Guernsey’s Greatest Asset: Its People

At the BBC Guernsey hustings last night, I was asked how the States can better support the essential work of the third sector. It’s a good question and one that deserves more than the 45 seconds we’re given on stage. Because over the past few weeks, a clear theme has been emerging in my conversations, reading, and reflection: Guernsey is brimming with people and organisations who don’t just want to be consulted — they want to collaborate.

That call for collaboration isn’t only coming from civil society. It’s been a consistent thread running through candidate manifestos and public conversations this election. Voters are asking for a States that works better together one that puts aside egos and delivers collective leadership. But it goes further than that. The public doesn’t just want a States that works collaboratively within itself. They want a government that works with them.

During my time as Disability Champion, I worked closely with charities, advocacy groups, and volunteers. I saw how deeply embedded the third sector is in the fabric of our island. That was thrown into sharp relief during the pandemic, when government had to work quickly with community groups to respond to immediate needs. Out of that urgency came a stronger interface, one that has, in some cases, carried into the current term.

But we can, and must, go further.

The Association of Guernsey Charities (AGC) has done outstanding work in drawing together the collective voice of the third sector. Their Manifesto for the Third Sector outlines a vision for a Bailiwick Community Strategy, developed with the States, not simply handed over to it. It’s a call for partnership — one rooted in lived experience, operational insight, and social impact. The AGC was also instrumental in shaping the Voice of Guernsey Business report, where third sector priorities were placed alongside those of commerce and industry, showing that prosperity and community well-being go hand in hand.

The Guernsey Community Foundation’s Quality of Life Report 2025 similarly moves beyond critique and into co-design. They have not only highlighted areas in need of attention, such as health, housing, and social inclusion, but have made it clear they want to be part of crafting the solutions. This kind of civic maturity is something to be celebrated and acted upon.

It was heartening too to see this spirit reflected in the Guernsey Youth Commission’s Youth Manifesto, which sets out a desire for genuine engagement with the States. Young people are asking not to be tokenistically consulted once every four years, but to have a structured and meaningful voice in the decisions that shape their futures.

These are not isolated documents. They reflect a groundswell of energy and readiness across all sectors. At the Voice of Guernsey Business event, Joanne Peacegood, Chair of GIBA, spoke directly about the need for a government that collaborates more effectively with businesses and utilises the talent that is there waiting to contribute. John Bampkin, Chair of the Guernsey Construction Forum, gave credit to Environment & Infrastructure for their genuine partnership approach in helping unlock development opportunities — a positive example of how things can work when dialogue and respect are present.

Taken together, these voices form a clear message: Guernsey is ready for a new kind of governance. A States that not only functions better internally but opens itself up to partnership with charities, businesses, young people, and community leaders. With people who bring solutions, not just demands.

There is a treasure trove of expertise and energy across the Bailiwick. Our challenge is not to ‘empower’ it — it is already powerful. Our responsibility is to create the structures, processes, and culture that allow it to flourish in partnership with policy.

The States of the last four years has too often felt like it was doing things to the community — or worse, against it. In 2025, we have a real chance to change that. To build a States that works with its people — and recognises that Guernsey’s greatest asset has always been those who call it home.