By ELOISE WALTON
AROUND 100,000 euros was donated to several Algarve charities and institutions by the Vigia Group at a cheque presentation event at their Parque da Floresta Golf Resort on Tuesday.
The main beneficiary of this year’s fundraising effort was NECI, Núcleo de Educação da Criança Inadaptada, an organisation that provides day care for mentally and physically handicapped children and adults in the western Algarve, who received a total of 63,000 euros.
A cheque for 60,000 euros was donated as well as a cash supplement of 3,000 euros, which was raised separately from the sale of NECI Christmas cards, which was organised by Hillary Blyth at the Vigia Group.
 NECI’s Eduarda Santos and José Campos were delighted to receive their charity cheque at Parque da Foresta Golf Resort |
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Eduarda Santos, director of NECI, was delighted and danced across the room to receive the funds personally. “Thank you very much, this is the largest donation we have ever received,” she said: “This money is going towards a project to build a residential home for up to 24 students whose parents are too elderly or unwell to look after them as they grow older.”
The government has agreed to fund up to a total of 80 per cent of the 1.2 million euros needed for the project, but NECI have to raise the remaining 20 per cent themselves.
Next event
Richard Stead, a spokesman from the Vigia Group’s charity committee, said: “We have raised more than 230,000 euros since we started fundraising and are very pleased to be able to give something back to this beautiful country that we live in.
“We will be hosting our next charity fundraising weekend next June, and although we have not yet chosen our main beneficiary, we hope we will raise even more funds for good causes.”
From the remaining money raised at this year’s event, Lagos Orphans received 15,000 euros, the Associação Oncológica do Algarve, a regional cancer support association, received 15,000 euros and Vila do Bispo fire brigade and the old people’s home in Figueira were each given 5,000 euros.
For more information about NECI, please telephone 282 788 692 or email [email protected] or visit the school located at Montinhos da Luz, Luz, Lagos. For more information about the Vigia Group’s fundraising initiatives, please contact Pauline Binnie on 965 396 092 or email [email protected]
