Select a region
The Association of Guernsey Charities were delighted to welcome over 120 members to their second annual one-day conference on Saturday 12th October, with a programme that inspired, provided practical tools and support and finished with a lively “fireside discussion” discussing how the sector can thrive amid challenges.
The conference was opened by the Lieutenant Governor, Lt - General Richard Cripwell who congratulated local charities for the considerable work that they undertake across the Bailiwick and how much he and his wife, Louise, valued their engagements, especially in the over 60 local patronages they hold between them.
HE especially emphasised the need to recognise this impact and highlighted the Kings Award for Voluntary Service as one such means.
HE went on to highlight the benefits that good governance of local charities offers in ensuring that the community properly respects their work and encourages them to support it, whether financially or through volunteering. HE closed by reminding local charities that members of the Royal Family like to hear directly from charities and he encourage people to write to them should they wish to invite them to consider royal patronages or indeed to visit a local service or particular event. Such visits are co-ordinated locally through the Bailiff’s Office.
Next up was Joe Saxton, who has a portfolio of roles, including consultant, researcher, trustee, writer, wilder, and blogger and is Chair of the Association of Charity Chairs and, among many accolades, has been in the top 10 most influential people in fundraising every year in its first decade, including top of the poll on four occasions.
He has also been named as one of the most influential people in the voluntary sector communications sector by PR Week.
Joe’s first of five sessions included a keynote presentation on the “Seven superpowers of charities and non -profits”, in which he highlighted the benefits that charities uniquely bring to their local communities are volunteering, campaigning, inspiration and ideas, brand and image, strategy and focus, culture and diversity and leadership.
All participants then had an opportunity to participate in three, from a choice of 12 varied workshops designed to provide them with a wide range of support and tools that they need to ensure their charities and non - profits are run as effectively and efficiently as possible. These subjects ranged from Charity Strategy to How to be a Charity Chair; Leading with Confidence to How to ask People for Money; Empowering Charities for a Sustainable Future to Digital Marketing on a Shoestring and more..
The closing session after the opportunity to network over lunch and through coffee breaks, was a “fireside discussion” with Joe Saxton being joined by Deputy Chief Minister Heidi Soulsby and local advocate Lisa Upham who is responsible for CSR at a local law firm and is a charity trustee.
Entitled “How can the Charitable Sector Thrive Amid Challenges” participants had had the opportunity to submit questions online throughout the day and from the floor. Topics covered were as varied as how Government can support charities when its financial resources are so strained, how can charities collaborate more effectively, find volunteers or funding to pay for staff to meet increased governance costs and how make boards more representative of their beneficiaries and community.
The panel responded with a number of examples, from the increased funding that has been available despite the constraints, responding that whilst it was often noted that there were "too many charities" Joe Saxton highlighted that he has never heard that there are too many supermarkets for example and that perhaps the wider community should be more supportive of a range of charities, providing a proportionate degree of competition where appropriate and collaborating at all times when possible. Members of the audience challenged the panel at times, particularly at the suggestion that charities could be more efficient and indeed to say “that white middle-aged men weren’t good trustees” was a bit offensive.
Commenting at the end of the day, Wayne Bulpitt, Chair of the Association of Guernsey Charities said how delighted they are at the feedback received throughout the day from participants and subsequently. It was especially pleasing to see several deputies accepting the invitation to participate in the final session and network subsequently. He noted that the Association’s #WithoutUs campaign highlights the threats faced by charities and our community and the help and support the sector would like from the States, corporates and the wider community. But he emphasised that the Association has always been clear also that there will always be things that charities ourselves can do better and that the day has been part of the plans for the Association to ensure that charities had the training ideas and inspiration to ensure that their organisations are resilient at making the most of the opportunities that become available.
Copies of all the presentations are available at www.charity.org.gg
Wayne Bulpitt, Chair of the AGC
