At this time of year most of us are accustomed to giving, even if we struggle a little and cut back on a few luxuries in order to make the Christmas season special for our loved ones. Yet due to the current ‘crisis’ many Spanish families find themselves in a predicament which is unbelievably shocking to those of us used to the UK Benefit System. With Spain’s poor social system, the only way for many local families to survive whilst they continue to battle against the failing economy is to hand their children into care albeit temporarily.

When The Traveller Blues Band learnt of this awful situation, they decided to take action and raise money for the local children’s homes in Tenerife by donating their album sales and making collections at their gigs.

“We felt we just had to do something to help these kids and their parents. It is it hard to believe that it’s the only option left for them,” said Whiskey, front man of the band. “It’s a crazy world we live in, but this just shows how badly working class families have been hit by the corruption of the banks and governments of this so called EU zone…”

The band, alongside Helping Hands registered charity, organised a Christmas dinner and visit from Santa Claus at the Premier Bar in Amarilla Golf, for a group of under privileged children; each one received a bag of presents from Santa, a delicious, hot and filling meal and entertainment from the band. The Traveller Blues band then handed over just short of one thousand euros to Miriam of Helping Hands that they had collected through their album sales and collections at their gigs. “Seeing the joy on the children’s faces was enough to know that every little does count” and if you would like to help in anyway, you can contact Helping Hands or the Traveller Blues Band directly by visiting www.travellerbluesband.com

Unions representing staff at the Iberia airline just announced they are calling off the strike action planned for this month to avoid upsetting passengers Christmas holiday plans.

The strikes, which were expected for the week before Christmas, threatened to damage Spain’s image and the finances of the loss-making airline. Rivals would have also been hit by the absence of Iberia baggage handlers at many Spanish airports.

Unions failed to reach any agreement with Iberia over a major restructuring of the company at the latest round of talks, opening the door for strikes at another time.

“We’ve decided to call off the strike because of the dates and because we don’t want to harm passengers when Iberia bears an exclusive responsibility,” a spokesman for USO (Union Sindical Obrera) trade union told Reuters.

The strikes were set for December 14th and from December 17th to 21st, a peak time for Christmas travel.

The Joyn service from Telefonica’s Movistar, France Telecom’s Orange and Vodafone will offer free messaging, enhanced call features and in some cases free calls.

The move comes amid a sharp fall in the number of paid-for text messages sent in recession-hitSpain, where the unemployment rate stands at one in four and where WhatsApp is the best-selling application on Apple Inc’s App Store.

The service has become so well known that the government here inTenerifehas said officials should use the application to cut mobile bills.

Joyn, which allows users to send video and pictures while on a smart phone, is available for Android phones and will shortly launch for Apple’s iPhone.

More telecoms companies inSpainand globally are expected to offer the service, which will be implemented across operators inGermanylater this year and in several European countries in 2013.

“This is the beginning of something that will cross most operators in most countries,” said Graham Trickey, senior projects director at telecoms organisation GSMA.

Telefonica and Vodafone have lost hundreds of thousands of clients inSpainthis year since they stopped subsidising smartphones, a policy Vodafone recently reversed.

Cash-strapped consumers are spending less on traditional telecom services, a boon to Internet-based services like WhatsApp and Skype.

The number of paid-for text messages sent inSpaindropped to 1.5 billion in the second quarter of 2012, from 1.9 billion in the same period the year before, according to the country’s telecoms regulator.

Operators are keen to maintain customer loyalty, even if they are not making money from them. And Telefonica, Vodafone andOrangecould charge for some Joyn services in future.

“It’s possible that in the future we could launch new added-value services that could be paid for, for example better quality videocalls,” a spokeswoman for OrangeSpainsaid.

The Mayor of Arona Jose Alberto Gonzalez Reveron has resigned.

He finally announced his resignation after his appeal, against a Provincial Court of Santa Cruz de Tenerife’s judgment finding him guilty of corruption, was denied. The mayor had repeatedly refused to step down until his appeal was heard, despite an increasing clamour that he should do so.

