LONDON
When an East African Goan couple shut down their Goan restaurant in South London, little did they realise that they, along with many of their loyal customers, would go on to form a thriving club for the benefit of senior Goans in the area.
Now in its 14th year of existence, the Amigos Club has been organising a meeting for senior citizens every third Friday of the month from 12 pm to 5 pm, where they get to meet, enjoy Goan food and even celebrate the feasts of St Francis Xavier and St Anthony.
THE ORIGIN
The club traces its roots back to Precy and Hilary Fernandes, who ran the popular ‘Goan Cuisine’ restaurant in Plumstead, London.
“Many of our loyal and regular customers were retired senior East African Goans, who would meet at our restaurant. As we were getting closer to retiring, we closed down the restaurant. But once we closed the restaurant, we realised that many senior citizens who were our customers found they had no place to socialise,” said Precy.
“There was a South East Goan association that grew with the East African Goans, but when it was handed over to the next generation, they lost the plot and closed down the association. As a result, many senior citizens were lost with no place to meet.”
“We wanted senior citizens to continue meeting and socialising, and the intention was then to have a small group to meet up. I loved to cook, and so, food was not a problem, while the senior citizens would bring their own drinks. We then decided to celebrate the feasts of St Anthony and St Francis Xavier, like we used to celebrate in East Africa.”
“That was my main intention to start this monthly meet. I didn't want any profit. I just wanted people who are retired to come and meet once a month.”
THE ASSOCIATION
The get-togethers for senior citizens initially took place in the back room of Precy’s restaurant in Plumstead, London.
“We began meeting every third Friday of the month from 12 noon to 5 pm. As you would expect, the opportunity to enjoy Goan food and socialise soon meant that we outgrew the Salvation Army hall, moved to St Stephen’s Catholic Church hall and our current home is Community Centre Falconwood, Welling,” recalled Precy.
“It was also time that the club needed a name of its own. After inviting suggestions from members, the name ‘Amigos’ was aptly adopted in 2012. Our first event was held on September 21, 2012, and our organisation celebrated its 14th anniversary on September 18.”
THE ACTIVITIES
Precy said the Amigos Club continues to meet every third Friday of the month.
“To begin with, I catered the food and had a bar, bingo, raffle and Keep Fit exercises. Our present membership is around 117, and most of them are in their 70s and 80s,” said Precy.
“Our current volunteers are Barbara, Theo, Francis, Elva, Gail, Joe, Danny and Trevor, an amazing and very dedicated team.”
“A membership of £10 commenced in March 2014, and currently it's £12, while guests pay £3. We currently have 117 members, of whom seven are members for free, as they are over 90 years,” said Precy.
“This is a non-profit organisation, and the money we collect from membership, bingo and raffle is used to defray the costs towards the hall and music. As a non-profit fun club, any operating surplus is invested back into members in supporting and supplying free food.”
“We have a licensed bar and use different caterers and musicians on rotation. We included line dancing followed by live musicians, and it’s so much fun. The club also commemorates the feasts of St Francis Xavier and St Anthony, where families join in the celebrations. We do not do any charity or any other support activities.”
