Mijas celebrates 30 years of support for expats

AN ANNIVERSARY celebration to mark 30 years of the foreigners’ department serving expat residents of Mijas was attended by many organisations.

Mario Bravo, the foreign residents’ councillor, and Anette Skou, the co-ordinator of the Departamento de Extranjeros (Foreign Residents’ Department) took to the stage to thank all who had made the department what it was today.

Anette said that there were 120 nationalities living in Mijas and that the council was proud that they had chosen to live here. She went on to say: “So many have been a part of this model of concept that has been pioneered in other places, which we are so proud of and would like to thank everybody for their continuing support.” Mario Bravo also said that he welcomed many more to live here and to come and enjoy Spanish life.

Mijas 340 TV had compiled a video to show Mijas’s success through the years including concerts, events, education, exhibitions, cookery classes and help that has been given by the translators for various medical and legal purposes.

Each business, association and media body present took their turn on the stage to be presented with an award by Mario Bravo. Among the many were St Anthony’s College, Woody’s Book Shop, David Searl, and Business First. After a short interval associations were recognised, which included Costa Women and La Cala Lions.

Mario Bravo also presented awards to Aubrey Bowles, a translator for many years within the department, and Jose Ordoñez, the head of police.

The press too were celebrated for their work for the community, and the councillor handed over a plaque to the proud representative of the Euro Weekly News.

After the presentations came to a close, ‘Funky Vocals’ took to the stage to perform a song about Mijas especially adapted from Katrina and the Waves’ ‘Walking on Sunshine.’

The mayor of Mijas, Angel Nozal Lajo, brought the show to a close and thanked everyone for being part of this great community. All guests the retired for refreshments at the community hall, as the celebration spilled out on to the streets of Mijas.

Happy anniversary, and well done to Mijas’s foreign residents’ department, from the EWN!