MEET ANDY

Hi I’m Andy and I’m originally from Newcastle, in the north-east of England. 

After a number of years working in corporate communication management, as well as freelance football and travel writing across Europe, I’ve spent the last 7 years running my own communications consultancy business working with clients in the public and private sector. 

Spending over 15 years visiting our holiday home in Gran Alacant, I eventually escaped the pull of Monday to Friday office-based meetings a couple of years ago and was able to relocate here and make use of the easy commute options from Alicante airport. Working from home was easy, with a nice balance of video meetings and face-to-face meetings. 

When COVID hit, it changed the way everyone who was having to use an office had to work, something which I expect will have far-reaching changes in the way business and employment is conducted in the future.

It’s far too easy to get sucked into the never-ending grind of back-to-back video meetings while everyone else is also working from home, and this is why it’s been such a blessing to be in Gran Alacant. OK, the recent winter nights have been a bit chilly and most people I speak to in meetings think it’s wall-to-wall sun, but being able to grab a little bit of time away from the computer and sit outside with a coffee, or having a quick walk taking in some of our wonderful coastal scenery before getting back to the desk (dining room table), has really helped to break up the working day.

Getting some sunny rays on your face between meetings really helps to focus your thoughts when needed, sharpen creative ideas, and certainly helps when you need to disconnect and grab an all-important break. The work-life balance seems much easier to achieve here, despite the tough year we have all endured. 

Having previously worked remotely back in Newcastle, it makes a massive difference being able to escape the computer during daylight hours and having blue sky above you. 

There’s a great community spirit in the town, regardless of where you might have come from originally. There are a number of social groups and neighbours of different nationalities are really supportive of each other. It’s definitely not just the Spanish sun that has such warmth. 

And with two great cities in Elche and Alicante so close, you can get the best of the smaller town experience as well as the bigger city atmosphere. The connections with elsewhere in Spain, through the airport or the great train links, means that the rest of the country, and further afield, are easily accessible once life opens back up. These Spanish adventures outside of work are something I’m looking forward to again. 

MEET CHLOE

Hi I’m Chloe.  I first moved to Gran Alacant in 2015 when work offered me the opportunity to work in Spain. Initially, I was only supposed to stay for 6 months but nearly 5 and a half years later, I’m still here and I have made a good life for myself here in Gran Alacant. 

Gran Alacant is perfectly situated, first of all, the beach is on your doorstep and you’re never too far away from the mountains. There’s some amazing hiking trails around this area with some spectacular views. Secondly, we’re in an ideal spot of being able to explore the rest of Spain, having said that, with Alicante Airport being only a 10-minute drive away we’re in an ideal location to explore the rest of Europe.

During my time in Gran Alacant I’ve met some amazing people from all corners of the world whether that be from visiting the local bars and restaurants or taking part in some of the social activities that the area has to offer. Most recently I have been an active member of the GA Runners club and GA BootCamp and once again I’ve met some fabulous people. 

If you love the outdoor life and love a mixture of the beach, mountains and city life, Gran Alacant could be the place for you! Gran Alacant has certainly made me feel comfortable and welcome!

MEET HANS

I am Hans!  I grew up in Flanders, near Louvain in Belgium. I have over 30 years of experience working in IT and Telecommunications all over Europe and can speak Dutch/Flemish, French, German, Spanish and some Italian. 

The EUIPO EU Institution brought me to the Alicante region and I settled in Gran Alacant during the many years that I worked for them as an external consultant. The Alicante region and Gran Alacant in particular is a real hodgepodge of different nationalities and cultures but still retains its Mediterranean lifestyle which I appreciate a lot.

I have established my own business in Spain and have set up an office for a Luxembourg consultancy company in Alicante which incorporated a co-working space that has proved to be a great source of talent. I have worked as a freelance consultant for renowned IT companies where I use my expertise to provide consultancy services to EU agencies that are similar to EUIPO. Initially this involved a lot of travelling but I now work remotely from my home office using cutting edge technology.

I was delighted to hear that Gran Alacant had a co-working space and although I am fairly new to the Simple Social Hub Co-working Community, I will be using it regularly to meet with business partners and clients and plan to run workshops on technology and personal development, as apart from being certified in a whole bunch of Technologies and Methodologies, I also hold certifications in Neurolinguistics.

I hope to see you there soon, masked and unmasked once we are permitted.

If these stories have inspired you to take the plunge and relocate to Gran Alacant, we recommend that you contact: 

Costa Blanca Lawyers for any legal enquiries you may have

and the Simple Social Hub for information about renting co-working space.