They lack practical foundation throughout their study. Use pre-employment checks to let you employ the absolute best.
Islands refurbished office opening | Kingsgate House, The Esplanade | Thursday 15th March
Islands wanted to create offices that truly put customers at the heart of their business, so the local insurance broker used focus groups to find out how they could achieve that.
At the official opening, guests got to see the result of their feedback. The redesigned offices include meeting pods – functional and comfortable private spaces for staff and clients, breakout areas with deck chairs for team buzz meetings, and a modern, vibrant working area.
Arcadian Dreams Exhibition Launch | CCASM Modern and Contemporary Art | Thursday 15th March
Kindly sponsored by UBS Wealth Management CCasm welcomed delighted guests to view this incredible exhibition celebrating the sublime in abstraction and nature. Arcadian Dreams is an exhibition of natural beauty reimagined and distilled by some of the most compelling artists
working today including Anish Kapoor, Nissa Nishikawa, Boomoon, Gary Hume, Sue Arrowsmith and Damien Hirst. The exhibition will run until Friday 20th April and is available to view by appointment. Call the gallery on 859093 or visit ccasmart.com
Nicole Murray Design Studio Launch | Castle Quay | Friday 9th March
This luxury interior design company, relaunched its flagship kitchen showroom with a VIP invitation-only reception. Guests of the expansive showroom and design studio were treated to demonstrations and food tastings from MasterChef The Professionals finalist, Sven-Hanson Britt.
The team pride themselves on producing exquisite interiors and kitchens for private clients and developers, with expertise for high end properties. Creative Director Nicole Murray, has a diverse and multi-disciplined array of knowledge and over a decade of experience and expertise to push boundaries in interior design and property development. She has developed a prestigious portfolio and fostered strong relationships with global suppliers.
For more information and previous works please visit: www.nicolemurraydesign.com
Matthew Jukes Wine Tasting | The Town Hall | Thursday 8th March
Following on the success of last year’s sponsorship, Canaccord Genuity Wealth (International) once again supported the 100 Best Australian Wines Roadshow with wine expert Matthew Jukes. This is Gorey Wine Cellar’s flagship event securing the services, for one night only, of Matthew’s world-renowned insight and unique delivery on his favourite producers compiled from his tasting over 40,000 wines annually. The tour takes in the UK, USA, China and Australia so this was a major coup to have him return and was much appreciated by the very large turnout.
Charlie saves us a million.
The news States Chief Executive, Charlie Parker, is a man on a mission and today announced proposals for a comprehensive restructuring and modernising of the States of Jersey public services. At the same time, he responded to the rejection of the workforce modernisation pay and conditions offer. Charlie set out his ambition to create one government service, which is ‘relentlessly focused on the needs of customers, on supporting economic growth and on protecting children and vulnerable adults’. The restructuring aims to reorganise the public services to ‘better join up the machinery of government, breaking down long-established departmental silos’. Sounds good huh? It’s so that the States can provide better and more responsive services to islanders, and get Ministers’ plans oiled and in motion with maximum ease. Here’s how it goes down.
There will be a simpler structure, with fewer layers between the most senior management and frontline staff, reduced duplication, more transparent decision-making, greater accountability for performance standards, and a culture based on teamwork, collaboration and getting things right first time. As a result of the reorganisation, a number of functions will move between departments, some new departments will be created and some departments will cease to exist in their current form. These are administrative changes and there are no changes to any Ministerial roles or accountabilities, which remain the responsibility of the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers.
Overall, there will be three fewer administrative departments and 22 fewer senior roles in the first phase of the restructuring. The initial reduction in senior roles alone will reduce staff costs by more than £1 million a year.Mr Parker said: “This restructuring is a vital step in modernising the States of Jersey, so we can meet the aspirations of Ministers and islanders to develop an effective, efficient and responsive public sector, with outstanding public services at its core.
“These changes are about creating a more modern, flexible and innovative public administration, which is better organised to serve Ministers and islanders, while reducing the cost of government by streamlining the most senior levels of the organisation.”
