Rotary Tree of Joy - Providing a Present for Needy Guernsey Children at Christmas
Views of St Peter Port from dark December aircraft take-offs and approaches include one extra iconic sight beyond the rest of the year.
Many Christmas lights far below announce that the festive season is again upon us. However, the very longest and tallest set of those lights towers brightly above the main roundabout in Town. Those particular lights have a very specific meaning - the annual Tree of Joy initiative to provide a Christmas present to needy children in Guernsey has begun.
The Rotary Tree of Joy initiative is run every year by the Rotary Club of Guernsey, supported by the public at large and various organizations:
The Tree of Joy initiative can mean a great deal for some children at a special time of the year. However, the logistics are quite tricky and have to happen within a very tight 3 week timescale in December. Therefore, as soon as the Tree of Joy is switched on (29 November in 2012), we encourage the maximum early support from the public in selecting the Tags and providing the related, wrapped present. This helps us ensure that they get to each particular child in time for Christmas.
In December 2012, The Rotary Tree of Joy initiative was extremely well supported by the Guernsey public again. Over 600 Christmas presents were provided for needy local children.
In addition to public participation, some staff from generous organizations in Guernsey participate collectively by selecting a number of Tags and purchasing the related Christmas presents for children, rather than just for each other.
As well as the very tall light tree on St Julian's roundabout in Town, two further trees act as beacons of the Tree of Joy and the related generosity of the Guernsey public in supporting needy children with a present at this time of year. These are the tall light tree outside the Airport Terminal and the traditional Christmas Tree adjacent to the Town Church, where the Father Christmas parade ends each year for the turning on of the Christmas lights in Town.
Volunteers from the Rotary Club of Guernsey and its sister organization, Inner Wheel, erect the trees, work with the relevant agencies and make the logistics happen. This includes operating the Secret Rotary Elves Grotto somewhere in Guernsey, to collect, store, sort, check and assemble the donated presents for onward delivery to the children in time for Christmas. They are further supported by the generosity of three sponsoring organizations who have funded the capital cost of the light trees: Long Port, Deutsche Bank and Sure.
The public were able to obtain Tree of Joy Tags from the following locations, whom we thank for their participation:
Aladdins Cave, Creasey's Toyshop, Guernsey Post Office (Smith Street and Envoy House), HSBC Bank (St Peter Port and St Martins), Josef of Switzerland, Lloyds TSB (St Peter Port, St Martins and St Sampsons), Miss Nob Boutique, Monkey Puzzle (School and @Kings), NatWest (Cobo, St Peter Port, St Martins and St Sampsons) and the Visitors Centre in St Peter Port.
In addition, we thank the management and staff at the following organizations for their generous participation, primarily via the internal take-up of Tags and purchase of presents for needy Guernsey children:
Augentius (Guernsey), Barclays Wealth, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Gentoo Fund Services, Guernsey Financial Services Commission, Healthspan, HSBC Securities, Intertrust, Kleinwort Benson, KPMG, Long Port, Northern Trust, RBC Wealth Management, RBS, Saffrey Champness, Schroders and Specsavers.
The Rotary Club of Guernsey also runs a separate initiative to provide Christmas Parcels to families and individuals in difficult circumstances. These Parcels are funded by public collections on the Rotary Flag day - 1 December 2012. In December 2012, the Rotary Flag Day collection, enhanced by a generous gift of £1,000 from Lagan construction, enabled us to provide 170 Christmas Food Parcels to those needing them in the island.
Further Details: Rotarian John Hollis
Tree of Joy Assembly, Sunday 11 and 18 November, and Removal on Sunday 13 January 2013
Many thanks to Rotarians who helped with installing the ground anchors and subsequently assembling the Rotary Tree of Joy at St Julian's roundabout.
We had requested two fine Sunday mornings in November, with the first Sunday preceded by a good soaking of rain to soften up the ground for screwing in the ground anchors. We were granted both requests, as some of the photos illustrate, and all work was completed as planned.
more The iconic Tree of Joy is now illuminated.
more The lights are ready.
more Providing presents for deserving children.
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more Photos of the 'Tree of Joy' taken from various vantage points by Nigel Dorey.
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more The Tree is lit!
more Light strings erected.
more All tags have now been taken up. There will be a lot of happy children. Thank you Guernsey!
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more The start of the Christmas festivities.
more Light strings erected.
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more Hundreds of gifts donated to disadvantaged children in Guernsey by islanders.
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more £6,402 raised for Christmas food parcels for needy families. Well done Guernsey!
more The start of the Christmas festivities.
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more Elves at Work
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more Job done! Thank you Dame Mary.
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more Nearly £200 donated at the Airport
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more Switched on by Jacob, Joey and Riley.
more Job done! The 'Switch On' takes place at around 6.00 p.m. this coming Thursday, 29 November.
more Part Two
more Presents for deserving children. Please click 'Details' below for locations of Tree of Joy tags.
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more Tree kindly donated by Len and Marilyn Armenta
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more Photographs taken by Nigel of the Delancey Garden Project crocuses in bloom.
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