Costa del Sol

Marbella volunteers are checking on 240 older people who live alone

Published

8 hours ago

September 11, 2026

admin

A Marbella volunteer network is helping hundreds of vulnerable residents stay connected, with local shops even able to raise the alarm when an elderly customer suddenly stops coming in.

Marbella’s volunteers tackle loneliness

Marbella Voluntaria is continuing its work with older and vulnerable residents after Marbella Town Hall renewed its annual agreement with the association, providing over €40,000 to support its social programmes.

Proyecto Faro is at the heart of the work, currently supporting around 240 people, mainly older residents who live alone without close family nearby. Volunteers do far more than make occasional visits. They can accompany people to medical appointments, hospitals or tests, visit them at home, go for walks together and keep in touch by telephone.

Marbella Voluntaria president Maria del Carmen Bertomeu said volunteers can provide both practical assistance and regular human contact, helping people who might otherwise spend much of their time alone.

Local shops can help spot vulnerable residents

An unusual part of Proyecto Faro involves local businesses in Marbella’s neighbourhoods. Shopkeepers and other traders who know their regular customers can contact Marbella Voluntaria if an older person who normally visits suddenly stops appearing for several days.

That early warning can allow the association and local Social Services to check whether something has happened and whether assistance is needed. For older residents living without nearby relatives, that connection can provide reassurance as well as practical help.

Almost 900 pupils take part in intergenerational project

Marbella Voluntaria is also bringing older people and youngsters together through its intergenerational programmes. Nearly 900 pupils from local schools have taken part in workshops during the past year, giving older residents an opportunity to share their experiences while encouraging children to learn more about ageing, volunteering and social responsibility.

Other activities include social-skills workshops for teenagers temporarily excluded from school and educational sessions designed to help young people understand the challenges faced by older residents.

Weekly workshops led by a volunteer psychologist are also available for older people, while the association organises museum visits, theatre trips, walks and other social activities.

Support goes beyond companionship

Marbella Voluntaria also provides guidance when residents face social or financial difficulties. Help can include information about assistance and discounts linked to essential household supplies, with people referred to other organisations or municipal services when more specialist support is required.

Ten Centros de Participación Activa across the city are also being used for talks and activities designed to explain available resources and encourage older residents to stay involved in community life. Marbella Council’s renewed funding will help the association continue these programmes, but the figures give a clearer picture of their reach: around 240 older people receiving support through Proyecto Faro and almost 900 schoolchildren involved in intergenerational activities.

For Marbella residents who have no close family network nearby, sometimes the most valuable service is simply knowing that somebody will notice if they stop answering the phone or fail to turn up at their usual shop.

Up Next

The charge on your water bill that is failing to keep Andalucía’s beaches safe

Don't Miss

Pedro Cuevas Mile and March community walk and run in Fuengirola for Cudeca

Click to comment

Andalucia

The charge on your water bill that is failing to keep Andalucía’s beaches safe

Published

8 hours ago

September 11, 2026

admin

Sewage contamination has been closing down local beaches throughout the summer. Credit: Simone Hogan / Shutterstock

Residents have paid a regional charge meant to modernise Andalucía’s sewage network, yet ageing treatment plants buckled again this summer. Bacteria forced bathing bans across four coastal provinces, and one of Málaga’s best-known beaches is still closed as the region heads into autumn.

Bil Bil beach still closed after the latest E. coli alert

Regional health inspectors closed Bil Bil beach in Benalmádena on Wednesday September 9, after tests found elevated levels of E. coli, a bacteria linked to sewage contamination. Red flags and warning signs went up along the shoreline, and officials said access would stay barred until new samples came back clean.

It was the second closure at the popular Costa del Sol beach in less than a month, after several Benalmádena beaches were shut in August over suspected biological contamination that left some swimmers with skin irritation. Vox’s local spokesperson Joaquín Amann has since called for the resignation of Félix Romero Moreno, president of Acosol, the public company responsible for sewage infrastructure along this stretch of coast, accusing it of years of poor maintenance.

A pattern repeated in Málaga, Cádiz, Huelva and Granada

Bil Bil is only the most recent entry on a long list. Around a dozen beaches across four Andalusian provinces were temporarily closed to swimmers this summer after tests picked up E. coli and other markers of sewage contamination.

In Cádiz province, five beaches, including Rota’s Punta Candor and Chipiona’s Micaela, were closed on the same day in late August. Huelva saw warnings at Punta Umbría and Matalascañas, while Granada’s Costa Tropical recorded closures at Salobreña, Almuñécar, Albuñol and Sorvilán. Most bans were lifted within days once fresh tests came back clean, though Bil Bil still remains closed.

Treatment plants built for a fraction of today’s summer crowds

Much of the region’s sewage infrastructure dates back more than 20 years, and is not designed for populations that can multiply several times over once the tourist season begins. Some resort towns now see their number of residents rise so much higher in July and August that the strain on treatment plants has become too much and they are unable to cope with it.

When plants reach capacity, untreated or partially treated wastewater can end up discharged closer to the coastline, which is exactly the scenario health authorities are trying to catch with routine testing before it reaches swimmers.

Málaga’s plants have the worst compliance record of any Andalusian province, with Cádiz and Almería not far ahead of it. Only Córdoba, well inland and away from the tourist coast, clears the required standard comfortably.

Where Andalucía’s €678m water charge for sewage actually went

Every Andalucian water bill includes a regional charge, the canon de mejora de infraestructuras hidráulicas (a fee added to water bills to fund sewage and water infrastructure upgrades), which has raised more than €1.4 billion since it was introduced. Yet Andalucía’s regional auditor, the Cámara de Cuentas, revealed in April that around €678 million collected through the charge had not been invested in the sanitation works it was meant to pay for.

