Hope for Guernsey
977. Roger Allsopp
Roger Allsopp OBE, from Guernsey, is a retired surgeon who has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to support life-saving medical research.
As Chair of ‘Hope for Guernsey’, the fundraising arm of ‘Wessex Medical Research’, Roger has twice swum the English Channel to fundraise for a University of Southampton cancer research project using data samples from Guernsey women. His second undertaking raised over £350,000 for a new spectrometer and state-of-the-art research laboratory, and saw him break the record for oldest man in the world to swim the channel. Roger has since continued to lend his expertise to the ‘Guernsey Health and Social Services Committee’ and has been active in improving access to swimming facilities for people with disabilities on the island.
Roger was presented with his award by the Lieutenant-Governor of Guernsey, His Excellency Vice Admiral Sir Ian Corder KBE CB, at Government House, Guernsey (pictured below).
In a personal letter to Roger, Prime Minister Theresa May said:
“Your inspirational fundraising has supported pioneering medical research to directly benefit the lives of people in Guernsey and beyond. You continue to ensure your expertise benefits your community through your ongoing service in support of the ‘Guernsey Disability Alliance’.”
Roger said:
“The great thing about volunteering is that you don’t have to do it. It is in fact a privilege that one has a choice. To volunteer carries with it a double benefit. There is the benefit to others and and coincidentally there is great benefit to oneself. Everybody wins.”