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Spanish district hoists papier-mâché donkey up church tower for traditional festival

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Perin celebrated its patron saint festival by hoisting a donkey.
Photo Credit: Cartagena City Hall

The Cartagena district of Perin reached the joyful peak of its annual patron saint festivities over the weekend, celebrating the incredible 26th edition of its most beloved local tradition: the ascent of Lucero the donkey to the church bell tower. Hundreds of enthusiastic residents and visitors gathered in the town square to witness the quirky spectacle, filling the air with cheers, applause, and a powerful community spirit.

Jurassic Park and pasodobles: Vibrant floats and local music

The day’s festivities kicked off with a vibrant afternoon parade, featuring creatively decorated floats with themes ranging from Jurassic Park and Peri Bros to ancient Egypt. Music filled the streets thanks to the lively performances of the Cartagena 1990 Musical Group, who got the crowd dancing to the traditional local pasodoble, a fast-paced Spanish music and dance genre, “This is my town.”

Honouring the legend of the lock: Lucero the papier-mâché donkey

Following the colourful parade, attention turned to the main stage for the official reading of the “proclamation of the donkey” by the President of the Municipal Board, Pepi Méndez. Local leaders joined the festival committee and the gathering crowd to celebrate the district’s unique heritage.

The highlight of the event finally arrived when a local resident hoisted the large papier-mâché figure of Lucero the donkey up the side of the church tower, successfully reviving the historic local legend to the delight of onlookers below. The papier-mâché donkey’s journey to the top of the bell tower served as an emotional and triumphant symbol of Perin’s enduring folklore, and a gathering point for many friends, families, and visitors to the charming area.

A responsible end to the party: Fire safety amid festivities

The event was not only a show of local pride and tradition, but a show of community responsibility. To protect the surrounding countryside during a period of dry weather, organisers agreed to suspend the traditional end-of-festival fireworks display, prioritising fire safety due to the high risk of forest fires in the area during the summertime. Despite the absence of pyrotechnics, the day concluded as a resounding success, proving once again that Perin’s unique customs and tight-knit community spirit remain as strong as ever in the shining muncipality of Cartagena.

Costa Calida

Local Mar Menor charity actively seeking new volunteers

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Local charity seeks volunteers for office, outlet, and driving roles.
Photo Credit: HELP Murcia Mar Menor

Locals and residents in the Los Alcazares area have a chance to make a positive impact in the area, meet new people, and become part of a kind-hearted group: the non-profit organisation HELP Murcia Mar Menor has announced that they are actively seeking new volunteers to join the long-standing charity, inviting enthusiastic and passionate people in the area to help its dedicated team across a variety of roles.

Crucial roles currently open to volunteers: Administration, store helpers, and van drivers

To be specific, the organisation is currently seeking volunteers in three areas. Those who are well-organised and enjoy administrative tasks can assist in the local Los Alcazares office by handling phone enquiries, filing, and data entry to keep operations running smoothly behind the scenes. For those who prefer meeting people and working in a more social environment, the San Javier outlet shop needs friendly helpers to serve customers, price items, and sort through incoming donations. Finally, the charity is looking for van drivers with a valid driving licence to handle the collection and delivery of donated goods and store purchases.

What is HELP Murcia Mar Menor? Supporting the community through times of need

HELP Murcia Mar Menor, which was first established in 2002, provides essential support, information, and emergency assistance to local residents and visitors in the Region of Murcia. For example, the charity has lent vital mobility equipment including wheelchairs to individuals during health crises. 

More recently, in June, the organisation made a sizeable donation of €2,000 to another local charity dedicated to helping those with dementia, the Forget Me Not centre in Camposol. In July, HELP Murcia Mar Menor also raised awareness to help Paul Gaynor, an active volunteer and nurse, who suffered a devastating brain aneurysm.

As HELP Murcia Mar Menor approaches its 25th anniversary in 2027, volunteer support is needed more than ever to ensure its vital community work continues to thrive.

How a few hours can transform lives: Volunteering at the charity

Those who are interested in collaborating with the charity do not need to commit to a lot of hours to make a difference. Even a couple of hours a week can directly help to raise vital funds and support good causes throughout the local community. Volunteering at the charity can also offer a rewarding opportunity to learn new skills, connect with fellow residents, and enjoy plenty of good company along the way.

Those who want to lend a hand, can reach the team by emailing helpmmm@gmail.com, or visiting their official website at helpmurciamarmenor.es.

