A CHARITY set up on the Costa del Sol to raise money for homeless children in the Philippines has failed to raise a penny in two years.
The organisation StreetO was established in Spain by former estate agent Raymond Allon in 2009.
Despite enlisting helpers around the country, it has yet to send any money to the frontline charity workers in Asia.
Allon was previously part-responsible for an off-plan property scheme that left investors out of pocket.
His Marbella-based property firm Anglospan went bust after an off-plan scheme in Zahara de la Sierra, Cadiz, turned sour.
As reported in the Olive Press in May 2009, the scheme failed to gain planning permission, taking down the developers, and the deposits of hapless investors.
One of them, William Bell, started proceedings against the developers. He told us he had given his 30,000 euro deposit to developer Espaciera, via Allon, in 2004 and never got anything back.
“It is tantamout to robbery,” he said. “I was promised that my deposit was protected. Now I found it has mysteriously disappeared.”
Allon, however, is adamant that nearly all the investors have now got their money back and insists that the charity is legitimate.
“The charity has ground to a halt,” he admitted, blaming the economic downturn and lack of interest in Spain.
He insisted he had been ‘slugging away’ for the charity but that a series of gala charity nights – one that was scheduled to take place at Marbella’s five star Guadalpin Hotel – never took place.
“We just couldn’t get enough interest,” he said. “We need help to get this going again. We don’t even have enough money to put petrol in the car.”
Charity boss in the Philippines, John O’Toole, set up StreetObligations to help street children in the country’s poorest island of Mindanao.
O’Toole confirmed that he had received no money.
“Ray thought StreetO was a great idea,” he told the Olive Press from the Philippines. “So he volunteered to do our fundraising.”
“Our funding has been in Ray’s hands, and so far nothing has been forthcoming,” he continued. “I have no idea what’s been happening at his end.”
Donations
One of Ray’s projects was to collect clothes and toys from expats around Spain to send over to impoverished children.
But Benidorm-based volunteer Ricky Price revealed: “I was the only one actually collecting the stuff.
“My garage is now full and nothing has been sent abroad. It’s costing me money.
“As far as I know not a penny has been raised.”
Thankfully the project is beginning to make some impact in Mindanao, thanks to donations from Australia.
Find StreetObligations on Facebook to see its work or email John at streetobligations@yahoo.com
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