Regional rules have also been changed to let money raised through the same charge be redirected to other repairs, including storm damage, rather than reserved solely for sewage upgrades. Spain has separately been fined more than €84 million since 2018 over towns, including Barbate in Cádiz and Matalascañas in Huelva, whose sewage treatment falls short of EU standards, with the bill expected to approach €100 million by the end of the decade.

How to check before you go for a swim

The regional health department publishes updated reports on bathing water quality for all five coastal provinces roughly every two weeks throughout the summer, available through the Junta de Andalucía’s beach information catalogue. Anyone planning a trip to the coast can check a specific beach’s current status there before setting off.

For Bil Bil, and the handful of other beaches still awaiting the all-clear, that is currently the only way to know whether the water is safe, alongside the visual cues at the beach itself. Red flags and warning signs are still worth watching for on arrival.

For many people living along the coasts, the frustration is less about any single closure and more about the pattern that keeps repeating itself. The same charge keeps appearing on every water bill, and the same warning signs on the same stretches of sand, summer after summer. So, where exactly has the €678 million gone? That’s the big question hanging over Andalucía’s coastline.

Costa del Sol

Pedro Cuevas Mile and March community walk and run in Fuengirola for Cudeca

Published

8 hours ago

September 11, 2026

admin

Fuengirola residents have another chance to get active while supporting a much-loved Costa del Sol charity, with the ninth Pedro Cuevas Mile and March taking place in Los Boliches on Saturday, September 19.

The annual event raises money for Fundacion Cudeca and gives participants two ways to get involved: runners can tackle the one-mile course, while those who prefer something less competitive can join the coastal walk.

Run or walk for Cudeca in Fuengirola

Plaza Pedro Cuevas in Los Boliches will be the starting point for both activities, with proceedings getting underway at 7pm. Runners will take part in the traditional Milla Pedro Cuevas, covering one mile, or 1,609 metres, while the March takes participants along the Paseo Maritimo.

Different age categories are catered for, making the event suitable for younger competitors through to veterans. Club Atletismo Fuengirola Council is also involved in supporting the event.

Fundacion Cudeca provides specialist hospice and palliative care for people living with advanced illness and support for their families across the Costa del Sol. Fuengirola Town Hall has continued its support for the charity in 2026, including funding for palliative care services in the town.

How to enter the Pedro Cuevas Mile

Entries are being handled through Dorsalchip, with registration available online before race day. Entry prices are €4 for the younger categories, from Under-9s through Under-13s, and €5 for participants from Under-15s through the veterans category.

Anyone who leaves it until the last minute has another opportunity to enter. A limited number of race numbers will be available at Plaza Pedro Cuevas between 6pm and 6.50pm on the day.

Bib collection takes place on Friday, September 18 at the Fuengirola Sports Department from 8.30am until 2pm. Collection is also available at Plaza Pedro Cuevas from 6pm on September 19.

Prizes, medals and a good cause

Competitive runners will have more than just bragging rights at stake, with trophies going to the leading male and female competitors from the Under-15 category through to veterans. Medals will also be awarded to the leading competitors in the various age groups. Raffles and prize draws will add another fundraising element to the evening, with proceeds supporting Cudeca and its work on the Costa del Sol.

For local residents and expats looking for an easy way to support a charity while getting out for an evening walk or run, the Pedro Cuevas event offers both options from the same starting point.

September’s event also forms part of Fuengirola’s wider programme of sporting activities, with the town hosting 21 activities during its 2026 Fuengirola en Forma programme.

Afternoon Tea

Glitz, glamour and afternoon tea, book your spot and support Age Care Costa del Sol this Autumn

Published

9 hours ago

September 11, 2026

admin

Get your glam on as fashion and generosity come together this autumn when the Age Care Association prepares to host its Fashion Show with Afternoon Tea, a fundraiser in support of elderly residents on the coast.

Taking place on Thursday, October 15 at The Oasis Centre in Calle Jaramar del Chaparral, El Chaparral, doors open at 2.30pm with the show starting at 3pm. Tickets cost €27.50 per person, with every euro raised going directly to the charity.

A glamorous afternoon for a good cause

Founded in 2005, Age Care Association relies entirely on volunteers to provide friendship, transport, translation assistance and practical support to older members of the expat community, many of whom live far from family and struggle with isolation. Fundraisers such as this one keep those essential services running, from lifts to hospital appointments to weekly social meet-ups across the region.

Guests attending can sit back and enjoy an elegant afternoon combining a stunning catwalk fashion show with a delicious traditional English tea, complete with sandwiches, scones and cakes.

Every ticket includes a crisp glass of cava or a soft drink on arrival, followed by a full afternoon tea with unlimited tea or coffee. Attendees will also get the chance to purchase outfits modelled during the show, with proceeds going back into the charity’s work.

Live entertainment from the extremely talented Alexandra Avery is on the bill for the afternoon, and a raffle will offer guests a chance to win extra prizes. Organisers credit sponsor CK La Quinta with helping make the event possible this year.

How to buy tickets and charity request for tea plate

Age Care would like to also ask for help in the way of tea plates, they has asked if anyone has one that they could borrow for their afternoon tea and fashion show please contact Alison on +34 711 056 917

Tickets can be purchased online or reserved via WhatsApp on +34 711 056 917, with a QR code on promotional material via their FaceBook page. Anyone keen to spend an afternoon in good company while supporting elderly neighbours has a chance to do so on October 15, get in quick before the spaces get snapped up.