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6. Statement by the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture regarding the Island Games 2015
6.1 The Deputy of St. Ouen (The Minister for Education, Sport and Culture):
On Sunday, 27th June I attended the annual general meeting of the Island Games Association in the Isle of Wight. The last item on the agenda was to decide the host island for the 2015 NatWest Island Games. I am delighted that the member islands decided, by the narrowest of margins of 28 votes to 27, that Jersey should win the right. That the vote was so close was a measure of the excellent bids developed by both Jersey and Gotland. It was a privilege to be at the meeting and to offer the support of the Jersey government as part of the presentation made by the bid committee. I would like to thank the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers for showing their support to allow Education, Sport and Culture and the Bid Committee to make such a strong presentation with full government backing. The Bid Committee first met in January 2009 and since that time they have worked tirelessly to develop a comprehensive and very professional bid which led to the successful vote. Under the chairmanship of Phil Austin, the committee was made up of Gerald Fletcher, Stephen Jacobs, Sarah Madel, Kevin Lemasney, Derek de la Haye and Anne Hislop. Each one of these people has made a significant contribution to an excellent team effort and I would like to thank them personally for all that they have done. The games are held every 2 years. Next year they will be in the Isle of Wight and in 2013 they will be in Bermuda. In 2015 we can look forward to hosting in excess of 3,500 competitors and officials, as well as many visiting spectators. It will be an opportunity for the whole Island to get involved in a major sporting and community event and for us to demonstrate a real Jersey welcome. I am confident that we have the facilities, accommodation and transport to put on an excellent games. What will make the difference is the involvement of the community and I am very keen to foster this in the coming years. It will be an opportunity for sports clubs and associations to develop more officials, volunteers and participants. Winning medals will be an objective but, more, it will be to bring the whole community together to celebrate through a week of high level sport. I believe this is a really good news story and I am delighted that Jersey has been allowed to have this opportunity. I will soon be setting up an organising committee who will have the responsibility to begin the long process to organise the games. I hope that we as the States and the Island as a whole gives them our support to make the next 5 years an exciting time for sport and culture in Jersey and to look forward to that opening ceremony on Saturday, 4th July 2015. [Approbation]
- Deputy K.C. Lewis :
While I congratulate the Minister and his team most sincerely on securing the 2015 Island Games, we have just discussed swimming pools. Are there any other sporting facilities in Jersey that will need upgrading for the Island Games?
The Deputy of St. Ouen :
We were fortunate enough as part of the bid process to be visited by senior Island Games Association officials to look at all the facilities that we were going to use and were proposing to use for the games in 2015. They believed, and I can confirm, that we have very, very good facilities. The idea that our swimming pool facilities are not up to standard is, I am afraid, far from the truth and as such I am extremely confident that apart from improvements and the necessary upgrading of the F.B. Fields athletics track, which is already allowed for in the capital programme, there will not be a need for further facilities to be produced or developed.
- Deputy J.A. Martin:
I may have missed it in the bid and forgive me if I have: do we have an overall budget for the Games or will it be like the Olympic Games 2012 in the U.K., which I think is overrunning by billions at the moment?
The Deputy of St. Ouen :
Much attention was put, as you can imagine, to ensuring that the budget was correct and in fact the Bid Committee, I believe, was the only island to spend time with the Island Games Association Treasurer to look at past games' costs so that the amount identified in the bid document was appropriate and correct. Currently the States will underwrite the games to a maximum of approximately £1.9 million. Part of that sum will be raised through sponsorship, and indeed the main sponsor for the Island Games, NatWest, will help to provide sums of money. Equally, the Organisation Committee is responsible to seek and secure sponsorship for local business. The confidence I think that we can have is that the amounts of money that have been identified and will be underwritten have been costed over the next 5 years and as such I believe that we will see what I would call good value for money and all benefit from the delivery of the Island Games on the Island.
- The Deputy of St. John :
Within the various bids, have all groups who were wishing to participate been accommodated or are there some sports that will not be taking part, will not be held?
The Deputy of St. Ouen :
With regard to the Island Games, the amount of sports that can be accommodated is capped at 14 and, as such, unfortunately not all of the sporting organisations on the Island could be accommodated for in the process. I do believe that discussions have been held with those organisations and we are looking at providing some form of alternative competition so that they do not miss out on the opportunities that an Island Games brings.
- Senator J.L. Perchard:
Can I join in the congratulations to the Minister and the bid team. Obviously it was a very exciting time and I do extend my congratulations. I am concerned, since raising the issue of the suitability of Island Home as Jersey's anthem at occasions like the Island Games, as to the incredible amount of communication I have had from the general public who agree with me. Would the Minister prove me wrong by joining with his Assistant Ministers and perhaps singing Island Home [Laughter] in the Royal Square under a flag as though they had just won a competition, and perhaps they would invite fellow Members and the press to see the gusto with which the Minister and his Assistants could sing it. Perhaps then if they were able to prove me wrong they would silence me on this matter permanently. [Laughter]
[12:30]
The Deputy of St. Ouen :
I am sure we might silence a number of people on this matter. [Laughter] If the Senator chooses to enjoy the Island Home sung in all its glory I would point him to the government's website where he will see and hear over 400 of our young children plus many of the Island's choirs coming together and singing Island Home, supported by the Band of the Island of Jersey.
- Senator J.L. Perchard:
A supplementary, Sir. I am sure that is an excellent version of the anthem but the truth is it does not work like that. There will be 2 or 3 people standing on a windy rock, celebrating their victory, expected to sing it. Will the Minister show us how to do it?
The Deputy of St. Ouen : No. [Laughter]