Daniel Trigg discusses voting rights for foreign residents living in Lanzarote

In this video interview, LBRA president and founder Daniel Trigg discusses a difficult, undemocratic and unfair  situation faced by foreign residents living in Lanzarote, including himself.  

Daniel Trigg, Founder and President of the LBRA

Daniel has lived in Lanzarote for almost 30 years so is not entitled to vote in UK elections. He is also unable to vote in Lanzarote island  elections, Canary Islands regional elections, or Spanish national elections either though. 

This is a problem faced by foreign nationals living in Lanzarote, The Canary Islands, and Europe as a whole that is only set to increase with migration.

This video was filmed at the lovely "El Cafe de Manny" at Playa Bastian in Costa Teguise. It is owned and run by the friendly and hard-working Manny who kindly agreed to let us film at the cafe (https://www.facebook.com/elcafedemanny/).

Manny at his cafe "El Cafe de Manny"

Please let us know if you have been affected by this unfair situation that exists for foreign residents in Lanzarote, and what steps should be taken to change it. Leave your comments below or get in touch with us via our social media channels. We are hoping that if enough people add their voices to this debate then we can fight to improve the voting rights for foreign residents as soon as possible. Thanks for your support.

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The Lanzarote Business and Residents Association turns 8 today!

We are absolutely delighted to announce that the Lanzarote Business and Residents Association turns eight today! Since the association was founded we feel we have made a real difference in improving the situation for foreign residents living in Lanzarote, and visitors to the island. We also feel very confident about this year, and future developments for the LBRA!

Our membership continues to grow, and there is a real buzz now in the team about being able to offer even more services to our members and the general public here on the island. We are extremely happy with the continued support we have received from the Ayuntamientos and Cabildo of Lanzarote, who appreciate the benefit we bring to the island. By supporting our efforts here on the island, they are helping to ensure the future harmony between local residents and foreign residents who now call Lanzarote their home. In turn this will lead to the continuing development and success of businesses around the island, and long term economic growth. 

 It is great that the vision of the founder of the LBRA, Daniel Trigg, to create an organisation to help foreign nationals residing in Lanzarote, continues to go from strength to strength all these years later. We couldn't have achieved this success without our members though, and Daniel and the team would like to offer our many thanks to all our members and everyone who has supported us over the years. 

 We have many exciting projects in development including a brand new, modern and interactive website, new initiatives in collaboration with the local councils, and of course more informative and entertaining videos, social media, and blog posts. We are looking forward to a great future with all of you, with much anticipation for a successful year ahead!

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For further information about the services that we offer please see this section of our blog > About us

An End of Year Thank You from Founder and President of the LBRA, Daniel Trigg

"It seems incredible that another year has almost passed and Christmas is once again upon us. It’s been an extremely busy year and as ever December is a hectic month for us. As always our members are our number one priority and we continually work hard to look after your interests. The LBRA was established as an association to work for and support its members, and to help and assist them on a daily basis whatever their needs. As an association we are a collective of like minded people who can share knowledge and information and whose aim is to work together as a united group for the benefit of Lanzarote and its future.

As the year draws to an end I like to take this opportunity to thank all of our members for being part of the association and for your continued support. I am pleased to report that with your support the LBRA, as well as being the only official association for Europeans on the island, remains one of the largest. It has been a good year and one with more highs than lows. We are extremely proud to have been awarded a contract from the Cabildo, working on the promotion of Lanzarote. We also secured a contract with Teguise Ayuntamiento, and now work with them on a weekly basis providing translations and assistance for non Spanish speakers and helping in other general areas. We are at present in talks with other Ayuntamiento’s and associations and hope to be able to bring you news of further contracts in 2016.

I should also like to thank my team at the association, particularly Silvia and Rita, and to the member representatives for the work and support they give. My family play an important part in supporting me and allowing me time away from my own businesses to concentrate on association matters, and for that I am grateful and thankful. When I formed the association in 2008 after many years of planning and work, it was my wish to be able to help others and I feel that this has now been successfully achieved. The association as you will be aware is now a respected “member” of the community and is acknowledged by all the authorities and I hope that makes you feel as proud as it does me to be part of our organisation.

Our members are the most important part of the organisation, and our commitment is to work hard on your behalf and take care of your interests. As always our overall objective is to continually increase tourism, improve the facilities, standards and services that the island has to offer, and to support and create unity in the community. We have the knowledge, capabilities, enthusiasm and dedication to work on your behalf and with your support we will continue to do so. Best wishes Daniel Trigg (President Lanzarote Business and Residents Association)"

Once again from everyone involved in the running of the LBRA, we would like to say a big thank you to all of our members and to anyone who has supported us during the year. This year has been excellent for the organisation in many ways, and we hope to continue with our success in 2016. We are sure that with all the excellent support we receive from our members, the public and the Cabildo of Lanzarote, next year the Lanzarote Business and Residents Association can achieve even more!

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Get Ready for the Annual Christmas Santa Parade in Puerto del Carmen on December 19th!

It's incredible to think we are just three weeks away from Christmas, and summer was months ago. One of the reasons it is hard to believe is that the temperature here in Lanzarote is still in the mid 20's almost everyday, and we've had an amazing start to December weather wise. Lanzarote is definitely living up to its reputation as one of the best places to visit for winter sun! Many of the beaches are packed during the day, with people sunbathing and swimming. Temperatures back home in the UK are at least 10 degrees colder, cloudy, grey, and rainy. We know where we would prefer to spend winter!

Photo Credit: Lanzarote Information

 As Christmas is almost here it is also just two weeks tomorrow until the hugely popular LBRA Annual Christmas Santa Parade in collaboration with Tías Ayuntamiento, set to take place in Puerto del Carmen. Unfortunately the event didn't take place last year to the disappointment of many, but this year it will be back and bigger and better than ever! After meetings and a final confirmation from the authorities, we are pleased to announce that the parade will take place on Saturday 19th December, with a meeting time of 5.30pm, and the parade set to start at 6.00pm.

Photo Credit: Lanzarote Information

 We hope to make it a great event this year, and would love to see as many Santa's as possible taking part. Anyone who wants to dress up as Santa is more than welcome to join us, or you can just come along and show your support for all those taking part. It is definitely a case of the more the merrier! Please contact us via email: lanzaroteba@gmail.com or on our Facebook Page if you wish to take part or if your business wants to get involved.

We will be sharing more information over the next couple of weeks on our Facebook Page and Twitter, so make sure to follow us there to keep up to date with news about the parade. The most important news though, is that the parade is officially back on, so get ready to party!

 We would like to wish a huge thanks to John and Irene from Go Karting San Bartolome for helping to organise the event,and thanks also to the councillors Amado Vizcaino and Francisco Aparicio from Ayuntamiento de Tías for their cooperation.

You've Probably Never Seen Lanzarote Like This Before!

Lanzarote is an amazing island of contrasts. You have the bright blue ocean and sky, the golden yellow sandy beaches, and the black lava fields that cover much of the island. It is an amazing and unique place, that millions of tourists love to visit each year. Many of them come here to enjoy these aspects of the island just mentioned as it is the perfect place to come and escape from the stresses of 'normal life'. 

 

The Canary Islands are often classed as having "the best climate in the world" and a lot of this is down to the year round sun and few rainy days. Much of the interior of Lanzarote is quite a barren landscape, due to the lack of rainfall throughout most of the year. The majority of Lanzarote's tourists come from the UK and Germany, where they experience enough rain to last a lifetime in one year. It is a welcome relief to stay in a place where you can literally sunbathe all holiday.

Contrary to what some people might believe though, it does actually rain sometimes, and when it does it can be torrential. This can be disruptive, but many of the locals love the rain as it is great for the crops that are grown here. It also transforms the island, especially in the north. The hills and fields are transformed from a dull brown with little to no plant life, to a verdant green. It is quite amazing what a couple of days of rain can achieve here. 

 

Around a month ago there were several days of torrential rain which was unusual for that time of year. Since then though much of the island remains green and full of life! If you explore the countryside especially near to Haria and other towns and villages of the north you could think you are in a completely different place. You've probably never seen Lanzarote like this before!

 

There are grassy fields and hills that look like they could be in the UK or mainland Europe. It is the palm trees and bright blue sky that will remind you that you're somewhere more tropical.  Lanzarote is an amazing place any time of the year, but the rain has really brought it to life, and perhaps made it even more beautiful (if that is possible)! 

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(Photo Credit: Simon Turkas)

Teguise Market Every Sunday has Something for Everyone!

Being a small island with a relatively low population, Lanzarote is not what you describe as a shopper's paradise, and most people that live or visit here are totally fine with that. Of course there are ample shops in some parts of the island such as Puerto del Carmen, Playa Blanca, Arrecife and Deiland Shopping Centre but the island has much bigger strengths. Some of the big names are starting to arrive on the island such as Mercadona and H&M, and this will surely increase as more people from abroad move here. 

What Lanzarote (currently) lacks in big name brands though, it makes up for with small independent and artisan stores and markets. There are a number of thriving markets around the island such as in Arrecife high street, Playa Blanca, and Puerto del Carmen's old town harbour. These are great to see as these are local people running their own businesses, and often selling locally produced items. The biggest and best market by far though happens every Sunday in Lanzarote's old capital of Teguise.

This market runs from 9am to 2pm each Sunday, and is one of the main tourist attractions on the island. There are literally bus loads of people arriving in Teguise every ten minutes or so on Sunday to see this wonderful event. It is great to see so many people walking around enjoying themselves, and it is great for the local economy. Unlike with big brand name superstores where the profits often leave Lanzarote and head to the company headquarters abroad, the profits from these market stalls stay with the locals that work there every week. 

There are so many different things on offer at the market that you will be spoilt for choice of what to buy. There is hand made jewellery, loads of aloe vera products, art, books, clothes, house hold decorations like candles, handmade soaps and beauty products, and lots of stores specialising in individual products like lovely handmade bookmarks, or handmade hanging wooden flower pot holders. These kind of products are quite unique and not easy to find elsewhere, so they make great gifts.

There is also a special food section with lots of products unique to Lanzarote or the Canary Islands such as Lanzarotian wine, or a stall selling cactus based food such as delicious cactus omelet or cactus jams.

If you are staying in Lanzarote for a week or more then we definitely recommend a trip to the Sunday market in Teguise. You will get a real flavour of Lanzarote and Canarian culture, with a real vibrancy and good vibe. In addition Teguise has centuries of tradition and history with some really interesting and beautiful features such as the impressive church, and square with an attractive fountain. As well as the food from the market stalls there are a huge number of different bars, cafes and restaurants where you can sit and put your feet up after exploring the market. These are perfect to sit at and people watch, with delicious local and international flavours and often live music to enjoy!

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Welcome to the Lanzarote Business and Residents Association Blog

Lanzarote is a fascinating, beautiful and incredible island to both visit as a tourist and also to live on. In fact many people who come for a holiday decide to make this their home either straight away, or later on when they decide to retire. Although the Canary Islands are a Spanish territory, and the official language is Spanish, the number of foreign residents is high and continues to grow.

Of course a large part of the island's success at attracting new residents is down to the fantastic climate, with year round warm weather and blue, sunny skies. It is hot but not too extreme in the summer, and never gets cold in the winter. In fact the climate almost has a year-round spring like state.

Apart from the amazing climate which has been described by many as "the best climate in the world," the island has so much more to offer for both residents and businesses. With the amazing weather, the island is almost guaranteed tourists. This is absolutely ideal for businesses related to that sector, with around 90% of the islands working inhabitants employed within the tourism sector. Millions of people visit Lanzarote every year because of the climate, stunning scenery, beautiful beaches, variety of activities and things to see, and the high level of safety.

While Lanzarote is a amazing place to live, work, and visit on holiday, there are certain difficulties that may be experienced by both residents and tourists. One of the main barriers is language. Of course, non-Spanish speakers will face some difficulties if they don´t speak the language and need access to the local government, public services, or the legal system for example. While there have been improvements made over the years to accommodate the growing number of foreign residents, this is still a difficulty for foreigners on the island. This in turn is linked to setting up businesses, the local tax system, and dealing with the local council on any kinds of issues like planning permission.

Lanzarote Business and Residents Association was set up in 2009 to help its members to deal with these kind of problems, and also to work towards the common goal of improving tourism to Lanzarote and future investment in the island. This is achieved by the proactive involvement of the Association in public life of the island by meeting with local businesses, administrative bodies and other associations.

To help the Association to grow and to improve awareness of the benefits it can provide to its members, their friends and families, and the wider community within Lanzarote we have decided to set up this blog. Here we will share posts about upcoming events, members of the LBA, and the amazing island of Lanzarote that so many of us are lucky enough to call home!

We welcome any comments or suggestions below our posts, or alternatively you can contact us via our website or social media channels. Thanks for reading and make sure to subscribe to the blog.

If you would like more information about the LBA then you can contact us via email: info@lanzarotebusinessassociation.com

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  Photo credits Simon Turkas Photography