Grouville is at the heart of my life – as a Deputy, but also as a parishioner, citizen and mother. The Grouville Gazette and the Community Support Group, both of which I founded, are flourishing; the school playing fields are now secure; and the Eastern Cycle Network is in train. Best of all, the women’s networking and activities group I set up to mark 100 years since women got the vote, Les Grouvelles, now boasts 320 members!
From June 2022 the Parishes of Grouville and St Martin were put together to form one Electoral District and I very much hope to serve St Martin in the same way as I have Grouville over the years.
My core stance to the Electorate which has seen me through 20 years so far is ‘Community – be that at Parish, Island or International level’, when I consider issues I always come back to it and think is it good or right for the Community? So I am looking forward to working with two distinctive Parish communities each led by their Constable. I am also very much looking forward to working with other Deputies – a first for me having been the lone Deputy of Grouville for 20 years.
I have known both Steve Luce and Rose Binet for many years, so working with them and sharing the load will be a new experience for me. As Steve was Deputy of St Martin before as I was Grouville, it might be that we gravitate to our respective parishes and have an extra pair of hands in the form of Rose. But we will see. What it does do of course, is give Parishioners a choice of who they contact about Parish matters.
As I said on the electoral trail, I plan to resurrect the Community Support Group in Grouville and also help St Martin set one up. There is already a group of volunteers ready to take on this task, but if anyone has a bit of spare time and would like to join the CSG Team, please get in touch with me or the Parish / Public Halls. A non-emergency service is offered to Parishioners to get a bit of help in daily lives – be that shopping, picking up a prescription, changing a light bulb or having a chat over a cup of tea.
I am also working on establishing regular Parish Surgeries at various venues across Grouville and St Martin. I have suggested some dates and times and hope to be joined by the Constables and Deputies of the two Parishes. Parishioners are invited to attend whichever Surgeries suit them regardless of which parish they are held in.
I continue to be keen to see a network of safe cycling and pedestrian lanes progressed, not only around the Parishes, but the whole Island. We have the scenic Tourist Routes (although the speed limits on those lanes are often too fast) now we need safe commuter routes to parish hubs and to St Helier, in lanes where priority is given to cyclists and pedestrians and the speed limit is appropriate. This is a project I would like to see progressed by the Parish Roads Committees and I will be making further representations to the new Comite des Connetables and the new Infrastructure Minister.
Despite the current challenges the Island faces, I am really looking forward to a fulfilling term in office as one of the Eastern Parish Deputies, and I am hopeful that much can be achieved for our Community – at Parish, Island and International levels.
Deputy of Grouville
I was first sworn into the States Assembly on 12th December 2002, after being elected Deputy in the Parish of Grouville. I have been returned to office in 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014 and 2018. After the 2022 election that Office will no longer exist. Instead the voting district will be merged with St Martin to form a district with three representative Deputies and a Constable in each Parish.
Having served Grouville for 20 years, I combine a genuine understanding of the day-to-day needs of you, my Constituents, with the ability to get things done at Parish and Island level. I have always worked as hard as I can, and I hope my record demonstrates the positive impact I have had.
The word ‘Community’ is what I am about and what I have tried to promote in everything I have done. I like to think the theme runs throughout my work whether that be Parish, District, Island or Global Community.
I have always enjoyed working with the Parish and Constituents and have found the initiatives I set up and continue to be involved with in the Parish to be rewarding, and indeed very ‘grounding’, which is what every politician needs!
As well as bringing forward propositions (see States Assembly page) and representing Parishioners, I have founded and continue to work with the following initiatives:
- Founder and Management member of the Grouville Gazette magazine (2003 – date) Gazette page
- Founder of the Grouville Community Support Group (2010 – date) Parish page
- Founder Member and Chair of Les Grouvelles (2019 – date) a women’s networking and activities group set up to mark 100 years since women got the vote in Jersey, and which now boasts 320 members! link to Les Grouvelles facebook
- Instigator of the Grouville Parish Surgery on the first Monday of the month (2017 – date)
The Grouville Gazette
In 2003 I set up the Grouville Gazette in the parish. After running for election and canvassing for the first time, I felt that what the parish needed was something to bring the Community together – to help inform parishioners what was going on, what Clubs and Associations were available and hopefully also be an interesting read.
The photos illustrate:
The Grouville Gazette: A snapshot of Parish life: “The Warblers” the singing group which emerged from Les Grouvelles mastered by Jo Thorpe, helping to make many Parish events more jolly and entertaining. The great Honorary Police team in Grouville. The annual Senior Citizens event hosted by the Parish where we all help wait on tables, pictured here with The Warblers choir performing in the background.
Les Grouvelles
I must confess that when I set up this woman’s networking group in 2019 to mark 100 years of women getting the right to vote in Jersey, I did not anticipate the parish based group growing and being as successful as it has been. I get stopped by women telling me it has been their social life-line or a welcoming introduction to fellow parishioners and the parish. I even get asked by women outside of Grouville if they can join! The success is down to everyone who participates but especially my dedicated ‘Admin Team’ and those who host our various activities.
I am also very proud that some of our activities are used to enhance parish events namely our singing group ‘The Warblers’. Trained and ably led by the talented Jo Thorpe, the parish ‘gigs’ have provided musical entertainment at the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations on Gorey Common, the Harvest Fayre, Remembrance Coffee Morning and the Senior Citizens Christmas lunch. The fortnightly practices take place on Gorey Common when the weather is fine, or in the Church when it is not.
As the winter evenings draw in, Les Grouvelles book club ‘Book it’ proves very popular. Hosted by our very own Grouville author Penny Byrne, they meet every couple of months to discuss reading lists and often invite local authors to the evening.
Other events include; learning to knit and crochet with Sue de la Mare, Ambles with Maggie Esson or less vigorous but nonetheless equally informative walks with Betty Hambly, weekly Petangue on the Common run by Nina Morgan and of course our regular socials organised by Sue Coutanche. The last summer social was a delicious evening meal at Drifters in Gorey Village. We always encourage members to suggest and help host different events that may be of interest to our members, the admin team help organise and advertise it on our Facebook page.
Other events which may be of interest to members is the Toddlers Playgroup organised by Rev’d Helen Gunton which takes place in the Church every Tuesday morning at 9.30am and the newly set up Repair Cafe organised by Jennifer Bridge – the first one is on 10th September at the Parish Hall.
Three times a year I invite all members to a ‘Main Meeting’ where – over a glass of wine – we arrange the details of forthcoming events and invite a Guest Speaker. Our next meeting is due to take place on Thursday 15th September (not Tuesday 13th) at Holme Grown at 7pm and I am delighted to say that our Speaker at this event will be Jersey’s first female Chief Minister, Kristina Moore.
If you are considering becoming a member please visit ‘Les Grouvelles’ Facebook page. Alternatively please contact me on tel: 852488.
I look forward to seeing you.
