Community grant awarded to GO

Sunday 29 January 2023

A grant from the Guernsey Community Foundation has enabled GO – the social enterprise charity - to continue employing its General Manager, Chris Murphy.

GO focuses on providing training and support to disadvantaged people in Guernsey, in self-sustaining way by providing recycling, upcycling and retail services.

Many who benefit come from a range of backgrounds including those with learning disabilities, mental health issues, and autism, as well as ex-offenders and the educationally disadvantaged.

Mr Murphy joined the charity in April 2021 and is responsible for the upkeep and running of GO, managing all operational elements, the welfare of the staff, and the charity’s engagement with other third party’s. 

GO’s Chair, Paul Meader, said: “During covid, these skills were invaluable. Not only were we able to support all our teams on furlough schemes, but Chris offered emotional and well-being support for crew members whose anxieties were stretched to breaking.

“Chris has implemented a new business model and management structure, has embedded all health and safety risk policies, together with a staff handbook, and has laid the core foundations of a well-being centre. With the anxieties of lockdown now behind us, Chris is now able to focus on the charity’s strategic plan.”

GO’s plan will see the charity providing more training and access to support more people, extending its reach from young people to anyone in the community who needs training assistance to potentially access the world of work.

Pictured: Upcycled goods are just some of the things available from GO. 

Mr Meader explained how, despite the challenges of the pandemic, the charity has improved its training and development schemes, revenue growth, and engagement with other third-party organisations such as the Committee for Employment and Social Security and the Prison Service.

“The continued support from the Guernsey Community Foundation will allow GO to continue to recover from the reduction in retail income caused by covid,” he said.

“It will help offer us stability, as well as allow revenues to be reinvested in bespoke training plans and our crew members.

“GO has now fully relocated into its at Quayside on the Bridge giving it socialisation benefits and access to wide training initiatives, while also reducing overheads and increasing revenues,” he added.

Jim Roberts, Chief Executive of the Foundation commented: “The Foundation recognised that GO’s General Manager was fundamental to the charity’s success. We were impressed with the strides that the charity has made in recent years”.