St John Ambulance Guernsey is benefiting from the proceeds of a special Guernsey fudge bar, which has been made by a local confectioner to mark the 75th anniversary of the Liberation.
The commemorative bars of Guernsey Cream Fudge have been produced by Guernsey Gourmet Food and the packets are designed to resemble bars of chocolate given to children by British troops on the day the island was liberated from German occupation.
The St John Ambulance Brigade continued to provide an ambulance service to the island offering medical care and transport for islanders during the Occupation. At one time a shortage of fuel meant the ambulances had their engines removed and were drawn by horses. St John also helped distribute the food parcels from the Red Cross ship SS Vega in the last few months of the war.
Martyn Willey from Guernsey Gourmet Food said: “St John has always been a ‘close to home’ charity choice for us. My great-grandfather was a St John member and drove one of the horse-drawn ambulances during the Occupation. Our company is a family run business and is happy to be supporting this great local charity again with our Liberation Guernsey cream fudge, similar in design to the bar produced by my parents for the 70th anniversary, which again supported St John Ambulance Guernsey.”
Chief Operating Officer, Nikki Harrison said: “We’d like to thank Guernsey Gourmet Food for supporting St John. Many people who lived through the Occupation in Guernsey have told me what an important role St John played during those uncertain and challenging times. During the Occupation St John responded to the changing needs of the island, just as we are again in 2020, with the coronavirus. As well as supporting the work of St John in the community, I hope these special cream fudge bars will bring some happiness to people who might need a bit of a boost”.
Chief Ambulance Officer, Mark Mapp
The coronavirus lock-down and current restrictions mean the special fudge is not as widely available as the producer had hoped and is currently available at the Candy Shop on the Bridge and via post from Guernsey Cream Fudge on Facebook.
10p from every sale will be donated to St John Ambulance Guernsey.
The Channel Islands were the only part of the British Isles to be occupied by the German forces during World War Two.