Tomorrow: Meet the finalists in the Inspirational Leader and Ambassador of the Year category
The eventual winner(s) could go beyond what is expected of a grandparent, stepping in to help with a family crisis, or simply being there at times of need.
With busy lives, many parents of young children often turn to their parents for help and guidance and grandparents, who should be enjoying retirement, are often happy to do their bit.
Meet the three finalists:
Jane Dervin
Age: 63
Parish: St Ouen
Nominated by: Lisa Clynes on behalf of Jacob and Isaac
NOMINATOR: Lisa Clynes
What was it about the person(s) you have nominated that made you want to nominate them for a Pride of Jersey award?
‘My mum has been through a lot and is always helping everybody, not least us.
‘We live next door, and because our son was born with some health problems, he has spent a lot of time at Great Ormond Street Hospital so at times we have been away for months and she has looked after our older son Jacob.
‘She takes him down the garden, plants vegetables, plays football with him, takes him on the tractor.
‘She is a really hands-on granny.
‘She is brilliant with both of our boys.
‘She comes with me back and forth to Great Ormond Street as well, she is like a personal assistant to us when we’re travelling.
‘She is just the sort of person who is always looking out for those in need.
‘She has got several elderly friends who she visits regularly, whether it’s to take them a bag of runner beans, half a dozen eggs, a cake.
‘She is always dropping in on people and prior to me having the problem with our son being unwell I had six months of chemotherapy and she moved over to the UK to be with us and kept us going through a difficult time.’
What makes Jane stand out compared to the others in this category?
‘She is very fun-loving for her age.
‘She is so physically active and she has amazing stamina, she’s always mowing the hedges or on the tractor, and she’ll have Jacob there with her.
‘She is very much about teaching the children about nature and the environment and how to look after the Island.
‘Also, there have been several times where we have had to call an ambulance and my first port of call is mum and then 999, so she has had to be on call in really stressful circumstances.
‘She is just a very calm influence, even when the situation is really difficult and she helped provide stability for the family.’
NOMINEE: Jane Dervin
What would it mean to you to win a Pride of Jersey award?
‘I would be very honoured. I never even thought I would be nominated, I just can’t believe it.
‘I know there are a lot of people who deserve it as much as me but to put me forward, my family must value the help I have given them over the last few years.’
What does it mean to you to have been nominated for a Pride of Jersey award and to have received the backing of the public to reach the final three?
‘I was shocked to have been nominated.
‘I didn’t think I deserved it but obviously my family have appreciated all the help I have given them and for giving up my time for them, which I was quite happy to do.
‘It is absolutely brilliant. I’m dumbfounded, really.
‘People I don’t know have voted for me, that is a real big honour.
‘That people have read a piece in the paper about me and actually bothered to vote.’
Lester and Annie Richardson
Ages: 64 and 61
Parish: St Martin
Nominated by: Marie Knight on behalf of Tegan and Isaac
NOMINATOR: Marie Knight
Can you tell us something about Lester and Annie that not many other people will know?
‘Through our very difficult time my mum was also coping with her mother’s gradual deterioration as she had dementia.
‘Every day she visited her mother, unless she wasn’t in the Island, and she still had time to help us all out.
‘Every Sunday we all go to my parents’ house for our weekly family catch-up where granny cooks us all the best roast dinner.
‘On father’s day this year, my dad came and took Tegan and Isaac out to the beach to spend some time with them because he knows those days must be difficult for them.’
What was it about Lester and Annie that made you want to nominate them for a Pride of Jersey award?
‘We couldn’t have coped over the last four years without their constant selfless support.
‘They will, and have, dropped everything to help us.
‘We wanted to let them know how grateful we are and felt this nomination would show them that.
‘It’s not just our family they help as they treat all their grandchildren the same and are always there for their other three grandchildren.’
Can you tell me something they have done that makes you feel very proud to have them as your grandparents?
‘When we found out about my husband’s illness we had to go away for an unknown amount of time for surgery.
