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The Rotary Club of Guernsey Centenary Events Continue With The Saffery Rotary Walk To mark their own centenary year coinciding with the 25th year of this incredible annual event, six past Rotary presidents are joining the current president of the Rotary Club of Guernsey on the 10th of June to form a relay team to participate in this year’s Round Island Walk. Brian Acton, President said “In recognition of the 100th Anniversary of our Club, we decided to participate and lead by example and submit an ‘aged and mature relay group’ to illustrate that this is an event that all can be involved in. Between us we have on average well over 25 years of serving the community through Rotary. “On the day we seven will be taking time off from our regular duties as volunteer officials to enjoy actually participating in the walk. We will not missing the opportunity of raising sponsorship for our efforts. “If the thought of taking on the whole walk seems a little intimidating, then why not get a Relay Team together as we have done to share the footsteps. Alternatively join the, more modest, Family Walk that starts at Chouet. It really isn’t too late to register.” In 2022 34 relay teams took part and for 2023 organisers want to smash this number! 25 charities have been chosen to benefit from this year’s sponsorship money. Simon Milsted, Chairman of the Walk Committee said, “The values that underpin our Round Island Walk sit very comfortably with those of the Rotary Club in terms of its longevity, its deep-rooted involvement with our Island community and the service our walkers give to so many charities through the sponsorship that they raise. So it is particularly fitting that our 25th Walk falls in the 100th anniversary year for the first Rotary Club’s foundation in Guernsey. It was a simple decision to mark this linkage by inviting the Club’s past presidents to field a relay team this year. “Naturally we would like to encourage other organisations, workgroups or families to join us in what is proven to be a really great way to enjoy our marvellous coastline while raising money for hard pressed charities in the Bailiwick.”

States Works Steps Up: Extra Team Deployed to Tackle Overgrowth Along South Coast Path Our thanks to States Works who will be allocating an extra team next week to address the worst of the overgrowth along the south coast path. The cliff path greenery has ‘enjoyed’ a very wet spring, so we are grateful that States Works are on the case. Thanks to all those involved!

A ‘SHOUT OUT’ TO ALL OUR PAST WALKERS This is a very special year in the life or the Round Island Walk. If you have walked with us in the past you will have our regular finishers’ medal. But there will only be ONE chance to add this unique medal to your trophy cabinet.  Why not help us celebrate our 25th Walk by joining us on 10th June for part or whole of the Walk and collect this ‘never to be repeated’ memento of all we have achieved together over 25 years. The walk grows in stature each year. If ever there was a moment to put your boots on and relive your past success while taking in our glorious coastline, this is it. Be part of a record breaking year! 

WALK DAY IS GETTING CLOSER With less than a month to go our volunteer team got their sleeves rolled up this week to dispatch some 800 walker packs that contain the, all important, id tags and the much sought after walk shirt. The team comprised volunteers from both the islands’ Rotary Clubs and members of our two major corporate  sponsors, Saffery Champness and Guernsey Post. Thank must also go to our hosts for the evening, St James. Our work does not stop here. We are organised to manage what will be a great community event and a fitting celebration of this our 25th Round Island Walk. So if you haven’t registered yet please do. Don’t worry, you haven’t missed the boat. We will get your walker pack to you. Registration remains open for individual walkers, relay teams and those wishing to join the less demanding Family Walk. This year we are looking to top £1million of donations to charities over the lifetime of the Walk. So not only will you be helping us to celebrate our 25th Round Island Walk but, by raising sponsorship, you will be making a tangible contribution to hard pressed charities in our Bailiwick.

25 local charities to benefit from the 2023 Saffery Rotary Walk 25 Guernsey charities will benefit from the money raised from the 2023 Saffery Rotary Walk, taking place on Saturday 10th June. This year’s selection represents a diverse range of charities across Guernsey who support islanders through many sectors, such as healthcare, sport, social care, arts, leisure and more. The full list of charities is can be found here ‘This is our 25th walk and we hope to welcome a record-breaking number of entries while exceeding the previous total raised through sponsorship. Early bird discounts are still available for those who register before the end of January.’ says Simon Milsted, the chair of Saffery Rotary Walk’s organising team.  ‘We are proud to be supporting such a multitude of charities this year. It is always difficult to decide which will benefit each year, however, we have again selected a broad range of deserving charities that are representative of many sectors island wide.’ Simon continues: ‘Support will continue to be needed with ever increasing demands placed on the voluntary services, and we are pleased to be able to assist those who work selflessly for others. We are confident that the lives of a number of islanders will be made better and easier through the sponsorships raised by walkers.’ ‘I want to thank our sponsors Saffery Champness, for their continued financial commitment and support. This means that every penny raised by our walkers and those who sponsor them goes to the local charities.’ Lisa Vizia, Director of Saffery Champness, says: ‘We take the responsibility of our sponsorship of the Saffery Rotary Walk incredibly seriously, and it is an honour to be involved. The Guernsey community benefits immensely from the money raised which makes it is such a worthwhile event to be supporting.’ Lisa continues: ‘The shared camaraderie of those who take part is truly special as they work towards a common goal to raise money for a set of local charities while enjoying the beautiful views our island has to offer. The annual Walk is at the core of what we do at Saffery as we make our contribution to wider island life.’ The 2023 Saffery Rotary Walk on 10th June takes in 39 miles of Guernsey’s coastline, which begins and ends on the St Peter Port seafront. Walkers can take on the challenge of the entire walk or selected legs. The Walk is held in high regard, ranked among the best charity walks in the UK for its shared fellowship and scenic views. Registration is open already for individuals and relay teams and in March details will be released and entries open for the family group section of the walk. Everyone is encouraged to participate in what is hoped to be a record-breaking year.

