Bank charges for charities ‘cheap and unnecessary’

Speaking at the Association of Guernsey Charities general meeting, Deputy Ferbrache agreed that the introduction of the £10 a month fees was ‘mean-spirited’.

‘Like [Association of Guernsey Charities vice-chairman] Peter Rose, I understand the commercial reasons why NatWest have come to this decision, but £20,000 is a considerable amount to be taken from the charitable sector and it’s not even going to touch the sides at the bank.

‘£20,000 doesn’t pay the petrol in the chief executive of the bank’s limousine for a year.

‘It’s cheap and unnecessary from NatWest.’

At the meeting Deputy Ferbrache also told charity representatives that government wanted to work with the third sector, but funds were limited, so there was not going to be an open cheque book.

‘There have been too many instances where charities have been subject to bureaucracy and restrictions, but this is a different government to last time and we will work hard to support them,’ he said.