BIC looks to support social enterprise
MUCH more can be done to encourage social enterprises in Guernsey, if government can ‘bridge the gap’ between itself and the charitable sector, according to Economic Development’s vice-president.
Deputy Steve Falla attended a British-Irish Council ministerial meeting in Cardiff, which centred on the theme of social inclusion. He said he was buoyed by the opportunity to visit some promising examples of social enterprise projects in the area, including Llanrumney Hall in the east of the city.
‘It was a beautiful stately home once owned by Captain Morgan – of rum fame – but it had fallen into disrepair,’ he said.
‘But with local government working alongside the third sector, it has been beautifully renovated and restored and now hosts community events – making the people of the large, adjacent housing estate feel that there’s something there for them.’
As well as hosting regular events such as Knit & Natter and Art for Wellbeing, the venue has rooms for a hire, a shop, a cafe and the UK’s fastest growing Your Local Pantry venue, which makes use of donations in order to be able to charge £5 for nearby residents to gain access to groceries worth £25-35, once a week.
Deputy Falla said there was scope to improve the social inclusion offering in Guernsey by ‘handing over the means to the third sector’, which often ‘might not have the levers in place’.
He acknowledged that Policy & Resources was already undertaking work to investigate this but said it had moved slowly due to being dependent on staff resources and he hoped to be able to ‘support the better use of our commissioning power’ in future.
Further examples of the projects visited in Cardiff included a cycling business which bought, renovated and sold used bicycles. It also offered safety checks and repairs and held community cycling events, he said. Deputy Falla was the sole Guernsey representative, attending both as ED vice-president and as a member of Employment & Social Security. It had been hoped that more deputies might attend but the meeting clashed with the October States meeting.
The BIC ministerial meeting was also attended in person by the Republic of Ireland’s Minister for Rural and Community Development Joe O’Brien and Jersey’s Social Security Minister Elaine Miller and Economic Development minister Kirsten Morel.
