'Vital' role of charities not grasped by States
THE States' relationship with the third sector – charities and voluntary organisations – was the topic of discussion at a meeting at Les Cotils last night.
The Association of Guernsey Charities annual meeting was attended by about 150 people representing member groups.
AGC chairman Peter Rose told the 'State of the Nation' debate how there was about twice the number of charities in Guernsey per head of the population than there was in the UK.
If they did not work together the public could get charity fatigue, he said. It was important for charities to work together in the spirit of transparency and accountability. This was essential for charities and voluntary organisations to retain the trust of the public.
'The other issue I am going to talk about is the need to work better with the States so that they better understand the value of the contribution made by charities and voluntary organisations, which are now fundamental and largely unappreciated parts of the fabric of Bailiwick life,' he said.
'Until the vital role of the third sector is better understood by the States neither of us will be as effective as we can be.'
Many of the charities believed that the States took what they did for granted and that government did little or nothing to encourage their development.
