In February, we introduced you to our very own Leaky Finders, Pete Ashcroft and Dave Poxon the co-founders of Canary Detect and told you a little bit about the other pies they have their fingers in around Playa Blanca and Lanzarote. This time we wanted to share with you more about the non-profit organisation they are co-owners of called El Atico de Abuela.
Firstly let’s explain what El Atico is all about, El Atico has a shop located in Playa Blanca that sells pre-loved items of clothing, furniture and a multitude of household items, you can literally pick up an outfit for date night, a saucepan to cook your dinner in and a pair of curtains for your living room all under one roof. All items sold in El Atico have kindly been donated by the residents and community of Lanzarote.
Now here’s the really important bit, all the money that is generated through the shops is given back to families in need across Lanzarote. In 2025 alone El Atico donated over 25,000€ to over 100 people in need of help and support. The very purpose of what they do is to give back to the community.
El Atico supports individuals and families in many different ways. They might help with a simple food package to tide a family over to their next pay day or pay for all or part of an electricity bill to ensure a family is not cut off. They also help with much more fundamental projects like sourcing specialists to undertake a forensic, deep clean of a property and then replacing old, damaged furniture with items from their shop or providing 1-to-1 nursing care for somebody who might be living with a severe disability or illness. If El Atico is approached to help then they will do everything in their power to offer some support.
El Atico are also in frequent contact with social services and seek to provide short term remedial support whilst an individual waits for their case to be processed. Many individuals and families’ needs are immediate and El Atico can fulfil that urgent need whilst their paperwork is reviewed by the authorities.
One thing that the team is especially proud of is that each year we ensure that every child known to us from a family in need has at least one Christmas present. It’s hard to imagine waking up on Christmas Day to nothing and El Atico wants to make sure that never happens. They receive truly heartwarming but equally heartbreaking messages telling them that without El Atico’s Christmas gifts their child would have gone without. The team also handed out 900€ of food vouchers so families could enjoy a Christmas meal.
The day to day running of the shops falls to their amazing Manager Marian Martinez, the drivers who collect donations from across the island and deliver larger items that have been purchased and a team of over 30 volunteers who willingly give up their free time to work in the shop.
Marian Martinez is the Manager of El Atico and is responsible for the smooth day to day running of the shop and also is the main point of contact for families in need. Marian told us:
“El Ático is more than a second-hand shop, it is a family, a community, a belonging. Despite how manic it is, it gives me a huge sense of satisfaction when someone hugs me or squeezes my hand and says thank you, you make a difference in my life. Be it with a food parcel, a warm jumper, a toy for their child at Christmas or a listening ear. El Atico is a family that is always here, for the people we help, for our volunteers, for our regular customers and for the community of Lanzarote in general”
Each day Marian is supported by a team of volunteers who want to give something back to their local community. We asked some of them what it means to be a part of the El Atico family: “Volunteering has always been a big part of my life, so when I moved to Lanzarote 4 years ago it was important to find the right environment for me. Working in the El Atico shop is a great place to be. We have a real team spirit with friendly and kind people. You feel like you are making a difference and always feel appreciated. I also work with getting collections from Puerto Del Carmen. If someone is doing a renovation, they are always willing to pass items on to help others. To know that El Atico has been able to help someone with a fridge or a washing machine certainly warms the heart” – Helen Waddington.
“When I moved to Playa Blanca it was important to me to integrate into the local community and to try and give something back and volunteering at El Atico gave me the perfect opportunity to do both. What makes it so special is when you hear of the support and help, we’ve been able to give to people. It is all too easy for us to take certain things for granted but we hear stories of real genuine hardship and if what we do can help alleviate that situation then that makes me proud to be part of the El Atico family” – Jane Williams.
“I’m lucky to call this place home and volunteering with El Atico helps me stay connected to the realities that exist alongside that beauty. Our work matters because access to care and opportunity should depend on circumstance” – Lisa Sargent.
Whilst the El Atico shop is based in Playa Blanca, the team are often out and about more widely in the Lanzarote community, this ranges from having a pitch at the car boot sale to running quizzes in conjunction with other local businesses or our famous posh frock events. These activities all raise further much needed funds and are also a way to spread the El Atico message across Lanzarote. The recent event in conjunction with Monster Radio raised a whopping 4000€.
The El Atico family pride themselves on being an integral part of the Lanzarote community and being able to help that community when it needs it most. Most of us hope that we never find ourselves in times of hardship, but when it happens the El Atico team is there to help.
If you want to be involved by either donating or volunteering, then please contact El Atico direct at http://elatico.org or call +34 646 475546.
If you wish to make a donation to El Atico this can be done by a payment direct to their bank IBAN ES73 0081 0540 2000 0172 5382 or Paypal elaticolanzarote1@gmail.com.
To find out more about the products and services from Canary Detect please visit http://canary-detect.com or call +34 711 051071.
