EEN VERENIGING VAN CIVIELE BESCHERMING / CIVIL PROTECTION ASSOCIATION

Wij werden gecontacteerd door een plaatselijke resident die een Asociación de Protección Civil of een Vereniging van Civiele bescherming of burgerbescherming  (verder Asociación de Protección Civil) wil oprichten in Albox/ We have been contacted by a local resident who is seeking to establish a Asociación de Protección Civil or Civil Protection Association in Albox.

Hij is op zoek naar vrijwilligers, ongeacht beroep, leeftijd, gezindheid, geslacht en nationaliteit, die een groep willen vormen om de hulpdiensten in hun werk bij te staan bij geplande evenementen en/of bij natuurrampen / He is looking for volunteers who are motivated by a common desire to serve their community who come from all professions, ages, conditions, sexes and nationalities who will form a group to supplement the work of the emergency services during planned events and/or in the event of a natural catastrophe. 

Wat is een Asociación de Protección Civil ?/ What is a Civil Protection Association?

Een Asociación de Protección Civil is een vereniging erkend en bij wet bepaald door de autoriteiten van de Civiele Bescherming.  Het is een geregistreerde, onafhankelijke, non profit vereniging samengesteld uit vrijwilligers, die optreedt onder toezicht van de autoriteiten, bijstand en assistentie verleent bij noodtoestand of ramp met als doel de burger, eigendommen en de omgeving te beschermen. / An Asociación de Protección Civil or Civil Protection Association is a body recognised by the Civil Protection authorities and regulated in law. It is a registered, independent, not for profit association, made up of volunteers who, acting under the direction of the authorities, provide support and assistance in the event of an emergency or catastrophe in order to protect citizens, property and the environment.

De Asociación de Protección Civil is geïntegreerd in het Civiele Beschermingsnetwerk door een formeel akkoord van samenwerking met het stadsbestuur en kan volgende taken toebedeeld krijgen:  / A Civil Defence Association is normally integrated into the Civil Defence network via a formal agreement of collaboration with the town hall and its activities can include:

• Werken onder toezicht van de professionele hulpdiensten tijdens geplande evenementen om de veiligheid te verzekeren van de burger, eigendom en omgeving/  Working under the direction of the professional security services during planned events to ensure the safety of citizens, property and the environment.
• Taken uitvoeren die zijn opgenomen in het draaiboek of plan bij noodgevallen onder toezicht van de Coördinator , de stedelijke autoriteiten, de politie en brandweer/   Undertaking tasks in emergency situations in line with the activities set out in Emergency Plans and under the direction of the Plan Director, the Municipal Authority or the Policia Local and the Fire Brigade.
• Deelnemen aan het opstellen en simulatie van actieplannen in samenwerking met de plaatselijke autoriteiten/  Participating in the creation and simulation of Plans of Action in the event of an emergency in collaboration with the local authorities
• Samenwerken met de plaatselijke autoriteiten om relevante informatie te verschaffen betreffende de civiele bescherming van de burger /  Working with local authorities to provide information relevant to Civil Protection to citizens.

Men heeft bijzondere belangstelling voor mensen die reeds enige kennis hebben van bijvoorbeeld EHBO, radiocommunicatie en/of meer dan één taal machtig zijn om de communicatie binnen de groep en met de bevolking te verbeteren.

Maar iedereen, ook diegenen zonder voorkennis of opleiding, die bereid zijn een nieuwe bekwaamheid aan te leren om de gemeenschap te helpen en bij te staan is welkom / 

They would particularly like to hear from people who have an existing skill set such as first aid, knowing how to operate a radio and/or who speak more than one language to help facilitate communication within the group and with the general public but everyone is welcome if you are willing to learn a new skill and help your community.

Indien belangstelling: Interested?  gelieve te mailen naar info.avea.ass@gmail.com en wij geven uw info door aan de organisatoren.  Bij voldoende belangstelling wordt de Asociación de Protección Civil opgericht / Please email us at info.avea.ass@gmail.com and we will pass your details to the organizers. If there is sufficient interest the association will be formed.

(de vertaler van de Engelse tekst naar het Nederlands is een vrijwilliger, geen tolk)

RUBBISH COLLECTION AND RECYCLING IN ALBOX

Rubbish Collection

Rubbish collection services are provided by the Consorcio de Basura Almanzora Levante. ie. NOT the town hall. Their offices are located in Avda 28 de Febero, nº30, 04800 ALBOX (Almería), between Dia Supermarket and the BP garage.

