Zooming now seems to be the preferred way for businesses to conduct meetings and for keeping in contact with family near and far. Almancil International Rotary Club (AIRC) is no exception and for the last five weeks the club has been holding weekly meetings via Zoom.
On Wednesday there were a total of 31 participants including guests from the Rotary Club Estoi Palace International, from the UK, Germany and two very special guests from India, Bhanu Gupta and his wife Divya from the Rotary Club – Metro Ahmedabad.  There was even a guest speaker, João Martins, the youngest member of RC Estoi Palace who recently and before the lock-down spent two weeks in India as one of two Portuguese nationals chosen to attend the Discover India Camp, along with young people representing thirteen nationalities.

Knowing of the financial difficulties faced by the Algarve Fire Department, community residents who are part of the Forest Fire Alert Facebook group promoted a fundraiser with the purpose of filling some shortages of protective clothing, allowing the safety of the fire department for all occasions, as well as in the fight of to this epidemiological Covid-19 outbreak.

Here are the links to our first online Rehearsed Play reading. The show we are performing is September in The Rain by John Godber. The whole show lasts just over an hour.
September in the Rain is a nostalgic and heart-warming observational comedy from renowned playwright John Godber. It follows the life of miner Jack and his wife Liz on their annual holiday to Blackpool over the years. A true Northern love story.

See a preview of potential future events.

CLICK HERE to read the Algarve History Association Newsletter: April  2020.

The AAA lecture which was due to be held on Tuesday 7th April has been cancelled due to the coranavirus pandemic and the closure of our venues at the Museu do Traje, São Bras and the Convento de São José, Lagoa. We aim to resume our monthly lectures when the situation allows.
In February AAA members were able to enjoy an excellent visit to the historic centre of Loulé, an archaeological tour arranged by our member David Marion who wrote the following report:

Thirty six members turned up for the latest ride-out to Vila Nova de Milfontes in Alentejo on sunny day reaching 20°c. There were two groups led by Philippe Payen and Eric Desurvire, ably assisted by Erwin Oortman and Andrew Chilton.

Music often plays a big part in our lives.  But for many patients with cognitive disabilities such as autism or dementia, music used as therapy can make a huge difference to their quality of life.  For some dementia sufferers it brings back memories; some good and for others maybe not so good but it’s clear that music stimulates the brain in ways that other therapies may not. 

The first ride of 2020 for the motorcyclists of the Algarve senior bikers group took place on Tuesday 28th from Paderne. The two groups where led on this occasion by Steve Wills and David Shirley, taking a route through the hills around Alte, through Santa Margarida to Messines before heading north on the IC1, to Sao Marcos de Serra.