CHARITIES SUPPORTED:

APANATE

APANATE is a non-profit organisation, which was formed in 1995 to promote the well-being and quality of life of people with autism, offering specific treatments according to their needs.

It is a member of FESPAU (Spanish Federation of Autism), Autism EUROPA, FEAPS Canarias and the platform for NGOs 'Voluntariado de Tenerife', and it has recently been declared a ‘Utilidad Pública'.

Its philosophy is that education, applied in all areas of life, is the best instrument to help patients with this disorder, enhancing and maximizing their personal development and ability to participate socially.

Services Offered - Early Care, Psycho-therapy, Day Centre, Workshop for Adolescents, Service of Evaluation and Orientation, Family Entertainment and Respite Care.

APANATE originally started with just one centre for autistic children in La Laguna. Since then the Friends of Tenerife have donated money to help APANATE establish a new centre in La Orotava, formally opened on 9 April 2010.

ASOCIACIÓN SAN LÁZARO, AMOR A LOS NIÑOS - PROYECTOS MARTHA

In 1995 the Asociación San Lázaro was founded in Santa Cruz to care for children with cerebral palsy and related motor neurone diseases. Carmen Santana Cejas, the director, had a daughter with cerebral palsy, Martha, hence the names of the Projects.

In 2000 the Cabildo bought a house in La Laguna which is now the Residence and Treatment Centre (Proyecto Martha III) with sufficient space to house eleven permanent children and provide family respite care. In 2007 The Ayuntamiento of La Laguna donated an abandoned college for use as a Day Centre and Kindergarten (Proyecto Martha II).

Nothing can prepare a family to cope with the long term care of a child with cerebral palsy. So the opening of these centres was a wonderful opportunity to improve the quality of life of the children and their families, by providing stimulus, and teaching them coordination of movement and communication skills thus helping them to be self-sufficient.

Friends of Tenerife have contributed since the beginning to help the centres get established and to continue their marvellous work. We have provided much needed equipment for the treatment rooms, bought fridges etc. for the kitchens, and the main thing, refurbished the swimming pool at Martha III, heating and roofing it in, and now helping with its maintenance.

CENTRO MATILDE TELLEZ, HIJAS DE MARIA MADRE DE LA IGLESIA

Centro Madre de Matilde is housed in the old Guardia Civil Cuartel in Puerto de la Cruz. This lovely home takes in children from broken homes, or from families with problems, and they are looked after with the utmost care and love. To help pay costs, children are looked after in the mornings allowing parents to work - but this is never enough.

HOGAR SANTA RITA

The Canarian Foundation "Hogar Santa Rita" offers reception facilities
and necessary support for more than 1,000 elderly residents who are
on a low income, who are suffering loneliness or lack of family love or
are living in inappropriate conditions.

Two residential homes were initially built in Puerto de la Cruz - Santa Rita I at Punta Brava and Santa Rita II at Las Dehesas - using money raised thanks to the drive and enthusiasm of Father Antonio Maria .

One of the mainstays of work at the homes is to provide living conditions that would help contribute to the conservation of the mental and physical health of the elderly, as well as their social integration. A Health Centre with Spa at Santa Rita II, staffed by physiotherapists and qualified sports instructors, provides the most innovative of techniques.

The Friends of Tenerife have donated money to assist in the rehousing of the residents of Santa Rita I, damaged by fire in 2008, and the building of an Alzheimer's Unit in the Santa Rita II complex, which will be a research centre as well as a residential home for those suffering from the disease.

HOSPITAL INMACULADA CONCEPCION