Island Games countdown: Decorate Your Place competition launched with 50 days to go

Friday 19 May 2023

Island Games organisers are encouraging people to decorate their homes or businesses with flags and bunting to help make the event “magical”.

Today marks the 50-days countdown to the NatWest International Island Games and sees the launch of a Decorate Your Place competition.

Amanda Hibbs, communications and events director for the Games, said she wanted to see the island ablaze with colour to welcome the athletes. 

 “We’re calling on Guernsey residents to help us make the Games magical, and we’re hoping that the whole community will get behind this effort to make the island as bright and colourful as possible in order to support the local and visiting teams."

Pictured: Back l-r, Games communications and events director Amanda Hibbs and crocheter Tamara O’Brien, front l-r, triathletes Amy Critchlow and Chris Norman.

“The local athletes have told us how much it means to them to be competing on home soil, and they can’t wait to see flags flying. Our advice is that if you’ve still got your Liberation Day flags and bunting up, leave them up for the Games. 

“Be as colourful and creative as you like, have fun, wave flags from balconies, hang them from windows, adorn your garden, you could even festoon your shed. People may be poised to paint the island green, but you could also choose flags from some of the visiting islands, from Greenland to the Falkland Islands, the choice is yours.” 

People who want to enter the competition can email a photo of their decorated place to info@guernsey2023.gg or post one to Guernsey 2023 NatWest International Island Games, La Villiaze, St Andrew’s, GY6 8YP. 

An anonymous donation means that there will be three prizes of £100 each. In addition, the organisers will donate £50 to the winners’ local charity of choice. 

Entries need to be submitted by Saturday 1 July. The winners will be told by Wednesday 5 July. 

Pictured: Tamara O’Brien will be crocheting a postbox topper for each of the 14 sports in the Games, she began with athletics. 

Avid crocheter Tamara O’Brien has embraced the concept and will be crocheting a series of Island Games-themed postbox toppers.  

They will represent one of the fourteen different sports in the Games. 

The first topper features the athletics and will be placed on the postbox by the Town Church. 

It has been sponsored by the family of the late Owen Le Vallee MBE. Mr Le Vallee was the driving force behind the second Island Games, which was hosted by Guernsey in 1987. He was also a life member of the International Island Games Association. 

Material for the toppers has been sponsored by Skipton and Waitrose. After the Games, the toppers will be on display at Health Connections, and then Martel Maides will do an online auction to raise money for charities for  the Friends of Frossard Ward, the GreenAcres Dementia Care Home, and the Priaulx Premature Baby Foundation.  A JustGiving page is also being set up.

Jet the puffin mascot will be at the Sure store in Town at lunchtime today and Saturday morning and then at the Youth Games on Saturday afternoon. 

Guernsey Post is releasing a special set of Island Games stamps depicting the 14 different sports.