself.

How much can you earn and still qualify

This is not traditional social housing reserved for people on very low incomes. Under the current Casa 47 rules, a household’s combined net annual income generally needs to fall between two and 7.5 times Spain’s IPREM income indicator, which currently works out at between €16,800 and €63,000 a year.

There is a second affordability test: rent should generally account for between 15 and 30 per cent of household income. Applicants also cannot own another home, although the rules set out specific exceptions, and household members must be up to date with their Spanish tax and Social Security obligations.

It is not first come, first served

There is no advantage in rushing an application through today to get ahead of other applicants. Eligible applications enter a public allocation process involving a draw, and once that draw sets the order, households can be provisionally allocated one of the suitable properties they selected.

The Government said the process was deliberately designed to keep the allocation of public housing transparent, and successful applicants can visit a property before signing.

The contracts on offer are intended to provide far more long-term security than most private rentals. When Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez launched the Casa 47 portal, the Government said contracts would initially run for 14 years and could be extended, in seven-year increments, to as long as 75 years, provided the eligibility requirements continue to be met.

The scheme is only just getting started

Casa 47 launched nationally on September 7 with around 800 properties available and another 1,500 expected to be added shortly, with further homes due every quarter. It is intended to become a permanent public housing system rather than a one-off allocation.

For Costa Blanca residents, though, what matters is what is available right now. Rather than waiting on another announcement about homes that might eventually be built, residents can already search the current properties, check the requirements and apply through the official Casa 47 website.

Spanish citizenship is not a requirement here. Anyone legally resident in Spain who meets the income and property conditions, and who is looking for a long-term home on the Costa Blanca, has until September 21 to check whether they qualify.

Benissa’s parks and gardens are getting a fresh boost as gardening students from CREAMA put their training into practice across the municipality.

The students from the Marina Alta XV Employment Workshop have begun a new phase of practical training in Benissa, carrying out maintenance and improvement work in public green spaces. The programme gives participants the chance to move beyond the classroom and develop their skills in real working environments.

Hands-on training in Benissa

One of the main areas currently benefiting from the work is the landscaped area in Altamira, where the students have been carrying out gardening and maintenance tasks.

The work was recently visited by representatives from CREAMA and Benissa Town Hall, who saw first-hand how the students are progressing and the contribution their work is making to the municipality’s public spaces.

Those present included Benissa councillor for CREAMA Roberto Box, CREAMA Benissa coordinator Javier Ribes, Productive Processes coordinator Vicent Carrió and Antonio Bou ‘Marchena’, head of gardening at Benissa Impuls.

The practical element is an important part of the employment workshop, allowing participants to put the gardening techniques and knowledge they have developed during their training into use.

A programme covering the Marina Alta

The work in Benissa is not a standalone project. It forms part of a wider 12-month programme in which the gardening students will carry out practical assignments across the nine municipalities that make up the CREAMA consortium.

Moving between different locations gives participants experience of a variety of public spaces and working conditions, helping them build practical skills while contributing to the upkeep of municipal green areas.

Similar work has already taken place elsewhere in the Marina Alta, including Calpe, Dénia and El Verger, where students have worked alongside municipal teams on the maintenance and improvement of parks and gardens.

The initiative therefore offers a double benefit: participants gain valuable experience that can improve their future employment prospects, while towns across the Marina Alta receive additional support in caring for their public green spaces.

The Marina Alta XV Employment Workshop is funded by the Valencian Department of Education, Culture, Universities and Employment through LABORA, the Valencian Employment and Training Service.