Fairtrade Guernsey is holding a quiz at the Harry Bound Room at Les Cotils on Saturday 25th February at 7pm. Tickets are £10 for adults and £5 for children under 12.

Price includes: Ploughman’s platter, Fairtrade cakes and a glass of Fairtrade wine/soft drink. Plus FREE strip of raffle tickets.

There will be prizes for the top three teams and teams must be made up of 4-6 people.

For more information or to make a booking call Les Cotils on 727793.

Jane St Pier is a great believer in having the power to talk about how you feel – and she is keenly aware that many young people lack a friendly ear at difficult times in their lives.

It’s the reason why she and her Young People Guernsey Committee have raised a staggering £107,000 to provide a St Peter Port based drop in centre for youngsters of 11 to 16 backed by the support of Banardos, the UK children charity specialists.

Says JNE: “We have identified a real need for a charity to support these young people and it’s important to get the message out there that these children are of all ages and backgrounds and the problems can be from a concern over GCSE results, a fear of pregnancy, cyber or sexual abuse or worries about career direction.  His age group seems to fall between the support available to younger and older teenagers. Our centre will be staffed by trained professionals who won’t judge, but who will be able to offer help.”

Jane and her YPG team are aware that many young people find themselves in situations they can’t cope with and feel there is nowhere to turn. “Even in a loving home there can be teenagers who feel unable to talk to a parent about the things they are struggling with. Our service is a confidential one and nobody is going to shout and scream at whatever they have to say. Many children suffer in silence and can end up in trouble with the police or self-harm – we aim to be there for them.”

“We also know that there may be some resistance on their part and some teenagers may walk past our doors 20 times before they are able to come inside the centre, but once inside they will find a supportive network of people who will know how to help – and who are keen to listen.”

Jane explains that her team is a large one and made up of a number of professionals with unique talents and abilities. “We have PR and marketing professionals, legal and design experts, financial whizz kids, a politician who has experienced being a Barnados boy himself.”

The committee were amazed that Banardos agreed to come on board so early on.

“They told us to raise £100,000, in many ways I think to see if we could do it, which we did in just six months and now it is all systems go to get the centre open by the summer and finding premises are not going to be a problem.  But this is not a whimsical project and we know that once the centre is open it must remain open. There could be nothing worse than opening this centre and lack of funds meaning it closes down. So we are on a mission to get the word out there that YPG needs on-going sponsors and funds raised to keep the momentum.  We are always looking for corporate sponsors and in many ways the centre is an investment in the future of so many young people who might otherwise slip through the net.”

The charity is as local one and YPG think it important to say that all money raised stays in Guernsey.

Says Jane:”Barnados have come up with a budget of £150,000 to keep the centre open and most of that will be used in salaries. Qualified staff will be recruited in Guernsey and it will be an exciting ground breaking project for them.”

We all have different reasons for wanting to get involved – but mine are not as a result of a bad childhood, I was very lucky to have a wonderful upbringing. But we are united in knowing that we can make a difference to young lives – and there is a buzz knowing that we can do this. We know Banardos made a huge leap of faith by agreeing to go into partnership and now it is up to us to get things launched and secure the future of the centre.

The Guernsey public have been so amazing, we have had donations as small as £20 and some hefty sums of tens of thousands, but all make a difference. The staff recruitment begins in spring and a summer launch will follow which means that this went from an idea to a reality within 18 months. We are all knocked out by this and now ask for the support to keep this a success story for the young people of Guernsey who for whatever reason are in danger of being knocked off the straight and narrow.”

While she is keen to play down her part in the project, Jane is an amazing ambassador for YPG and brings a calm head and a passionate voice to the charity committee and what is aims to achieve.

“I came to the island with my husband after our honeymoon 16 years ago to work in finance. I left work to have my children and enjoy wonderful life. I have some skills which I hope I can use for others – I am a Samaritan which is humbling at times because of the amazing people you work alongside and the situations people find themselves in. YPG is my way of trying to give something back. It’s something we can all do.”

