Alliance Française seeks funding boost as demands grow

Thursday 13 June 2024

The head of a charity that promotes French language and culture in the island is seeking extra funding from Government to help it continue its work maintaining relations between Jersey and France post-Brexit.

John Harris, who has been Chair of the Alliance Française since 2005, explained that the non-profit organisation is "very active in the cultural life of the island" but also worked closely with the Government – activity which has only increased since the UK voted to leave the European Union.

An "important player" in Jersey-France relations

Work to support Government has included translation services, helping individuals with "preparatory documents for visits, and talking to them about French cultural life", Mr Harris explained.

"We're an important player in the relationship between France and the island from a cultural and linguistic point of view and also in the way in which we can assist Government with their mission to develop closer relations with France," he continued.

Pictured: Alliance Française chair John Harris said the charity was an "important player" in supporting the island's relationship with France.

However, Mr Harris said it was "becoming increasingly difficult" for the Alliance to finance itself entirely independently and "maintain activity levels".

He explained: "The reason for that is, principally, Brexit.

"We now have all sorts of extra formalities. We are a native French language teaching organisation, our tutors are always native French speakers – we don't compromise on that. So they come from France and if they come from France, nowadays, you need a work permit.

"You need to pay a minimum salary in agreement with immigration, there are all sorts of other bureaucratic formalities that have to be observed."

Mr Harris said that Brexit had resulted in "bureaucratic formalities" that made it more costly to employ native French speakers.

He continued: "That's massively driven up the cost of employment at a time when our staff are already faced with challenges of the cost of living, lodging, etcetera."

The Alliance currently receives an annual grant of around £10,000, which Mr Harris said it was "grateful for", but that the contribution had not gone up for years and that the organisation was seeking an additional £10,000 to £15,000.

"We are asking Government to give us some more assistance and we think that the Alliance plays a particular role in the island, which would be an enormous regret if it was no longer there."

He added that the Government was currently "evaluating that request".

"That would be a fantastic thing for us because it would stabilise the organisation and allow us to meet our costs. Of course we want to pay our staff properly. We want to allow them to live properly in the island."

"It's so important that French is being spoken here in Jersey"

The Alliance was among the local organisations visited by French Ambassador Hélène Duchêne, who this week arrived in the island for the first time since being appointed to the role.

Valerie Carpentier, director of the Ecole FLAM (Français Langue Maternelle) in Jersey – which enables French and binational children to practice their language and stay in contact with French culture – said the ambassador's visit was "lovely".

"We were able to explain what we do, the partnership that we have with the Alliance Francais, the ties we have together and why it is so important that French is being spoken here in Jersey."