Rain, sunshine, record numbers, and a sea of orange along the coastline – this year’s Saffery Rotary Walk was one to remember.
The Walk, one of the island’s most popular and inclusive charity events, took place on Saturday, June 7th. A record-breaking 1,200+ participants took part in the main event and its accessible side routes. From early morning until late evening, walkers of all ages and abilities stepped out to support 25 local charities.
The main walk began at 4:30 am from the Guernsey Information Centre, with individuals and relay teams joining along the 39-mile route. The final checkpoint at the Liberation Monument stayed open until 10 pm to welcome the last finishers, many of whom completed the full island circuit.
In addition to the ‘Main’ and ‘Family’ walks, the ‘Step By Step’ Walk was back for the third year at Rosaire Court, where residents, family, friends, and others walked lengths of the car park to collectively reach their 39-mile goal.
Lisa Vizia, Director at event sponsor Saffery Trust, said:
“The turnout this year was just fantastic – not only from local residents, but also from visitors who travelled to be part of this special day. It’s inspiring to see the event grow each year, bringing people together and making the route accessible for everyone. The atmosphere was incredible, and the coastline looked absolutely breath-taking swathed in orange.”
Walk chairman, Simon Milsted, added:
“We set ourselves the target of welcoming more off-island walkers, and we certainly did that. We were delighted to welcome participants from the UK and as far afield as South Africa – all of whom came to Guernsey specifically to join the Walk. Collectively our blaze of orange shirts certainly brightened up the greyness of parts of the day.”
Among this year’s standout moments was local man Mark Prevel’s extraordinary challenge – running the 39-mile course on Friday before joining the walk at the start on Saturday at 4.30 am alongside fellow walkers on Saturday morning at 4.30 am. Also notable was Ruth Mahy completing the walk this year for the 25th time!
The walk is one of the island’s major community events, which were promoted and delivered jointly by Guernsey’s two Rotary Clubs. Rotarian Nigel Dorey led their huge team in preparation and on the day. He said:
“We owe a huge thank you to our incredible volunteers from within and outside our two clubs and to our generous sponsors. Their commitment and energy make this event possible. Special thanks must go to Saffery Trust, who are not only our main sponsor the Walk but also man our Finish Line. Our generous sponsors collectively allow every penny raised by walkers to go directly to our 25 chosen charities.”
With donations still being collected, the Rotary clubs are hopeful that the record numbers of 2025 will set a new fundraising record. Walkers are encouraged to finalise their sponsorship through their SportsGiving pages or paper forms. Sponsor monies can still be dropped off at Saffery Trust’s office between 9 am and 5 pm, Monday to Friday.
“Yet again, we’ve had a brilliant day with fantastic support,” Simon Milsted concluded. “Now let’s turn that positive energy into real impact for this year’s carefully selected Bailiwick charities.”
Those wishing to be involved next year, whether they be walkers, sponsors or volunteers, save the date in your diary now. SATURDAY, 6th JUNE 2026
