Health and wellbeing now more important than ever – Chester

THE impact of the global pandemic and a changing political landscape has led the Guernsey Sports Commission to update their Your Champions in Sport Action Plan.

The Guernsey Sports Commission – represented by, left to right, Jeremy Frith, Jon Ravenscroft and Graham Chester – first launched its five-year action plan in January 2020, just before the pandemic struck. (Picture by Sophie Rabey, 30363447)

It had been originally launched almost exactly two years ago to the day, just before Covid started to spread, and as the commission’s operations director Graham Chester explained, the action plan has been revised to reflect the changing world.

‘A lot has changed since we first published our plan at the start of 2020,’ he said.

‘I don’t think anyone would have predicted that just a few weeks after we launched, the world would be plunged into a pandemic that has had a huge impact on the way we all live.

‘Health and wellbeing are now more important than ever as we learn to live with Covid and the commission feels it’s important that our work reflects this new norm.’

Since the original launch, Guernsey has also had an island-wide election and the States of Guernsey has placed the emphasis on action, delivering on promises and reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and red tape.

Commissioning of third sector organisations best placed to efficiently and effectively deliver elements of government strategy has become a stated aim of Policy & Resources and it is one that the Sports Commission is keen to be involved in.

‘Guernsey also now has a government backed strategy for sport, Active 8, which the commission is already delivering,’ said Chester.

‘In this update of our action plan we highlight how our workstreams will help achieve the core aims of Active 8 and, in turn, how they will also support the core aims of the new Government Work Plan.

‘We also highlight where we have successfully delivered previous actions, where those actions may be ongoing or still in development, and also where we may not have started or have needed to amend or update a particular action.

‘It’s important that we remain flexible in the way we deliver against our action plan and in turn the States of Guernsey’s core objectives for sport.

‘2022 is set to be a busy year for the Sports Commission with some exciting projects and initiatives to look forward to as well as continuing our role to lead, represent and champion sport in Guernsey,’ he added.

n Go to https://bit.ly/3zsTHv4 to view the details of the updated report.