Costa Blanca Consul committed to charities

MEETING: new Consul Sara-Jane Morris with Vice-Consul Lloyd Milen

NEW British Consul Sarah-Jane Morris has assured that front-line elements of the consulate service across Alicante will not change and will continue to be headed by Vice-Consul Lloyd Milen.

During a meeting with the press at the consulate office in Alicante, Mrs Morris addressed concerns that the service was being cut and streamlined as she will be based in Madrid where she will continue her work as the consul-general in Madrid, serving central and northern Spain as well as overseeing Alicante.

“There will be no change to the front-line service and the consular team here remains and is the biggest in Spain. I will be making my best efforts to make sure it is unnoticeable to expats,” she said.

The management of Alicante and Madrid consulates by one consul follows the model already used elsewhere in Spain with the nine British consulates covering Spain and Andorra now managed by three British consuls.

Having served as consul in Madrid for the last two years and spending 10 years working in the consular field, Mrs Morris believes her experiences can only aid and assist the 165,000 expats registered: “I have worked a lot with central government already on issues such as residency and healthcare and have that direct line, so rather than listening to issues and passing them on, residents will have a quicker route to the front-line.”

Logistically she said she can also be in Valencia quicker from Madrid than the team travelling from Alicante.

With a background in the voluntary sector, having worked in Africa and Asia and also for the Red Cross in Madrid, the new consul is keen to continue the work of her predecessor Paul Rodwell and forge stronger relations with local charities, and already has links and awareness of local organisations: “I am on the executive committee of Age Concern and have just been supporting the Samaritans in setting up a branch in Madrid, so know them also.”

She believes that charities have a lot to offer the community and are a great way of forging international relations: “The Spanish culture is not so rich in volunteering but they are there and we must tap in to them and it is a great way to improve your Spanish.”

Sarah-Jane Morris will be in Alicante regularly and is looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead and to meeting more of the local community.

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