Guernsey – We Have Discovered a ‘Lump’!

As part of the continuing effort to draw attention to male cancers, Male Uprising Guernsey (MUG) has found a ‘lump’

The scrub-covered mound at Salerie Corner will be cleared and replanted to create a floral tribute to islanders affected by cancer.

Male Uprising Guernsey has worked with award-winning horticulturist Raymond Evison to devise a scheme which will see schoolchildren plant heritage daffodils over the mound.

It’s hoped that colourful wildflowers and indigenous grasses will turn a once-neglected corner of St Peter Port into an attractive reminder of cancer and the importance of getting health concerns checked out. 

‘We noticed the mound, just like one might notice a lump, and were inspired to transform the scrub and weeds into something that would help to remind people that we can't ignore cancer,’ explains Trevor Kelham, founder of MUG. ‘It’s a busy area, with thousands of people driving past each day. We hope this “lump” will remind people to stay vigilant about any symptoms that should be checked out.’

The male cancer charity has already been working with Raymond Evison, Jan Dockerill of Agriculture, Countryside and Land Management Services and Bob Carre of States Works land management for over a year. The first stage of the project, to clear the ground, will start at 8am on Wednesday 14th September.

A team of volunteers has been removing weeds and cutting the grass before replanting can begin.

Jamie Hooper, from La Societe Guernesiaise, has advised on local wildflowers and it is hoped that the area will be a blaze of colour by next spring. 

Later in the autumn, the next stage of the project will see local schoolchildren planting daffodil bulbs. The bulbs chosen are not the ubiquitous modern strains of the flower, but rather heritage daffodils that would have grown in Guernsey fields during the 19th century. The scheme will use varieties that were commonly grown during the time of the daffodil industry but which are are slowly disappearing, and the mound will become a living museum of these old varieties giving lots of colour each spring.

‘This is a real community project,’ says Mr Kelham. ‘It has been a collaborative process which would not have got off the ground without the enthusiasm and expertise of Raymond Evison.’

Mr Evison said: ‘I have been delighted to be part of this exciting project, it is bringing the Guernsey countryside into town, bringing colour, interesting native plants and doing a marvellous job for plant diversification.

‘It will be home to lots of different insects and small animals as well as butterflies and moths - a haven for all types of pollinators - something that our world is losing very quickly.

'We need to take care of the precious nature around us, as well as our own bodies.’