My name is Ben Butcher and I am a student from Sussex University. I am currently researching British retirement migration to the Costa del Sol and in particular the ways in which community involvement affects personal quality of life. Earlier this summer I spent a month in Benalmadena interviewing British migrants and attending different clubs and societies. I have also seen the valuable affects internet blogs and pages such as these offer people. I have a number of questions concerning my research which I am hoping a number of you may be able to help answer concerning your personal experiences. Any answers you could provide would be more than welcome. Whether you wish to post them here or email me personally at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) any answers you could provide would be more than useful.
The questions are:
1) Do you feel activities affect positively on your quality of life here?
2) How well do you feel integrated with a) the Spanish community b) the retiree community? c) the expat community
3) Do you feel safer here through your community/social involvement? Would you describe this as a support network?
4) How often do you go home or have family visit? Do clubs you attend offer any feelings of community to you?
5) Did you/do you feel any pressure to become involved in community/social activities? So not to feel alone in a strange country?
6) Would you be willing to become involved in mixed nationality communities and societies?
7) If these clubs suddenly all closed, would you be inclined to leave?
8) Would you ever return back to the UK for anything but health reasons?
9) Without these clubs and your active engagement, do you think you would feel as safe?
10) Is there any particular time you feel alienated from society here?
11) Do you believe a boost in infrastructure and support could lead to less need for these clubs? Due to welfare support for example being given by the government?
12) Do you see yourself as more or less patriotic than when you lived in the UK?
13) Is the Spanish way of life important to the reasons why you migrated here? Say there was a sunny part of England similar to here, would it be more or less attractive?
Thank you very much for any information you could provide which will aid in the further understanding of British retirement migration.
Ben Butcher
