Skip to main content

Southwest / Summer 2026 / Issue 14

Page 1


Pension Plus

You may be able to get help with health costs such as dental care, eye tests and foot treatment through Pension Plus.

Funding is available if:

You've reached pension age at the time of application

Are receiving a Jersey Old Age Pension or have ‘entitled’ status

You (and your partner, if applicable) don’t pay Jersey income tax, or you only pay up to £1,000* in total tax each year

Have no more than £64,000 in household assets (excluding the value of the family home)

*Extended to more pensioners – find out if you’re eligible Eligibility criteria expanded Pension Plus Scheme

Pension Plus can help you meet the cost of:

Dental Care

£55 a year for check-ups

Up to £1,900 every 4 years for treatment

Eye Care

£55 every 2 years for eye tests

£165 every 2 years for glasses or lenses

Foot Care

£165 a year for treatment

Welcome...

… to “Southwest”, your community-focused, free magazine for all the people of St Brelade.

Thank you so much to all our regular and new contributors for the time spent writing articles and collating photographs to share with our readers.

We are always delighted to share information about many of the wonderful activities and opportunities which are available in our local community. We hope that you enjoy reading about them and are perhaps tempted to get involved.

Our fantastic front cover photograph is of the 500th Jersey Parkrun which took place at the end of May. This incredible free community event attracts hundreds of participants every week and is run entirely by volunteers. Find out more on pages 8-9. Thank you so much to Simon Langlois for the lovely photographs.

St Brelade Battle of Flowers are busy getting ready for the parades in August and they would be very grateful for your help. If you have any time to spare and would like to get involved, more information and contact details can be found on page 21.

Congratulations are due to Steve Pallett, who has been elected the new Constable for St Brelade and to Helen Miles, former Parish Deputy, who topped the island poll for Senator.

Due to the timing of Election Day on Sunday 7th June, we do not have contributions from any of our Parish Deputies, but we look forward to hearing from them in the next edition. An Election Roundup can be found on page 22.

Our young Parishioners have been very busy as usual as you will see in updates by Pathways, 10th St Brelade Scout Group, Mont Nicolle, La Moye School and St Brelade’s Youth Project.

Bowl Ā Crock will be returning to Les Quennevais Skatepark later this year, with an After Party at The Watersplash. Find out more about these events, and the work of charity Skate Space, on pages 28-29.

We welcome new contributions which might encourage readers to get involved, meet new people or try a new skill. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have a club, activity or news to share.

À la préchaine

If you would like to contribute to future editions of Southwest, please email Susan Parker at susiep99@hotmail.com or call 07797 916991. The deadline for the next edition is Tuesday 18th August. All contributions are greatly appreciated.

Jersey Parkrun
Skate Space
Mont Nicolle

Lions Swimarathon 2026

17 local charities received a share of the funds raised by this year’s Lions Swimarathon.

The Lions Club of Jersey were delighted with the success of the event again this year, which saw 387 teams from schools, businesses, community groups, charities, government and sports take part, collectively swimming an incredible 22,540 laps across five days, and over £80,000 raised.

The theme for 2026 was Diversity and Inclusion and 17 local charities each received an equal share of the funds raised by the swimmers. This year’s beneficiaries were Acorn Enterprises, Autism Jersey, Beresford Street Kitchen, Every Child Our Future, Family Nursing & Home Care, Freeda, Happy Heroes, Healing Waves, Jersey Childcare Trust, Jersey Eating Disorder Support, Les Amis, MND Association, Music in Action, Parkinson’s Jersey, Silkworth Group, Variety Club and Wetwheels.

Congratulations to the Barette family for being the family team which raised the most funds per swimmer. Well done to Beaulieu Secondary School for being the school which raised the most funds per swimmer, and bravo to The Foodstate Company for being the business team which raised the most funds per swimmer!

Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Titan Wealth, every penny raised by the swimmers is donated to the beneficiary charities and other good causes. The Swimarathon is a wonderful event which provides an opportunity for us all to enjoy what is great about our small community.

The Swimarathon 2027 will take place at Les Quennevais Pool from Wednesday 17th to Sunday 21st March

For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram at Lions Swimarathon Jersey. If you’re interested in getting involved, volunteering at next year’s event or entering a team, please contact us at administrator@lionsswimarathon.org

Lions Clubs International is made up of 1.4 million members in 49,000 clubs who help hundreds of millions of people every year in nearly every country on earth. The Jersey Lions Club is always happy to welcome new members who would like to dedicate some time to help the community. Please email secretary@ lionsclubofjersey.co.uk to find out more.

Some of the team who organised this year’s event

Pathways

Responsibility and Ownership: Empowering Young People

At Pathways, developing responsibility and ownership is at the heart of everything we do. We are passionate about equipping young people with the confidence and life skills they need, not just for today, but for their future.

From as early as Year 7, young people have the opportunity to step into leadership roles. As young leaders, they work alongside their peers and take responsibility for supporting small groups of younger children. This experience helps them to grow in confidence, find their voice, and understand what it truly means to lead. They quickly realise the impact they have as role models – younger children look up to them and often mirror their behaviour – encouraging them to act with maturity and care.

We also believe strongly in giving young people ownership of their ideas. A recent example of this was a creative project where groups designed and built large papier-mâché planets. While wonderfully messy, the activity was full of fun and collaboration, with each group taking pride in painting and completing their creations.

Building on this theme of creativity, our Easter Holiday Club was inspired by the movie Elio and his adventures in space. To bring this theme to life, we hosted a special evening event called Cosmic Journey. Children were given a “space passport” and invited to explore eight different activity stations. At each station, they completed a task and collected a letter. Together these letters revealed an important word that reflects the heart of Pathways: BELONGING

Our young leaders played a key role in making the evening such a success – setting up stations, guiding children through activities, and sharing in the excitement of revealing each letter. It was a joyful occasion, bringing together children and parents to enjoy the experience side by side.

Looking ahead, we are excited to be planning our Summer Fete on Saturday 4th July at 11am to 3pm at La Moye School. This event is another opportunity for young people to take the lead, designing and running their own games, such as tin can alley, hook-a-duck and splat-the-rat, alongside some wonderfully creative ideas. With a BBQ and an Ice-Bucket Challenge also planned, it promises to be a fun-filled afternoon for all.

At Pathways, our role as adults is simple: to support and encourage, while giving young people the space to bring their ideas to life.

If you would like your child to grow in confidence, develop responsibility and experience a true sense of belonging, we would love to welcome you to Pathways.

Fraudsters will try to talk you into:

• Disclosing One-time passcodes

• Removing your device, to access your accounts themselves

• Sharing your PIN or passwords

Think. Report. Protect. If in doubt, contact us immediately using a trusted channel. Stay one step ahead visit ciiom.hsbc.com/fraud

Jersey Parkrun

Almost 700 people took part in the 500th Jersey Parkrun at the end of May –smashing the previous attendance record by more than 150.

Starting in 2015 with around 75 participants, the Jersey edition of the now global community event regularly attracts more than 300 Islanders and visitors to Les Quennevais cycle track and Railway Walk each Saturday morning. However, for the 500th milestone, organisers wanted something special, which is exactly what they got, with 685 crossing the line.

Matt Cuthbert, who was run director on the day, said: “Each finisher gets a token when they enter the funnel, but we actually ran out of them for the first time ever. We were still able to record everyone’s time, but it goes to show how popular it was – people just kept coming and coming.”

He added: “It’s been an amazing journey since Paul Burrows organised the first Jersey Parkrun 11 years ago. Its success has been down to the amazing volunteers who make it happen as well as the positive spirit that everyone brings to Les Quennevais week in, week out. It’s a privilege to be involved in such a community-led event.”

Mr Cuthbert said that the free 5k run had put Jersey on the map, with thousands of visitors taking part over the years, many coming to the Island specifically to tick ‘J’ off their Parkrun list.

To mark the 500th event, local charity Jersey Heart Support Group were in attendance, taking blood pressure and carrying out heart rhythm testing for runners after they had cooled down from their run.

Over the 500 runs in Jersey, there have been 144,000 finishersthe cumulative effort of more than 21,000 people, some of whom have clocked up more than 400 Parkruns - and hundreds of volunteers.

Photos courtesy of Simon Langlois

10th Scout Group St Brelade

Spacesuits and swimsuits: the 10th does it all!

We have had a super term with plenty to keep everyone busy learning new skills and having fun.

Our Beavers had lots of interesting experiences. Oak Colony had an amazing visit from an ambulance where they were shown the equipment, got to try out the lift at the back and learnt what to do in an emergency. They also had a brilliant Space Camp with lots of space-themed activities, including building their own solar systems and jet packs. No Space Camp would be complete without a trip to our next-door neighbours, Jersey Astronomy Club, who are always brilliant and incredibly interesting.

Beech Beavers learned about food safety and will be testing their cooking skills soon, so it was useful that they also found out how to stay safe around a campfire. How to tie knots and do up their shoelaces also challenged them. Fun and games are always a big component at Beaver meetings, which helps the Beavers learn how to work together as a team. The oldest Beavers were challenged with organising a game for the others as their last challenge for their Bronze Awards before they moved up to Cubs.

The Cubs worked on their Pioneer Badge at the start of term, learning knots, building dens and making rope. With a theme of our Island and how we can look after it, they also had really interesting visits from Jersey Water and Eco Active. Jersey Water brought the biggest map anyone had ever seen! This was great as the Cubs have been honing their mapping skills as well this term and will be practising these on camp with a hike (but with a more portable map!).

Our Eco Active-themed evening made the Cubs think about where all our rubbish goes and how we can recycle more, rather than throwing things away. This is something they all see as important. One evening involved a trip to town and back on the number 15 bus. Once in town, the Cubs investigated how easy it is to park and lock bikes safely and how many rubbish bins are available.

Photography, fire and recycling were all themes for the Scouts at the start of the year. Our budding photographers played with ideas of light, size, perspective and shadow as they had a whole

evening experimenting with their cameras. They also learnt how to light a small fire with flints and then how to keep it going sufficiently to cook somethingsuch as a marshmallow. At our next camp, they will be using these skills with the Cubs to keep their fire going and cook something more substantialtheir dinner!

