20 local charities set to receive funding from the 2018 Saffery Rotary Walk

Money raised by walkers who participate in the 2018 Saffery Rotary Walk will be making a difference to 20 local charities.

The walk’s organising committee, made up of representatives from the Rotary Club and sponsor Saffery Champness, had the difficult task of selecting which applications would benefit from the overall funds raised.

After receiving a record 59 applications, the committee chose 20 local community projects to receive funds from the 2018 Saffery Rotary Walk, which takes place on Saturday 9 June. 

The projects selected for 2018 funding are:   

• Bright Beginnings Children’s Centre – providing  book bags for the Great Expectations reunion groups
• Citizens Advice Guernsey – to repair and decorate the exterior and interior of the front of the Citizens Advice Charity Shop
• Friends of DofE – to train 10 adult leader volunteers to assist the federated schools with their off island expeditions
• Guernsey Animal Aid – to refurbish the building adjacent to the main cattery and expand its capacity to 26
• Guernsey Army Cadet Force (RGLI) – to purchase 10 SUP boards and 20 wetsuits
• Guernsey Bereavement Service LBG – to cover the initial costs of setting up a project for traumatic death support by providing workshops, conferences and bringing trainers and speakers to the island
• Guernsey Mencap LBG – providing a package of sensory equipment including lights, textures and noises
• Guernsey Mind – to fund a launch event for the 1000 Minds programme
• Guernsey Mobility Let’s Go Group (GMLG) – to purchase specialist sports equipment
• Guernsey Multiple Sclerosis Society –  to purchase two gantry hoists
• Guernsey PND Support Group – to train six new volunteers to help with increased approaches made to the charity
• Guernsey Scout Association – to take a group on a nine day summer camp in the New Forest
• Guernsey Specials Gym Group – to train two volunteers to British Gymnastics Level 1 status
• GSPCA – to purchase a new electric van
• Lungevity – to purchase two new smaller lightweight oxygen concentrators
• Men’s Shed Guernsey – to renovate two large parking sheds with Makerspace Guernsey
• Ormer FC – to purchase portable, rechargeable LED floodlights
• Schools Library Service – to fund regular visits from the Patron of Reading author for Bailiwick primary schools
• Sound Guernsey – to purchase PA equipment
• St James LBG – to help fund a timeline exhibition showing the history of St James from 1815 to present day

Simon Milsted, chair of the walk’s organising committee, said: “The committee is always looking to have as big an impact on the community as possible, supporting organisations that provide important services for islanders.

“The success of this event is dependent on people taking part and generating sponsorship, so we’d like to encourage walkers to take advantage of our early-bird offers and get registered as soon as possible, whether you are walking the full 39 miles or a section of it as a relay team.”

The Saffery Rotary Walk is one of Guernsey’s largest annual charity fundraising events and the only round-island walk. This is the fifth year that sponsor Saffery Champness has supported the walk and the firm is committed to assisting the Saffery Rotary Walk committee.

Lisa Vizia, director at Saffery Champness and member of the organising committee, said: “Supporting local community projects is an important element in our approach to CSR at Saffery Champness. It was a difficult task to select 20 charities from the record number of applications we received; however we feel that our choices reflect a good cross section of community projects across the island. We hope that walkers will now be inspired to register and get fundraising for these 20 deserving local charities.”

Participants can register by going to the event’s website: www.safferyrotarywalk.com and signing up to the fundraising platform Race Nation which also enables people to raise sponsorship and donate through a secure server.

More information can be found on the walk’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Safferyrotarywalk.com and @SRIslandwalk on Twitter.