With winter coming quickly towards us leading to dark mornings and early evenings, a condition that is often discussed at this time of year is S.A.D. In countries north of the equator, such as Guernsey, symptoms tend to develop from September and can take us right through to Spring.

Some people love the winter. The dark evenings are associated with lots of cosy thoughts, such as bonfires, thick wooly jumpers, huddling next to loved ones next to an open fire. But on a practical front it also means leaving for and returning from work in the dark, heating bills soaring and school runs stuck in traffic with headlights and windscreen wipers on full!

But SAD is more than just that. It is a real condition that affects the quality of life of around 1 in 50 people in the UK. A milder form of SAD is known as winter blues and is simply associated with a generalized lower mood in the winter months. The more pathological form is more severe often requiring treatment. But it is recognizing it that is important. It may seem obvious. You get depressed in the winter…that’s it! But it can often be more subtle than that. The weather and sunlight hours can vary a lot in the winter. We can have days of beautiful sunshine followed by weeks of darkness and rain. I remember doing my psychiatry post as a junior doctor receiving a lecture about SAD. We had a case presentation of a young lady that had quite a severe depression, but it was only after keeping a daily mood and weather diary that the diagnosis was picked up.

What causes SAD?

The exact cause is actually not known.  The sun emits UV light that has many important properties from activating vitamin D to producing melatonin and serotonin. It is these two chemicals produced by the brain that are thought to be associated with SAD. One other factor is genetics.  It seems to be an inherited condition suggesting a gene link theory.

Symptoms

Depression has many cardinal symptoms. But some are more common in SAD. People tend to put more weight on rather than loose it which is common in many forms of depression. It also tends to cause hypersomnia rather than sleep deprivation leading to the common symptom of being tired all the time. Another specific symptom to SAD is heaviness of arms and legs.

Treatment

Treatment options for SAD include the normal treatment options for depression such as SSRI medications or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). But the specific treatment for SAD is light therapy.

Light therapy

Light intensity is measured in Lux. The normal lux value of a light bulb is around 200-500 lux. For SAD the treatment is usually around 2500 lux. Special light boxes are produced to treat SAD and can be purchased from many sites on the internet. The treatment begins obviously at the beginning of Autumn through to Spring. The length of daily treatment varies depending on the intensity of the light box. Some are as high as 10,000 lux and so only 30-45 mins a day are needed. Some of the weaker ones need a few hours a day. You need to sit in front of the box but it is not important to stare at the light. Just having it next to you is enough. For office workers it is ideal to have it positioned on the desk at work.

From a safety point of view, the light box seems to cause no harm. Damage to the retinas by staring at the box is a theoretical possibility but has not been reported.

For more information on SAD look at the SAD website at http://www.sada.org.uk/

Carrie’s girl turns the tables on her mother

Last year was a roller coaster ride of changing jobs, becoming newly single and deciding to start finding out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.  And in recent months I have discovered I am not alone. So many people I meet are in pretty much the same situation as me – in relationships that are breaking down or making them unhappy, or in jobs which are going nowhere. All a bit bleak and I am glad that at least there are a few negative boxes I have been able to put a lid on and file under no longer relevant!

At least I have righted a few of the wrongs and earned a new respect from my family which has seen me come through a rough patch with my head held high. And while I had no significant other to hug and kiss to see in the New Year I was with a group of new friends and when I felt like it headed home for a cheese sandwich!

I am happy that already this year there are a lot more positives in my life than in previous years. New friends and interests and a feeling that life is exciting again and on any day anything can happen and usually does!

I have decided that this is going to be a year of travel and experiencing new things. I have a child I adore, she is now a woman in her own right and I am enjoying seeing her achieve her goals and dreams. If I am honest, there has been a slight shift in our relationship as she is the one calling me to make sure I am home at a reasonable hour, eating enough and not drinking too much. She has rediscovered that her mum is her own woman again too, has come out of her shell to be a party animal, is having fun and generally living a more rounded life. But the joy of welcoming her home is bitter sweet when she flies the nest again back to her own life, leaving me to get on with mine. It makes me realise how quickly life is whizzing by and I hear myself sounding like my mother when I talk to friends who are new to this motherhood game. “Remember to enjoy them when they are small,” I say as I jealously tickle a chubby pink toddler hand and think back to those hours I endured in chilly parks while my daughter played on the swings.