As a group, we contributed to the Swimarathon 2026 with teams from across the whole of the 10th. Filling 3 lanes, our Beavers and Cubs did really well, and our Scouts smashed 65 lengths, which is amazing! Everyone had a lot of fun, and whatever their swimming prowess, they all did their best.

We finished off the term with an Easter-themed evening for everyone to enjoy and a super campfire. Awards were presented, goodbyes were said to children moving up through the sections, marshmallows were toasted, songs were sung, and Easter eggs were found and eaten.

We are all back and already enjoying another term of fun. If you have time to spare and would like to be part of our friendly team, please email Carolyn at c.morgan@scouts.org.je

La Moye School

Spring has Sprung!

We have been busy growing, planting and hatching at La Moye this Spring! Our Year 2 children have been involved in a project learning about life-cycles of chickens, and have been incubating eggs as part of this. They had three chicks hatch successfully, and these were duly named Oreo, Brownie and Cookie. The children really enjoyed learning about how to care for them and watching as they grew and developed, almost changing day by day. After a few weeks, the chicks were returned to the farm they had come from to grow up with their flock. The video of the children witnessing a chick hatching shows the real awe and wonder of such a special momentreally magical.

Year 5 have also been learning about life cycles, but this time of a butterfly. They observed firsthand the development of butterfly eggs, until they hatched into caterpillars, before watching the almost unbelievable metamorphosis into pupae, and finally watching them emerge as butterflies. After this, carefully releasing the butterflies into the wild in our forest area, so their life cycle can start all over again. At La Moye we believe it is so important to make learning meaningful and bring it to life- and these experiences are those you never forget.

As you may be aware over the past few years during both Storm Ciaran and more recent storms, we have lost a number of the mature pine trees from our woodland area. Our Eco team have been consulting with local experts on what to replace these trees with, and most recently our Eco team have collected and planted several new native oak trees into the worst affected areas. We hope over the next few years these will become mature trees and support the ecosystem in this area, as well as having a more robust root base to survive future storms! The Eco team are also setting up several ‘pollinator patches’ on our site and will be sowing native and wild flowers which will support our essential insect populations. Our Eco team are really passionate about making sure we do our bit for biodiversity and support our native wildlife.

School Council and Rights Respecting Schools Reaccreditation

Our School Council have continued to be really busy. Recently they attended the School Council Network meeting at Highlands College, and were able to contribute their ideas to the developing strategy for Jersey Education. In school, they have continued with important projects, such as trying to ensure improvements to our toilet facilities, to ensure the cubicles offer more privacy for the children using them, and to ensure our children have a greater range of sporting equipment on offer at breaktimes.

They have also been instrumental in helping us develop our new Positive Relationships Policy, and in particular our new Core Value Award system, with its bronze, silver and gold awards, which replaces our old ‘trust badges’. They have ensured the views of the children were included from the outset as we designed this new approach. Although we only launched this system in January, already a significant number of children have been awarded bronze, a few silver...and I am sure our first gold award is not far away! These awards have precise criteria and high expectations, to help

our children become role models, to prepare them for secondary school, and to help them to see the importance of giving back to their community and supporting other pupils.

This week we had our Rights Respecting Schools reaccreditation and passed with flying colours! The children spoke so passionately about the importance of upholding children’s rights to safety, education and respect, recognising that there are unfortunately many places in the world where this is not the case, in particular where war impacts on people’s lives. We are so proud of the sorts of people they are becoming, perhaps one day they will be asking for your vote in a future election! They certainly talked with real determination to make a difference.

School Walk

We conducted our annual School Liberation Walk on 8th May. Children from across the school took part, even our nursery class! The children were incredible all day, and what was even more special was how many members of the public commented on their

behaviour and positivity. During a rest stop at the Elephant park, a group of our Y4s voluntarily played with a toddler. This child’s mum was so impressed by these children that she posted a lovely comment on social media. You may be surprised, but this kind of thing happens more than you might think at La Moye: our children take our core values right out into the community. Developing kind and considerate young people is what it is all about. I am one very proud Headteacher!

So now spring has sprung, summer must be just around the corner. In school that means even more going on, with residential trips, off-island trips, fairs and festivities...and of course transition into new classes, and for our Y6s, the move to secondary school. For me, this will be a particularly poignant summer term, as I will also be moving into a new role as one of the new Partnership Leads in September. Whilst this will no doubt be an exciting new challenge, it will be a huge wrench to leave La Moye school and the incredible staff, children, parents and community. Thank you so much for your support over the past eight years.

Mont Nicolle UPDATE

Headteacher

This half term, we have really enjoyed the Liberation Day celebrations. One of the highlights was our whole school playtime and snacks on the field, where children from all year groups came together to play and have fun.

The Sponsored Walk was a fantastic success, raising funds for our long-awaited Science Dome experience. Each year group from Nursery to Year 6 took on their own challenge with distance and pace, and there was a well-deserved ice lolly to enjoy at the end of the day.

The children also had an absolute blast at the PTA summer disco. A massive thank you to DJ Jen for keeping everyone entertained and, of course, to the PTA for its exceptional organisation.

Looking ahead to the second half of the summer term, we eagerly anticipate the Year 6 French trip, Sports Days, new children coming into our Nursery for pop in and play sessions and much more! It promises to be an exciting and extremely busy term.

Mrs Paul

Nursery

The children have been exploring signs of Spring within the nursery environment. During outdoor play, they showed a particular interest in birds and began looking around the garden for nests. During a focused activity, a nest was found in the science cupboard. The children closely explored how it had been made by birds, carefully observing the materials and how they were arranged. Following this interest, a visit was organised to Durrell Wildlife Park, where they attended a session about baby birds. The children learned more about birds, including where they come from, what they eat, and the materials they use to build their nests.

Mrs Moral, Miss Miere and Miss Anderson

SW

Reception

With the lovely weather, we’ve been making the most of our newly updated classroom - enjoying snacks in our ‘Green Finger Zone’ and creating imaginative potions in the water kitchen. We are also beginning our bilingual journey, and the children have started Forest School sessions where they are learning some Jèrriais. This term, we are looking forward to a trip to the zoo, as well as a visit to St Brelade’s Church and the Maritime Museum. We will also be visited by members of the fire service and nursing profession, and the children will enjoy a talk about dinosaurs and local myths and legends. Super proud of you, as always, Reception!

Mr Riva, Miss Kelly, Mrs Hart and Mrs Couley

Year 1

In Science, Year 1 have been learning about animals. As part of their learning, the children visited the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust to deepen their understanding of animal classification. During the trip, they had the opportunity to examine and explore a variety of animal features, including fur, scales, shells, feathers and wings. They also enjoyed visiting the animal enclosures, bringing their learning to life.

Mrs Rowe and Miss Maule

Year 2

Year 2 very much enjoyed the lovely surprise of having several new members join our class. Our six eggs are currently sitting in an incubator at the back of the classroom, and we are eagerly awaiting, hopefully, the arrival of several chicks. This term, we will be welcoming a visitor from Kenya, who is currently working in Jersey, who will be telling us all about his homeland and helping to bring our topic work to life. We will be visiting Royal Square and re-enacting the Battle of Jersey, and we also have trips out to the beach and St Brelade’s Church.

Mrs Coxshall

Year 3

Year 3 have started exploring everything ‘Extreme Earth’, looking at how volcanoes form and why they erupt. We have learnt all about tectonic plates and how collisions can cause earthquakes and eruptions! This has inspired our oil pastel volcano artwork. This all ties in with our Science topic: rocks and soils. We have been investigating the properties of different rocks and completing different scientific tests, and we are looking forward to our trip to Ronez Quarry in June. We have so many exciting activities coming up, including our trip to the Jersey Opera House to see Horrible Histories: Awful Egyptians!

Mrs de Carteret, Mrs Chapman and Miss Hansen

Year 4

Year 5

Year 5 recently visited the States Chamber where they took part in a debate about the need for more places and activities for young people in Jersey. The pupils confidently shared their ideas and listened carefully to others before casting their votes, with the majority in favour of their proposal. During their visit, they also had the valuable opportunity to meet the Minister for Children and Families, asking thoughtful and important questions about issues that matter to them. It was a fantastic experience that helped bring their learning to life and gave them a real insight into how decisions are made on the Island.

Miss Waters and Mr Brady

Year 6

Year 4 have made an excellent start to the summer term! We’ve been learning Jèrriais, our local language, and the children have thoroughly enjoyed engaging with Jersey’s heritage in a fun and meaningful way. Our French horn lessons are now underway, with plenty of enthusiasm and clear progress already evident. Last term, we explored Ancient Greece and, during our Ancient Greek Day, the children made tiganites, giving them a hands-on experience of the past. We also had a wonderful trip to Mont Orgueil, which brought our learning about the Norman Conquest to life in an exciting and memorable way.

Miss Goncalves

We enjoyed World Book Day earlier in the year and completed lots of activities linked to our love of reading, such as a reading book treasure hunt. During Mont Nicolle’s annual Celebration of Learning, pupils had the opportunity to share their achievements and examples of what they were proud of. It was lovely to see the children sharing their work and being able to talk so eloquently about their learning. The summer term of Year 6 always brings with it SATs assessments and starting to think about transition to secondary school. We also have an exciting residential to France to make some incredible memories.

Mrs Griffin-Keane and Mrs Pinto

Something for everyone

Tel: 01534 491910

6 great concepts to choose from...

Tel: 01534 491242

tidal view dining at its best

Perfect for: fun-filled evenings, luxurious lunches, romantic moments, authentic local history & stunning sea views overlooking St Aubin’s.

Location: st aubin’s village

Mont du Boulavard, St Aubin, Price: £££ www.voyagertides.je

côte d’azur spirit. jersey soul

Perfect for: generous plates, sunshine flavours, and that familiar brasserie comfort, elevated just enough to feel quietly chic.

Location: st aubin’s bay

Le Mont Felard, St Lawrence

Price: ££ www.azure.je

quality comfort food by the beach

Perfect for: delicious local seafood, juicy British meats wholesome vegetarian & vegan meals in a relaxed no fuss beachfront setting right by the sea.

Location: st brelade’s bay

La Route de la Baie, St Brelade

Price: ££ www.labrise.je

cocktails, curiosities & more!

