£41,000 cheque of benefit to Sark's Professor Saint Trust

SARK'S Carnival Committee rounded off its fundraising work this year with a presentation of £41,000 at the Island Hall.

The committee responsible for Sark's annual Sheep Racing weekend, along with the popular Scarecrow competition, raises the money on behalf of the Professor Saint Trust, which subsidises the cost of prescription drugs on Sark.

The size of the cheque remained a secret until the presentation, made by this year's Miss Sark Princess, Mali Chatterton, to island doctor John Stevenson.

Upbeat after the donation of £41,035.50 the committee's chairwoman, Puffin Taylour, said that Sark's community was alive and well.

'Our committee of seven provides the organisation, but over 100 unpaid volunteers help with the running of the Sheep Racing and then, of course, there are all of those who come over and support.'

She sees the presentation evening as a way of thanking everybody for their hard work and now, with the coffers empty, it is time to start again.

Nearly 100 islanders reached into their pockets during the course of the meal to guess the size of the cheque before sitting back for the raffle, presentation and auction.

Sark's Seigneur, and chairman of the Professor Saint Trust, Michael Beaumont was glowing in his praise of the Carnival Committee and the work that it does.

'Without donations of this magnitude it would not have been possible to maintain the current level of prescription charge – and in what are hard times for many on Sark, that is a vital contribution to the community's welfare.'

With a restored working fund for next year and a healthy level of enthusiasm, Puffin is keen to build on the success with some fresh ideas for 2014 including a new range of merchandise.

The dates for next year's Sheep Racing weekend are 19-20 July.