Criminal Court Number One ofSanta Cruz de Tenerifehas upheld the sentence against Reveron, which disqualifies him from public office for four-and-a-half years. The sentence was duly handed down and established that the Mayor had hired two municipal workers in an incorrect manner that the courts deemed corrupt.

Reveron, a Coalicion Canaria party member, announced his resignation at a press conference, which was attended by members of his government and said, “This is not a good time to carry on”.

Reveron said that will he will soon be replaced by a councillor, but has not yet decided who, saying that he has the support of his party throughout theIsland.

He added that he will return to private enterprise again, opening up a new phase in his life.

He said the causes of the conviction, “Are mere administrative files”. Contracts for the two council workers were already made and were up for renewal, he argued.

He said he respects the law but feels he has been, “The victim of an inhumane and unjust decision” and called the opposition PP, PSC and Citizens for Arona parties, “The poorest and most mediocre Arona has had during the democratic era “.

The sentence has to do with two contracts with extensions coming up that were signed by the Mayor and caused the municipal auditor to have qualms about their legality. The judgement stated that the Mayor was guilty of “irregular conduct and the exercise of arbitrary abuse of power, resulting in an injury to the collective interest.”

The required screening test for the jobs was limited to an interview, which, the judge says, shows lack of rigor in testing and selection criteria.

The statement explained that Reveron. “Knew what he was doing and wanted to do” and that he was aware of what he had signed.

The opposition PP, however, has called for Sr Reverón to repay salary taken since the initial judgment on the grounds that the appeal had no chance of success anyway.

YEREMI Vargas would now be 13 years old, he went missing from his home in Santa Lucía de Tirajana (Gran Canaria) on March 10, 2007.

A man is now helping police with their enquiries; he is said to have a previous criminal record for child sex abuse and may know what happened to Yeremi, or where he is. Guardia Civil officers re-opened the case earlier this year with the hope that by releasing more details further information would come to light.

Information included descriptions of two cars – a white Opel Corsa and a black Rénault Clio – which were seen in the area where Yeremi, who was seven at the time, was last seen.

Further details about the man taken in for questioning have not been revealed in order to maintain the legally-required discretion involved in proceedings.

The flu vaccine will be available in health centres from Thursday November 15th, with priority for people at risk of complications from the flu: the chronically ill of any age and people over 65.

The Canary Islands Ministry of Health reported the arrival on November 12th of the first influenza vaccines supplied by other regions, following the suspension last October 25th of the vaccination campaign in the Archipelago by removing vaccines made by Novartis.

In the coming weeks, as the rest of vaccines arrive in the Canaries, the Health Service will proceed to vaccinate other persons included in the recommended groups: pregnant women, people with morbid obesity (BMI over 40), caregivers of patients with chronic illnesses and those over 65, and workers in essential community professions like the police, fire-fighters and especially health service personnel.

The rains have been particularly heavy in the north of the island, especially in Puerto de la Cruz, where 122 litres per square meter fell, causing flooding in the Plaza del Charco and several private homes.

Throughout Thursday morning there were long delays on the TF-5 due to a fallen tree and some landslides at El Sauzal, forcing vehicles into a single lane.

The TF-31 in the Martiánez area (Puerto de la Cruz) and TF-235 up to the Bunker café in Tacoronte was closed and in some districts of Anaga there had been minor flooding and landslides.

BBC One filming here tomorrow – Rip Off Britain: Holidays, will be using Tenerife as the location for their ‘Pop up travel clinic’ they will be at Papagayo Beach Club, Playa de Troya, Playa de Las Americas from 1pm-6pm, on Wednesday 7th November 2012.

Angela Rippon, Gloria Hunniford and Julia Somerville will be bringing the Rip Off Britain team to offer free advice on all sorts of general holiday topics; from insurance and flight surcharges to hotel problems and holiday scams. The focus is not Tenerife specific, but general consumer holiday issues.

No matter how big or small your gripe, confusion or query, do get in touch and go along on Wednesday. They’ll do their best to help.

They’re keen to hear your stories in advance so please email them putting ‘Pop Up’ in the subject line to:

ripoffbritain@bbc.co.uk

Or give them a call or text on 00 44 7722 102190