Chief Minister, Senator Ian Gorst, said: “We recruited Mr Parker to modernise and improve our public services and provide better value for money. He has set about that task with impressive speed and I’m confident that the proposed restructuring and the focus on economy, customers and vulnerable children and adults, will lead to swift and visible changes in the government’s services to islanders.”
The proposals were approved by the States Employment Board last week, shared with the Council of Ministers and endorsed by the Chief Minister.
The proposed new States of Jersey structure:
Office of the Chief Executive – initially responsible for keeping oversight of two critical areas of activity: Brexit and trade, plus the impact of changes on financial services. It is also responsible for the effective coordination of the government’s relations with Ministers, islanders, island stakeholders and international governments, financial regulators, partners and stakeholders.
Department for the States Treasurer and Exchequer – will ensure that the financial responsibilities of public servants are properly discharged and that public service administration finances are better managed. It will give greater emphasis to the strategic finances of the island, with a focus on the organisation’s longer-term goals and improved value for money.
Department for Customer and Local Services – will put customers at the heart of the new government structure. It will be the front door to all of our frontline customer services, except health and education. At present, islanders have to deal with multiple teams in multiple departments in lots of different ways – face to face, by post, by phone and online – and in most cases they have to provide the same information to us each time.
This new department will establish a single, streamlined service for all those direct interactions that islanders have with government, from applying for income support to filing taxes. We’ll also seek to integrate this front door approach with closer working arrangements with the Parishes.
Department for Children, Young People, Education and Skills – will put the care, welfare, education and whole life chances of children and young people absolutely at its heart. The pace of reform, and the scale of cultural and service change we need to ensure that our children and young people are protected and enabled to flourish, is currently too slow.
This new department will be responsible for putting children first, completing the urgent Care Inquiry reforms and adopting worldwide best practice in the care of children and young people. It will also modernise and improve the standards of academic education and vocational skills in Jersey.
And it will strengthen the links between Jersey’s businesses and our schools and colleges, so that our young people have better opportunities to build careers in the island, reducing our reliance on skilled migrants, and improved whole life chances.
Department for Health and Community Services – will be responsible for health matters from the cradle to the grave, and will coordinate the wide range of frontline health services, whether in the community or in hospital.
We need to ensure that not only are our medical services of the highest standard, but that the services we provide in the community to vulnerable groups – the elderly, the disabled and those suffering from mental ill health – also meet the high standards of care that they deserve.
The department will retain most of the functions of the current Health and Social Services Department, but will place a greater emphasis on community care for vulnerable groups and stronger preventative services.
Department for Justice and Home Affairs – will integrate the elements of public protection that in bigger countries are too cumbersome to bring together. It will provide more effective and co-ordinated management of the services that keep islanders safe, including the bringing together of key blue light and emergency services, including Police, Fire and Rescue, Ambulance Service, Customs and Immigration, Field Squadron, Emergency Planning and Coastguard.
Department for Growth, Housing and Island Environment – will bring together all the elements we need to provide the right environment for economic growth and business competitiveness – from the smallest start-up to the largest multinational.
It will ensure that we continue to develop a sustainable island, with urban planning that enhances, rather than undermines, our natural and cultural heritage. It will enforce the many regulations – from consumer protection to biodiversity – that protect our quality of life in our unique island environment.
It will ensure that the environment and economy are not competing forces, but are complementary partners in developing our island’s future, and it will also include a stronger focus on special infrastructure projects and partnership with our arm’s length organisations.
Department for Strategic Policy, Performance and Population – will bring together the long-term strategy and the policy and performance framework that underpins the effective functioning of government in delivering for our island. It will also help improve the oversight of Future Jersey.
Chief Operating Office – will bring together the many internal and back office services that support and enable the effective functioning of our public service, and will be a “hub and spoke” operation. It will have centrally-provided and co-ordinated ‘hub’ services, partnered with the ‘spoke’ departments that include HR and IT activities.
