After Jax and Keith Robin, respectively the acting chairwoman and acting treasurer of the St Peter Port lights charity, said they wanted to stand down, the Association of Guernsey Charities was brought in to help.
AGC chairman Wayne Bulpitt, pictured, said it was approached by the Robins, who expressed their fears for the lights’ future.
‘Since being asked to assist, we have consulted with a wide range of stakeholders and hope to confirm a way forward soon.’
One of the issues he has dealt with was persuading town businesses to contribute to the costs, in particular those with head offices outside the island, where there was little discretion for local managers to make decisions.
He understood that their head offices assumed such things would be included in the rates.
The recent St Peter Port parish meeting approved making a donation of £30,000 to this year’s lights, although some people felt that other parishes and people should also contribute.
‘In response to the “It’s an island thing, not parish” or “It’s just for retailers in town” arguments, like so many elements of life in our island, it is a little of each and requires a collaborative solution,’ said Mr Bulpitt.
‘The decision by the parish to add a contribution to the costs is an important element of the long-term solution,’ he said.
Mr and Mrs Robin have been involved with the lights for years. But after Christmas 2021 Mrs Robin said they wanted to step back.
A new chairman became involved but Mrs Robin was back as ‘acting chairwoman’ by Christmas 2022 and has stayed in that role ever since.
You need to be logged in to comment. If you had an account on our previous site, you can migrate your old account and comment profile to this site by visiting this page and entering the email address for your old account. We'll then send you an email with a link to follow to complete the process.