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Guernsey's 2026 Make a Difference finalists named

Isla BlatchfordGuernsey communities reporter
News imageBeth Chapman A blue and white crest with a lion in it and Alderney written above it is on the wall. In front 2 men flank a little boy with blonde hair, helping him to hold an extra large HSBC cheque which shows he's raised two thousand one hundred and twenty-seven pounds and forty pence for Alderney football.Beth Chapman
Eight-year-old Benji, seen here with PE teacher Rob Kirkland (right), raised more than £2,000 for his football club

The four finalists for the 2026 BBC Radio Guernsey Make a Difference Awards have been revealed.

The annual awards highlight the different ways individuals and groups are helping in the community.

The finalists are: eight-year-old Alderney fundraiser Benji, boxing development officer Mandy Hobart, rubbish collecting "wombler" Sarah Warr, and founders of a local money saving website Kat Gillespie and Sarah de Carteret.

The winner is due to be announced on Friday 18 September.

Benji cycled around his home island to help support his football team, smashing his original target of £100 by raising £2,127.40.

That money enabled the team to travel to Guernsey to compete in a tournament during the summer.

His PE teacher, Rob Kirkland, said: "He's led by example, not only to his friends but also to the community. It's shown what is possible."

News imageMandy Hobart sits on the edge of a boxing ring with red, white and blue ropes behind her. She wears a black T-shirt with "ABC Coach" marked on it in white and a pair of red boxing gloves.
Guernsey's boxing development officer Mandy Hobart is tireless in her fundraising and promotion of the sport

Mandy Hobart is passionate about promoting boxing to all ages in Guernsey.

She recently helped the Amalgamated Boxing Club reach its £1m fundraising target for a major renovation of its facilities in St Martins.

She runs after-school clubs and a boxing fitness class for over-65s, also helping people with Parkinson's disease.

"I just see the good it does in everybody, mainly the children. That's my main focus, giving them confidence, self-esteem, making them just believe in themselves and feeling more confident in the world," she said.

News imageSarah Warr is a woman wearing a grey beanie, pink T-shirt with the slogan "remember you're a Womble" and a silver reflective jacket. She stands beside a bin and the sea wall, holding up a clear sack of rubbish that she has collected.
Sarah Warr has been collecting litter from Guernsey's beaches and east coast for 14 years

Sarah Warr spends much of her spare time "wombling" - so-called after The Wombles, the fictional creatures who collect and recycle litter - along Guernsey's east coast collecting litter.

She said she estimated she had picked up "tonnes and tonnes of it" over 14 years.

She said she did it "because I love our island and I am passionate about keeping it clean".

"If we all do our little bit, then it will be a beautiful place to live," she said.

News imageSupersavvysavers Two ladies sit in front of a bar. On the left the lady with shoulder-length brown hair wears a pink short sleeved t-shirt and jeans. The lady on the right is wearing a long sleeved black zip top with a black skirt and tights. Her dark hair is tied back and she has large black glasses on.Supersavvysavers
Kat Gillespie and Sarah de Carteret founded Supersavvysavers to help islander cut their bills

Supersavvysavers founders Kat Gillespie and Sarah de Carteret have been sharing money saving tips, tricks and deals in Guernsey for several years.

It is something they do for free in their spare time, alongside family commitments and full-time work.

Mrs Gillespie said: "Even if you're making a slight little bit of a difference, it just makes it all worthwhile."

Friend and follower Karen Archenoul said: "I think Kat and Sarah make it possible for thousands of local residents to save money. They're doing it because they genuinely want to help."

The 2026 judges were Guernsey Lieutenant Governor Sir Richard Cripwell, last year's winner and women's safety campaigner Poppy Murray, and Les Varendes High School principal Verona Tomlin.

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