It will also host a new Commercial Division, which will create a more rigorous approach to contract management, procurement and commercial negotiations for services, on behalf of the States of Jersey.
The consultation
There will be a 45-day consultation among the most senior leaders on the changes that directly affect them (tier 1 and 2 managers), which will include consulting on changes to terms and conditions as part of the reshaping of the public service.
There will also be a 90-day consultation on the overall restructuring proposals, starting today and ending on 4 June 2018. In addition, we intend to launch a further consultation for tier 3 managers during the 90 days, on a date to be determined, because we recognise that the changes at tiers 1 and 2 will have an impact on tier 3, so we will need to consult on the consequences of those impacts.
Workforce modernisation
Mr Parker also announced the formal response to the rejection of the workforce modernisation offer by the majority of employees in recent ballots.
Mr Parker said: “We have explored the implications of the rejected offer and have continued to discuss with the unions what is possible and what is not. The unions have offered no realistic alternative proposals, and there is still no more money, so we have been left with no other option than formally to withdraw the workforce modernisation offer.”
Chairman of the States Employment Board, Senator Andrew Green, said: “The States Employment Board has approved the withdrawal of the workforce modernisation offer and has authorised the States to progress as quickly as possible to settle the 2017 pay deal and negotiate a two-year deal for 2018-19.
“The States and unions negotiated for three years to put together the workforce modernisation offer, which was the best deal that we could offer with the funding available. We’re disappointed that the majority of employees in the recent ballots voted to reject the offer, because we made clear at the time that there is no additional money. But we now need to move on to address the outstanding issues of pay, terms and conditions swiftly and responsibly.”
Mr Parker added: “We will honour the workforce modernisation offer for those groups who voted to accept it. But the remaining workforce modernisation pay groups will now be offered the same 2% consolidated pay offer that we made to the non-workforce modernisation groups for the 2017 pay deal, although we’re offering 2.5% to nurses, in line with the States Employment Board commitment to achieve pay comparability with Allied Health professionals for this group.
“I then want to negotiate a two-year pay deal for 2018-19, which will include a pay freeze for senior managers earning £100,000 or more, as we progress with reshaping of the public service.”
A Space to Keep your Flock
WORDS Sara Felton
The Birches is a beautiful and peacefully located granite home full of character. Once a barn this four to five-bedroom home was converted some 30 years ago and now boasts a plethora of original features including wooden beams and a stunning granite fireplace. It nestles within a lovely hamlet and is set back from La Grande Route de St Martin, so well located for an easy commute to town and the local secondary schools.
When you first approach the property, which we believe was originally home to the longest barn in the island, you are greeted by a welcoming external granite facade of what appears to be a quaint cottage. As you enter the spacious hallway you immediately realise that internally there is a great deal more space than the outside suggests; inside the accommodation is well appointed and split over three floors.
To the left, there is a lovely fitted kitchen with windows looking out to the front of the property. The kitchen then leads to the large living/dining room, which can also be entered through double doors from the entrance hall. Here you’ll find that magnificent granite fireplace which has a fabulous woodburning stove nestling in it, perfect for enjoying cosy evenings in. Or why not move into the bright and spacious orangery which allows light to flood through to all of the downstairs rooms and provides even more living and entertaining space. 
From the orangery or the lounge, you can access the large, sunny west-facing garden, which is mainly laid to lawn. At the back, there is a decked area which has a chalet and large seating area and a paved area at the front of the garden features a hot tub. This area would also make an ideal spot for Al Fresco eating whenever the sun shines.
On the ground floor, there is also a lovely cloakroom, perfect for visitors and a clever under stairs storage cupboard which is where you’ll find plumbing for your washing machine. Furthermore, the property has a separate large double garage to the front of the, which the current owner uses for additional storage and utility facilities. Obviously, there is plenty of space to park your cars here or there are an additional few spaces outside the house.
