Sky Sports' Le God 'tied up' for charity
PROBABLY because of its size and the closeness of its people, Sark relies more than most communities on unpaid and very often unsung volunteers for tasks that are usually accompanied by salaries in other places.
PROBABLY because of its size and the closeness of its people, Sark relies more than most communities on unpaid and very often unsung volunteers for tasks that are usually accompanied by salaries in other places.
Our politicians not only do the job for nothing but, certainly in the case of most if not all committee chairmen, they act as their own civil service, so if anyone gets a letter from, for example, the Development Control Committee, it's probably been drafted and typed by DCC chairman Conseiller Tony Dunks.
It was only at the Christmas Chief Pleas in January that it was agreed to pay a small honorarium to the island's procureur des pauvres - the office holder whose task it is to ensure that those who need a financial hand up (rather than a hand out) get assistance where necessary.
Similarly, the two constables receive a relative pittance in terms of the work they do and the fact that they are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as are all those who provide the other emergency services.
But the honorary ethos does not end there. It applies also to people like Zoe Adams, who raises thousands of pounds every year for the British Red Cross, Pam Cocksedge, who manages to turn what others don't want into cash for all manner of charities, and of course the Carnival Committee, whose efforts for the Professor Saint Medical Trust ensure that Sark residents save themselves a small fortune by raising funds that help keep the cost of prescribed medication at a reasonable level.
In recent years the Sark Chamber of Commerce has recognised the contribution made by such people with its annual awards scheme - this year's will be announced later this month - and last week the island's sports club recognised the contribution made to its activities by Brian Mercer.
It seems that each time I pass the Millennium Field - on which cricket, soccer, rugby and hockey (among other things) are played - I see Brian either mowing the grass, marking out pitches, erecting goal posts or, on occasions, refereeing or running the line.
At last week's annual dinner, Guernsey soccer legend Matt Le Tissier made a surprise presentation to Brian - a subscription to Sky's sports channel and all the bits of kit that go with it - in recognition of his service to the club and the wider community.
It was a well-deserved honour to a hard working and valuable member of this community.
There was also a surprise presentation to the club's guest of honour - a Sark Sports Club tie. Matt is well known for being the only one of Sky's soccer pundits not to wear a tie and he offered to break the habit in last Saturday's edition if a suitable amount was donated to charity. Sark being Sark, it wasn't long before an appropriate amount was offered and I am told that Matt duly kept his side of the bargain.
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Sark's Tourism Committee is hosting its annual forum next week. It's at the Island Hall on Thursday and it provides an excellent opportunity for those in the industry - and those on its periphery - to get together and discuss how the package offered to our 50,000 or so annual guests can be enhanced. I leave readers with the observation that talking is always good.
* The email address for comment is fallesark@sark.net.