It amazes me to suddenly find she is all grown up and that I really value her wisdom – and advice. She has this amazing knack of knowing who the good guys are and can spot a dud at first sight. A recent date had left me feeling totally depressed: the man in question had seemed nice enough but he turned out to be a total player. While she held back from actually saying the words ‘I told you so’ her look said it all.

The other morning we met for breakfast and she brought tears to my eyes as she told me that it’s tough because in her eyes there are no men good enough for me! But she has given the thumbs up to what she sees as a new and exciting phase in my life and tells me she is keeping an eye on me and intends to vet the next would be man who looks like a keeper. She gets all this wisdom from someone….I just hope it is me!

DARK CHOCOLATE TART

Serves 6

1 x 18cm pastry ring

250g Sweet Pastry

250g Dark Chocolate Couverture (chopped into small pieces)

2 Free Range Eggs

150ml Guernsey Whipping Cream

100ml Guernsey Full Cream Milk

Blind bake an 18 cm diameter tart case using sweet paste and set aside.
Once baked to a golden colour, paint the inside with a beaten egg and return to the oven for a couple of minutes. This will create a seal and ensure the fi lling does not leak from the tart. It will also keep the base crisp.

Using a large cook’s knife, chop the chocolate into small pieces – this will allow it to melt evenly and quickly.

To melt the Chocolate Couverture, place in a bowl over a pan of hot, but not boiling, water.

In a separate saucepan, heat together the cream and the milk until boiling point.

Whisk the eggs lightly and pour onto them the hot cream and milk mixture.

Pour through a sieve and onto the now liquid chocolate and mix together.

Pour this mixture into the pre-baked tart case and return to the oven pre-set at 180°c / 350°f / gas 4.

Turn off the oven immediately and leave in the chocolate tart to cool overnight.

Remove and slice into portions.

Serve at room temperature with a raspberry sauce.

Look and feel your best ever in 2012 with our ultimate health, fitness and beauty special

From banishing those extra pounds and inches and improving your fitness levels to smoothing out those tell-tale lines and wrinkles. We have approached the top health, fitness and beauty experts to show you how it’s done.

We approached local gyms and health clubs and invited them to tell us why we should sign up to get fit and healthy this year. We also invited the beauty salons and aesthetic practitioners to let us in on the latest non-invasive beauty treatments that promise to turn back the clock and make us look 10 years younger!

The ultimate lose 10 pounds in three weeks diet!

For an important date, a new job or simply as a much needed confidence boost. Most of us would love to lose 10 pounds and drop a dress or waist size to take us into the spring.

Diets are often designed to fail before the end of day one. Hunger pangs, boredom and complicated recipe regimes can all signal diet disasters, but we at GBG have come up with an easy to follow eating plan that promises to get you on track to lose up to 10 pounds in 20 days.

There are no meal replacements, no fads or tricks, just a simple, versatile eating diary which gives you the rules and the tools to change your eating habits and help the pounds melt away.

This is a low fat, low carbohydrate, no sugar, high-protein regime that within three days will re educate your palate and give you a flatter stomach as well as the resolve to see the pounds melt away.

No matter how much of a weight mountain you have to shift, by day three or four you will feel and see the change. And you will notice your eating patterns beginning to change without feel hungry or craving for the biscuit tin or bar of chocolate.

We simply give you a list of unlimited foods, foods to limit and foods to avoid. The rest is up to you. Protein is pretty much a free food zone so snack on crab sticks, lean meats and make up a huge chilled salad bowl  of mixed fruits and raw chopped vegetables for a dip in and out calorie free pick ‘n mix. Sugar free drinks are allowed so try to drink at least a litre of water each day. It will not only clear out your system and help your skin glow, but will also make you feel ‘fuller’ and not so likely to snack on silly calorie laden foods.