On the first floor, the large master bedroom has a full sized en-suite bathroom and there is also another double bedroom, which overlooks the rear of the property and the far-reaching country views can be enjoyed thanks to the Juliet balcony in the room. On this floor, there is also a large single bedroom and a good sized family shower room. On the top floor, there is a further large double bedroom and an extra room which would either be used as another bedroom or make the perfect study or home office. This top floor would be the ideal space for older children should they want that little extra privacy and space for themselves.
The current owners have lived in The Birches for over 20 years and are now moving on as their family has grown up and they’re wishing to downsize. They speak fondly of many happy years spent living in this home and the benefits it offers a growing family. Whilst they haven’t actioned them the current owners had plans drawn up, to further extend the property to the rear, bringing the lounge and the orangery inline to provide further reception space and a larger lounge. Of course, these plans would be subject to the requisite planning applications but it is useful to know that there is the potential to extend, should the new owners wish.
The Birches overlooks green-land from many of the windows, making it feel like it a much more rural location that it actually occupies. It’s on an excellent bus route; there is a great pub just a short walk away and town is a mere 10-minute drive along the main road. This property really does offer the best of many worlds.
The Birches
4 La Grange Martin, St Martin
£860,000
Wilsons.je
T:877977
• Beautiful granite home
• Full of character
• Many original features
• Large granite fireplace
• Separate double garage
• Additional parking for 4 cars
• 2 receptions
• 4/5 bedrooms
• West facing large sunny garden
• Peacefully located in a small hamlet
Spotlight Artist | Artist Abroad | Sarah Finney
Sarah Finney is a local artist and recent graduate in BA Fine Art from Central St. Martins having received a First for her conceptually rigorous, often philosophical practice. She is a promising emerging artist often exhibiting around the UK and USA.
Last summer she partnered with a fellow student travelling to Greece, setting up an open studio and engaging with local artists, students and members of the public to explore their artwork and ask some rather big questions. Having returned to Jersey I met with her to discuss the artwork and thoughts the trip stimulated.
The trip came about partly as a result of the unobtainable high prices of renting studios in London. In Greece they were a fraction of the price and alongside very cheap accommodation, Greece offered the artists time for reflection and observation. One of the largest Contemporary Art festivals ‘Documenta’ had recently finished in Athens in September 2017 and was fraught with criticism for how the festival omitted fundamental negative aspects of Greece’s socio-political economy of the time. Sarah’s work was perfectly positioned to become self-reflexive of the Art World itself as well as commenting on Greek Culture.
Sarah’s work is often influenced by the process of archiving; how the complexity of history, events, facts, and places preserve a sense of identity and are represented, often via very simple text and image (think of the plaques you see at museums). Sarah talks of there being an impossibility for a visitor to fully understand, grasp or even truly believe in the events documented. She uses an example for us to consider “how impossible it is for us to really grasp the idea that dinosaurs once roamed the land”. These histories almost turn into fictional stories, entertainment or propaganda for consumption, heavily empowered by institutional values which can be seen to hide difficult truths which may upset the portrayed sense of identity. Tourism creates the need for a place to reflect positive notions of a place to generate greater financial income. Beauty and value are tied together with consumerism in Greece, and against the backdrop of a sensational history the tourist industry plays up to notions of identity massively. Sarah was interested in the notion of how far can you preserve something before it changes completely.
The greed of Capitalism was one of the central themes for Sarah’s subversive work. The Art played with the idea of ‘product’, it offered a critique of the notions of trade, trinkets and souvenirs. This theme mimicked the way that historical sites (in this case the Acropolis in Athens) offers cheap souvenirs such as magnets or small models of the Acropolis. What does it mean to feel the need to take a little piece of the place home with us? Like people collecting pebbles or shells from a beach. Sarah’s visual language focuses on landscape, the terrain and the commercialisation of space. Consider the act of paying to enter a National Park. The world has turned into a ‘Hyper-real’ theme park, parts of which are able to be purchased as small fractions of the original. 
