Building on a strong foundation

Such has been the impact of this now highly successful, motivated body – the vision for which was first outlined back in 2010 – that it has transformed much of the way our so-called

third sector works and flourishes today.

Launched with the aim to build on and support charities and volunteers, while encouraging even greater things to happen within the charitable, voluntary and philanthropy landscape, it has gone from strength to strength.

Now, still three years off its 10th anniversary, it can already be proud of its performance.

While many will see the recent Community Awards (as featured in today’s centre pages) as its flagship achievement, this showcase celebration for our wonderful local charities is effectively a shop window for what has become a burgeoning sector.

Much of that growth and positivity is thanks in no small part to the consistent hard work of the foundation, its trustees and its team over the last busy seven years.

Effectively an enabling machine, quietly working away to help oil and facilitate the operation of this key area, it boasts an impressive track record – from making real strides in the sector’s work with government, to providing vital social policy research for now and the future.

We also now know far more about the scale of the voluntary sector in Guernsey, the nature of poverty in our island and the role that social finance plays.

More charitable giving has been encouraged and achieved than ever before, and extra funds, grants and help have been directed straight to those groups and people most in need.

And this support is not just money, it is helping achieve sustainability by encouraging other sectors to offer charities best-practice advice and resources.

The currency of the third sector and the benefits it brings to our community is higher than ever before something, quite rightly, now increasingly acknowledged. Similarly, the work of volunteers, something else that has been actively encouraged by the foundation, is much more appreciated.

Our third sector’s contribution, clout and voice is now louder and prouder than ever before, something that looks set to only get stronger over the coming years.