Perfect for: curious cocktails, classy coupes de Champagne, cake filled afternoons, outstanding sea views and the history of Mr J.W. Chapman.

Location: st aubin’s village

Mont du Boulavard, St Aubin, Price: ££ www.voyagertides.je

rosé,

spritzes & long afternoons

Perfect for: sunny cocktail sessions, intimate evening catchups, delicious snacks, afternoon teas & live music in a relaxed yet classy sea view setting.

Location: st aubin’s bay

Le Mont Felard, St Lawrence Price: ££ www.azure.je

beachside coffee, cake & cocktails!

Perfect for: beachfront coffee’s, home-made cakes, fresh juices & shakes, tasty snacks, epic beachfront cocktails and craft local brews overlooking the ocean.

Location: st brelade’s bay

La Route de la Baie, St Brelade

Price: ££ www.labrise.je

L’Office du Jèrriais is working hard around the Island to revitalise our native language. Learner numbers of all ages are increasing, and there is a quiet realisation that Jèrriais is something which makes our Island truly distinctive.

L’Assembliée d’Jèrriais (Jèrriais Assembly) celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, having been formed in 1951 to hold meetings and publish items in our native language. The group began with 27 people and membership grew over the years to almost five hundred. Around 40 people still attend regularly, and new members who are learners or supporters of Jèrriais are very welcome.

While there were still farmers who knew how to plough with a number of horses (La Grand’ Tchethue), L’Assembliée d’Jèrriais decided to film the operation for posterity. The filming took place in early May 1968. Eileen Le Sueur is pictured in the centre, and Jean Le Maiste MBE is the young man in the bowler hat. Photo credit: Jersey Evening Post

L’Assembliée d’Jèrriais held their Dîner Annuel (annual lunch) at the Ambassador Hotel in April with around 50 people enjoying a delicious meal and sharing memories of life in Jersey. A warm welcome was extended to a small delegation from l’Assemblliae d’Dgèrnésy (Guernsey Assembly) and it was lovely to hear the native language of our sister island being spoken.

Reflecting on 75 years of L’Assembliée d’Jèrriais, François Le Maistre, who has been involved since the beginning as a child, said in his toast:

“Ch’est un privilège et un honneu d’être ichîn auve vous aniet quand nou s’en va célébrer lé septante-chînquième annivèrsaithe dépis qué L’Assembliée fut fondée en 1951.

J’tais p’tchiot quand la preunmié rêunion s’fit au mais d’Novembre, et les p’tchiots né fûtent pon învités à chutte rêunion. Mais à la deuxième rêunion au mais d’Janvyi 1952, mes deux fréthes, ‘Douard et Jean, et mé, j’tions là et à toutes les rêunions pouor bein d’s années auprès. Nou sortait d’ La Fèrme à Portînfé à sept heuthes vîngt pouor être en bouôn temps pouor la rêunion à huit heuthes dans La Salle d’Agritchultuthe en Ville.

J’avions des discours, et pis des r’citâtions, d’la chant’tie, des pièches dé thiâtre et des concèrts dans des Salles Pârouaîssiales alentou d’ L’Île. J’avions du monde comme Amelia Perchard, Eileen Lé Sueux, Alice Bliampid, Gordon Lé Breton, Ben Amy, Emma Syvret et un tas d’autres et j’m’en rappelle d’un dgialogue entre Ken Vibert et Margaret dé Gruchy. Et pis, i’ y avait étout Lé Sèrvice Annuel au mais d’Avri à difféthentes Églyises et bein seux, Lé Sèrvice des Cantiques dé Noué, tchi continnue touos l’s ans.

Eune année dans les mille neuf chent nénante (1990s), j’tais lé Prédicateu à la p’tite Églyise dé St. George pouor lé Sèrvice Annuel et j’ai aîdgi étout deux’-trais fais au Sèrvice dé Noué. Mais, quand j’tions à travailli sus la fèrme, ‘Douard et mé, j’soulions chanter ensembl’ye, pûtôt « Ma Normandie » ès concèrts et pis, quand ‘Douard s’en fut en Angliétèrre, j’chantis « Ma Normandie » auve Ben Amy. Et, i’y’ avait des grandes occâsions comme la bordée qué l’ Sieur Èrthu dé La Mathe, donnit un discours à la Salle Publique dé St. Martîn entouor san travas comme Ambassadeur pouor la Grande Brétangne! La Salle ‘tait plieine et ch’tait souvent la même chose ès rêunions auve des foules dé monde, qué ch’sait chent ou chent chînquante pèrsonnes et pus.

A young boy takes time to chat with the girls during a break in filming. Photo credit: Jersey Evening Post
Even the photographer took his role seriously by dressing for the part. Photo credit: Jersey Evening Post

Mais, dans les chînquantes et souaîxantes, j’avions des milles et des milles Jèrriais tchi pâlaient lus Langue Native touos les jours. Et, i’ y’ avait bein pus d’ întéthêt dans l’Jèrriais dans chu temps-là.

Mais, i’ n’ faut pon pèrdre lé couothage, pa’ce qué nouos Maîtres et Maitrêsses du Jèrriais sont à faithe du raide bouôn travas auve des milles jannes gens touos l’s ans. I’ faut les féliciter et Colin (Ireson) étout, pa’ce qué i’ tait iun des preunmièrs à ensîngni lé Jèrriais.”

“It is a privilege and an honour to be here with you today to celebrate the 75th anniversary since the Assembly was founded in 1951.

I was a child when the first meeting took place in November, and children were not invited to this meeting. But, at the second meeting in January 1952, my two brothers, Douard and Jean, and I were there, and at all the meetings for many years that followed. We left the farm at Portinfer at 7.20pm to be on time for the 8pm meeting at the Agricultural Hall in town.

We had speeches, and then recitations, singing, drama performances and concerts in parish halls around the island. We had people like Amelia Perchard, Eileen Le Sueur, Alice Blampied, Gordon Le Breton, Ben Amy, Emma Syvret and so many others, and I remember a dialogue between Ken Vibert and Margaret de Gruchy. There was also the Annual Service in April at different churches, and of course, the Christmas Carol Service, which continues every year.

One year in the 1990s, I lead the Annual Service at little St George’s Church, and I helped a few times at the Christmas Service as well. When ’Douard and I were working on the farm, we used to sing together at the concerts, usually ‘My Normandy’, and then, when ’Douard moved to England, I sang ‘My Normandy’ with Ben Amy. There were other great occasions like the event when Sir Arthur de la Mare gave a speech at St Martin’s Public Hall about his work as British Ambassador. The hall was full and this was often the case at the meetings with so many people, 100 or 150, or even more. But this was in the 1950s and 60s when there were thousands upon thousands of Jersey people who spoke our native language every day. And there was more interest in Jèrriais in those days.

We mustn’t forget the courage of our Jèrriais teachers who are doing very good work with thousands of young people every year. We mush congratulate them, and Colin (Ireson) too, because he was one of the first to teach Jèrriais.”

L’Assembliée d’Jèrriais are looking forward to the following events, and warmly invite you to join them for:

• Lunch at Maison des Landes in St Ouen on Saturday 11th July at 12.30pm

• Rêunion Annuel (Annual General Meeting) on Saturday 19th September at 2.30pm at St Martin’s Public Hall

If you would like to come along to either of the above events, please contact Ann Marett at maretts@gmail.com or 862447

You can hear and speak Jèrriais every weekday, so please join native speakers and learners on:

MONDAYS Santander Work Café, St Helier 1.00 - 1.50pm

TUESDAYS The Adelphi Pub, St Helier 5.30 - 6.30pm

WEDNESDAYS The Village Café, St Martin 10.30 - 11.30am

THURSDAYS Jersey Museum, St Helier 10.30 - 11.30am FRIDAYS Jersey Pearl, St Ouen 10.30 - 11.30am

À la préchaine! (Until next time)

For further information about Jèrriais, please contact L’Office du Jèrriais at info@jerriais.org.je

Members of L’Assembliée d’Jèrriais in 1955
François Le Maistre at the recent Dîner Annuelle
Current members and supporters of L’Assembliée d’Jèrriais enjoying the recent Dîner Annuelle

Whether you’re looking to protect wealth, grow your investments or prepare for life’s important events, the support of an expert can help you make the most of your money.

Drop in, say hello, and find out more about how we work, the services we provide and how we support islanders every day.

Confirmed Dates

Saturday 4th July at St John & Saturday 8th August at St Martin

Timings: 11am - 1pm

Where we’ll be:

• St John – Saturday 4th July, 11am–1pm

• St Martin – Saturday 8th August, 11am–1pm

• Grouville – August

• St Clement – September

• St Saviour – October

• St Helier – November

• St Lawrence – December

St Brelade Battle of Flowers REPORT

Work has commenced in earnest on the Senior float, the Torii gate is taking shape, and much of the welding work is completed. The base is in position for the temple build to start.

There is some way to go on the build, but it will all come together. The harestailing team are very busy on all the detailed pieces, it promises to be very bright and colourful.

HSBA Garden Railway OPEN DAY

Model Trains capture the imagination of adults and kids alike and there is something particularly special about seeing them running in the garden.

Tucked away in a St Mary back garden is the HSBA Garden Railway, a miniature railway - 4% the size of the real thing - with bridges, stations, beer gardens and even a Pope.

There is still a lot to be done, and we are generally in the shed every Tuesday and Thursday evening, along with Saturday mornings at 10am-12pm. If you have ever wondered what is involved in creating a float for the Battle of Flowers parades or enjoy DIY or crafts, please do pop in and see us.

The Junior section has been meeting on Saturday mornings and team leader Karen has said that the juniors are already making good progress on with the finer details of their design, using split peas, seeds and dried flowers. With children returning after being involved last year, and children who are new to Battle this year, there is lots of talent shining through. If any children who enjoy arts and crafts, dancing, and sticking flowers, would like to join our Saturday morning group, then feel free to get in touch with Karen on 07797 961900 for more details.

For any further information, please contact us at bofstbrelade@ gmail.com

A few times a year, the railway opens to the Island, inviting families, railway enthusiasts, and curious visitors to see the trains in action. The layout features over 138m (455ft) meandering around the garden, over the pond and between the plants. The railway was started in 2021 and has continued to grow both in terms of locomotives and details.