The Art produced is rendered ‘Site Specific’ meaning that it referred to the particular context (place) in which it was made. The artists invited students from the local schools to engage and discuss the work shown in a final exhibition titled, ‘May Also Refer to: 1’. The title referencing academic text books or the information plaques at historical sites. Sarah talked about how there were sometimes hostile opinions from the public who saw what the artists were doing as exploitative. Taking advantage of the struggling Greek economy. Their presence was sometimes seen as ‘refugee tourism’ or ‘poverty porn’ whereby they were supposedly making use of other people’s misfortune. I think this threat poses interesting questions regarding the role of the artist. The role which can often be seen as objective and voyeuristic and the problems which can mount as a result. How much can an artist use situations as ‘inspiration’ when it concerns other people and other cultures?
The images shown are parts of Sarah’s sculptural work which confronts us with information and imagery about a false place, it begs to question which is more important: the fact that the place exists at all or the commerical bi-product of it? Sarah works with mixed media, often creating 4D rendered illustrations of landscapes which appear familiar yet obscure. She described the work as “the awful shadow of some unseen power”.
To see more of Sarah’s unique and exciting work please visit www.sarahfinney.net
FWD: FWD: FWD: A grandparent’s guide to Bitcoin
WORDS Doris Grantez
ILLUSTRATION Natasha Reis
HELLO DEARIE. IF YOU READ THE PAPERS, YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD OF SOMETHING CALLED “BITCOINS.” THEY ARE QUITE DIFFERENT TO A “THRUPENNY BIT” FROM THE GOOD OLD DAYS AND ARE AN EXCITING NEW WAY TO INVEST YOUR MONEY. THEY’RE MORE VALUABLE THAN PREMIUM BONDS, FANCIER THAN CO-OP STAMPS AND EVEN MORE FUTURISTIC THAN CHIP AND PIN – IF YOU CAN IMAGINE SUCH A THING. WHAT US “SILVER SURFERS” ARE ASKING IS WHAT A BITCOIN IS, AND HOW YOU’D GO ABOUT BUYING A BAG OF THEM.
You can’t get them at the Post Office counter and neither do they sell them in those high-tech catalogues you get with the Sunday Telegraph – because bitcoins are so new you can only buy them online, like the blue pills my cousin Gerald orders from China. After failing to invest in Myspace the first time around I didn’t want to miss out on the latest online gold rush, so I sat down with my grandson for an hour, and as soon as my head stopped spinning I went home, logged onto the W W web and exchanged all of our savings on a website called Crypt o’ Currency. It sounds Irish, but I rang my grandson and he swore that Bitcoin has nothing to do with The Corrs. If you too fancy a chance at being rich beyond your wildest dreams (like Andrew Lloyd Webber), then “scroll down” to read on! 😉
Doris, what even is a bitcoin?
As every schoolboy knows, normal coins are made out of metal – either brass, copper or silver if it’s part of a limited edition set commemorating Princess Diana. Those are all valuable, but if you’ve ever tried to spend a Jersey pound on the mainland you’ll know that the problem with coins is that every place has daft rules about which ones they’ll take. This is why it costs so much to buy an ice cream in St Malo these days. The eggheads who live in the Silicon Valley, who already invented Nintendos and the Dyson Airblade, travel so much that they just hate carrying all of the different coins. They thought to themselves “what if we could make a coin that is valuable everywhere – even in a virtual reality matrix?” This might sound barmy, but remember these people are so clever that their robot butler knows what you’re looking for (Cliff Richard; no shirt) before you even finish typing the first F. The boffins thought long and hard and a lightbulb went off above their heads, although slowly, because they use the energy saving kind that make you strain your eyes. The answer was to make a coin out of “bits” – science-speak for the tiny invisible molecules that make up the internet itself. A bitcoin is therefore a perfect nugget of condensed internet. When you consider that the internet particles are so small that you can’t see them even when you trip over the modem and pull the pipe out of the skirting board, you’ll understand that a single bitcoin must contain an incredible amount of pure internet. Possibly enough to record an entire episode of Midsomer Murders. They are very, very, very valuable indeed.
