Charities ready to up their game
IN A week to celebrate the volunteers in our community, the Association of Guernsey Charities is taking the opportunity to ramp up pressure on other issues impacting the third sector.
First the good news – more than 18,000 adults volunteering in some way in their community. Thanks to each and every one of them.
The bad news – increased bureaucracy on charities sparked by the need to tighten up on financial controls for the Moneyval inspection has only increased the burdens on the sector.
Finances are getting ever tougher. And charities need better targeted assistance. While no-one will say no to an offer of a day’s hard labour, charities really want people with skills to use those skills for the benefit of the third sector. And they want stronger ties with the businesses who already generously give time or resources, but maybe not always in the best way.
The new target is to unlock thousands of pounds, maybe millions, potentially available in dormant assets locally, such as money untouched in dormant bank accounts and unclaimed dividends in investment funds. Even the interest on this cash would make a difference.
The island is falling behind other jurisdictions in tapping into this potential.
There’s a lot to celebrate in the charitable sector. But in terms of the services they offer, and potential impact, there’s still a long way to go.