These events help raise money for various local Jersey Charities, including Finni’s Ark, Healing Waves, Jersey Rescue Dogs, Dementia Jersey and Royals RFC. Thanks to the generosity of visitors, the railway has contributed over £17,000 to local organisations that make a real difference in our community.

Our next summer open day this year is on 9th August, and everyone is welcome! Whether you’re a lifelong railway fan or just looking for a fun local outing, come along and enjoy the sights and sounds of the railway while supporting a good cause.

To find out more, visit gardenrailway.je and, in the meantime, you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram (Just search ‘HSBA Garden Railway’).

A New Constable and the Youngest ever Deputy

St Brelade has a new Constable, after Steve Pallett (2,093 votes) ousted the incumbent, Micheal Jackson (1,339) in the recent election.

The role has alternated between the two men for the past 20 years. Mr Pallett was father of the parish between 2011 and 2018, and Mr Jackson from 2005-2011 and 2018 to this year.

Meanwhile, Helen Miles topped the Senatorial poll with 15,859 votes. She has been a leading backbencher for the past four years, chairing the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel and spearheading a review of the relationship between central government and the parishes. It is her second term as an Assembly Member, having been elected a Deputy in St Brelade in 2022.

Meanwhile, the parish will also be represented by the youngest Islander ever to be elected to the States.

Gabriel Raimondo, who is 18 and took time off from his A-level studies to run, came third, behind re-elected Deputies Jonathan Renouf and Reform’s Montfort Tadier.

Mr Renouf topped the poll with 2,414 votes, ahead of Mr Tadier (2,122) and Mr Raimondo (1,603). Former Deputy John Young, standing for Reform Jersey, was fourth and failed to win a seat.

The Best of the Rest

There will be four other new faces among the Constables. Tina Palmer beat former Chief Minister John Le Fondré in St Lawrence and David Curtis ousted Kevin Lewis in St Saviour. The retirement of Simon Crowcroft in St Helier and Philip Le Sueur in Trinity opened the door to Inna Gardiner and Andy Howell respectively.

It was a disastrous night for Reform Jersey, whose longstanding leader, Sam Mézec, lost his seat. Despite topping the poll is his party’s St Helier heartland, he finished tenth with 9,374 votes, 2,197 votes behind ninth placed Mary Le Hegarat. Former Education Minister Rob Ward failed in his bid to become St Helier Constable, while Raluca Kovacs lost her Deputy seat in St Saviour.

Four of the nine Senatorial seats went to women, including first-time States Member Serena Kersten Guthrie, former captain of the England netball team, who finished fifth. There will be one other first-time Member on the Senatorial benches. Mark Boleat, founder of think tank Policy Centre Jersey and a former senior figure in the City of London, came eighth, winning a seat on his second attempt. Alan Maclean, a former Senator and minister in the governments of Terry Le Sueur and Ian Gorst, makes a return to the Assembly. The remaining Senatorial seats went to sitting Members Ian Gorst, Lyndon Farnham, Elaine Millar, Tom Binet and Ms Le Hegarat, all of whom held ministerial positions in the outgoing government.

What’s your vision for Jersey, and can politicians deliver it? What’s important? Which aspects of our unique institutions and culture should we hold onto? How important is the parish system? Are you optimistic about the future? Are you happy?

Thank you and we look forward to sharing the results with you in future editions. Our Island survey – addressing

We’re asking readers to answer a few questions to provide a snapshot of Jersey today. It’ll take no more than around five minutes.

You can use the QR code to access the survey. The code will also be published on LinkedIn and Facebook on the Our Island Jersey pages. Please follow us and share the link so that we can reach as many people as possible.

https://tinyurl.com/2p2k56pm

Steve Pallett

What Was but What If…

PART 4

Extracted from We

Shall Eat Grass

A compendium of myths, mysteries and minutiae of the only German Occupation of British Soil.

On Monday 7 May, prime minister Winston Churchill announced on the BBC radio the unconditional surrender of all German forces and ended his announcement with

When the Royal Navy destroyers HMS Bulldog and Beagle arrived off Guernsey at 14.00 hrs (Double British Summer Time) on 8 May with a party under the joint command of Rear-Admiral G.C. Stuart DSO DSC and Brigadier A.E. Snow OBE and expecting an unconditional German surrender, Kapitänleutnant Armin Zimmermann, representing the Channel Islands commander-in-chief Vizeadmiral zur

See Friedrich Hüffmeier (conveyed to the rendezvous by a battered and rusting minesweeper and who gave the Nazi salute when boarding Bulldog), advised that he was empowered only to discuss terms for an armistice that would commence at 00.01 hrs the following day, not sign any unconditional surrender. What’s more, the proximity of the two British warships was a ‘provocative act’ and they would be fired upon if they did not go away.

Zimmerman was detained for an hour while Admiral Stuart and Brigadier Snow contacted GOC Southern Command in Plymouth for instructions and after Zimmerman had disembarked, Bulldog’s captain, a grizzled commander who’d spent much of the war escorting trans-Atlantic convoys, exclaimed, ‘To hell with that. These beggars have surrendered…’ and with both the Admiral and Brigadier compliant, ordered his vessel and Beagle to heave to.

the words “…and our dear Channel Islands are also to be freed today.” This last was greeted with cheers and applause in the Royal Square since Bailiff Alexander Coutanche, tipped off about Churchill’s broadcast had arranged for loudspeakers to be set up around the square. At the fringe of the cheering crowd stood several German soldiers, ignoring what, in any other circumstance, would have been a crowd that needed dispersing.

We all know that in fact it was almost two more days before the German forces formally surrendered but what if…

At 16.45 precisely, a 12 inch shell screamed over Bulldog and splashed into the sea 50 yards ahead of the destroyer. Thirty seconds later a similar eruption took place 50 yards astern.

‘The mad beggars!’ the captain shouted. ‘Sound “Action Stations”. His First Lieutenant pressed the large red button, commenting drily, ‘They’re bracketing us…’ as similar eruptions took place ahead and astern of Beagle. ‘They’s got a four gun 12-inch battery inland and they’re radar guided…’ He recalled the notes he had browsed before sailing. The notes gave precise details of the ordinance in place on both islands compiled by RAF reconnaissance and that the Mirus 12-inch battery was manned by officers and men of the Kriegsmarine. ‘Any single shot can sink us…”

‘Guns!’ The Gunnery Officer was fastening his helmet. ‘Prepare to open fire…’ He leaned over the speaking tube to the wheelhouse below. “Ring Full ahead and start zigzagging. Flags, call Beagle and tell him to hop it…”

“Fire on what, sir?’ The First Lieutenant questioned. ‘The battery is inland. We have no idea where it is nor even what’s actually facing us on the coast since these are all protected by bunkers…” He pointed to the coast where bunkers and towers were evident. He didn’t add quite what the effect of their 4.7-inch guns would be and in the coastal area there would be civilians. Wryly he thought of Nelson’s instruction that ships should never take on land-based batteries.

“Belay that order,” the captain snapped. As ever his First Lieutenant, a “Wavy Navy” officer who had been a lawyer before the war, was right. What the hell could they fire upon?

Bulldog surged ahead, heading out to sea with Beagle in her wake as eruptions occurred just where they had been hove to just moments before.

HMS Beagle British Destroyer

‘Their guns have a range of more than 20 miles…” the First Lieutenant commented to the Gunnery Officer who was literally twitching his thumbs..

‘Good God…’

‘Let’s hope so. We might be meeting Him soon…”

Another 12-inch shell exploded in the destroyer’s wake, shaking the entire vessel. Bulldog leaned into a sharp turn as the slim vessel zigzagged. Beagle was heading away from her consort, also zigzagging wildly, opening the gap between them. Suddenly Beagle’s bridge structure dissolved in a fiery blast, so violent that it rolled the ship onto her beam ends.

‘Good God, Beagle’s bought it!’ as another 12-inch shell landed on the stricken destroyer literally blowing the vessel apart. For a moment or two the bow and stern remained above the surface before sinking in a welter of smoke, oil fuel and loose deck fittings.

Despite the risk, the captain ordered Bulldog to circle the widening circle of fuel and wreckage. ‘She’s gone with everyone in her…” the Gunnery Officer muttered as Bulldog heeled into a tight turn. ‘Keep an eye out for survivors,’ the captain barked into the Tannoy. “And let’s hope those beggars don’t go for the double!’

But there were no survivors. Beagle, Bulldog’s sister B-Class destroyer and regular companion on convoys, had been destroyed by a single very accurate salvo.

‘Resume zigzagging. Let’s get out of here. Those beggars will pay for this.”

Bulldog headed out to sea eventually heaving to near the western end of the Minquiers reef where the Roches-

Douvres lighthouse had stood until being destroyed by the Germans in 1944.

‘What do we do now, sir?’ the Gunnery Officer asked. ‘We stand down, that’s what and await instructions.’

They had remained hove to for almost half an hour when a Telegraphist appeared with a message from the GOC Southern Command advising that the new German Führer, Grossadmiral-zur-See Karl Doenitz had given the order to all the German forces to surrender and they were all complying, including the CinC of the German forces in the Channel Islands.

The Captain rang down to the wheelhouse. ‘Set a course to take us back to Guernsey.’ He turned to the officers on the bridge. ‘I’d like to see the madman who opened fire on us and sank Beagle brought aboard in bloody chains…’

Once again the foregoing is a work of fiction although Bulldog and Beagle did retire out of range when so suggested by Kapitänleutnant Zimmerman. It did not happen but could it have done.

“We Shall Eat Grass” will be published later this year.
Adm Huffmeier being escorted from his Guernsey headquarters to HMS Faulkener

Education by Stimulation

On a glorious springtime Saturday, the Jersey Trees for Life team – including a bumble bee, a ladybird, an owl and a squirrel – was in St Saviour’s Woodland for the first of its two annual children’s events, April Adventure.

Along with its autumnal equivalent, this event has proved extremely popular in recent years as parents seek ways to encourage their youngsters to engage directly with nature – something that’s become imperative in an age of technological oversaturation and a rapidly warming planet.

If nature engagement was the aim, it was certainly fulfilled. Around 140 children attended the two 90-minute sessions, each offering a host of nature-themed activities including sapling repotting, coaster art, a tree quiz and the obligatory scavenger hunt, complete with sweet incentives. All for a fiver too.

