By ELOISE WALTON [email protected]
Algarve animal charity APAA has been named as the beneficiary of a 100,000 euro legacy.
The money was bequeathed by Inez Soares da Rosa for an animal charity in the Algarve and it was left to the executors of her will to choose which charity should receive it.
Alan Camplin-Smith, President of APAA, told the Algarve Resident: “The treasurer and I were invited to a luncheon meeting with an executor of the will and she suddenly said ‘how would you feel if someone gave you 100,000 euros. What would you do?’”
He told the executor that with such a sum of money, the APAA would most likely build a rescue centre.
“She said that this is exactly what Inez would have wanted,” he added.
Born in Hong Kong, Inez Soares da Rosa was a keen sportswoman and dog lover who was awarded an MBE after a long career at the Colonial Secretariat in Kowloon, before moving to the Algarve in 1985.
She passed away in September 2007 leaving considerable legacies to children’s charities, the equivalent of 100,000 euros to a dog charity in Kowloon and an equal amount to be awarded to an animal charity in the Algarve.
 Inez Soares da Rosa |
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Her executors chose APAA as the Algarve beneficiary so the organisation is now actively looking for land on which to build and is endeavouring to raise the extra funding needed.
In 2009, APAA saved 10,000 euros and this year they hope to save a further 20,000 euros towards their 150,000 euro target.
Charity shop
Meanwhile, APAA has announced that it will be opening a new charity shop in Silves next month.
The shop will be in newly-refurbished premises in Rua da Mesquita, near the Rua Elias Garcia pedestrian street.The charity already has one shop in Cerro Grande, Albufeira and another in Dunas de Alvor in Alvor and hopes to open at least one more shop this year.
APAA also has a full fund-raising events calendar planned, with at least one event each month.
The impetus for this drive is to increase funding is so that the APAA can fulfil the dream of Inez Soares da Rosa and open an animal rescue centre in her name.
“We are going to put the money into a trust fund until the time comes to build the rescue centre,” said Pat Camplin-Smith from APAA.
For more information, about the APAA, please visit the website, available in English, at www.apaaportugal.com
