The Quarry

In 1993 Mark Prevel was diagnosed with chronic emphysema. He was 31 and it was a life changing moment.

Surgery followed three years later and now he has embarked on an endurance challenge to mark the 30th anniversary of that.

Raising money for Les Bourgs hospice, he aims to walk 1,000 miles in June, combined at times with work it has meant getting on the road from 2am.

Here he tells us of the challenges faced so far, the quiet moments and hallucinations.

To donate: https://www.papaprev.org/
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https://www.lesbourgshospice.org.gg/

The Victor Hugo Centre is expected to open in the heart of St Peter Port in 2029.
Those behind the project have so far raised more than £7.5m. towards its £10m. goal in 18 months.
Hugo arrived on the island in 1855 having not published anything of great significance for more than a decade, and within a year  has published his most famous book of poetry, followed by Les Miserables, and then Toilers of the Sea.
The centre in the former Tourist Information building will feature three floors: a performance and exhibition space, a museum with seven galleries, and a learning center for schoolchildren. The project aims to promote Hugo's values of human rights and social justice
The Quarry's editor Nick Mann spoke with VHC Chair Larry Malcic live at Guernsey Arts Sunday to find out more.

A renewed focus on professional development within the creative industries and cultural diplomacy are on the agenda for Guernsey Arts.
In March, Rebecca Booth took over as Head of Arts Development.
Speaking live in conversation with The Quarry at Guernsey Arts Sunday, she outlined the role of Guernsey Arts, how it brings together funding from government and the private sector and the impact that it has.
Talks will also take place with colleagues in Jersey about the funding model there which has seen the government commit to spending 1% of its revenue budget on the arts, culture and heritage, some £10m.

The Charity Sector Survey has provided a snapshot of volunteering, capacity, funding and demand in Guernsey.

Association of Guernsey Charities chair Wayne Bulpitt discusses the key findings as well as the huge funding opportunities should Guernsey free up some £100m in dormant money for the sector in the same way as happens elsewhere.

https://charity.org.gg/sector-survey-...

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Vassos Alexander is one of the UK's best known sports presenters from his time at the BBC, Virgin Radio and now through the freshly launched Track Radio.
He is also an endurance athlete always hunting for different ways to get out of his comfort zone.
We met at La Vallette Bathing Pools to discuss his latest book, Swimmingly: Adventures in Water, his background, motivation and what comes next.
Swimmingly charts his preparation to swim the English Channel and introduces us to swimming communities and characters around the world, including bringing to prominence the remarkable impact of Lynne Cox on the Cold War.
This was recorded as part of our partnership with the Guernsey Literary Festival.
https://guernseyliteraryfestival.com
https://www.trackradio.com/
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Inso has released The Guernsey Innovation Report, an honest account of the innovation landscape in the island and the challenges it faces after gaining insights from 45 industry leaders.
https://https://inso.gg/guernsey-innovation-report
"Across every sector, conversations converged on urgent structural realities: the rapid adoption of AI, the inevitability of blockchain and asset tokenisation, and the urgent need for infrastructure automation."
The report sets out a roadmap to making the most of the opportunities that lie ahead.
Inso founder Dan Wood discusses  innovation, where Guernsey is and how it can take advantage with The Quarry editor Nick Mann.

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The figures do not lie.
Last year just 62 units were added to the housing stock in Guernsey, none of them in the affordable sector.
The current overall target is around 300 houses a year.
They are stark numbers. And Guernsey has rarely been anywhere close.
If everything that was given the green light by planners went ahead, the island would not have the type of housing dilemma which is slowly strangling society and the economy.
You can dive into any number of high level reports for the big picture, but work instigated 18 months ago under Environment & Infrastructure and now being taken forward by the Housing Committee has gone into the reality of what is happening on the ground.
In this episode Housing Committee President Steve Williams and Infrastructure and Environment Director Claire Barrett discuss what action has been taken and what is on the horizon  to unlock housing development.

You can also read the full story:
https://www.thequarry.media/dig-this-...

Guernsey's workforce could be boosted by 4,500 more employees, its GVA increased by £410m. a year and tax revenue increased by about £89m, a report released by PwC in July argued.
But it would need to match the employment rates seen in New Zealand.
This latest episode discusses those findings, what the barriers and what the opportunities are.
PwC Chief Strategy Officer Leyla Yildirim, Alexander Daniels Recruitment Consultant Blair Howitt and Learning Consultant Korinne Le Page joined The Quarry’s editor Nick Mann.

This episode is part of a series where The Quarry has partnered with the Guernsey Chamber of Commerce People and Skills Working Group to deliver podcasts about the current workforce shortage and the future skills gap.


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Dirk Bischoff, a new resident of Guernsey, shares his entrepreneurial journey from East Germany to London, where he founded impact companies and non-profit programs. 
He emphasises the importance of mentorship and community support for startups. 
The island has potential to diversify beyond financial services, with new initiatives like his Pitch Guernsey connecting startups with investors and resources beginning to help. 
But there is a need for more early-stage support programs, mentorship, and government involvement to foster entrepreneurship. 
Dirk also stressed the importance of experimentation and overcoming the fear of failure to build a thriving startup ecosystem in Guernsey.

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Eight months in from launching Guernsey's only independent news outlet, we discuss the lessons we've learnt so far and what's to come. Talking to co-founder Warren Mauger, Editor Nick Mann explains: 

• people will pay for quality in-depth stories and to support a project they believe in
  
  
• letting people control how they consume news will be vital for the future, we're experimenting with that now through our paid members' exclusive app.
  
  
• the need to move beyond superficial use of AI to instead focus on empowering research and coding new information rich products. 
  
  
• how we are moving to our next phase, in-person events to show people what we're doing, why and to hear their feedback.
  
  

If you're considering setting up an independent news operation, please get in touch and we'll share our experiences: [email protected].