The foundation used to receive more than £40,000 in grants from the States, but it was defunded by the Tourism Management Board last year.
‘There were many more demands and applications for funding from the Tourism Management Board, and many of the grants were given to newer initiatives and start-ups,’ said Economic Development president Sasha Kazantseva-Miller.
‘Fiscal pressures and constraints on funding meant that the States couldn’t support Floral Guernsey as much as before, but we’re hoping that this agreement will provide stability and security while they make plans and find sponsorship.’
The Tourism Management Board, which operates at arm’s length from the States, was handed responsibility for events and activities grants distribution in 2024, taking over from Economic Development. The States had funded the foundation for some 30 years before it passed over the reins. It was responsible for its original establishment and in its earlier years it had been one of the island’s major tourism events. Now it is more of a local volunteer organisation.
‘We recognise and value the wider contribution Floral Guernsey makes to island life, including the communities it helps to build, and the support it provides to the wellbeing of the many volunteers who take part,’ said Deputy Kazantseva-Miller.
‘It helps make Guernsey a wonderful place to visit and to live – one thing that visitors often highlight is all the flowers they see around, and Floral Guernsey really contributes to making the island so wonderful and unique.’
The £15,000 grant from Economic Development will be adjusted each year for inflation.
The sum, according to foundation chairwoman Sue Bacon, was approximately half of what it takes to run the charity each year.
‘The Floral Guernsey Foundation extends its sincere gratitude to the Committee for Economic Development for this generous support grant,’ she said.
‘It allows us to continue our work – it’s really a lifeline support. We are now seeking to collaborate with a like-minded corporate sponsor.’
Deputy Kazantseva-Miller said that she was hopeful that the foundation would be able to find a sustainable mode of funding for its future, citing the example of joint public, private, and community funded St Peter Port Christmas Lights charity.
Floral Guernsey already has Dame Mary Perkins on board as a patron, and is now on the hunt to find further partners.
‘This collaborative partnership approach is intended as bridging support, providing Floral Guernsey with the stability it needs in the short term while the charity works to secure a sustainable future,’ said Deputy Kazantseva-Miller.
‘Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm have strong reputations as islands of flowers, and much of this is thanks to the work Floral Guernsey has carried out over many decades.
‘The charity plays an important role in coordinating parish efforts and facilitating entries into the prestigious RHS Britain in Bloom awards, where the Bailiwick consistently punches well above its weight.’
The Floral Guernsey Foundation will be continuing its entries in Royal Horticultural Society competitions this year following several past triumphs.
It is also looking forward to a number of other projects, such as the launch of its own horticultural contest – the Bailiwick in Bloom Awards.
