As 2025 comes to a close, St Martin Constable Karen Shenton-Stone shared her year’s highlights with Express, as well as her Parish ‘wish list’ for 2026…
What have been the highlights of 2025?
My highlight of the year was delivering the Liberation 80 speech on behalf of the States Assembly in Liberation Square on 9 May this year. If one is given a voice, then it is one’s duty to use it to call out injustice. I felt that I needed to speak on behalf of my family who endured the Occupation and for everyone else who suffered, lived through the Occupation, or lost loved ones.
This corresponded to my duty as a member of the Assembly to speak out about the growing parallels with the world today and make it clear that Jersey must stand up to these threats to democracy and fundamental equality.
What has been the greatest challenge?
The greatest challenge this year was as chair of PPC getting the election legislation including the change to Sunday voting, through the States.
What is on your ‘wish list’ for your parish in 2026?
That the parish continues to go from strength to strength and we continue to improve the facilities for St Martin. This will hopefully include the completion and implementation of the long -awaited road safety review, and the start of the refurbishment of the Rectory Barn as a community centre. I have tasked myself with raising the funds for the Rectory Barn from generous donors and am delighted – and very grateful – with the start we have made.
