Restore faith in the Little Chapel

Although its position as a visitor attraction has never diminished over the past few decades, its stability has, and it took some sensible thinking and smart work from the Little Chapel Foundation to place the shrine on firmer footings in the past few years.

But as a going concern, the Little Chapel continues to struggle. A business model of seeking voluntary donations while others make money from organising tours to the chapel is barely sustainable, and, the Little Chapel Foundation has rightly realised, there is a need to do all it can to maximise income to preserve the site.

However there are ways to go about things. And no matter how ‘deeply saddened’ the foundation was by the media storm which has developed over the past week, and how frustrated it might be over its relationship with its neighbour, its own actions have brought much of this opprobrium on itself.

Bringing lawyers into something of significant interest to the public, even if they don’t visit or, importantly, contribute, is rarely a look that will go down well. Those involved will now be more than aware of that.

To act ‘in the best interests’ of the chapel also involves the responsibility to conduct itself with an awareness of public perception.

Now the Little Chapel brand has undoubtedly been damaged, evidenced by those connected with it quickly disassociating themselves from it these past few days.

The foundation now has one realistic way forward. Find new trustees who will have a plan and a vision to improve the chapel’s finances, a willingness to resolve its issues without recourse to law, and the belief to restore public faith in what remains one of Guernsey’s premier tourist attractions.