Their website is : Consorcio de Basura where you can download forms to change the name of the person who receives the bill (cambio de titularidad), request to pay via your bank account (domiciliación de pago) or ask for another bin (Solicitud de Contenedor), among other things. 

They provide the following containers in various locations and empty them on a regular basis:

Yellow Bins:  Plastic bottles (drinks, mineral water, detergents, fabric softeners, plastic bags, yoghurt pots, plastic food containers etc). Metal Tins (Drinks and beer, food tins etc) and Cartons (milk, juices, soup and other types of food such as sugar, vegetables....)

Blue Bins: All types of cartons such as breakfast cereals, biscuits, shoe boxes, frozen food containers, paper bags, cardboard and paper such as wrapping paper, newspapers, magazines etc.

Disposing of household items (furniture, white goods)

Householders are permitted to deposit furniture or household items next to the rubbish containers for collection on certain days of the month. In Albox this is currently the 14th and 29th of each month. Items should be deposited next to the bins the DAY BEFORE collection is due. 

IT IS NOT PERMITTED TO DEPOSIT ANYTHING OTHER THAN HOUSEHOLD ITEMS NEXT TO THE BINS. NO BUILDING RUBBLE, NO GARDEN WASTE.

Garden Waste

Take it to the Recycling Center (see below) or burn it during the times of the year when fires are permitted. It is NOT permitted to dump garden waste next to the bins. You risk a fine if you are caught doing so.

The burning of garden waste is absolutely forbidden between the months of June and October, inclusive. Take it to the Punto Limpio!

Recycling Center (PUNTO LIMPIO)

Location (google maps) :    Punto Limpio Albox

Opening Hours:  Mon - Friday 08.00 - 14.00 and 15.30 to 18.30

                           CLOSED Sat - Sun

What can I bring to the Recycling Center

Householders can bring the following items to the recycling center FREE OF CHARGE:

• Paper and Cardboard
• Containers (Cartons, Plastic,cans)
• Glass
• Rubble and residue of minor building works
• Electrical appliances
• Electronics and Computing equipment
• Furniture and household goods
• Textiles (clothes and footware)
• Garden cuttings and waste
• Domestic vegetable oil
• Batteries
• Fluorescent tubes and lightbulbs
• Aerosols
• Ink jet toners and cartridges
• x-rays
• Contaminated plastic and metal containers (paints, solvents)

Admissible Quantities

The following table sets out the permitted limits for each category of waste. You are permitted to dump waste in each category twice a month. You may be asked to provide your NIE number depending on the type of waste being deposited (eg. electrical goods). If you exceed these limits you may be charged a fee:

REPORT ON THE FIRST EVER PUBLIC MEETING OF AVEA - 9th MAY

The first ever public meeting of AVEA took place on 9th May  and was chaired by its president, Claire Barrett who reported that we now have over 107 members!

The objective of this informal gathering, where new members were welcomed, was to exchange ideas and to help set the priorities for the committee.

A diverse number of topics were discussed such as rubbish collection, roads, the need for more information regarding recycling, Albox Cinema, promoting special interest groups such as Bee Keepers and Ham Radio, how to get an Ambulance to your door etc.

In her introductory speech Claire explained that the aims of the association were to provide an organised line of communication between its members and the town hall of Albox channelling issues and suggestions on behalf of members as well as helping to disseminate information from the town hall.  The association also aims to perform a similar role with other bodies such as the Consorsio de Basura (Rubbish collection) and the Punto Limpio (Recycling Centre) .

In addition, the association wish to bring people together to create a sense of community, to pursue common interests and to promote integration into Spanish life.

Claire emphasised that her aim as president was to promote a positive ethos in the association. "Its not all about channelling complaints" she said. "Its about participating in our community in positive ways and I agreed to chair this association on that basis".

There was also massive consensus among those present that the association must be open to all foreign residents, not just British residents, with an effort to be made to communicate in languages other than English to promote a sense of inclusion and community. 

And finally, it was most definitely agreed that members came to Albox because they wished to live in a Spanish community and any efforts by the committee to turn the town into 'Little Britain' would be met with resistance!

