Jersey residents log an incredible 106,592km in support of Mind Jersey in the RBC SLT Community Challenge unlocking a £40,000 donation to Mind Jersey’s Youthful Minds Group

And RBC announces an exciting new initiative…

Following an incredible three weeks of activity on the island, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is delighted to unlock a £40,000 donation to Mind Jersey’s Youthful Minds Group as the RBC Super League Triathlon (SLT) Community Challenge exceeds all targets.

Islanders of all ages from schools, clubs and businesses came together to swim, bike, run and walk their way to the ambitious goal set by RBC, keeping alive the spirit of SLT, which was unable to go ahead this year.

After the original target of 20,000km was smashed in the first week of the 20 day challenge, RBC upped the ante by pledging to double their £20,000 donation if islanders were able to register a collective 100,000km. Thanks to the community coming together this was achieved!

The end of this virtual challenge marks what would have been the fourth holding of RBC Super League Triathlon Jersey; hosting elite athletes participating in the Super League Triathlon and engaging the Jersey community through RBC Race for the Kids, all whilst supporting the important work Mind Jersey’s Youth Minds Group does for young people on the island.

Super League Triathlon CEO, Michael D’hulst, said: “The RBC SLT Community Challenge has been a remarkable collective effort. While we were obviously disappointed not to be in Jersey holding our event this year, the way people have been inspired to work together as a community, and the resulting donation to Mind Jersey from RBC, has delivered a massive positive in a difficult year.

 “I would like to thank RBC and all of our partners who have backed this event and made it possible, and especially the people of Jersey who have again shown their commitment and dedication to health and wellbeing and supporting each other as a community.”

Dr. Patricia Tumelty, Executive Director of Mind Jersey, said: “This ambitious endeavor will have a huge impact on so many children and young people in Jersey whose lives have been severely disrupted in so many different ways as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are very grateful to RBC and SLT for their support and the incredible efforts of the Jersey community in working so hard to secure this donation.”

David Bailey, Chief Operating Officer, RBC said: “The past three weeks have been an extraordinary demonstration of our community coming together to support Mind Jersey. The work the charity does on the island is invaluable to so many and I am beyond proud of the dedication from everyone who took part.

“As this fantastic initiative draws to a close, I am thrilled to announce that the RBC Race for the Kids is going virtual this year in Jersey and around the world on 17-18 October. With the aim of being the largest global virtual race in history, I have no doubt that islanders will once again lace up their trainers and raise more vital funds for Mind Jersey. For information and to sign-up, please visit www.rbcraceforthekids.com.”

As nurseries open their doors again, many young children and parents in Jersey will be better prepared to hit the ground running, after thousands took part in an innovative project to build their home-learning skills in language, literacy and communication.

In the last four years, the Jersey Early Childhood Development Programme’s literacy work has reached over 2,300 pre-school age children across Jersey, and encouraged 1,956 parents to create rich home-learning environments for their little ones.

Early literacy is just one element of an ambitious programme coordinated by the National Children’s Bureau in partnership with the Jersey Child Care Trust and funded by UBS Optimus Foundation UK.

The Jersey Early Childhood Development Programme has also brought internationally renowned speakers to the island to share the latest thinking with local staff, trained 282 early years workers on supporting early literacy, and helped States of Jersey officials to introduce a new method for measuring and improving impact.

The first phase of the programme has delivered impressive results and an external evaluation by the Centre for Research in Early Childhood indicates the programme has either met, or exceeded expectations. Well over three quarters¹ of local parents who took part, said the programme had increased their confidence to support their children’s literacy and learning.

One local parent explained the impact on their child: “We can see the difference in our child’s language, stories, patience, self-organisation, concentration, there is more interaction, he is more confident and less judgemental.”

Anthony Donnatelli, Head of Philanthropy UK at UBS confirmed:

“The UBS Optimus Foundation believes that all children deserve every opportunity to grow and thrive. We are really pleased to see the positive results that have been achieved in Jersey through the hard work and commitment of local parents and early years staff. We remain committed to this programme and are currently working on seeking funding for the next phase.”

Annamarie Hassall MBE, Director of Practice, Programmes and Fundraising at the National Children’s Bureau, added:

“During lockdown and the closure of local nurseries, we saw how important it is to be able to provide learning opportunities at home. Thanks to this programme, many Jersey parents were ahead of the game when the pandemic struck. We are delighted with the achievements of local people and are planning to continue this excellent work to keep the momentum going and reach even more children across the Island.”