It was wonderful to see families playing together in the woodland. It was also safe to conclude that dads enjoy building dens as much as their kids do.

Although sometimes overlooked in the maelstrom of activity, education is a core part of the charity’s raison d’être. As today’s children will supersede us, it’s vital to ensure they’re engaged with nature, understanding the symbiotic relationship we share and its fundamental importance to our existence.

Jersey Trees for Life thanks everyone who contributed to the event’s success, from those who bought tickets to all the volunteers that made it happen. Thanks also go to the Parish of St Saviour for providing facilities and Honorary Police. These events really are a fantastic way to bring community together.

SW

St Brelade Twinning Association

We are going from strength to strength with over 80 members, and we are delighted to report that we have a full programme of events booked for this coming year.

Annual General Meeting

At the AGM, the following were re-elected to the Committee: Officers: Julian Bernstein as Chairman, Ian Benest as Hon. Treasurer, Bev Pasqua as Hon. Secretary, Denise Waller as Vice Chairman and Martha Bernstein as Membership Secretary. Committee members: Mike Jackson, Helen Miles, Montford Tadier, Jonathan Renouf, Moz Scott and Steve Pallet.

After the formal meeting, 70 members of the association enjoyed a delicious 3 course meal.

Saturday 20th June

A visit has been organised to see our friends in Granville with a Vin d’Honneur hosted by the new Mayor of Granville to celebrate 20 years of the “Jumelage”.

Wednesday 9th September

Our friends from Granville are coming for their annual visit, including going to Mont Orgueil and then lunch at the Parish Hall. Please contact us for more information.

For all enquiries, please contact Membership Secretary Martha Bernstein on 746353 or by email to mjb@marthabernstein.co.uk

At Gouldson Finance, we help you navigate life’s financial decisions with clarity and confidence. Whether you're planning a renovation, bridging a gap between property sales, or growing your business - we offer tailored loans backed by over 25 years of local experience.

Our personal, transparent approach means you're never just a number. You’re a valued client - and we’re here to help you move forward.

RETURNS

We’re so proud to be heading into the third year of Bowl Ā Crock, our homegrown skateboarding celebration at the Island’s favourite play space.

What began in 2024 as a one-off jam to mark Jersey’s incredible new skatepark at Les Quennevais has grown into something we’re proud to call an annual fixture, which is receiving international recognition! Last year’s event drew around 1,500 people across the weekend, with professional athletes flying in from Brazil and Europe to skate alongside local kids. The feedback was wonderful, and the buzz has carried us straight into 2026.

This September, Bowl Ā Crock will be back at Les Quennevais skatepark, the biggest in the UK, and it’s shaping up to be our best year yet. Expect a full carnival of skate culture: a loose jam format welcoming all ages and abilities, live bands, DJs, food and the friendliest, most wholesome atmosphere you can imagine. You don’t have to be a skateboarder - just appreciating the concept is enough.

The Bowl Ā Crock campsite, which we trialled last year by one of our most beautiful surfing beaches, will return too, three nights of bonfires, surf, miniramp sessions and visiting professionals camping side by side with local families. It really is something to behold.

We are now actively looking for sponsors to help make 2026 happen. The event is powered by volunteers through the Skate Space charity, and every penny goes back into making the weekend brilliant for everyone who turns up. Whether you’re a business looking for meaningful local visibility, or simply someone who’d like to chip in, we’d love to hear from you. There are options at every level, from headline partnership down to donating prizes for the jams.

SW

KEEPS MOVING AFTER PARTY

Sat 26th Sept / The Watersplash

A fundraising event at the Watersplash in aid of Skate Space, the local Jersey charity supporting young people through skateboarding and creative youth culture.

Bowl Ā Crock is the charity's flagship event, now in its third year at Les Quennevais Skatepark. It has grown into one of the UK's most respected gatherings of its kind, drawing professional athletes from across Europe and welcoming hundreds of Islanders of all ages on the day. The event itself is free for everyone, made possible by the work of volunteers and the support of local businesses.

The After Party at the Watersplash is where the wider community gathers to celebrate the day, share food and music, and raise the funds needed to keep the main event free year after year. The evening is organised entirely by a group of local young people, with mentoring from industry professionals in events, hospitality and music. For many of those involved, it's their first experience of running something at this scale, and the responsibility, learning and creative input that comes with it is part of what Skate Space is all about.

Music, food and good company in one of the Island's most loved venues. Tickets are limited and the youngsters are aiming to sell out!

For tickets and more information, find @bowlacrock on Instagram or visit skatespace.org

A genuine opportunity to support our young Islanders.

Meanwhile, over at the old Methodist chapel on Route de Trodez, our Skate Space indoor project continues its slow, steady march forward.

The roof restoration is complete (a miracle!), thanks to a contribution from our charity working alongside the trustees’ insurance, and the scaffolding is finally down. We’re now working through the lease with Ogier, who have been wonderfully generous with their pro bono support, and once that’s signed we can really begin in earnest.

There’s always something else to do, a permission, a permit, a paperwork pile, money to raise to get to the next step, but we are doing it, and the project is on track. The vision hasn’t changed: an indoor space for skateboarding, art, music and community, just across the way in St Ouen, open year-round whatever the weather throws at us. We’d love to hear from sponsors for this too, anyone keen to leave a real mark on something lasting in the west.

If you’d like to support Bowl Ā Crock, get behind Skate Space, or just learn more, please find us at www.skatespace.org or @bowlacrock on Instagram. Thank you, St Brelade - we can’t do it without you!

Repair

Café

Celebrating Jersey Repair Café’s youngest volunteers

At Jersey Repair Café, the motto is simple: “If you can wheel it or carry it, you can bring it.”

Over the years, a multitude of much-loved items have come through the doors for repair, including electrical, leather, wooden, ceramic, fabric and mechanical items.

The café has three aims: environmental, social and educational. There is a great atmosphere at the Repair Café with live music, freshly baked cake, tea and coffee, and best of all, it is a free service. There is a serious environmental aim - to keep items in use as long as possible.

In this article, we would like to celebrate our youngest volunteers and thank them for their efforts.

Ava McCoy is still at primary school and has been volunteering for three years - first helping her nana, Linda Guillemot, at the refreshment table by taking cake, tea and coffee orders. Now that Ava is a bit older, she is enjoying helping her nana at the welcome desk. Earlier this year, Ava was recognised for her volunteering in an assembly at her school. Her teacher said, “Volunteering is a brilliant way to develop confidence, independence and important life skills, and I'm so pleased that she is embracing this opportunity.” Ava’s nana, Linda, explained that she loves to see knowledge being passed onto the younger generation, and the ambience of the Repair Café is indeed lovely to experience.

Oliver Bisson got involved because his dad is one of the regular musicians who entertain at the Repair Café. Oliver enjoyed the challenge of taking ten drink orders, and commented, “Somehow, we managed to get every order correct and in good time! It feels like a good challenge and a fun time. It’s nice to get out the house on a Saturday morning.”

Keegan Carcel is volunteering as part of his Duke of Edinburgh Award. He sits next to his Dad, Claude, and they work on electrical items together. He describes becoming more confident, more thoughtful about what he throws away, and more willing to talk to strangers. “It’s a great way to give back to the community,” Keegan says. “You will learn a lot from other repairers as well as share your own knowledge. I think it’s something more young people should get involved in.”

Thomas had already been doing electronics repairs at home when he volunteered with his mum, Louise, who can be found in the fabric repair section. He recently successfully completed his portable appliance testing certification, courtesy of 4Group, which sponsored four places for Repair Café volunteers on their training course. Describing his successful repair of a much-loved child’s toy, Thomas said, “It was a truly heartwarming moment”. He also paid tribute to all the other volunteers and encouraged more young people to get involved, “There are many experienced repairers willing to share their wisdom.”

The Repair Café team thank our young volunteers for their commitment, and we all look forward to giving you a warm welcome at the next Repair Café. Please see page 46 for a list of dates.

For more information, please see our Facebook group Jersey Repair Café www.repaircafe.org.je

Thomas shaking hands with a satisfied customer
Thomas concentrating on an electrical repair
Ava taking cake, tea and coffee orders at the refreshment table

Feeding to Thrive:

Feeding to Thrive: A Simple Guide to Raw Feeding

Raw feeding is becoming an increasingly popular choice for dog owners looking to support their pet’s health in a more natural way. At its core, a raw diet focuses on fresh, minimally processed ingredients designed to reflect what dogs are naturally built to eat.

A balanced raw meal typically includes high-quality protein for muscle and energy, offal for essential vitamins, ground bone for calcium, and fruit and vegetables for fibre and nutrients, along with healthy fats to support skin, coat, and joint health. When combined correctly, this creates a complete and balanced meal—making feeding as simple as thaw and serve.

Many owners who switch to raw report benefits such as improved digestion, healthier skin and coat, increased energy, and better overall wellbeing. It’s also highly palatable, making it a great option for fussy eaters.

Switching doesn’t need to be complicated. For most dogs, a straight move onto a complete raw food works well, though advice is always recommended. As a guide, adult dogs are typically fed around 2–3% of their body weight per day.

At The Pet Cabin, we offer one of the island’s largest ranges of raw food, including trusted brands such as Nutriment, Naked Dog, Paleo Ridge, Natures Menu, and Bella & Duke—now available in-store without subscription. We also stock more flexible and budget-friendly options, ensuring there’s something to suit every dog and owner.

Whether you’re new to raw feeding or looking to improve your dog’s diet, our experienced team is always here to help.

Pop in store and discover how feeding right can help your pet thrive — or shop online at www.thepetcabin.je

Concerned about energy security or rising bills? Roof needs some attention? We’ve got you covered.

SunWorks delivers complete home and business energy solutions including solar PV, battery storage, EV charging and smart controls, together with full roofing services.

SunWorks made the whole process effortless. We had our entire roof replaced and solar installed by one team, with everything clearly explained and questions answered straight away.

SunWorks Customer - St Ouen

Contact us today on 498822, or visit sunworks.je

Scan the QR for a FREE no-obligation chat

Jersey’s leading energy & rooftop specialists

St Brelade

Household recycling collection 2026

This guide explains how to use the St. Brelade household recycling collection. A collection planner is included so you know when your recycling will be collected. Every home in St. Brelade receives a recycling collection, in addition to the existing rubbish and glass collections. Recycling collections will be on the same day as your refuse.

