Charities face more challenges as demand grows

The Association of Guernsey Charities chair Wayne Bulpitt wants to raise awareness of all the work undertaken by charities in the Bailiwick

Charities across the Bailiwick of Guernsey are coming together to raise awareness of the services they provide.

The Association of Guernsey Charities (AGC) said they faced increased pressure as demand grows.

An AGC survey found more than 40% of Bailiwick charities which responded reported difficulties in recruiting or retaining volunteers.

It is keen to highlight the impact a loss of these services could have on islanders.

The Association of Guernsey Charities has released a series of posters to help promote the #withoutus campaign

The AGC estimates the local sector needs to raise £100m a year to cover running costs and nearly 30% of charities surveyed reported a shortfall in the previous 12 months.

The #withoutus campaign aims to show the public the impact charities have, both directly and indirectly on the lives of everyone in the Bailiwick.

The campaign is being managed by the AGC, whose chair, Wayne Bulpitt commented: “In many ways the recent survey confirms what we already know, that the Bailiwick community is very philanthropic in its attitude and thinking.

"Approximately 30% of our population aged 16 and over volunteer in some way, giving in total the equivalent of 670 full-time roles over the course of a year.

“We need to communicate that without money and volunteers, charities are not sustainable.”

'Shine a light on the gap'

The AGC said there are three main aims of the #withoutus campaign:

• To shine a light on the “gap” – what would happen if a charity were to cease to exist and where would Guernsey be without the charity?

• To showcase the depth and breadth of charitable work on the islands and show the impact charities make on our lives.

• To give all charity leaders a clear and consistent voice about their shared challenges and create a “golden thread” that knits the fabric of the sector together.