Manifestos have "overlooked" importance of third sector

Tuesday 29 September 2020

Election candidates are being reminded of the vital contribution to society made by Guernsey’s charities and volunteers, in a letter from the Association of Guernsey Charities.

Chairman Malcolm Woodhams has written to all candidates to express his frustration at the "overall lack of substance" regarding the third sector in the manifestos for the upcoming election.

Mr Woodhams says he is "disappointed" with the manifestos he has read so far.

"Most candidates include statements about the main areas such as health, education, housing, environment and so on,” he said. “However, these are all sectors in which local charities actively participate – frequently providing indispensable services and facilities.”

“Any references to our community seem to entirely overlook the valuable contribution made by the charity sector.”

Mr Woodhams added that the mantra of ‘Guernsey Together’ rings hollow when candidates don’t discuss the important role the voluntary sector has played this year. 

Pictured: Malcolm Woodhams has called on election candidates to take into account the importance of local charities and volunteer organisations.

Last year the association published a formal Strategy for the non-profit sector, which calls for the appointment of a Third Sector Minister, better engagement between the government and voluntary organisations, and improvements to resources available to the third sector. The strategy has been re-issued as part of the Association's manifesto for the 2020 Election.

Their aims echo the concerns of the Lloyds Bank Foundation and Community Foundation, who recently raised concerns that the Revive and Thrive strategy relies heavily on the third sector, but does not do enough to support them or suggest meaningful ways in which they can interact with the government.