Collection Planner 2026

Please fill the recycling boxes with your:

• Mixed paper and card: blue box/bin with blue sticker

• Plastic bottles: red box/bin with red sticker

• Metal packaging: black box/bin with blacksticker

Envelopes

Cardboard packaging and boxes - cut up large pieces of card

Around a third of Jersey’s waste is currently recycled, together we can improve on this.

Everything we collect for recycling is sent for recycling and the parish of St. Peter is making it even easier for you to reduce your waste and recycle more.

Greeting cards

✓ Yes please ✓ Glass bottles

✓ Glass jars ✓ Broken glass

> Please rinse > Remove corks, caps or lids

> Remove plastic labels (paper labels can be left on)

No thank you

Plastic bags

Lightbulbs*

Ceramics (cups, mugs, plates,etc.)*

No thank you

Milk or drink cartons

Polystyrene or plastics

Electrical/ electronic goods*

Cardboard

General rubbish

*These items should not be thrown away with your general rubbish and should be taken to the Household Reuse & Recycling Centre at La Collette, thank you.

BaCk oN ThE AvEnUe

It’s free. Bring your own chairs, relax and settle down for the day and night parades!*

After a year away, we are delighted to return to Victoria Avenueplace where we feel the Battle of Flowers truly belongs. Following the tremendous success of the scaled down parade through Town in 2025, and after listening carefully to public feedback, we have made a number of important changes for this year’s event — not least the decision to keep both the Day and Night Parades completely free.

By returning the event to Victoria Avenue and extending the arena from Rue de Galet to Lower Park, we can safely and comfortably accommodate even larger crowds, while also providing float builders with the space needed to create the large-scale, imaginative exhibits for which the Battle of Flowers is renowned.

The Day Parade will travel from west to east, while the Night Parade will travel in the opposite direction, from east to west. The events will be single-pass parades along the southern carriageway of Victoria Avenue.

This format o ers spectators a fantastic opportunity to enjoy an immersive Battle of Flowers experience along the entire route, from Lower Park to Rue de Galet.

Visitors are encouraged to bring their own chairs and settle in along either side of the parade route to enjoy the 29 spectacular floats, marching bands, and entertainers up close with pre-parade performances and live music all completely free of charge along with a wide range of food and drink outlets.

The Night Parade, taking place the following evening, will feature all floats fully illuminated, accompanied once again by bands and entertainers, this time travelling westward from the Lower Park.

Beginning at 8:45pm, spectators can look forward to a spectacular display of lights and entertainment, culminating in a breathtaking finale, details to be confirmed.

Day Parade Fri 14th Aug

Arena opens at 13:00, with pre-parade entertainment, food and drink available on the laybys between Lower Park and Rue de Galet.

Parade starts at 15:00, single pass from Rue de Galet to Lower Park, where floats will park up for viewing.

Arena closes at 18:00

Moonlight Parade Sat 15th Aug

Arena opens at 18:30, again with pre-parade entertainment, food and drink.

At sunset (approx. 21:20), the parade starts from Lower Park, all floats illuminated, and travels to Rue de Galet. This will be followed by a finale shortly after 22:00 –details yet to be confirmed.

Arena closes at 23:00.

A message from the Battle Organisers

We are committed to making the Battle of Flowers a free community event from now on and to make sure it is accessible to all.

We are very grateful for the grant funding we have already received.

However, trying to find the final £40,000 in the current financial climate has proven more than a little challenging, so in order to be able to put on the show that Islanders have come to expect, we are asking for your support.

Please help us out, anything you can give will be gratefully received – thank you.

If you want to keep Battle free, please donate what you can at www.battle.je/fundraising

The work of the Jersey Care Commission is expanding. Chief Inspector Becky Sherrington answers key questions about what these changes mean for Islanders

EXPANSION OF REGULATED CARE SERVICES IN JERSEY

What is changing in the regulation of care services in Jersey, and what does this expansion mean?

Following changes to the Regulation of Care (Jersey) Law 2014, our remit has expanded to include the regulation of hospital services, ambulance services and Government-provided mental health services. Certain laser clinics will also be inspected under the updated Law.

This means these services will be subject to independent regulation against a Single Assessment Framework, a set of clearly defined standards that outline how care services should be provided. The changes reflect a commitment to ensuring Islander’s receive health and social care services that are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.

What’s the purpose of independent regulation, and how does it help improve care?

Independent regulation helps provide Islanders with assurance about the quality, safety and effectiveness of health and social care services, while supporting continual improvement in care quality. We help achieve this by setting clear, evidence-based standards and assessing services fairly, proportionately and transparently through inspections and ongoing oversight.

What services are included in the expanded regulation, and what is not?

The expanded Regulation of Care (Jersey) Law 2014 includes the independent regulation of hospital services, ambulance services, Government provided mental health services and certain laser clinics.

Ambulance services provided by charitable organisations, including St John Ambulance Jersey and Normandy Rescue, also fall within the updated Law. Private mental health services are not included. Decisions about which services are regulated are made through the legislative process and voted on by the States Assembly. The Commission’s role is to apply the Law as enacted.

What happens next, and when will inspections begin?

Following the amendments to the Regulation of Care (Jersey) Law in November 2025, the Law was enacted on 6 April 2026. Newly regulated services now have until 6 October 2026 to register with us.

We’re preparing to carry out our first onsite inspection with a blend of local and external inspectors in 2027.

How will hospital services be inspected?

Hospital services won’t be inspected all at once. Because of the size and complexity of the hospital, inspections will be introduced in a phased, proportionate way, focusing on defined service areas or “blocks” over time, including medicine, surgery, outpatients, women and children’s services and mental health. This approach will also help protect patient safety and minimise disruption to patients, staff and day-to-day clinical activity.

Who

carries out inspections? Will specialist expertise be used?

Inspections are carried out by our experienced team of Regulation Officers, who have a wide range of professional experience from across health and social care, including frontline care, clinical, leadership and management roles. To inspect the hospital, ambulance and mental health services, specialist knowledge will also be required, so inspections will also be supported by external senior clinical advisers and subject matter experts, including specialists from other regulators such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC), professional bodies including the Royal College of Psychiatrists and other relevant organisations.

What

happens during an inspection?

During an inspection, a range of evidence is gathered from different sources. The voice of service users and their families or carers is an important part of how we continually improve services, alongside the views of staff, leaders, on-site observations and the review of records and systems.

At the end of the inspection, initial feedback is shared with service leaders before an inspection report is produced setting out findings, including both good practice and areas for improvement. All inspection reports are published on the Jersey Care Commission website.

What happens after an inspection?

After each inspection, we publish an inspection report on our website. We don’t use ratings or judgement scores. Instead, reports provide clear, evidence-based findings that support transparency, accountability and continual improvement. The reports identify what is going well and areas of good practice as well as areas for improvement. Reports clearly set out, if required, the actions needed and timescales for improvement, with progress monitored through ongoing oversight.

For more information visit carecommission.je

Jersey Farmers Markets at Le Tacheron Farm, Trinity

Something Jersey’s been missing is here and it’s worth the trip to Trinity.

Jersey Farmers Markets runs every other Saturday at Le Tacheron Farm from 10am to 2pm through to the end of September, with the next market on Saturday, 11 July

Browse fresh fruit and vegetables, locally caught seafood, cut flowers, honey, free-range eggs, meat, pastries, and freshly baked bread. Stay for the coffee and hot food made by a different chef from whatever’s seasonal and available on the day. There’s live music, farm animals to meet, loads of parking and no particular reason to rush home. Children will love it too. The farm’s rare breed animals, from pygmy goats and baby lambs to donkeys and working horses, have a way of stopping people in their tracks.

The setting is no coincidence. Le Tacheron, whose name means ‘team’ in Jèrriais, is one of Jersey’s most distinctive working farms. Growing a range of cereals including spelt, barley, rye, and oats, milling its own flour on site, and baking its own bread, it’s a place that takes field-to-fork seriously. Around it, a

rotating cast of bakers, farmers, fishers, butchers and artisan producers sets up every other Saturday, alongside the Huddle Van, a mobile education hub hosting talks and workshops on food, health and growing. “We want to inspire and encourage others to see themselves as an important part of agriculture and this community,” says Charles Le Maistre. That spirit of open invitation is exactly what this market is built on.

Behind the market is a simple principle: local producers deserve a direct route to their community, where they keep their profits and build their businesses with genuine support behind them. This is about making Jersey’s incredible producers more visible, and rebuilding food resilience on the island in a way that lasts beyond a single season.

Those living in St Martin’s, Maufant, or Victoria Village are encouraged to walk or cycle. As a thank you, anyone arriving on foot or by bike will receive a free Jersey Wonder.

The event is proudly sponsored by Butterfield.

Follow @jerseyfarmersmarkets on Facebook and Instagram for more details.

Every other Saturday 10:00am–2:00pm

Free entry & on-site parking

What3words: baggage.factories.pecans. Bus routes: Route 3, 21, 23 and 33.

Tacheron

in the West Brighter Futures

Raising Awareness of Early Intervention

Early intervention plays a critical role of in improving family outcomes. Local charity Brighter Futures recently held a conference to raise awareness of early intervention, bringing together policymakers, practitioners and families to share insights and lived experiences.

The event featured a range of keynote speakers, including its Patron Lady Kyd, Will Quince, CEO of the 1001 Critical Days Foundation, Tara Gretton, a solution-focused practitioner, Christian Guy, Executive Director of The Royal Foundation’s Centre for Early Childhood, Robin Smith, Chief Officer of the States of Jersey Police, and Kevin Keen OBE, a business and charity leader.

The speakers explored themes surrounding the first 1001 critical days of a child’s life, emphasising that early intervention is a proven, preventative approach that supports families before difficulties reached crisis point. Discussions also highlighted the long-term social and economic costs of failing to invest in early support, as well as the value of small, manageable changes in improving family wellbeing.

Brighter Futures provides free support to approximately 150-160 families each week, who receive free of charge 1:1 coordinator support, along with a range of courses and programmes, to help the child’s main carer to be their first and most important educator. Using The Bridge in St Helier as their central base with a satellite group in Georgetown, the charity recognised the need for a location in the west, so they opened the Communicare hub in Autumn 2024.

