The Concordia AIDS/HIV charity in Marbella is having to close its doors

THE main Aids/HIV charity on the Costa del Sol, the Concordia Antisida Association will cease operation on Monday May 31 according to a letter issued by its founder and president.
Princess María Luísa of Prussia who started the charity 27 years ago has explained that she has had to take this action due to lack of financial support especially as a number of the charity patrons have sadly passed away.
The Marbella and other councils have been very supportive financially, but the bulk of income came from the annual St Nikolas Ball which attracted hundreds of people paying some €200 per ticket as well as taking part in the €50 per gift lucky dip as well as advertisers in the Concordia magazine.
With no magazine and no special dinners, the money simply hasn’t come in and there has been insufficient income to cover the overheads of the Concordia centre in San Pedro Alcantara and the professional staff including nurses who were on hand to offer support.
To some extent, it has ‘hidden its light under a bushel’ as the centre regularly catered for up to 100 hundred of the most-needy during the pandemic, offering them food, showers and access to a laundry room which is not generally recognised.

In her letter Princess María Luísa explained “We find ourselves without financial resources to continue helping people with HIV / AIDS and the homeless and needy families in Marbella and San Pedro who came to our facilities and to whom we offered assistance of all kinds.”