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Local Mar Menor Charity Actively Seeking New Volunteers

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Local charity seeks volunteers for office, outlet, and driving roles. Photo Credit: HELP Murcia Mar Menor

Locals and residents in the Los Alcazares area have a chance to make a positive impact in the area, meet new people, and become part of a kind-hearted group: the non-profit organisation HELP Murcia Mar Menor has announced that they are actively seeking new volunteers to join the long-standing charity, inviting enthusiastic and passionate people in the area to help its dedicated team across a variety of roles.

Crucial roles currently open to volunteers: Administration, store helpers, and van drivers

To be specific, the organisation is currently seeking volunteers in three areas. Those who are well-organised and enjoy administrative tasks can assist in the local Los Alcazares office by handling phone enquiries, filing, and data entry to keep operations running smoothly behind the scenes. For those who prefer meeting people and working in a more social environment, the San Javier outlet shop needs friendly helpers to serve customers, price items, and sort through incoming donations. Finally, the charity is looking for van drivers with a valid driving licence to handle the collection and delivery of donated goods and store purchases.

What is HELP Murcia Mar Menor? Supporting the community through times of need

HELP Murcia Mar Menor, which was first established in 2002, provides essential support, information, and emergency assistance to local residents and visitors in the Region of Murcia. For example, the charity has lent vital mobility equipment including wheelchairs to individuals during health crises. 

More recently, in June, the organisation made a sizeable donation of €2,000 to another local charity dedicated to helping those with dementia, the Forget Me Not centre in Camposol. In July, HELP Murcia Mar Menor also raised awareness to help Paul Gaynor, an active volunteer and nurse, who suffered a devastating brain aneurysm.

As HELP Murcia Mar Menor approaches its 25th anniversary in 2027, volunteer support is needed more than ever to ensure its vital community work continues to thrive.

How a few hours can transform lives: Volunteering at the charity

Those who are interested in collaborating with the charity do not need to commit to a lot of hours to make a difference. Even a couple of hours a week can directly help to raise vital funds and support good causes throughout the local community. Volunteering at the charity can also offer a rewarding opportunity to learn new skills, connect with fellow residents, and enjoy plenty of good company along the way.

Those who want to lend a hand, can reach the team by emailing helpmmm@gmail.com, or visiting their official website at helpmurciamarmenor.es.

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Costa Calida

More than a tonne of trash removed as Murcia volunteers unite to clean up local nature reserves

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Murcia volunteers removed more than a tonne of waste from natural areas.
Photo Credit: Region of Murcia

Residents in the Region of Murcia have, once again, demonstrated their commitment to environmental conservation through the incredible tenth edition of the national campaign “1m² contra la basuraleza” (“1m² Against Trashure”). Organised by Project LIBERA, an initiative created by SEO/BirdLife in partnership with Ecoembes, the campaign mobilised thousands of citizens across Spain to clean up trash and protect local ecosystems.

Hundreds of volunteers clean up key natural sites in the Region of Murcia

In the Region of Murcia, a total of 456 volunteers joined forces across 33 different collection points in beaches, rivers, mountains, and protected natural areas in the region to clean up and fight against the ‘Trashure’, a portmanteau of “trash” and “nature” that has come to define overly polluted areas in Spain. Their collective effort resulted in the removal of 1.1 tonnes of abandoned waste from valuable natural sites, including the El Valle y Carrascoy Regional Park, the Segura River near Beniel, and the Las Amoladeras beach in Cartagena. Local administration officials, educational centres, community associations, and private businesses also collaborated to help with the initiative and show their commitment to the environment.

Data collection exposes plastic as the primary and most dangerous pollutant

In addition to physical cleanup, the campaign places a strong emphasis on citizen science. Using the “Basuraleza” mobile application, volunteers categorised more than 1,100 collected items to contribute to the national Barómetro de la Basuraleza, or “Trashure Barometer”. This tool provides environmental researchers with crucial data on the types of waste polluting natural habitats. In Murcia, the data revealed that 54 per cent of the identified litter consisted of plastics, a material that is particularly harmful to the environment due to its long degradation period.

Expanding the campaign to drive long-term awareness in Murcia and in Spain as a whole

This year’s edition introduced an expanded nine-day schedule, and featured scheduled activities for large community groups, aligning with European environmental movements including Let’s Clean Up Europe.

Murcia’s contribution to this nationwide project, which accounted for 3.6 per cent of the 919 cleanup points across Spain, highlights a growing citizen dedication to ecological consciousness. In addition to removing immediate trash, the initiative serves as a vital reminder of the ongoing need for environmental education, preventive waste management, and sustained collaboration between citizens, non-profits, and public institutions to keep natural spaces in Murcia clean, beautiful, healthy, and resilient.

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