“Early intervention is not only effective for families, but also represents a long-term investment in our community,” Fiona Brennan said.

How can you help?

Please look at our website www.brighterfutures.org.je and sign up to our mailing list for updates. You can also find information about how to refer yourself for our support, or to refer a family who needs us. All referrals are confidential.

You can also choose to donate to us on a one-off or monthly basis, as it now costs £7,000 per annum to support one Brighter Futures family. Although we receive some government funding, we also need to raise more than £1 million each year so that we can support more families and give everyone who needs us a brighter future.

MYTH

COMMON MYTHS ABOUT DIABETES

DIABETES IS CAUSED BY EATING TOO MUCH SUGAR

TYPE 1 DIABETES IS THE ‘MILD’ KIND.

FACT

TYPE 1 DIABETES IS AN AUTO IMMUNE CONDITION (NOT CAUSED BY DIET).

TYPE 2 DIABETES IS INFLUENCED BY MULTIPLE FACTORS LIKE GENETICS AND LIFESTYLE.

FACT

PEOPLE OF ALL BODY TYPES CAN DEVELOP BOTH TYPE 1 AND TYPE 2 DIABETES.

FACT

TYPE 1 DIABETES IS A SERIOUS LIFELONG CONDITION REQUIRING DAILY INSULIN.

Read to the Beat with Jersey Library’s Summer Reading Challenge

This summer, Jersey Library is inviting children across the Island to take part in the Summer Reading Challenge, with this year’s lively theme Read to the Beat.

The Summer Reading Challenge is a free, annual initiative that runs throughout the school holidays, encouraging primary school children to enjoy reading for pleasure over the break. The 2026 theme celebrates the connection between stories, music and rhythm, adding a fun, creative twist to the challenge.

Children can sign up from Saturday 27th June at Jersey Library, Communicare Library or on the Mobile Library. Every kind of reading counts especially those inspired by music, sound and performance, including picture books, audiobooks, ebooks, graphic novels and music scores. Incentives are given along the way including a swim pass from Aquasplash and on completion of the 6th book, children are presented with a medal and a certificate.

MOBILE LIBRARY TIMETABLE

MONDAY

10:00 - 10:30

St Ouen's Parish Hall

10:45 - 11:15

Greve de Lecq

11:30 - 12:15

St John’s Parish Hall

TUESDAY

09:30 - 11:00

Holme Grown

11:15 - 12:45

Gorey Common Carpark

14:45 - 15:30

Jersey Zoo

15:45 - 16:30 Maufant

WEDNESDAY

09:30 - 11:00

Langtry Gardens

11:15 - 12:45

St Martin's Village Green

14:30 - 15:30

Le Rocquier School

Children under four are encouraged to join the mini challenge, sharing stories with others and getting stickers and a certificate upon completion.

During the holidays, Jersey Library will host activities and events linked to the challenge, including best-selling author Gareth P Jones, Martyn Cast from Jenca Music School, Jo Logue from Jo’s Painted Pebbles and other craft activities.

The Summer Reading Challenge not only supports literacy but also promotes wellbeing, confidence and creativity. However your child enjoys reading – quietly or with plenty of rhythm – this summer is the perfect time to Read to the Beat.

John Ogilby's Aesop's Fables: An exhibition at Jersey Library

Step into the world of Aesop’s Fables as they were imagined in the seventeenth century.

Featuring illustrations from books in Jersey Library’s special collections, the exhibition reveals how these familiar animal tales were used to explore moral and social questions during a time of political uncertainty and change.

Although Aesop’s Fables originated in Ancient Greece, their ongoing appeal for writers and artists lies in their adaptability. By using animals to reflect human behaviour,

the stories address timeless themes such as power, ambition, deception and wisdom. In seventeenth century England, this indirect approach to storytelling made the fable a particularly powerful art form. At a time when speaking openly about politics and those in power could be risky, animals could safely act out moral dilemmas, allowing readers to interpret the message for themselves.

The exhibition also explores how illustrations shaped the interpretation of these stories. Full-page illustrations set the fables in detailed landscapes, reflecting a new fascination with the natural world. Far from being merely decorative, these illustrations were intended to help guide readers' make the right moral choices.

The exhibition is on display in the Jersey Library Second Floor Gallery until the end of September.

Club Bowls

St Brelade Bowls Club has welcomed some new and very talented bowlers this season.

The opening day competition was a resounding success as 46 bowlers took to the green. Runners up were Dave Gallichan, Pat Slous and Steve Bailey with 4 points and a shot difference of plus 11, but the winners with 4 points and a remarkable shot difference of plus 21 were Lynne Cummins, Tom Smith and Bernice Boylan.

Men’s and women’s teams played in an early inter-club fixture in a triples format against the Sun Bowls Club, St Saviour Bowls Club, Jersey Bowls Club and a team from Bowls Jersey. These matches were played away from home, on grass at the Sun and on an artificial surface at St Saviour. Both sets of players acquitted themselves well. Representing the women were Di Canavan, Liz Wall, Estelle Burns and Lynne Cummins. Representing the men were Mick Grimster, Mark O’Keefe, Graeme le Cornu and Tony Smith.

A very special event took place on 3rd June when St Brelade Bowls Club was the host venue for a Commonwealth Games event, with the King’s Baton in situ, a fun game of bowls and a barbecue with a Commonwealth theme.

St Aubin & St Peter’s

In February, members learnt about cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) from a St John Ambulance member. Our speaker also demonstrated how to use a defibrillator. This was a very instructive and informative talk which echoes the National WI resolution ‘Bystanders can be Lifesavers’. Members were interested and relieved to have the process of using a defibrillator explained.

St Brelade Bowls Club has been enhanced over the winter, and a key feature are windows that fully open and make the spectator experience extremely enjoyable. The arrival of cider, larger and Guinness on draft has certainly been appreciated too! Visitors are most welcome. Come and enjoy the relaxed yet competitive feel.

Training is readily available and casual dress and trainers that are ‘kind to grass’ are all that is needed. Bowls of numerous sizes are available. Sessions are at 10am, 2pm and 6pm every day of the week until late September.

For more information, please contact Ethel on 07797 714160

Women’s Institute

The meeting in April included an extremely detailed history of the De Carteret family and the architectural history of houses in Jersey. We were informed that the architecture of houses could be broadly categorised into two phases. Before 1700 architecture here was strongly influenced by Norman styles, whereas post 1700 it showed features drawn from English examples. All members were intrigued and fascinated by the insights provided by our speakers.

We meet at St Peter's Parish Hall on the first Friday of every month at 7.30pm. If you would like to come and join us, make new friends, enjoy lots of different events and maybe learn a new skill, please contact Sarah Johnson on 07797 725486

Pétanque St Brelade Group

The golfer, Gary Player, once remarked, “The more I practise, the luckier I get.” Few of the St Breladais Pétanque Group are avid golfers, but the sentiment applies to all sports, and pétanque is no exception.

Last year’s success in the Pétanque Jersey Inter Parish League, winning all the available silverware, has served to stiffen their resolve to succeed in the current season.

To get to the top is one thing, to stay at the top is something very different, so this is where practice comes to the fore. Already this year, there have been two training sessions organised by the group’s qualified coach. One session was about tactics and the other was aimed at getting players to shoot boule to boule. A skill that really does require practice.

Our sessions are based on a series of enjoyable, but challenging, exercises involving simple equipment - a car tyre, a plastic bottle, plastic circles and lengths of string. The idea is to get players to launch their boule at the correct height, speed and direction and land on the right spot. Of course, body alignment is very important as well.

However, bringing skills perfected in training to a competitive game is where confidence comes in. Confidence comes with success, and the more success you have in practice, the more the confidence grows and consequently the more success you have in a game.

But not everyone aspires to play at those heady heights, and many may just want to enjoy a friendly social game. Whatever your aspirations, you will be sure of a warm welcome at the Elephant Park terrains.

The group meet every Saturday morning at 10am and Monday afternoon at 2pm. The emphasis is on enjoying the Sport of Pétanque so come along and get involved. Coaching is available and we have spare boule you can borrow to get you started.

For further information, please contact Joy Hart on 741469 or happyharts13@yahoo.co.uk

THE VISITES DU BRANCHAGE AND VISITES ROYALE CHECK BEFORE YOU CHOP

The Visites du Branchage are when the Parish authorities visit and check the Parish roads and footpaths to ensure they are safe for all who use them.

In addition, senior members of the Royal Court, including the Bailiff conduct a “Visite Royale” to two of the 12 parishes each year.

This year it is the turn of St Lawrence and St Martin.

For those who care for Jersey’s wildlife this is a time of stress, call outs and rescue missions.

There is a requirement for vegetation that overhangs roads and footpaths (including pavements) to be cut so that there is a clearance overhead of 12 feet on public roads and 8 feet on footpaths.

Before occupiers of property bordering public roads and footpaths begin contacting gardening contractors, or readying strimmers to begin the task themselves A PLEA on behalf of our diminishing wildlife - CHECK BEFORE YOU CHOP!

The overgrown banques, hedgerows. fosses, and leafy trees provide homes to our birds, mammals, reptiles and insects.

The housing shortage in Jersey extends to the natural world as well and building more homes for humans means a further loss of habitat for our precious wild creatures.

If you are a landowner, tenant, parish official, or farmer who subcontracts the work to others, please brief your contractors the best way to conduct a “good” branchage.

DO NOT EVER cut banques down to bare earth, there is no requirement in law to do so. If using a flailer, alter the blade accordingly.

• During the June/July branchage, cut only the sides of the banque to a minimum height of 10 cm.

• Leave the vegetation uncut on the top of the banque, as long as it does not overhang the road.

• On the second branchage in September, cut the sides and top of the banque to a minimum height of 10 cm.

• Leave tussocks of vegetation for wildlife where possible.

• Remove all cuttings; do not allow them to cover the banque or fall into the road.

• Do leave some vegetation around the base of trees and hedgerows and check carefully for hedgehog nests on the ground and birds’ nests in trees and hedgerows BEFORE beginning work.

• Use your boot, a gloved hand, a rake or a stick to gently move any creatures out of harm’s way.