You must have three meals a day and breakfast is a must. Choose from smoked salmon, scrambled or poached eggs and fresh fruits, particularly citrus fruits like grapefruit and oranges. On alternate days go for porridge made with water and a scattering of dried fruits while every other day you can include a slice of wholemeal  toast with a scrape of low calorie spread.

For lunch opt for lean meats, wholemeal crisp breads and rice cakes with lots of fresh fruits and salad vegetables. You are allowed up to a half pint of skimmed milk per day.

Each night you can enjoy lean hamburgers, grilled steaks, fish shellfish or omelettes served with plenty of mixed salad leaves and unlimited steamed vegetables. Protein is pretty much unlimited so a massive lean steak with poached egg and lots of steamed broccoli and mushrooms and grilled tomatoes will leave you nicely filled up!

Vegetables are great filler uppers so carrots cauliflower, broccoli and green beans can be eaten freely. Avoid starchy potatoes – although sweet potatoes are allowed in moderation and are delicious if you dry roast them.

Foods to enjoy freely

Lean meats (try to avoid fatty pork and by products such as sausages) burgers, steaks, chicken (remove the skin) fresh fish and shellfish are all unlimited foods. Apart from potato and parsnips, salads and vegetables can be eaten freely. Eggs can be eaten daily though try not to exceed six per week.

Cheese lovers can indulge once a week….but limit yourself to a small amount and make sure it is a hard cheese like Cheddar or Leicester.

Fruits are a life saver on this regime so fill up on things like grapes, pineapple, oranges, nectarines and soft fruits like raspberries and strawberries.

Foods to avoid if you can

It goes without saying that you should avoid chocolates, biscuits, crisps, pastries, fatty foods like pizza and pies, chips and sugary drinks.

High fat foods like cheese are also very calorific so while you can enjoy small amounts try to limit them as treats. Low fat soft cheese spread thinly on crisp breads may help you stave off your cheese cravings.

Try to limit your intake of pasta and potatoes. Solo they are not the real culprits, but all those high calorie sauce and cheese and butter toppings can stop the diet being effective.

The rest is up to you. You simply need willpower and the will to look the best you can.

Pick up a copy of the February issue of GBG magazine for the full fitness special.

Exercise is not obligatory but it is not rocket science that if you eat less and exercise even a little more then you will lose those excess pounds. If going to the gym is out of the question then why not simply decide to take a fifteen minute walk each day. Small steps but they will make a big difference.

Pin up pictures of clothes you want to be able to buy with pride once you hit your goal. Pin notices on your fridge and food cupboards to remind you what foods to avoid. If you can stand it find a picture of yourself on a plump day and keep it as a visible reminder when temptation hits you.

Try to enlist a ‘diet buddy’ who will go through the regime with you. Going on a diet can be a difficult time – not only for you but for your family too. Nobody wants to be bored silly by your new healthy eating habits, but a diet buddy will share what you are going though and listen for hours!

Have a weekly weight in – it’s vital you see the needles on those scales fall.

If you have a bad day then the next day simply get straight back on the diet plan.  A little hiccup along the way won’t hurt too much. But make sure to be super strict for a couple of days after you dip.

Reward yourself with small treats as you lose the pounds. Feel good things like a new hair cut or simply a manicure to reflect the new interest you have in how you are looking.

If you don’t have a dog yourself borrow one! Walking the dog every day could see you drop a stone in weight even with the smallest adjustment in your diet.

Never go shopping when you are hungry. It could lead to you buying sweet and high calorie foods!

Always make sure you have lots of ‘allowed’ snacks like fruit. Keep a stock of lean meats and fresh vegetables in the fridge and simply don’t buy the things you know will only tempt you.

GBG’s photographer John de Garis managed to keep his lens on our models as they trampolined their way througha fashion shoot and we hope you love the outcome as much as we did!

Thanks to Joy and New Look for wardrobe, Jeff for keeping a watchful eye over the trampoline, and our brilliant models – Charlotte, Stephanie, Becky and Jim.

