Thousands sign call for Marbella seniors’ home

A GROUP in Marbella has collected 7,000 signatures to demand an old people’s home is built in the town.

The group is pushing for the Junta de Andalucia regional government to give the green light to a project to build a municipal residence for the elderly in the Trapiche area, insisting that there is great demand for the home.

Of the 7,000 signatures gathered so far, 5,000 came from online change.org platform while the other 2,000 have been given in person with nine local day centres taking part in the campaign.

The council had planned for a home to be built in Marbella in 2011 on land that a local citizen, Mateo Alvarez, had donated to this effect, yet there has been no progress.

Although members of the group demanded answers at a council meeting three months ago, none were given. Therefore they decided to attempt to collect 10,000 to present to the Junta.

Group spokeswoman Encarna Cantero said: “There are more than 10,000 elderly people in Marbella that cannot afford to pay for a private home and Marbella is big enough to deserve a public home, yet the Junta de Andalucia has left it out of the 2015 budget.”