May Newsletter

Finally, finally – the puffy coat is in the closet for the duration of the summer season – and the sun is nice and strong on most days with that beautiful light breeze that means we’re over the hump! My favorite part is how light it is late at night – the sun doesn’t set until 21:00h (9:00pm!) so I’m using it as an alarm for dinner time. How perfect is that??

And of course, with the weather so conducive to being outdoors, we have many outdoor activities planned for you. Take a look below to see what’s already scheduled and don’t forget to check the IWCV website periodically to find out what’s been added. Just go to iwc-valencia.com and click on “Events” – new ones are added all the time!

Remember, if an event you’d like to try is full when you try to sign up, just email president@iwc-valencia.com to be added to the waitlist. You will be surprised how often a place will open for you! 😊

NEW FELLOWS OF THE IWCV MEET-UP, Monday 4 May at the Corte Ingles Cafeteria. Open to all new Fellows of the IWCV, and anyone who would like to meet some of the new guys. Partners/Spouses, out-of-town guests and men who have not formally joined the Fellows yet are also welcome. Join us to talk about the ins and outs of Valencia such as where to find things, how to get things done, etc. The cafeteria has about everything, so buy whatever you want to eat and drink and come find Carey Hepler in the dining area. Carey will be wearing a pork pie hat. No need to register in advance; just stop by and say hello! New Fellows of the IWCV Meet-Up | IWC - Valencia

TAI CHI WITH NATALIA – FOUR CLASSES – MAY 4, 11, 18, 15 at Oleka Yoga Studio. Open to IWCV members only. This is a great opportunity to join us for four calm, welcoming, IWCV-members-only Tai Chi sessions in the beautiful Oleka Yoga Studio. Whether you’re a complete beginner or already have experience, you’ll feel right at home. For complete details and to sign up, click here: Tai Chi with Natalia - Four Classes - May 4, 11, 18, 15 | IWC - Valencia

IWCV FIRST TUESDAY COFFEE, Tuesday 5 May, 10:30 am on the terrace at La Pizca de Sal Restaurant, Plaza Santa Ursula directly behind the Quart Towers. Open to all women of Valencia, both IWCV members and those who have not formally joined us yet! Stop by for a cuppa and a chat, to see old friends, and to make new ones. The chef at La Pizca de Sal has created a special “morning merienda” menu just for us so skip breakfast and enjoy these delicious creations!

A TOUR OF CASA RONALD MCDONALD, Wednesday 6 May. Open to IWCV members, their partners/spouses, Fellows of the IWCV and out-of-town guests. If you missed our most recent tour, now you can join us for a special visit to Valencia’s Casa Ronald McDonald, one of the charities supported by the IWCV. For complete details and to register, click here: A Tour of Casa Ronald McDonald | IWC - Valencia

STRONGER FOR LIFE: BUILD STRENGTH, BALANCE, & CONFIDENCE, Thursday 7 May. Open to IWCV members and their female out-of-town guests. This energizing, hands-on workshop is designed for women who want to stay steady, capable, and confident in everyday life. Led by experienced personal trainer Katherine Williams (UK-trained, 15+ years), you’ll learn how simple strength work can make a real difference—from getting up out of a chair to improving balance and preventing falls. No gym. No equipment. No intimidation. For details and to sign up, please click here: Stronger for Life: Build Strength, Balance & Confidence | IWC - Valencia

DISCOVER VALENCIA’S CITRUS GROVES, Thursday 14 May. Open to IWCV members, their partners/spouses, Fellows of the IWCV and out-of-town guests. Step into the heart of Valencia’s citrus culture with a visit to a historic orange farm where tradition, nature, and flavor come together. Begin with a welcome coffee, then stroll through fragrant gardens and working orange groves as you learn how citrus is grown. For complete details and to sign up, click here: Discover Valencia’s Citrus Groves | IWC - Valencia

NEW MEMBERS MEET-UP, Thursday 14 May. Open to IWCV members only. We will be meeting to share experiences and introduce you to the opportunities within the IWCV. In attendance will be members of the IWCV’s Board of Directors.  New members (and any old members who wish to meet new members!) are very welcome to join us. Sweet & drinks will be served. For full details and to register, click here: New Members Meetup | IWC - Valencia

FELLOWS OF THE IWCV HAPPY HOUR, Friday 15 May at Bruno’s Lucky 13, Carrer de Pere Aleixandre, 13. Open to everyone! Come see your old friends and make some new ones. No need to sign up in advance!