‘They dropped everything and my dad came with myself and my husband and my mum took time off work to look after the children.
‘At all times they remained positive, re-assuring and strong for us all through some very dark and difficult times.
‘With every little thing that went against us they were there to lean on and support us all, whether it was lifts to hospital appointments, babysitting and cooking meals.
‘They are truly amazing.’
NOMINEE: Lester and Annie Richardson
What would it mean to you to win a Pride of Jersey award?
‘We feel very humble and honoured as so many grandparents would have done exactly the same as we have to try and help their grandchildren and daughter to overcome difficult times.’
What does it mean to you to have been nominated for a Pride of Jersey award and to have received the backing of the public to reach the final three?
‘It is a great honour to have been nominated but incredible to think that enough people have voted for us to reach the final three.’
Annette Le Riche
Age: 80
Parish: St Clement
Nominated by: Rachael Labey
NOMINATOR: Rachael Labey
Can you tell us something about the person(s) you have nominated that not many other people will know?
‘She is an active lady and always drives her friends to different things that she is involved with.
‘For example, Tai chi, keep fit classes, astronomy club, knitting club and the Women’s Institute.
‘She is always present at the Grouville Battle of Flowers shed for the week before the Battle of Flowers Parade, helping to strip the flowers off the leaves and cutting them into shape and sometimes she is there until late at night.
‘If anyone in the family needs anything patching up or sewing granny willingly offers to help.
‘She is so good at sewing that she enters the Jersey Eisteddfod and has been awarded many gold, silver and bronze certificates.
‘She helps to serve the tea and coffee at snack time at the Gorey community playgroup, where my mum takes the children she looks after.
‘And if all that wasn’t enough, she is a great traveller going to places like France, Canada and Egypt.’
What would you say is her best achievement or quality?
‘She did a skydive when she was 76 and this year, at the age of 80, ‘Supergran’ graced the Jersey Evening Post once again when she and I did a skydive to raise money for RNLI and Diabetes Jersey.
‘She is believed to be one of the oldest woman in Jersey to do a skydive and I will always have the most amazing memory of looking up after deploying my parachute and watching my granny’s yellow chute deploying above me and watching her glide down to earth.’
NOMINEE: Annette Le Riche
What would it mean to you to win a Pride of Jersey award?
What does it mean to you to have been nominated for a Pride of Jersey award and to have received the backing of the public to reach the final three?
‘I have six grandchildren whom I am so proud of, with the three eldest ones all having been to university and studied for degrees.
‘To be nominated by Rachel was so lovely and to get to the final three is very special to me.
‘People have been saying, when I have seen them, that they have been voting for me.
‘People who I have never met before or don’t even know have sent me cards wishing me luck, saying they have voted for me and donating money towards my skydive.
‘I have got about £2,500 so far for Diabetes Jersey and the RNLI after doing my skydive but I still have donations coming in all the time.’
AS one of the Channel Islands’ largest employees, the Co-op has many grandparents working within its organisation.
Chief executive Colin Macleod said: ‘I am very proud of our role in the community, and while there are bigger employers, I do not think there is anyone with the same community connection as ours.
‘We’ve got loads of grandparents in our organisation and we are able to offer them opportunities to continue their careers beyond retirement.
‘We know how much they are depended upon by their extended families.
‘It’s a product of the modern world, where grandparents don’t get the chance to enjoy their retirement as much as they used to – we don’t celebrate the role that grandparents play as they pull us together.
‘We therefore leapt at the chance of taking this category, as it’s one that doesn’t get the press it deserves.’
In terms of the winner, Mr Macleod added: ‘I think life can be hard on children these days – extra schooling, exams etc.
‘Therefore, I’d like to see a grandparent bring a bit of fun to their role – creating time for laughter and for the building of memories in children.
‘Dedication is a must in this category, but I would like the sense of fun and mischief to come out in a winner.
‘But I’m expecting a lot of incredibly strong entries and an impossible task.’
