East of Malaga goes glam to raise funds for British Benevolent Fund Spain

Around 30 women from the Axarquía area of Malaga province raised a total of 1,550 euros for the British Benevolent Fund Spain (BBF) at a ‘Glam, Gift & Swish’ event in Torre del Mar on Thursday 4 December. The money raised came from ticket sales, raffle, auction of a Ralph Lauren Handbag, a tombola, classic guessing games (the name of the teddy, weight of the Christmas cake, sweets in a jar) and donations on the day.

It was the first event for the charity to be held in the Axarquía and was hosted by Rachel Barnett, who is head of case work for the BBF, along with volunteers Cathy Dodd, Deborah, Sophie and Laura. Guests were also invited to take along unwanted items of clothing, shoes and accessories to swap on the 'swish' clothes rail.

Ahead of the event, Rachel explained to SUR in English that a number of new volunteers have “come on board” in the Axarquía in recent months and that “all money raised will go towards assisting Brits in Spain in extreme financial difficulties”. She went on to say that the charity helps “people who are living in Spain and those travelling here” and that the BBF collaborates with other organisations and charities to get the best possible support for individual cases.

As well as the fun aspect of the afternoon, volunteers also gave accounts of some of the people the BBF has helped recently, including a single mum who was self-employed in Spain and whose work dried up during the pandemic. She found herself needing to go back to the UK as the sole carer of her elderly grandfather, but was not able to pay bills in Spain or have the financial means to return to the UK to help her relative. The BBF stepped in and made sure she had enough support to get herself back on her feet in the UK.

Rachel highlighted the importance of getting support from local businesses and described the case of a British resident in Tenerife who was helped with small donations: “Getting companies involved could mean for example helping someone by donating even small items that can make a real difference to someone’s life.” She described the case of a small business in Tenerife which donated a microwave to a British national who was getting food from a food bank but couldn’t afford to heat the food.

The aim of the BBF is "to provide financial help to British citizens in distress without any other recourse, whether they be residents or visiting". The charity works with British consulates and the British ambassador to Spain, Sir Alex Ellis, is the BBF’s honorary patron.

Thursday’s event was sponsored by Currencies Direct, BluCee Real Estate, Compare Funerals and La Casa Hotel in Torrox. Taste Heaven Catering provided the buffet. Rachel says that the BBF is planning to organise more Axarquía-based events in 2026 and that any local businesses, or people interested in volunteering can contact the charity via: Email: info@britishbenevolentfund.org; Facebook: British Benevolent Fund Spain; Instagram: bbfspain