MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Message from Falkland Islands Governor Alison Blake CMG

Alison Blake CMG, 37th Governor of the Falkland Islands

2022 has been a momentous and busy year here in this newly created City of Stanley and across the Islands, marking the 40th anniversary of the liberation of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia with a fitting and often moving program of commemorative events, events that have at their heart been about remembrance, community, and sharing.

 These events have brought together veterans and their families, Falkland Islanders and visitors from the UK and beyond to commemorate the sacrifices of so many and mark what has been built here with that hard-won freedom.

Along with much of the world in this year we celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, we mourned the loss of our deeply loved monarch, Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and we welcomed the accession of King Charles III and.....The Queen Consort.

For my husband Pete and me, it has been a busy but truly wonderful five months since we moved to this beautiful place and I became your 37th Governor.

We are slowly getting to know the Islands and their people, and to see for ourselves the warm welcome, hard work, community spirit, and the commitment to environmental stewardship that makes this a very special place.

2022 has seen hard work across the Falkland Islands Government and Falkland Islands community. You can be proud of what you achieved including memorable and moving events that gave a special Falklands welcome to the many veterans and official visitors including HRH the Princess Royal, UK and Scottish Government Ministers and Westminster Parliamentarians.

We also welcomed back the LATAM civilian flights and the many cruise vessels and their passengers.

At a time when we give thanks for our families and friends and the people whose lives have touched our own, I know you will join me in expressing gratitude to all whose service and dedication support and care for this community, and especially at this time thinking of those who are on-call, working or volunteering, to support our community out of hours or at weekends and during this holiday period.

We should look forward with hope to a peaceful and brighter new year. Conflict, famine, droughts and natural disasters, the economic downturn and the COVID pandemic challenge us all to find a better, sustainable way to live and to collaborate across borders and divides.

There is hope for work underway to tackle climate change’s effects and to sustain bio-diversity, where the Falklands farmers and custodians of our wildlife and land and maritime resources and our scientists can be proud of the contribution they make.

Finally, I would like to thank you all for all that you do and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful and Happy 2023