2023 will be a fabulous year to join us on our annual Round Island Walk. Not only will it deliver a tremendous day taking in our wonderful coastal scenery and provide you with the satisfaction of taking part in Guernsey’s most challenging sponsored walk, but this year you will be helping us celebrate two major milestones. Our 2023 walk will be our 25th Round Island Walk and happily it coincides with the 100th Anniversary of the foundation of Rotary in Guernsey, since which time it has continued to serve the community of our Bailiwick. Don’t forget, if you are planning to undertake the walk in full or in parts with friends or work mates our relay team registration is also open. In March we will be launching once again our ‘Guernsey Family Walk’. An opportunity for families to come together and enjoy a slightly more leisurely walk down the East Coast, yet still enjoying the fun of being part of our 25th celebrations at the Finish in the heart of St Peter Port’s harbour front. CLICK HERE now to secure your registration and be part of one of Guernsey’s most longstanding public sponsored events  …  and enjoy wearing our, now famous, bright orange walk shirt. Please help us by spreading the word. Let’s make our 25th Walk very special day – for those directly involved and for the charities in our Bailiwick that we will be helping. See you there!

Checkout the 100s of photos that were taken thoughout the 2022 walk by clicking the button below.  For photos taken during 2021 and earlier please visit the gallery page! 2022 Walk Photos Our Gallery

17 Local Charities to benefit from the 2022 Saffery Rotary Walk 17 Guernsey charities have been selected to benefit from the money raised from this year’s Saffery Rotary Walk, to be staged on 11th June 2022. They represent a diverse cross-section of the wide range of charities supporting people in Guernsey and encompass sport, social care, healthcare, arts and leisure and more. The full list is shown below. Simon Milsted, the chair of the Saffery Rotary Walk’s organising team says: “The committee received a large number of applications from community good causes doing excellent work to support islanders and it is always difficult to decide which ones will benefit each year. For 2022 we have selected 17 charities with a wide variety of projects. We know that there’s been increased demand for the third sector’s services over the past two years and that support will continue to be needed. Those behind the charities work selflessly for others and we hope that the support we can give them from the sponsorship our walkers raise will help bring to fruition projects that will make life better and easier for a number of islanders.” Since its inception 25 years ago, the Saffery Rotary Walk has raised more than £850,000 for local charities. Last year was a record breaker, with more than 1,000 participants raising a record amount. One individual raised an incredible £12,000 but the sponsorship that every walker raises is valued. It is hoped that this upward trend in walker numbers and money raised will continue this year. The early bird registration discount for individual walkers has been extended by a month to 28th February 2022. This is to give potential walkers from Guernsey, the other Channel Islands and the UK more time to assess the Covid situation before applying. Simon Milsted continues: “I want to say a special thank you to our sponsors Saffery Champness, because they shoulder the organisational costs of the walk. This means that all of the money raised by our walkers and those that sponsor them goes to the local charities we select. This is an exceptional commitment from them and everyone on the walk team is very grateful.” Lisa Vizia, a director of Saffery Champness, says: “It’s an honour and an important responsibility to sponsor the Saffery Rotary Walk because it does so much for the Guernsey community. Those who take part, and I really hope we have another record breaking entry, share a unique camaraderie as they support each other along the 39 mile route. At the same time, they’re raising money that will be shared among a varied and very worthwhile set of local charities and good causes that all work to make our island home a better place to live. The annual Walk is very much at the core of what we at Saffery’s see as our contribution to wider island life.” The 2022 Saffery Rotary Walk on 11th June takes in 39 miles of Guernsey’s coast line, beginning and ending on the St Peter Port seafront. It takes walkers south first, along the entire length of the cliff paths. It is ranked among the best charity walks in the UK for its stunning views and sense of camaraderie. The theme of this year’s walk is Welcome Back, a reference to participants from further afield, and perhaps locals too, who’ve been unable to take part because of the pandemic. Registration is very much open, and individuals, relay teams and families are encouraged to sign up and make the walk another record breaker. The charities to benefit from the generous support of participants in the 2022 Saffery Rotary Walk are: Action for Children’s Guernsey Youth Housing – starter kits for young people moving in to training flats Autism Guernsey LBG – ‘Social eyes programme’ helping people on the autism spectrum to develop social understanding and why it is necessary to learn social skills at all Carers Guernsey LBG – IT equipment and set up to enhance the operation of the help they provide to unpaid carers in the community Dyslexia Day Centre – train a teacher to deliver the Dyslexia Action Literacy Programme and for a photocopier which is so important for lesson content for what they do at the Day Centre Girlguiding Guernsey – help with additional equipment costs because of related Covid arrangements and uniforms for those who would not otherwise be able to be in uniform Grow Limited – plant trolleys to move heavy plants around site Guernsey Arts – facilitate the delivery of Art Projects for young people from 6-17 years old who reside in and around Les Genats Estate Guernsey Dynamics Football Club – help these footballers who have a variety of disabilities to compete against similar teams Guernsey Hockey LBG – launch Walking Hockey to make hockey available to those who are less mobile Guernsey Neuro Concern LBG – equipment needed to help islanders suffering with neurological issues Guernsey Sailing Trust LBG – sailing dinghy suitable for younger children Island Scouts 5th Guernsey – repair roof of their premises so that the building can be brought back to use Liberate – a quiet space during the Pride event in September St John Ambulance Guernsey LBG – a specialised Airway AED Mannikin for training volunteers and the public St Mary & St Michael PTFA – towards a sensory garden in the school grounds The Ron Short Centre LBG – create 5 IT booths for the IT Training Lounge for at the Ron Short Centre Vive La Vallette LBG – a ramp for assisted access to the Ladies Pool for those less physically able