Natasha Luxon: Five Things I'd Change About Guernsey

Friday 29 June 2018

Natasha Luxon has lived in Guernsey all of her life, and is what many would call a true born and bred Guern. Best known for running the Sarnia Sea Lions and 'Tasha's Aquafit, not only is she an islander, but has an affinity with the water.

Sarnia Sea Lions was established in Guernsey on 1 January 2013, and in 2016 became an STA Swim Star Swim School. The aim of Sarnia Sea Lions is to promote the teaching and practice of swimming by offering the opportunity for children from four months old and upwards to learn to swim; to learn to swim better; and to improve general swimming fitness and water safety awareness. The Swim School also offers adult swimming and aquacise.

Express caught up with Natasha in between her swimming lessons to get her perspective on five things she would change about the island of Guernsey. 

1. Waiting times on Medical Specialist Group appointments and follow-ups should be faster

"Quicker response times for non-private patients seeking urgent Medical Specialist Group appointments and follow-ups. Especially when the expert is not on the island."

Patients in Guernsey are often referred on to consultants employed by the MSG because of the way the health & social care system on the island is set up. Ms Luxon, and many other islanders, thinks this system needs to be faster. Sometimes people can be left waiting for months when their appointment is in a less regular field, with orthopaedics being a particular offender with long wait times for operations and appointments. The situation is also exacerbated by certain specialist areas not having a permanent employees on island.

2. An island with a car culture.

"Reduce the number of cars and encourage smaller vehicles that are more appropriate for our roads."

Guernsey is split into two halves when it comes to cars. Some criticise its car culture, and say there are far too many for the population - that is with a high average of over three cars per family. Others think the island is a motorist's island and that does not need to change. But with petrol prices reaching new highs, breaking records last month, incentives to use the bus or cycle rather than jump in your own car to drive to work are ever increasing. For those that like automobiles, at least that means less struggle to park in Town.

3. Keep all swimming pools open all three terms, for fitness, teaching and life saving skills.

"Keep all States school swimming pools open, where possible for all three terms, so children can have swimming at school all year around, not only for fitness but for encouraging and teaching water safety and life saving skills."

Currently the island's school pools are mostly seasonal, depending on the school term, and during those periods they are used for all kinds of different activities, whether that be school swimming lessons, classes outside of school times run privately, or more niche areas like lifesaving classes, water-polo games or pool kayaking. More recently some of these school pools have been closing permanently, such as the Grammar School pool.

4. The island needs more leisure centres and places to go and have fun.

"Bring back a proper public ‘leisure’ centre with lots of activities for children and adults. We seem to have lost some good activities from the past, like roller skating, roller discos, discos in the dungeons, the water slides, astroglide (now showing my age!). Add additional ones such as trampolines."

While Beau Sejour is technically a leisure centre, it is very sport-centric, with the pool, indoor sport areas and pitches, squash courts and the gym. Islanders often want more to do for both themselves, and as families with their children. With the Guernsey Bowl closing down at the end of last year, after its brand owner MFA pulled out, Guernsey lost another example of these leisure centres, though it was heavily suggested by members of the public the property could be converted into a proper fun centre. Ideas such as a indoor trampoline park, a better bowling alley, a giant creche and more were thrown around, but someone is yet to act with the property, which is up for sale.

5. Travel! - prices and ease of use.

"Cheaper travel, and fairer pricing policies for travel off island."

Travel and its prices and availability is a common place concern in our five things series. People want more choice of where to travel, more choice of when to travel, and more choice of how to travel. All of that alongside wanting to pay a reasonable price. Every company locally involved in travel has been under fire in recent years regarding this, with the latest headlines including Aurigny's new pricing structure, which saves light travellers some money but costs those wanting to take baggage more. The reliability of Condor is also often called into question, and the availability of Flybe and Blue Islands flights to their various destinations. The States are increasingly looking at how this can be worked on, with Economic Development set to bring plans for an open skies policy to debate next month.