Find out what douzaines do...

Thursday 06 October 2022

Anyone interested in learning more about douzaines or standing in next month's parish elections is invited to a drop-in this weekend.

Members of several douzaines will be at Beau Sejour between 10:00 and 14:00 on Saturday to talk with members of the public interested in the role of douzaines, the work of douzeniers and how to get involved.

The event is being held ahead of annual parish elections early in November.

Jo May, a douzenier in the Castel, said: "Castel are delighted to see this event come to fruition and are looking forward to working together with other douzaines to share updates on what the douzaines do."

Pictured: The drop-in will be held at Beau Sejour from 10:00 on Saturday.

Douzeniers are representatives of their parishioners and are responsible for the vision and direction of the parish. The main commitment for a douzenier is the monthly meeting of the douzaine to discuss parish affairs. These include:

• collecting the parish rates and ensuring funds are well spent promoting and enhancing the assets of the parish;
• maintaining parish property; 
• giving feedback on local planning applications; 
• inspecting hedges, streams and dangerous roads and walls; 
• collecting household refuse; 
• issuing liquor and other licences to local businesses; 
• signposting parishioners to States' committees; and 
• taking part in the election of Jurats and commemorative events.

Douzeniers may also focus on a particular aspect of the work of the douzaine or join a specific sub-committee - for example, producing a parish magazine or organising the parish's contribution to Floral Guernsey.

Each douzenier is elected for four years. Terms are staggered, which means that every year there are at least three seats up for election - with four in the Vale and five in St. Peter Port, which have more douzeniers than the other parishes.

Pictured: Parish elections will be held next month.

Candidates for douzenier or constable must be proposed by two people who live in the parish and are on the electoral roll. Initially, nominations for election will be considered at meetings in each parish on Wednesday 2 November. 

Parishioners present at their parish meeting will decide whether to elect the douzeniers and constables at the meeting or defer the election for two weeks. If there are more candidates than seats, deferral provides time for polling stations to be set up to allow all on the electoral roll to take part.

Charlotte Le Tissier, a douzenier in St. Martin's, encouraged anyone interested to get to the drop-in on Saturday.

"St. Martin's are looking forward to collaborating with the other parish douzaines at the event and highlighting upcoming opportunities on how to get involved with your parish," she said.

Pictured: Charlotte Le Tissier, who was elected to St. Martin's douzaine last year.

There is more information about douzaines and douzeniers on the Women in Public Life website HERE.

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