Award for one of 30 Bays’ co-founders

Les Bourgs Hospice fundraising administrator Liz Stonebridge was presented with the R D Leak Trophy for being active in the sea.

She was presented with the trophy at Port Soif by the Health Improvement Commission for her work on the charity event.

Originally a school swimming competition prize, the award has been re-purposed to reward community work encouraging healthy activity in the sea.

‘The 30 bays is a simple initiative and yet it has really struck a chord with the Guernsey community. Lizzie and her team have done a great job of making swimming accessible and fun,’ said Alun Williams, the Be Active lead at the commission

The 30 Bays in 30 Days challenge sees islanders raising money for Les Bourgs Hospice by swimming once a day in 30 different bays over the month of July.

The idea for the initiative arose in 2013 when Miss Stonebridge set herself the challenge of trying to swim in as many of Guernsey’s bays as she could.

‘It just seems to have captured the imagination of people,’ she said.

Having had her mother and a close family relative receive care from the hospice, when deciding to turn the challenge into an organised charitable event the following year, Les Bourgs was an obvious choice.

Inspired by the 30 / 30 cycling challenge started by Ian Brown’s Cycle Shop, the event saw more than 500 participants in its first year, and numbers have risen in successive years.

The initiative’s largest to date was 2020, with more than 1,500 participants signing up to raise money and swim.

Miss Stonebridge believed that the unusually high uptake last year was a result of the travel restrictions and prolonged periods of warm weather.

This year marks Les Bourgs hospice’s 30th year of operation and the 30 Bays’ organisers are optimistic for another high turnout for the anniversary.

‘We’re very privileged to have Lizzie as our fundraiser, it’s marvellous,’ said Les Bourgs hospice board chairman the Very Rev. John Guille said.

‘The 30 Bays in 30 Days has become a real feature of island life and we’re very grateful to the community for supporting us.’

One new participant for 2021 will be former Bailiff and director of Les Bourgs, Sir Richard Collas.

‘I enjoy it, I feel fitter, I feel healthier, I feel better for it and I’m sure anybody who takes part will benefit in a similar way, that’s why I’d encourage as many as possible to do as much as they can,’ he said.

The 30 Bays team is working on an idea to produce a shorter version of the challenge for tourists that could be completed over a weekend or a short trip.