Mr Paxton has been appointed chairman to replace Karen Jagger, who remains on its board as a director. Mr Paxton retired from full-time work in 2019, and now works with a portfolio of organisations.
‘I’m delighted to be joining the GBS as chair,’ he said.
‘Having recently stepped down after five years as chair of the Youth Commission for Guernsey and Alderney, I wanted to continue giving something back to Guernsey’s third sector.’
Mr Paxton said he already knew Ms Jagger through his work with the commission, and was familiar with some of the GBS directors. He said his main priority for the service would be helping to ensure its longevity.
‘The opportunity felt like a good fit for me and the organisation and I’m thrilled to be able to continue to lead the great work that the Bereavement Service team perform,’ he said.
‘For me, it’s all about the sustainability of the service – making sure it continues to do its good work, and spreading the word of the services it offers for all possible types of bereavement. GBS plays such an important role in our community, helping people through one of the hardest experiences they will ever face.’
The charity is specifically focused on supporting islanders living with grief, and Mr Paxton said raising funds, as well as awareness, would be an important part of his new role.
‘I think they’ve found it can be difficult to raise funds,’ he said.
‘There’s so many local charities, so there’s quite a lot of competing for funds. We don’t need a lot to keep going, but we do need some.’
He also highlighted the importance of collaboration with other organisations and noted that much of the work of the service overlapped with that of the Youth Commission’s Sunflower Project.
‘We’re trying to get working a little bit closer with them,’ he said.
His professional background is accountancy but Mr Paxton said he is attracted to the community aspect of voluntary work.
‘The community of the third sector, I’ve found, is very different to all the communities I know in the commercial sector,’ he said.
‘You just get people drawn from different strands of life and wanting different things. So I quite enjoy that. Even the commercial stuff I go on – it’s all about the people that I work with. I’m very much looking forward to working with our staff, volunteers and fellow trustees at GBS to build on its excellent reputation, raise awareness of the support available, and ensure it continues to be there for islanders whenever they need it.’