By Fiona Walker
ACCORDING to Time magazine, the worst year ever was 2020. I stumbled upon that little nugget of information while doing a quiz with my son last week. I got the answer wrong, as I guessed 1939, but while the war was devastating in many parts of the world, nowhere on earth was immune to the pandemic.
Over seven million people have now died from Covid but, turn the clock back a century, and it’s estimated that between 17 million and 100 million people died from Spanish flu between 1918 and 1920, so I reckon any of those years would have been a possible challenger for the most devastating in history.
The Black Death, or bubonic plague, claimed between 25 and 50 million lives, but that was spread over seven years and restricted to Europe, Asia and North Africa.
So, all in all, there have been some pretty strong contenders for the worst year.
Cast your mind back four years and here in Jersey we were in a very different situation from today. Discussions were ongoing about whether or not we could share Christmas with our loved ones, face masks were about to become compulsory and the stay-at-home rules, which had been relaxed through the summer, were soon to be reintroduced. The festive season was shaping up to be less than festive.
In the midst of all this cheerlessness, the charity auction in aid of the Jersey Christmas Appeal had its best year ever.
After months of restrictions, when charity and social events had been put on hold and fun had been replaced by fear, here was an event that anyone could take part in from the comfort of their own home.
Late-night Christmas shopping was off the agenda in 2020, but Sunday shopping via Channel 103 was fun, light-hearted and inclusive, and, better still, it was one of the few events of the season in aid of charity that was able to go ahead.
The 2020 auction was incredible. Businesses and individuals were exceptionally generous with the lots they donated, perhaps because they hadn’t been asked to contribute to charity fundraisers for several months, perhaps because they just felt the need to express their gratitude; whatever the reasons, the list of items for auction was outstanding.
At the same time, and possibly for the same reasons, bidders went slightly mad. A Christmas hamper, donated by Government House and valued at around £500, became the subject of a tussle between two very determined bidders, neither of whom was willing to let their opposing number go home with the goodies. When the hammer finally came down, the price had reached an eye-watering £2,000. Another bidder paid a sky-high price for a Spitfire flight and yet another bid his socks off for a round of golf with Ian Woosnam.
For those who were outbid, there was also the opportunity to win a holiday simply by pledging £10; tickets for that prize, which was drawn at the end of the auction, sold like hot cakes.
So here we are four years later, and the 2024 auction is just around the corner. But it’s a different picture this year. For the organisers, those higher-value lots, which are the backbone of the fundraising, have been extremely difficult to source. Many organisations have regretfully declined to contribute, simply because they can’t afford to do so this time around. The malaise that has affected so many charities in Jersey has hit the auction, not because people don’t want to donate but because they can’t. It’s certainly not a case of compassion fatigue.
Meanwhile, more and more families are finding themselves in need of financial support over the Christmas period and turning to the appeal for help.
But it’s not all doom and gloom: thanks to the generosity of those who have been able to donate, we still have a fabulous auction lined up, ready to go live at jerseychristmasappeal.je at the end of next week, with the finale being broadcast live on Channel 103 on Sunday 8 December.
The list includes vouchers and meals, walks and talks, trips and toys, wines and workshops, and even the chance to co-present the Breakfast Show on 103 or take tea at Government House, plus plenty, plenty more.
What the auction needs now is for the Jersey public to show its incredible generosity and altruism to ensure the event is a success once again, so the Christmas Appeal can help every family needing support this year.
So come on! Let’s buck the trend and make auction day one to remember for all the best reasons.
Fiona Walker was born and educated in Jersey and worked in finance before having children. She moved into media, presenting her own programme on BBC Radio Jersey, then as a senior broadcast journalist for local BBC television news. She was editor of The Jersey Life and wrote eight series for the national publication Motor Boat & Yachting magazine. She now promotes Jersey charity shops on social media under the name Upstylejersey.
