Raie is Young Citizen

SARK school pupil Raie Craft is the island's Chamber of Commerce's Young Citizen of the Year.

She gained the award for highlighting the nuisance caused by irresponsible dog owners who allow their animals to foul the roads and then fail to clean up the mess.

Raie, 11, was presented with her framed certificate by Sark Chamber president Bob Parsons, who told her that her efforts had led to designated dog muck bins being placed around the island.

She drew attention to the problem by writing a letter illustrating how many instances of mess she found in the few hundred yards between her home at The Gallery Stores at the end of The Avenue and Sark School.

Three-time Olympic dressage rider Carl Hester was named as Overseas Ambassador of the Year for continually promoting Sark whenever he is interviewed, by referring to the fact that he grew up and learned to ride in the island.

The 'home' Ambassador of the Year is Felicity Belfield, whose initial suggestion led to Sark being designated the world's first Dark Skies Island.

Other awards, which were presented at the chamber's annual dinner, went to the island's 'weather man', Roy Cook, who as well as being a stalwart of the Sark branch of the Royal British Legion was also for many years the island's representative on the Channel Islands Music Council and who has just retired as chairman of the Road Traffic Appeal Tribunal – a job he volunteered for in 2002 at the age of 78.

Molly Bull was given the Unsung Hero award for her efforts in growing produce and employing a large number of local residents, while Dave Cocksedge and PJ Carre's efforts in staging 25 years of New Year celebrations with a difference were also recognised.

Kristina Southern won the President's Award for her work in relation to the Christmas lights in The Avenue, while the overseas charity award went to Zoe Adams – for her work for the British Red Cross – and Puffin Taylour, chairman of the Sark Carnival Committee, won the local equivalent for her work for the island's principal charity.

The Entrepreneurs of the Year Award went to the team responsible for the renovation of Stocks Hotel.

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My reference to Puffin Taylour and the Sark Carnival Committee leads me nicely to the result of last year's fund-raising efforts, which raised £27,122.27 for the Professor Charles Saint Medical Trust, which subsidises prescribed medication for island residents.

As is the tradition, the cheque was presented by Miss Sark Princess, Leilani Chatterton, to Dr Peter Counsell at the annual event held for that very purpose. There was also a raffle and an auction and money raised from these give the committee a start for this year's fund-raising effort. As always, it was a magnificent total and a tribute to the hard work of the committee and the generosity of those who supported its events.

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I referred last week to the hold-up in legislation that will eventually allow a by-election to be held for two vacant conseillers' seats. I am reliably informed that the delay is down to representations being made to the Justice Ministry in London against the legislation. As there will be no prizes for guessing from where the representations emanate, I shan't bother.

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I had hoped to write this week about the annual Tourism Forum organised by the Tourism Committee, but as the event turned out to be little more than a cheese and wine party with precious little evidence of any discussion – meaningful or otherwise – I can't.

I rather think there will be more to say about that in the weeks to come.

* The email address for comment is fallesark@sark.net.