At this time of the year our wildlife is rearing its young. Hedgehog mothers are nursing their hoglets and if she is killed or injured, or the nest is disturbed, the babies are unlikely to survive. This adds to the drastically declining population of our hedgehogs.

PLEASE help us to retain what we have before it’s too late.

If you find an injured hedgehog please telephone Jersey Hedgehog Preservation Group on 01534 734340, or contact us via our website jerseyhedgehogs.co.uk

For other injured wildlife please contact the JSPCA on 01534 724331

Dates for the Visites are listed on the Parish websites and take place between 26th June and 10th July, and again between 3rd and 18th September 2026

Jersey Hedgehog Preservation Group, White Lodge, Le Chemin des Moulins, St Helier, JE2 4ZR e-mail: jerseyhedgehogs@hotmail.co.uk

Strimmed hedgehog with a head injury sewn up by the vet
Hoglet found in a disturbed nest site

BOOKMARKS

The Jersey Norman Story 1,000 Years

Price £9.95 / By Jean Treleven and Geraint Jennings

When the Normandy Region made the decision to celebrate 1,000 years of Norman heritage for the Millennium of the birth of William the Conqueror, Jersey just had to be involved as our loyalty to the Dukes of Normandy stretched from 933 to 1259, continued with the Kings of England and elements of that strong Norman heritage have continued to the present day.

A new publication; The Jersey Norman Story 1,000 years/ L’Histouaithe Nouormande dé Jèrri 1,000 ans by local historian Jean Treleven and Geraint Jennings gives the background to our Norman links along with evidence of Norman heritage that is retained in the island today.

It is bilingual, in both Jèrriais and English, a testament to the strong link with Jersey’s Norman past represented by the Island’s Norman language. It gives students and others the opportunity to discover some of the rich heritage contained within that language as well as discover the Norman story.

Available from:

• The Maison de la Normandie et de la Manche

• The Société Jersiaise bookshop

• The Museum Bookshop

• The Harbour Gallery.

Price £9.99 / By Robyn Conway

This Autumn, we are excited to be publishing a brand new Jèrriais children’s nursery rhyme book entitled Rînmes Rêjouis.

Following the success of the Jèrriais translations of Lé Gruffalo, D’vinnâle dé Marmoûset (Monkey Puzzle), La Maîson Crêpie et Squouîzie (A Squash and a Squeeze) and La Carpéleuse Hardi Affanmée (The Very Hungry Caterpillar), this beautifully illustrated original book is designed to encourage parents and carers to explore Jersey’s native language with younger children.

A History of Shooting in Jersey

Price £10 / By David

This is the story of the sport of shooting in Jersey.

Jersey’s shooting origins began with the need to defend the island and the creation of the Jersey Militia in 1337. The Militia were involved from bows to rifle shooting.

The book begins with the Militia Years from 1337 to 1860. In 1861 and civilian shooting begins. The ranges are covered, together with over ninty names of shooting clubs and associations. The Occupation stopped shooting in 1940.

The next section is devoted to clubs from all areas of shooting from 1945 up to 2026 covering their history, locations and ranges.

Jersey-made guns and gun makers together with some recent gun retailers and an outline of the Firearms Laws from 1879 to the present showing the low nunber of crimes and offences committed, together with some of the strictest firearms regulations anywhere in the world. The Island’s unique honorary sytem of licensing when compared with the UK, is almost world beating in its effectiveness.

There is a listing of Jersey Government Gold and Silver Medal winners from 1863 to1913 with placing names.

Available from:

• Amazon.co.uk, £10.00 ISBN 9781036960834

• The Société Jersiaise

• The book shop in the Central Market

The book launch event will take place as part of the Jersey Festival of Words.

Date: Sunday 20th September

Time: 10am-12pm

Where: Jersey Zoo

Age: Suitable for 0-6 year olds

Please join members of the Jèrriais Teaching Service for themed art and craft activities, facepainting and group singing of nursery rhymes in English and Jèrriais. These activities are free of charge, but normal Zoo admission fees apply. A free copy of the book will be gifted to every family attending.

Captain Bryan 1877

A QUIET INVASION!

(And

it’s not just from Asian Hornets)

We are under attack! Not from our neighbours, but from a quieter, more insidious invasive threat: non native plants, animals, and even pathogens such as viruses and fungi.

These invasions often go unnoticed at first, yet their effects can be far reaching—damaging our environment, disrupting our economy, and even affecting public health and our society. When a non native species spreads and causes harm, it is classified as an invasive non native species (INNS).

The pathways by which these species arrive are varied, but human activity is a key factor. Through global trade and travel, we have become highly effective at moving organisms around the world. Sometimes introductions are deliberate, such as ornamental plants or exotic pets. More often, however, they are accidental, with species hitchhiking as stowaways on freight, as a contaminant on imported goods or even escaping from captivity.

In Jersey, responsibility for protecting the island from INNS lies with the Biosecurity Team within Natural Environment, often working closely with other departments, including Regulation, the States Vets, and Customs and Excise, as well as with landowners, volunteer groups, the public, and neighbouring jurisdictions. This work is ongoing, dynamic, and collaborative, focused on identifying threats and managing those that pose the greatest risks—both now and in the future.

Some examples of INNS that are under active management in Jersey are the Asian or yellow legged hornet (Vespa velutina), Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica), purple dew plant (Disphyma crassifolium), sour fig (Carpobrotus edulis), and the pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa). Others, not yet established but considered likely threats, include the coypu (Myocastor coypus), the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), and the rose ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri), amongst many others.

With so many species that could pose a threat there has been a structured process of risk assessment. This began with compiling lists of INNS already present and those likely to arrive in the future. Given the similarities between the islands’ environments and shared risks, collaboration with colleagues in the Bailiwick of Guernsey has been both practical and valuable, contributing to the concept of a “Biosecure Bailiwick.”

Each of the species were assessed based on factors such as its potential rate of spread, ecological and economic impact, and the pathways by which it might be introduced. For high risk species, the next step was to determine whether management is feasible and where it is, strategies are developed, ranging from eradication to long term control, often in partnership with relevant stakeholders. For species not yet present, there are contingency plans focus on prevention, early detection, monitoring, and rapid response.

The public plays a vital role in this effort. You can help by responsibly managing non native plants and animals, such as disposing of garden waste correctly or ensuring unwanted pets are not released into the wild. Staying alert and reporting suspicious sightings is equally important. If you notice a species of concern, you can contact the Biosecurity Team at invasives@ gov.je providing a photograph and location details.

By working together, Jersey can reduce the risks posed by invasive non native species and help protect the island’s unique natural environment.

(Senior Scientific Officer – Invasive Species, Asian Hornet & Japanese Knotweed Coordinator)

Ring-necked Parakeet (photo: Carole Devillers)
Coypu (photo: Non-Native Species Secretariat)
Asian Hornet (photo: Alastair Christie)
Asian Tiger mosquito (photo: Alastair Christie)
Sour fig (photo: Alastair Christie)

JERSEY AIR RIFLE CLUB

Parish Information Clubs & Associations

Martin Mallet 01534 752909

JerseyAirRifleClubInfo@gmail.com

THE JERSEY AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY INCLUDING ELECTRONICS & COMPUTING

Fridays at 7.30pm

Peter Bertram 07829 722722

gj8pvl@hotmail.com

JERSEY RAYNET, EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS

Fridays at 7.30pm

Peter Bertram 07829 722722

gj8pvl@hotmail.com

JERSEY ASTRONOMY CLUB

Tony Bellows jerseyastronomyclub@ymail.com

ST BRELADE PARISHIONERS FB Simon Langlois simon@langlois-uk.com

LA MOYE WI

Jane Campbell 01534 742174 lamoyewi@yahoo.co.uk

NO 7 OVERSEAS (JERSEY) SQUADRON

Flt. Lt Leighton Jenkins 01534 744998 7os@aircadets.org

PARISH OF ST BRELADE PETANQUE GROUP

Joy Hart- Club Captain 01534 741469 happyharts13@yahoo.co.uk

SINKERS SEA FISHING CLUB

Steve Mullins 01534 852336 sinkersseafishingclub@blog.com

SMALL BORE RIFLE CLUB

Robert Marshall marshallrobert46@gmail.com

ST AUBIN SEA ANGLING CLUB

Jim Le Lion jim.lelion@dmsjersey.com stasac.com

JERSEY SCOUT ASSOCIATION

– ST BRELADE GROUP Evelyn Langlois gsl10th@scouts.org.je

ST AUBIN’S BOAT OWNERS ASSOCIATION

Alan Le Rossignol saboajersey@gmail.com saboa.co.uk

ST BRELADE BATTLE OF FLOWERS ASSOCIATION

Sean Jones bofstbrelade@gmail.com

ST BRELADE REPAIR CAFE

Max Livesey & Simon Langlois simon@langlois-uk.com

ST BRELADE TWINNING ASSOCIATION

Martha Bernstein 01534 746353 mjb@marthabernstein.co.uk

ST BRELADE YOUTH CLUB

Stacy Benstead 07797 723260 stacybenstead@jys.je

ST. BRELADE’S BAY BOAT OWNERS ASSOCIATION

Jane Morel-Orchard (Hon. Sec.) 07797 729 466 sbbboa@gmail.com

TORAKAN JUDO CLUB

Tony Palmer 07797 850370 tonyouch@googlemail.com

ST BRELADE BOWLS CLUB 01534 491110

ST AUBIN AND ST PETER’S WI

Sarah Johnson 07797 725486

JERSEY OVER 50’S SOCIAL CLUB

Maureen Parris 07797 751223

Parish Hall, La Neuve Route, St Brelade JE3 8BS

PUBLIC OFFICE OPENING HOURS: Monday to Friday 08:00 to 17:00 Saturday & Sunday CLOSED parishhall@stbrelade.je www.stbrelade.je

DUTY CENTENIER 01534 741175

CONNÉTABLE Steve Pallett 01534 741141 For the latest parish NEWS & EVENTS

direct to your inbox, sign up at

EDITORIAL Susan Parker T: 07797 916991 / E: susiep99@hotmail.com

ADVERTISING Martyn Farley T: 07797 743191 / E: martyn@farley.je

ACCOUNTS Helen Le Marquand E: helenlm@mediamasters.je

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook