Another vulnerable charity lost
AN UNFORTUNATE juxtaposition in a newspaper last week to have one story celebrating the development of new flats to support young people at risk of being homeless, and then just a few pages on to note that the island’s Addiction Advisory Service was closing, and having to rehome four residents of its ‘dry house’ that it was helping to overcome their addictions.
Disappointing to see the island literally giving with one hand and taking back with the other.
And also, once again, demonstrating the vulnerability of essential public services being delivered by the third sector.
It may well be that GAAS was no longer offering the kind of addiction support that the island wished to support through the taxpayer, and it lost its contract with the States to deliver such services a couple of years ago.
And as soon as it lost that funding, it was in serious difficulties.
But clearly GAAS was still offering a valuable service to a small number in the community, or, as it calculates, about 400 in its dry house and 3,000 across the community over the past 50 years.
Now we’re left with a charity that has run out of money and doesn’t know what to do with significant property it owns, and, more importantly, potentially vulnerable islanders struggling to find the support they need.