The Faroe Islands were initially chosen to host these Games but pulled out of doing so in early 2015.

In July 2016 the Island Games Annual General Meeting (AGM) unanimously decided to award the Games, for a third time, to Guernsey - which last hosted the event 20 years ago. 

"People still talk about the 2003 Opening Ceremony," Games director Julia Bowditch told the BBC.

"The Opening Ceremony will set the tone for the whole Games, so we're encouraging islanders to come out, cheer, wave, and have a good time."

Around 3,000 athletes from 24 islands representing Europe, South Atlantic and the Caribbean are due to take part in a biennial event that has become quadrennial in this instance due to the complicating factor of COVID-19.

The first day of competition is scheduled to feature ten sports.

The hosts will have high hopes of success given that they were named Channel Islands Sports Awards Team of the Year for 2022 after notable performances at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Lucy Beere won silver in women's bowls after a close final against Australia's Ellen Ryan.

The bowls at the Island Games this week is set to be the indoor variety.

Guernsey's first medal in athletics at the Commonwealth Games came from Alistair Chalmers who won bronze in the men's 400 metres hurdles in the English city last year.

It was an event at which he had won gold at the 2017 Island Games held in Gotland.

Bowditch told guernsey2023.gg that all of the organisers, sports and volunteers are fully focused on delivering the Games.

"The activity really has ramped up over the last few weeks, and after waiting for four years, it is very exciting, and slightly nerve-wracking to see all of the plans finally coming together," Bowditch said.

"Events like the NatWest International Island Games show what can be achieved when people, businesses, and charities all come together.

"From the sports coordinators who have been working for months on the event, to the volunteers stuffing bags, and the medal mates carrying cushions for the medal ceremonies, everyone plays a vital part in putting on an event of this scale.

"The support of our key sponsors has enabled us to put on the Games.

"When we picked up the planning again after the postponement from 2021, we were faced with many new challenges.

"We had to re-do our budgets and nearly every single cost had gone up.

"Luckily, all our lead sponsors have stayed with us and without their financial support, we simply would not be able to host the Games.

"Even through the tough times their help has been unrelenting.

"We have tried to support local businesses as much as possible.

"Inevitably, there are some items we have had to source off-island, but we have tried to keep as much as we can here in Guernsey.

"We have printed 980 items of signage, and 39,780 leaflets, brochures and letters have been printed all here on island.

"Our travel partners from Condor, Aurigny and Blue Islands are moving more than 3,000 people during the week."

Meanwhile, inmates at Guernsey Prison have done their bit for the Games by constructing a special sign in their workshop.

It points the way to all the 24 member islands and shows the distance in miles.