Sir Ian walks the walk

Sunday 28 June 2020

Sir Ian Corder, his son and two of the Lieutenant-Governor's cadets have completed the Saffery Rotary Walk's 39-mile round-island challenge in a "symbolic gesture of the Island’s newfound freedom from lockdown".

The event was one of the many casualties of lockdown. However, its Patron, His Excellency, Vice-Admiral, Sir Ian Corder accepted a challenge from its organisers to walk the route on behalf of those unable to take part this year.

Sir Ian, his son, Alex, and two Lieutenant-Governor’s Cadets, Jacob Brady and Jack Vaudin, set out to pay tribute to those whose efforts and support have had to be put on hold due to the Coronavirus.

“The Saffery Rotary Walk is one of the great Guernsey events in our annual calendar," he said. "It is a real coming together of a large number of our community whose benefit reaches beyond those taking part to deliver tangible financial support to a wide variety of local charities. Its loss this year is felt by so many people and in many different ways."

Pictured: Sir Ian maintained his record of completing the walk every year that he has been in the islands. 

“I was therefore very pleased when the walk organisers suggested that, when the time was right, I ‘put on the shirt’ and complete the walk by way of acknowledgement of what we may have lost this year – but equally to symbolise that Guernsey’s spirit is not broken by the events of recent months. I am confident that next year the walk will return stronger and better than ever before.”

Simon Milsted, the Saffery Rotary Walk’s chairman, said: “While we have lost our regular walker’s sponsorship income, we have been overwhelmed that a huge majority of our registered walkers have allowed us to use their registration fee for charitable purposes."

"Our event sponsor, Saffery Champness, has also stood by us and met all our cancellation and preparatory costs so, as ever, all money received from walkers is available for charitable purposes. Sir Ian’s gesture is a fitting acknowledgement of everyone’s generous support. We are grateful to him that the walk will take place this year, all be it symbolically and in a markedly different form.”

Lisa Vizia, Director at Saffery Champness and a member of the organising committee, said Sir Ian had helped to "keep the spirit of the walk alive."

"It has been fantastic to see individuals sharing their memories of the Walk on social media as well as those people who have completed the route off their own bat. It really captures the community feel of the event. Plans are already underway for next year's Saffery Rotary Walk and we are hoping to make it extra special to raise as much money as possible for local charities who have been impacted by the pandemic."

Pictured top: Simon Milsted (Saffery Rotary Walk Chairman), His Excellency Vice-Admiral Sir Ian Corer, Jacob Brady (Cadet), Jack Vaudin (Cadet), Alex Corder (His Excellency’s son) and Chris Russell (Saffery Champness representative).