I still don’t understand, Doris, but tell me why should I buy these bitcoins.
“Yes, bitcoins are valuable, but so are Toby jugs and nobody would expect you to invest your savings in them.” Well Mavis, the difference is that bitcoins can’t be knocked over and smashed into pieces by the cat, because they carry on zipping around the webs until you need them. This also means that the evil taxman can’t get his hands on your bitcoins, because at any moment they could be flowing unsupervised between the Algarve and Thailand – like my daughter’s ex-husband. It is impossible for anybody to know how many bitcoins you have, where you keep them, and which kinds of online content they are made from. Because things these days are more and more online, the value of your bitcoins also increases as fast as the amount of internet that is needed. I know this is confusing, but think of it like buying some flats in the 1960s – wait long enough and you can put them on the market for £1400 a month to young couples who were too busy gallivanting to Ibiza to save for a deposit. The difference with bitcoin is that the value goes up as soon as more people go online and need internet in order to sign up for a Minecraft or those dirty, dirty pictures. You’d better buy some before they sell out, is what I’m saying.
Okay Doris, tell me where I can convert all my money into Bitcoins
Buying Bitcoins isn’t as simple as going to the Bureau de Change, because you need to be logged in. Obviously you need to follow the usual precautions – if your computer browser tells you it is cluttered or needs a deep clean, download that software straight away. It also helps to have one hand on the pipe, so you can pull the connection if the Nigerian FBI hijack your window to ask questions about that bank transfer you made last Christmas. You’ll then need to go to a marketplace, follow only 200 steps of instructions, hashtag your blockchain, crypto your partition and move any instances of goatse.cx or the millennium bug straight to the recycle bin. Eventually you will have a very long number, which is like an international dialling code if you need to bring your bitcoins home like a racing pigeon. Write the number down, put it under the mattress with your cash savings, and let them mature like a jar of pickled onions.
But Doris, how do I actually spend my bitcoins? And who gives me my change?
Earlier I said that bitcoins are nothing like Co-Op stamps, but there is one area where they are the same: you can only spend them in the same place you got them. Being made out of pure internet, bitcoins can only be exchanged for online services. That’s not a worry though – when I first webbed-on I wasn’t even sure what I would do with Yahoo, but now I buy all my prescriptions from eBay and my husband tells me he watches his sports in the browser. That explains why he’s always in his office with the door closed, and those massive phone bills. You can use internet to pay those phone bills, renew your subscription to the Radio Times, and more besides. I also read the other day that the government plans to move our pensions online, so I expect you’ll soon be able to cash in a few numbers from your bitcoin savings at the Post Office. You’ll even be able to send them to your grandchildren, with electronic mail, instead of a birthday card – they can turn the bitcoins directly into Pokémon, “likes” on Grindr or credits for their favourite Youtubing prankster! No doubt this is a lot to take in dearie, but one more tip before I go – always protect your computer with a secure password. Otherwise a burglar could break in, rifle through your browser history and be away with your bitcoins before you can say “Julian Assange”. If I ever have another funny turn mine’s “Cl1ffR1ch4rd” but whatever you do make sure Nigel’s had a chance to spring clean his browser history before you log in. Ta-ra for now!
Frills & Thrills on Four Wheels
Who knew…?! The glitz and glam of roller skating comes with its fair share of thrill seeking, adventure and a whole heap of teamwork. The girls at Regent Skating Club invited Gallery up to the Fort to find out all about the rhinestone sparkly, all round sport that is seeing a huge rise in popularity in Jersey.
The first thing that’s apparent as you join the ranks of parents and spectators beside the rink, is the camaraderie that extends way beyond the team. The Regent Skating members and their families are all very much part of the goings on and all the mums (and dads!) are a dab hand with a glue gun. There’s a role for everyone, from driving, to chaperoning, making teas and coffees and helping with make up and styling – the meticulous attention to detail and dedication to their club is obvious on this wet Sunday morning, as all the skaters have shown up in their very finest costumes and with hair and make up that would put Cheryl Cole in the corner.