Want to join us ?? It's FREE!  Here's how Membership

DETAILS OF OUR FIRST INFORMAL MEMBERS MEETING - WEDNESDAY 9th MAY

Please join us on Wednesday 9th May in La Parrilla to learn about the newly formed Albox Foreign Residents' Association (AVEA) and to share YOUR ideas on what the priorities of the association should be.

New members are most welcome. You may register on the day with your name, address and NIE number so please have your NIE number to hand when you arrive.

LETTER TO TOWN HALL RE. NAMING OF ROADS

One of the most common complaints of members joining the association relates to the lack of postal addresses in rural areas. This is an issue that causes a number of practical problems as set out in our very first communication to the Mayor of Albox, Francisco Torrecillas.

The letter states that in the villages and countryside surrounding Albox there exists a concerning number of roads and streets without a proper address.

The lack is concerning because it causes problem for the delivery of administrative mail such as IBI, tax bills, invoices etc.

More importantly, if residents need the ambulance, police or fire services they are unable to respond adequately. It is of concern that this issue could result in grave consequences, if it has not already done so.

Thus, in the name of the members of the association I would like to ask the town hall to initiate a project to analyse the issue, that we believe to be considerable, and to take appropriate measures to resolve it.

We appreciate that it is a complex problem but we believe that residents of Albox would support it and would assist if that is required.

The letter concludes "This is my first communication as president of this Association and I hope that this is the start of a dialogue that is of benefit to both the town hall and residents alike".

We are currently organising our first members meeting where we look forward to meeting you in person to hear more about your ideas, suggestions and concerns. Watch this space for more details!

PICK UP A LEAFLET AND JOIN ALBOX FOREIGN RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION (AVEA)

Albox Foreign residents Association (AVEA) now has over 70 members and we have made it even easier for you to join.

Simply pick up a leaflet (see left) from one of the following local businesses, fill in the application form on the back, and return it to us.

Leaflets are available from the following outlets:

• Almanzora Group of Friends (English Library)
• APSA Charity Shop
• Cafe Bar Oasis 
• Cafe Bar Lepanto
• Can Connect
• Chapmans
• Corner Shop
• Cornish Pride
• Girasol
• Legends
• Liberty Seguros
• Maloans
• Nexo Vets
• Puppy Rescue
• Rambla Cafe
• Scrumptious Cafe
• Sol Supermercado
• Total Entertainment
• Wavelengths

 A big thank you to these outlets for their support!

How to join Albox Foreign Residents Association (AVEA)

Albox Foreign Residents Association is now ready to accept members and membership is FREE.

How to Join

Fill in our APPLICATION FORM and send it to us as instructed. 

Please note that to benefit from membership you need to be living in Albox.

Why should you join?

Because together we are stronger. 

The association will promote and defend the interests of residents, who are members of the association, attending to their needs with regard to issues such as roads, street lights, water supply, air quality, rubbish collection, fly tipping,  the conservation of nature and the landscape and sanitation. 

We will promote integration and participation in the civic life of our community and will channel information that we feel is relevant to our members.

Please see our Association STATUTES for more information on the scope of what we can seek to address on your behalf.

Our principal point of contact will be the town hall but we will deal with other authorities as an when required.

Lets get started

Send in your suggestion or concern with your application form. We will use this information to set our priorities and get to work.

What are you waiting for!

Albox Foreign Residents Association is underway

ASOCIACIÓN DE VECINOS EXTRANJEROS DE ALBOX (AVEA), Albox Foreign Residents Association,  was formally constituted in a meeting which took place in Albox on 4th December 2017.

Those assembled approved and signed the founding act of the association, elected the founding committee members to their positions and approved the founding statutes.

The founding documents and all necessary paperwork has now been submitted to the public register of associations maintained by the Junta de Andalucia. Once the registration has been confirmed, we will apply for a Fiscal Identity Number or NIF number for the association and register our database as required by Data Protection legislation.  All steps are part of the standard procedures for establishing a residents association in Spain.

Founding Committee Members

President:                         Claire Barrett

Vice President:                 Lorraine Phillips

Secretary:                         Peter Phillips

Vocal:                                Catherine Bateman

Vocal:                                Graeme Bateman

Whats next?

Please watch this space for the details of the first full meeting of Albox Foreign Residents Association.