The Committee for Education, Sport & Culture has said it wants to encourage the spirit of ‘GuernseyTogether’ while it works through plans for a re-shaped Liberation Day.

The alternative plans that are being put together are being based on current public health advice but that could change as time moves closer towards 9 May.

Pictured: Her Majesty The Queen will send a message to the Bailiwick as normal ahead of Liberation Day and the Lieutenant Governor will deliver it via a recording streamed online. 

ESC said: "several traditional events will be held in one form or another and recorded for broadcast on Liberation Day via the media and online at the States of Guernsey and Liberation Day website and Facebook pages. These include a church service led by the Dean of Guernsey, wreath laying, a message from the Bailiff and the Lieutenant-Governor reading the Queen’s message. A schedule of the day’s broadcast will be released in due course."

There are also plans to show footage from the Liberation in 1945, as well as vintage photos, online along with interviews with veterans from World War Two who had been due to visit Guernsey for Liberation 2020, before the covid-19 pandemic was declared and travel was banned. 

If restrictions on movement and large gatherings remain in place early next month, a range of initiatives focusing on the Liberation will be publicised to encourage everyone to mark the event in their homes and share the occasion online instead.

Deputy Matt Fallaize, President of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, said these plans are all being developed under a new banner, ‘Liberation 75 Together’ because of the unusual circumstances we're currently experiencing. 

“While the way we mark Liberation Day obviously needs to change this year, we can still find ways to commemorate the occasion together as a community.

Pictured: Deputy Matt Fallaize. 

"The Committee is planning events which will encourage us all to continue to mark the Liberation and show some of the community spirit which helped pull our island and her people through the long years of Occupation.

"Events will not be restricted to May 9 but will be organised in the lead up to Liberation Day as well. These plans will be developed further over the next few weeks. They will have to be adapted further if public health advice changes and therefore we will wait until closer to the day to publish final details of events. But we wanted the community to know that there will still be opportunities to commemorate the Liberation.

"The Liberation must continue to be commemorated because of the immense sacrifices made by so many and because of the great impact WW2 had on our community.”

Pictured top: Liberation Day 2019.