All that said, skating is certainly not just a girls’ sport. There are tonnes of chaps of all ages taking part and getting their skates on, but it so happened that we got to meet the squad of Regent Skating Club, which currently consists of a team of awesome girls and young women. From the tinniest (Hannah who is only just 10 years old), to the teenagers who take part and also assist in coaching the younger members. The sense of girl power and genuine love and friendliness is at Regent Skating Club in abundance.
Sasha Baker, one of the lead coaches of Regent, told Gallery about the recent surge in numbers for what she dubs ‘The Older Rollers,’ the mature skaters, some of whom skated throughout their childhood, gave up and now have had the urge to return. Regent welcomes all ages and abilities to the sport and grades and competitions can all be part of the experience, no matter what age you are.
As the girls took to the floor and practiced some of their ‘warm up’ – not for the faint hearted, this warm up looked to us to be more like one of the show stoppers on Dancing on Ice (but of course, on wheels instead). As a couple of the girls gracefully glided past, to our right a team of four, hoisted one of the girls up into the air and they zoomed along as though made up from one strong unit… These dainty looking girls have the strength and stamina of any athlete. A flutter of shiny fabric and a bedazzled flash from the 1000+ rhinestones (per outfit!), made for quite the Sunday spectacle. These kids are strong, powerful and adventurous young ladies with serious skills and no fear whatsoever (aside from the odd pang of nerves before competitions).
We asked some of the girls to tell us what they love about skating and their Club, overall, the fact that they’re a team and all support each other was the unison response – these girl have formed friendships that go beyond their schools and age groups; its like a family and in amongst the support there is still the odd funny quip and joke about who skated over whose fingers and who made one of the girls cry when doing her hair, someone pinched anothers’ tights and so on – basically these girls are like sisters.
Evie Winter (11), said how she loves the fact that skating is like gymnastics, travel, dancing and danger all rolled into one (excuse the pun). Young Sophie Baker, adorned in the most unbelievable costume, explained how she loves all her friends at club and that the tricks and danger are all very much part of the fun, although sometimes she doesn’t even know where bruises come from – but then, Sophie is one of the squad members who gets lifted and flung up into the air during some of the routines, so any wonder really!
All of the girls (even the most experienced) said that nerves are one thing that they all content with. Good job they’re on wheels as it sometimes takes a gentle push from Sasha or Keilah (the other lead coach at Regent) to get the girls reared up and ready to go. Alongside the obvious camaraderie, confidence is given a proper boost and self-esteem and satisfaction are all part of the reward for these young skaters.
One of the mums explained how off-island competitions work – the long hours and waiting and the need to be on hand with hairspray at all times. Unlike the stereotypical ‘Dance Mums’ set up, where you can feel the tension as parents compete, the mums and dads at Regent Skating Club were all pals themselves. Each of them there to support and help in any way they can. Kiana’s dad even takes professional style photos of the team at competitions – good job too as 15 year old Kiana has travelled as far afield as Italy in skating competitions for the Club.
Competitions and trips include many jaunts over to the UK, where long days and lots of hard work and effort brings the whole team together. The girls always insist on staying from the 7am start to the often 8pm finish, so as not to miss anyone of their friends competing.
They have their own special team call and kind of pep up that they all do to battle the nerves and get geared up to do well. Let us tell you, they make some noise from those wheels of theirs when sending out the ‘Flama Call’ to their fellow team mates – we even felt like getting our skates on and joining in!
Roller skating has a lot more to it than might first meet the eye and if teamwork, healthy competition, glamour, danger and friendship is something you look for in a sport, then really… look no further.
If you’d like to find out more about Regent Skating Club all you need to do is head over to their site or email their secretary to find out how to enrol-lerskate.
www.regentskatingclub.com
secretary@regentskatingclub.com