Fancy doing something different this Easter?!

Young Enterprise are holding a Charity Easter Egg Hunt. It will be taking place on the 25th of March at Blanchelande (to be confirmed). The cost will be £2 per child. On arrival they will be registered and given a bag to decorate in which they will collect the eggs.

There will be various activities going on throughout the day such as bouncy castles, face painting, various stalls and a raffle where 50% of any money made will be given to a local charity.

Definitive information regarding times, contact information and location etc. will be updated here as it becomes available to us.

Bob Haskins came to Guernsey in 1976 after training as a doctor in Wales followed by medical studies as a flying officer in the RAF. He has just retired from the Medical Specialist Group where he was a senior obstetrician and gynaecologist.  While he has plenty of ideas to keep him busy within the local community Bob also plans to do a little globetrotting. He agreed to sit on the sofa and give us a few insights into a long, successful and very challenging career, particularly in the field of infertility treatments.

How did you get started in medicine?

I came from a working class background but decided that I would like to be a doctor – they were up there in the professional world but they were all lads who had a good time and played a lot of sport. I was into playing rugby and having a good time and studying to become a doctor felt right for me. I got a place at what was then the Welsh National School of Medicine and later I joined the RAF as they were giving better grants and it seemed a great opportunity for me to further my medical training.

How was life in the RAF?

It was amazing; I got to fly all over the world while gaining the necessary qualifications for me to become registered.  I was based at Brize Norton and enjoyed various placements and roles in places like Cyrus, Hong Kong., Singapore and Malta.  I had a lot of fun, met a lot of people and developed a real interest in obstetrics – I also began to become involved with fertility treatments. I like to think that I have been responsible for introducing many new treatments and procedures and forged UK and European contacts which have benefitted many women in Guernsey who wanted to become mothers – and have done so.

When did Guernsey appear on your radar?

At the end of my training in the RAF I had to decide whether to make a career out of the forces, look at emigrating or joining the NHS. At the time I didn’t fancy emigrating but did think about joining the NHS, and then I saw a job advertised at the St Sampson’s and L’Aumone practice. I came to the island and decided this was the place for me.  About 20 years ago the States decided to restructure the specialist system and I became a member of the Medical Specialist Group. I became one of the founder members of the group and it just grew from there.

What have been your career highlights?

I have delivered so many babies I have lost count, but there have been some very special moments along the way, especially if someone has been undergoing fertility treatments, be it though IVF or sperm or egg donation. It is a privilege to see them get pregnant, support them through that pregnancy and then successfully deliver a healthy baby. It’s a warm moment and a real buzz.

And the down side?

Of course there is the other side of the coin too when things don’t go well and that is always a sad time. I also won’t be missing those long nights on call. There were only four of us and often only two – in fact at Christmas I was on my own!  So if you have an emergency operation in the middle of the night, and a morning clinic or operation early the next day it can be tough. I will not miss the hours!

You say fertility treatments have been your special interest.  How far have things improved over the years here in Guernsey?

It’s the area I am best known for and I introduced the use of donor sperm.  I also started IVF referrals and managed to introduce many new treatments and operations which have helped infertile couples have the babies they so badly want. I have also worked hard to link up with other clinics in the UK and abroad. The other big news is that since I have come to Guernsey and we have introduced better screening programmes, there are 75% fewer deaths from cervical cancer. I am very proud of that achievement and don’t start me on raising awareness of how a woman’s fertility drops off so drastically at 35. You should start thinking of becoming pregnant before then – but that’s an article in itself.

What are your plans for the future?

We have a house in South Africa which we intend to visit more often and we have bought a two berth camper van so we can explore France more. We love it there and both of our dogs are French born and bred! Travel is very much in the spotlight as there is now more time for us to do so. I do have other ideas to keep me busy but for now I want to take a bit of time to reflect and decide on exactly what I will and won’t commit to. I certainly won’t be going into politics though! I know life will become busy again, probably sooner than I want, but for now it’s a good time to enjoy being with my wife and family, kicking back a bit – and getting the camper van ready to go!