Guernsey charity, community, and fundraising highlights of 2024
As we move into 2025, we have taken a moment to reflect on the charity and community activities that brought members of the Mourant Guernsey office together over this past year.
Read on for a round-up of our 2024 highlights for Guernsey. You can also see coverage of our Jersey highlights, here.
Thank you to all our colleagues who contributed time, energy, and resources to support these valuable charitable and community causes. We look forward to continuing our efforts and making an even greater impact in the year ahead!
Walking football in aid of Guernsey charities
In June, nine members of our Guernsey office attended the Core Fund Services Annual Walking Football Festival. The team showcased exceptional skill and teamwork throughout the tournament, ultimately making it to the final match. Victory was narrowly snatched by KPMG in a tense penalty shootout, but despite the close loss, the team were proud of their performance and sportsmanship. In addition to participating in the festival, we paid an entry fee which was shared among three important Guernsey charities: Safer, Ivy Trust, and Samaritans.
Supporting Autism Guernsey
As with many charities in the current climate, Autism Guernsey is struggling to raise much needed funds to cover its services. This has been exacerbated by the loss of annual funding previously provided by BBC Children in Need. If funds cannot be raised, Autism Guernsey faces having to scrap its children's services from this year. With this in mind, Mourant pledged support to this cause, setting up multiple collection points for staff who wished to make donations. Over £100 was raised in September 2024, with the Guernsey Charities Committee making an additional donation of over £1,000 to the cause.
The Havelet Regatta
The Havelet Regatta took place for the second consecutive year on 1 September, raising vital funds for Guernsey Cheshire Home, an organisation that provides care and opportunities for individuals living with physical disabilities. In 2023, the regatta raised £7,000, with the total rising significantly to £12,000 in 2024. We were proud to support the event through a 'Gold' sponsorship package which contributed £1,250 to the cause, and members of our team enjoyed volunteering their time to help on the day.
Guernsey Swimathon
At the beginning of October, seven members of our Guernsey office took part in the annual Skipton Swimarathon at Beau Sejour, helping to raise funds for the GSPCA. Our team swam 106 lengths in total and raised nearly £500 for this worthy cause.
The Green Team Step Challenge
Members of our Guernsey office participated in the Green Team Step Challenge, which encouraged people to walk whenever they could with the aim of hitting a 100,000 steps target, with each person hitting their target donating £10 to Guernsey Trees for Life. Overall, 19 members of our Guernsey team took part in the challenge. The Charities Committee donated £10 for every person who hit their step target, rounding the final amount up to £250.
Wearing our wellies in support of Grow
Also in October, colleagues got behind 'Wear Your Wellies Day,' an annual campaign where people are encouraged to slip on their wellies instead of usual footwear and donate a minimum of £2 to Grow. Established in 1984, Grow's mission is to support adults with learning disabilities and difficulties develop self-confidence and life skills, enabling them to be included and valued within a workplace and the wider community by providing occupational training and mentoring in a safe and stimulating environment. With donations from our Guernsey team members and a top up from the Guernsey Charities Committee, we were able to donate over £500 to the cause.
Christmas charity support
Every year the Guernsey branch of the Salvation Army hosts a Christmas Day lunch, which is free to everyone, with the aim of bringing together those people in the community who are elderly and alone. In 2024, over 40 guests enjoyed a turkey roast with all the trimmings and everyone was given a Christmas hamper comprising items donated by the Mourant Guernsey office. The firm has proudly supported this cause for over a decade and hopes to continue to do so in the years to come.
Throughout 2024, our Guernsey Mourant Governance Services team participated in monthly bake offs to help lift team spirits and contribute to a good cause. The baked goods were offered to colleagues across the firm in lieu of a donation towards the firm's welfare box.
The team also purchased additional items to fill the welfare box, including cupboard staples, toiletries, children's toys, and essential household items, which Guernsey Welfare Service distributed to those in need over the festive period. Recipients included single-parent households, pensioners, people with disabilities or long-term health conditions, and families who faced unexpected financial challenges such as medical or household expenses.
Additional charity donations
Throughout 2024, our Guernsey office made donations to the following charities:
- Male Uprising Guernsey – Beard Up Campaign
- Harbour Carnival – Duck Race
- Women in Fund Finance – Round the World Virtual Race (in conjunction with our other global jurisdictions)
- Smile for Georgie Foundation
- Adult Disability Service
- Caritas Community Charitable Trust (Big Skipton Sleep Out) – raising funds to build modular housing for those in Guernsey who are homeless or displaced.
- Friends of Citizens Advice Guernsey – sponsorship of a table at the charity's fund-raising ball
- Members of our Litigation team also provide pro bono assistance to Citizens Advice Guernsey throughout the year
2024 sponsorships
In the past year, we were also proud to pledge our support through sponsorship of the following community and sporting initiatives.
Guernsey Literary Festival
We sponsored an event at the Guernsey Literary Festival with environmental journalist, charity executive and author, Charles Clover, who talked about his latest book, 'Rewilding the Sea: How to Save Our Oceans - Environment and Nature'; a celebration of what happens when we step aside and let nature repair the damage. The talk was chaired by Sally Rochester, Director of Mourant Consulting and sustainability champion.
Pollinator Project
Following the success of the butterfly and moth projects in previous years, we were proud to sponsor the Pollinator Project in delivering its 2024 education programme, which focused on bumblebees. Each year speakers from the Pollinator Project present in schools to approximately 4,000 children across Guernsey.
Mourant Relay Race
2024 was the fifth year of our sponsorship of the Guernsey Marathon Relay Race. The relay offers an inclusive opportunity for people to come together as a team and experience a marathon without having to run the full distance. The event reflects our firm's focus on wellbeing, inclusion and teamwork.
Guernsey Football Association
As a dedicated advocate for women's football in Guernsey, we have maintained our sponsorship commitment to the Girls Academy (ages 9-16) and the Senior Women's Guernsey Representative team in collaboration with the Guernsey Football Association (FA). The FA remains steadfast in its mission to promote female participation in competitive sports, and it has seen a consistent rise in popularity as it continues its efforts to increase the involvement of women and girls in the sport.
Pride
Every year, CI Pride alternates between Guernsey and Jersey hosting the event. Last year's Pride, in partnership with Liberate Guernsey, took place in Guernsey on Saturday 7 September. We were proud to have once again been Parade Sponsor of the 2024 parade; the sixth year in which the firm has supported the event.
