Charities call for more 'career volunteers'

Guernsey's third-sector has a shortage of "career volunteers" according to the body that represents charities.

Association of Guernsey Charities (AGC) chair Wayne Bulpitt said finding people to commit regularly to supporting a charity long-term had become "difficult".

He told the Your Voice, Your Vote podcast it had led to charities "thinking differently" and hiring more part-time staff.

Former Employment and Social Security (ESS) President Michelle Le Clerc said these new hires created "challenges" as having not previously employed staff it meant they had to create HR practices.

She agreed finding people for senior roles like treasurers at local charities was an issue.

Mr Bulpitt said: "Research tells us these career volunteers who give up a few hours a week every week for a long time, we're talking years, are harder to come upon.

"They're much more likely to give up two hours every other week to go into schools and read to children, for example."

Earlier this year the AGC launched a campaign that highlighted the work of local charities.

On the podcast, which focussed on the role of the third-sector in Guernsey life, Mr Bullpit stressed the importance of local charities to the community: "Without us there would be no foodbank in Guernsey, without us 200 children would not have preschool and nursery."

He called on the States to do more to recognise the work of the local third-sector and support them in finding ways to get more money.

In 2021 Guernsey's Policy and Resources Committee signalled its intention to give money from local dormant bank accounts to support charities.

But Mr Bulpitt said the work had not progressed quickly because of "government inaction" and the AGC was still waiting for the new laws to allow this.

He said he had been promised by officials in government the new laws would be in place before June.

Earlier this year the Government of Jersey announced it would give £4.5m from dormant bank accounts to local charities across the next three years.

A representative for the States of Guernsey said the draft legislation to allow money to be distributed to charities after it was gathered from dormant accounts was progressing and it would come in "in due course".

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