Secondhand Torrevieja is appealing for more donations as volunteers prepare a new charity shop on Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas.

The premises at number 118, on the same site as Ballenoil, are gradually being fitted out and stocked ahead of opening, but organisers say considerably more good-quality second-hand items are needed to help fill the shop.

Clothes, books, furniture and household items are needed to stock the new Torrevieja shop

Residents are being encouraged to donate good-quality items that they no longer need and which could find a new home through the charity shop.

Secondhand Torrevieja is accepting clothes, shoes, bags, books, kitchenware and home decorations, along with small pieces of furniture and other reusable household items.

The appeal comes as volunteers continue preparing the premises for opening, with donations needed to build up enough stock for the new shop.

Items can currently be dropped off at the premises on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 10:00 AM and noon.

A collection service is also available for people who have suitable donations but are unable to bring them to the shop themselves. Collection arrangements can be made directly with the volunteers.

Charity shop proceeds will help support people facing difficult circumstances

Secondhand Torrevieja is organised as an association and is run by volunteers, with the new shop intended to turn donated goods into practical support for social projects.

Proceeds will support projects through the association’s main partner, the Norwegian Seamen’s Church in Torrevieja, helping people who are facing difficult circumstances.

By donating reusable goods rather than throwing them away, residents will also be giving clothes, furniture, books and household items an opportunity for a second life while contributing to the group’s community work.

More volunteers are wanted as preparations continue for the new charity shop

As well as asking for donations, Secondhand Torrevieja is looking for additional volunteers to become involved with the project.

Anyone interested in donating items, arranging a collection or finding out more about volunteering can contact Secondhand Torrevieja on (+34) 623 619 253.

The new shop is at Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas 118, Torrevieja, on the same site as Ballenoil.

Organisers have advised visitors that online maps do not always pinpoint the address accurately, so people delivering donations should look for the Ballenoil site when travelling to the premises.

Donations can be delivered between 10:00 AM and noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while preparations for the opening continue.

Gemini Lodge No. 51 are welcoming women to an evening of dinner, dressing up and good company at Miraflores Golf Restaurant on Saturday, September 19.

Dinner starts at 8pm following a 7pm reception, with guests treated to a mouth-watering three-course meal, half a bottle of wine and water for €50 per person. Billed as “An Evening of Elegance and Celebration,”, grab your glam outfit and head along. The evening takes place at the locals favourite Bobby Jones and Spikes Restaurant, part of Miraflores Golf Club, loved locally for its gorgeous terrace views and private functions.

Who are Gemini Lodge No. 51?

The lodge has been active in the region for more than a century, built around the traditional masonic principles of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. Members come from a genuine mix of backgrounds and nationalities, brought together by fellowship, personal growth and community work rather than any shared profession or faith. English-speaking lodges have built a presence in this part of southern Spain over the years, with groups such as Freemasons Costa del Sol pointing to a growing, multinational membership around Fuengirola and Mijas.

Grab your handbag and head along to enjoy the ladies festival

Organisers frame the evening as a chance “to connect more with the community,” with places at the table coming with a delicious choice of starts mains and desserts, ranging from prawn cocktail and soup to, main fish and meat options and finishing off perfectly with dessert for those with a sweet tooth. Guests pick their preferred choices in advance, and a vegetarian main is available for anyone who needs it, so nobody has to worry about dietary requirements once the evening gets going.

Tickets are €50 per person, covering the full three-course dinner along with wine and water. Full details can be found via Bobby Jones & Spikes Restaurant’s Facebook page and Instagram channels.

INFOCA crews are fighting a fast-moving forest fire declared this Sunday in Benahavis, in the Ermita del Rosario area around 1pm, after smoke started punching high enough to be seen from Monteros in Marbella. Imagery shared on social media suggests the fire may have started on the road to Benahavis village.

Flames spreading quickly along Benahavis Road

Witnesses put the blaze close to Benahavis Road and say it may be threatening ground near El Paraiso Golf Club. High winds are feeding the fire and helping it jump. Residents report a big column of smoke and flames moving faster than first thought.

Plan INFOCA first listed two helicopters, now they have one heavy helicopter, 5 semi heavy-duty and two light-weight. There are 4 airplanes for land loading, and two light-weight amphibious craft. All in all, on the ground there are 60 firefighters working, and 3 fire engines.

A pyrocumulus cloud was spotted from Estepona earlier, a sign the fire is generating serious heat. Although the blaze is several hundred metres south and west of Benahavis village, rumours abound that evacuations are taking place are not official as it seems many are leaving of their own accord due to the intense smoke, and that phone lines are down connecting the village.

More arial reinforcements can be heard all along the Costa del Sol being sent to the fire as it begins to spread in a south west direction. Latest reports put the flames as far as past Montemayor castle, where, it is said, few firefighters currently are. The area is said to have been evacuated, as well as Benahavis Hills.

What residents should do now

The emergency service has declared this fire “Situación 1” What this means is that:

In Andalusia’s INFOCA / EMA system:

• Situación operativa 0 — pre-emergency. Tracking and readiness. Most fires stay here.
• Situación operativa 1 — emergency phase. The Junta believes the fire can still be handled with its own usual resources, but people or non-forest property (homes, roads, urbanisations) may need protection: evacuations, stay-indoors orders, road closures. A regional minister declares it.
• Situación operativa 2 — worse: Andalusia may not cope alone and needs national or extra-regional help.
• Above that: “interés general de Andalucía” or national interest.

So level 1 means: “this is no longer just a woods fire; civil protection is in play.” It is not automatically “evacuate the village” or “out of control.”

🔴 ACTUALIZAMOS #IFBenahavís, #Málaga, en paraje Ermita del Rosario.

MEDIOS AMPLIADOS
🚁 1 pesado, 2 semipesados, 1 ligero
👩‍🚒 23 bomberos forestales, 2 #BRICA, 3 técnicos de operaciones, 1 agente medioambiental
🚒 1 autobomba pic.twitter.com/cmf9ywpLOM

— EMA INFOCA (@Plan_INFOCA) September 13, 2026

Could this have been the cause?

Today’s Benahavis fire has had extra aircraft sent in. INFOCA has not, in the public updates so far, declared situación operativa 1 for this one. The big July fire in the same municipality was raised to that level. If they do call situación 1, treat official instructions as real, not optional. Follow @Plan_INFOCA and 112.

It’s too early to announce a cause to the fire in Benahavis, but the earliest footage taken, by those who first called the emergency services, point to an extremely fierce blaze on the main road up to the village. Possibly, a car.

Zona del inicio del #IFBenahavís que a posteriori ha tomando una velocidad feroz favorecido por el fuerte viento de levante. https://t.co/2WemsBbhgK

— Storm Málaga (@Storm_Malaga) September 13, 2026

Keep well clear of the fire ground and Benahavis Road if crews are working there. Close windows if smoke drifts your way and look after children, older people and anyone with breathing problems. Call 112 if you see a new outbreak.

This is a separate incident from July’s larger Benahavis-Estepona fire that forced mass evacuations. September is still inside Andalucia’s high-risk season, which runs to October 15. Recent Malaga fires in Cutar and Mijas already showed how quickly a small start can demand aircraft.