Steve Sharman, relationship director at the Sports Commission and a Guernsey FA director, took over the reigns this week after the Very Rev. Tim Barker stepped down, having completed his term in the role.
Mr Sharman has been a director of SIF since 2024.
‘It is with great pride and a real sense of excitement that I become chair of the Social Investment Fund,’ he said.
‘I am acutely aware of the importance of the charitable sector to the Guernsey community and want to ensure SIF continues to support organisations which contribute to making people’s lives measurably better.’
Mr Barker had been chairman since April 2023 and a director of SIF since it was established as a charitable company in April 2020.
‘It has been a huge privilege to serve as a director of the Social Investment Fund for six years, and as chair for the past three years,’ he said.
‘I have enjoyed working with a great team of colleagues and learning about both the diversity of the charitable sector in the Bailiwick and how Guernsey’s voluntary organisations enhance so many different areas of our life.
‘The islands would be much poorer without the enthusiasm of the committed staff and volunteers.
‘The work of SIF is to assist in resourcing their work, which requires board members to make some difficult decisions in each funding round.’
SIF was originally set up with the purpose of using both public and privately donated funds to invest in the charity sector, and to improve joint working with government.
Since its launch, more than £8m. has been distributed to charitable organisations through its grants programmes, including £550,000 through an appeal launched in 2020 to support charities affected by the pandemic.
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