Salvation Army head to pay visit
THE Salvation Army's figurehead is to visit the island next month. General Shaw Clifton will spend a weekend in the Channel Islands as part of the Liberation Day celebrations and has asked that a visit to Alderney is included in his itinerary.
THE Salvation Army's figurehead is to visit the island next month. General Shaw Clifton will spend a weekend in the Channel Islands as part of the Liberation Day celebrations and has asked that a visit to Alderney is included in his itinerary.
General Clifton is the head of the Salvation Army. His wife, Commissioner Helen Clifton, will also visit the island. The couple are expected to fly to Alderney on Saturday 8 May for the prestigious visit.
Local Salvation Army chief John Charlton is delighted that General Clifton has asked to visit the island. 'As far as we are aware, this will be the first time a serving general has visited Alderney,' he said. 'As well as a public meeting, there will be an opportunity for the corps folk to meet both the General and the Commissioner.'
Belfast-born General Clifton, 64, lived in Scotland and England before reading law at the University of London. After graduating, he lectured in law at the Inns of Court, London, and at the University of Bristol before entering the International Training College in 1971, along with his wife.
Commissioned as Salvation Army officers in 1973, the Cliftons served as corps officers at Burnt Oak, north London, before being appointed in Zimbabwe.
General Clifton was vice-principal at Mazowe Secondary School in Bulawayo, during a time of significant political turmoil.
The couple returned to London in the late 1970s. From 1982 to 1989, General Clifton worked as a legal and parliamentary secretary. In 1995 the couple were appointed to positions in the Massachusetts Division in the United States.
Two years later they worked in Pakistan, before taking up positions in New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga.
General Clifton took over as General from John Larsson in 2006.
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Army, Navy and Royal Air Force servicemen are planning to kite surf the English Channel from Alderney to Poole in June.
Teams of six surfers representing each force will launch from Braye Harbour and relay-race the 70 nautical miles to England's south coast.
Those taking part will be aiming to raise cash for the Help for Heroes charity, which supports ex-service personnel.
They will be following in the footsteps of Andy Ward, who became the first man to kite surf between Alderney and Poole in September last year.
The weather forecast will be monitored closely in June for optimum conditions.
Organisers will issue a five- and two-day warning to the competitors before giving those involved 24 hours to travel to Alderney.
The race, which is expected to take around five hours, will start on the slack high tide in Braye.
Each team will be required to race all six of its competitors.
'The aim is to raise as much money as possible for Help for Heroes,' said organiser Henry Waite, of Zephyr Kite Surf.
'This amazing charity offers practical, direct support for the wounded, which is close to the hearts of all those involved.'
To donate to the cause, visit www.kite4heroes.co.uk.