DISCOVER LA SERRANIA, Tuesday 19 May. Open to IWCV Members, their partners/spouses, Fellows of the IWCV, and out-of-town guests. Join us on this fascinating day-trip through a beautiful part of the Province of Valencia. The tour includes multiple stops where you can enjoy the locations with virtually no effort. For complete details and to sign up, click here: DISCOVER LA SERRANÍA | IWC - Valencia

IWCV MAY LUNCHEON, Thursday 21 May. Open to IWCV Members, their partners/spouses, and Fellows of the IWCV. We all know how good the food is at Kathmandu Canovas -- today we get to try their very newest restaurant – Kathmandu Arts & Sciences - on Avenida de Francia! For complete details and to register, click here: IWCV MAY LUNCHEON | IWC - Valencia

BOTANICAL GARDENS & PORTIXOL CAPE HIKE, Thursday 4 June. Open to IWCV members, their partners/spouses, Fellows of the IWCV, and out-of-town guests. Join us on the delightful, small-group, full-day experience in Dénia/Jávia. For complete details and to register, click here: Botanical Gardens & Portixol Cape Hike | IWC - Valencia

MEMBERSHIP

Janine Forbes, VP Membership

New Members in April 2026

Welcoming all our new members who joined us from far and wide in April!

Members joined us from Colombia, Mexico, Latvia, Ireland, Germany Singapore, Iceland, UK, Spain and the United States making us 480!

We are so glad you found us and extend a huge welcome to all our new members !

Aida Salas

April Berghel

Ava Hilton

Claudia Wüensch

Dana Trumpower

Dawn Stahl

Diana Miller

Donna Mallory

Elina Steinbergs

Ewa Bergstroem

Garbriela Garza

Isabella Gonzalez

Jacelyn Kan

Jenny Snider

Jess Doimain

Jo Drew

Johanna Mchale

Kim Rennie

Leonor Hallstrom

Lesley Martin

Lila Venza

LLeanan Couret-Endom

Lumananda ( Lumi)

Lyndsey Rose

Melissa Myers

Monica Zoydo

Peggy Altfater

Perseverance Figueroa

Pricilla Glazer

Sandra Valencia

Shelby Torrence

Sinead Galvin

Susan Shor

Tricia Foster

A huge Happy Birthday to all our members joining me for a May Birthday - Feliz Cumpleaños !!

Alexandra Barrera

Allie Rollison

Ann Marie Danesi

Ann Ellenkamp

Audrey Weensveen

Bonita Yocus

Carmen La Rue

Caroline Baines

Cecili Stevens

Cindy Wilson

Claudia de Rivetta

Debbie Zephyr

Doreen Denecker

Janine Forbes

Jeanette Loakman

Joanna Haas

Jules Delgado Day

Julie Howard

Jurgita Ludaviciene

Kalin Baker

Lauren Zielinsky

Leah Newman

Lesley Martin

Lina Simutiene

Linda Byrd

Lisa Voigt

Lyndsay Rose

Mimi Backhausen

Monica Zoydo

Muriel Ungricht

Nicole Gawronski

Nina Paeola

Susan Ruthgerford

Sylvia Rowald Kapsenby

Taja Taj

Veronica Nelson

Yolanda Grijalva

Yvonne Rodriguez

New members found us through other members referrals, web searches and increasingly Facebook recommendations.

Input from Membership VP - Janine Forbes

Welcome to ALL our new members - Please come along and meet us at the regular “First Tuesday” coffee on TUESDAY 5th May on the beautiful terrace at the Pizca de Sal restaurant opposite Torres de Quart at 10:30. After a hiccup at the restaurant last month I hope to see as many of you as can make it on the 5th Hopefully we will be outside and in the sun this month! If you are new to the club and don’t know anyone, please come and find me, I will be wearing a bright Orange lanyard! Our partner charity, Casa Caridad, are doing a charity drive at the coffee, so if you can donate Olive Oil or Feminine Hygiene products we will really appreciate that. Emma Zell will collect at Coffee Morning.

Our two most recent new WhatsappChats are Buy/Sell and Donate run by Rita Rabelo and Women in Business. Both are active groups so if you want adding please let myself, Rita or Susan Burke March know.

If you are very new to your area or the city please speak to Veronica Lopez who is our Ambassador Co-ordinator. Her e-mail is iwcvwelcome@gmail.com New members really appreciate the support of an IWC Ambassador when they are relatively new to the city and we always appreciate the help of “longer term” members.

Remember, all the really useful information about What’s On within the Club and the many, many events is on the IWCV website. If you would like to join one of the many WhatsApp groups, just contact the relevant lead member or any Board Member including myself , janine_forbes@hotmail.com. Of course, If you know any women in your personal network who you think would enjoy being a member of our club, pass on the www.iwc-valencia.com and bring them along to an event. This is how the majority of women find us and referral is the best recommendation of all.

CHARITIES & FUNDRAISING

Pauline Fitzgerald, VP – Charities

CHARITIES UPDATE

As we head towards Summer with sunshine and enjoyable bright long days we maintain our focus on the charities we support, Proyecto Vivir, Casa Caridad and Casa Ronald.

For those of you members who wish to make private donations please note the Bank details of our three charities:

Proyecto VivirES75 3159 0066 9828 5328 2123

Casa Caridad La Caixa:ES47 2100 0736 0022 0061 2310Banco Sabadell:ES75 0081 7352 4300 0105 7311

Casa Ronald:ES27 0081 1518 9300 0150 8057

CASA CARIDAD

There will be a donation drive for Casa Caridad at our First Tuesday Coffee Morning on May 5th. Emma Zell our Casa Caridad Co-ordinator will be present to accept your donations. The Casa Caridad Driver will collect at noon. Casa Caridad have specified Olive Oil and Feminine Hygiene Products as their urgent current requirement. For your information Consum has special offers on olive oil at the moment. Thank you in advance for your support for this donation drive - every little bit helps.

CASA RONALD For those of you who missed the opportunity to attend the tour of Casa Ronald in March we are offering a new tour on Wednesday May 6th. at 17:00.This is a great opportunity to visit Casa Ronald and see firsthand the wonderful work carried out there to support Families whose children are receiving specialist care in La Fe Hospital. Casa Ronald creates an environment where the child can lead a normal life surrounded by their loved ones while undergoing treatment. There is no charge for the tour, but you must sign up to attend. To register, visit the IWCV website.

Our tour will be conducted by Cristina Hernandez who will guide the group through the operation of Casa Ronald and discuss the challenges the beneficiaries face every day. Our Casa Ronald Co-ordinator Carmen Martin will also be present.

As one of the three charities supported by IWC-V, this visit offers an amazing opportunity to see how our contributions really matter The tour will be in English, and questions are welcome!Please register as soon as possible to secure your place.

PROYECTO VIVIR

We plan to have a tour of Proyecto Vivir for those of you who are interested. Please check emails and the website for details in the coming weeks.

PROYECTO VIVIR STORE welcomes all secondhand clothing items and small household items. I'm sure many of us are in the process of having a clear out for Summer. You can drop off your donations to the store.

Address and opening times as follows:

Proyecto Vivir Tienda

Carrer de González Martí, 3, Extramurs, 46008, Valencia

Opening hours Tuesday to Thursday09:30 - 14:0017:00 - 19:30

Shop closed Friday to Monday

NEW DONATION DRIVE

Unfortunately, the company that used to provide food and supplies for the pantry at Proyecto Vivir has closed. Now they have to regularly reach out and check in with several stores/ shops for donations. To date they have not found another company that is willing to regularly donate food and supplies.Can we help? We will aim to start a donation drive in May to help Proyecto Vivir. We await information from them regarding the products required. Watch your emails in the coming weeks for full details.

Proyecto Vivir need volunteers for their shop. If you speak Spanish and have some free hours to offer please contact  our PV Co-ordinator Evelyn Smith by e-mail, evcelina@gmail.com.

As I have mentioned many times, we are always open to ideas to raise funds for our charities, if anyone would like to organise/host an event please contact me onpauline.fitzgerald9@gmail.com

ACTIVITIES

Susan Burke March, VP—Activities

In addition to the events listed above and the on-going activities on our website (take a look at iwc-valencia.com/activities), if you have items you’d like to sell, exchange, or donate or if you are looking for something particular, join our IWCV Buy/Sell WhatsUp Chat - (Join here: https://tinyurl.com/yz98btu6).

We also have the new IWCV Women In Business  WhatsApp Chat – Join Here:  https://tinyurl.com/4pwzw6r7

Women in Business (for those doing business in Valencia and/or working online)

Let’s Talk!

If you’re working, launching something new, or exploring ideas—what would you like to discuss?

A few ideas:• Finding clients in Valencia

• Navigating autónomo status, taxes, and legal setup

• Marketing that works here (not just what worked “back home”)

• Pricing your services with confidence

• Building a network and collaborating

• Working across languages and cultures

• Balancing business and life in Spain

What’s on your mind right now? Jump in!

FELLOWS OF THE IWCV

Carey Hepler, Coordinator

The Fellows of the IWCV is open to all men of Valencia. For questions or to join, please contact me (Carey Hepler) at carey.hepler@gmail.com.

Join the Fellows’ friendly weekly Spanish Conversation Meetup for expats in Valencia, designed for beginner to low-intermediate Spanish speakers. This is a friendly and supportive group where we can practice one of the most difficult parts of learning Spanish: speaking it!When: Mondays at 4pmWhere: Colon El Corte Inglés cafeteria (6th floor), Carrer de Colón, 27 (the Samsung store is on the ground floor).This is a link to join the Fellows’ Spanish Leaners WhatsApp group:  https://chat.whatsapp.com/FtYhG2uf003IbhOKCWzrkQAnd here is a link to join the Fellows’ Tuesday Night Movies WhatsApp group:  https://chat.whatsapp.com/CGqP2oDVE4aFFRJ4E1vBCQ

We hope to see you at our New Fellows Meet-Up on 4 May and our Fellows’ Happy Hour on 15 May (see details above)!

MAY HOLIDAYS IN VALENCIA

Friday 1 May 2026 - Día del Trabajador

Sunday 3 May - Mother’s Day Spain (not a public holiday)

We hope to see you at many of our upcoming events & activities, and especially we hope to hear from you with your ideas for how to help the charities we support for the rest of the year!

Jane Buck,

President