Winding-up of British Society on the Costa del Sol benefits two local charities

The news of the closure of The British Society in 2022, the first organisation of its kind on the Costa del Sol, marked the end of an era. However, the dissolution of the society, due to falling membership caused by Brexit and the pandemic, has a happy ending because two local charities will benefit from its final gesture to help the local foreign community.

The organisation, which was founded in 1967, has recently sold the property it had owned for almost 50 years, and the proceeds have been donated to Cudeca and Age Concern Fuengirola.

During a presentation held at the Cudeca hospice in Benalmádena on Thursday this week, the former president of the society, John Simpson, and John Kelly, secretary, presented the cheques to the associations.

Cudeca received 87,000 euros - 60 per cent of the sale, while Age Concern received 40 per cent, a total of 54,000 euros.

The donations were agreed during the society's last general meeting, because, as Simpson pointed out, "they both offer excellent services to the local community".

"The reason Cudeca was chosen is because several of our members had been cared for in the hospice. Cudeca also helped my wife when she was in the last stages of her life. Age Concern helps the elderly and many of us are now in our 80s, so it was an obvious choice," Simpson told SUR in English.

The Villa Luisa, located in Benalmádena Pueblo, had been on the market for two years but the sale was hindered because it was first necessary to modify its previously established purpose.

"The villa was registered for recreational use during Franco's rule and it has taken two years to sell because the use of the property had to be changed so it could become a private residence," he explained.

Along with the two charities that will benefit from these substantial donations, which both agreed on the "importance it has for the British community in Malaga", Simpson is also happy that the British Society can continue to help others after its closure.

"I am delighted that we have finally managed to sell the villa. This money will go to two good causes: it will be money that they did not have yesterday and it is money that they desperately need today.

"We were hoping that the final amount would be more, but this is the figure we were left with after taxes and fees were taken from the sale price," he concluded.