Retail association given "one-off" £100,000 grant

Wednesday 02 August 2017

The Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture has awarded a £100,000 "one-off" grant to enable the establishment of the Jersey Retail Association which aims to succeed the Retail Development Group (RDG).

The association will be an industry body representing retailers across the island with the aims of promoting the sector and supporting retail businesses to maximise their individual success.

The report also mentions future plans for the association: "It is clear from the history of other industry bodies such as the Jersey Hospitality Association, the Jersey Construction Council and Genuine Jersey, that the success of these organisations was in the appointment of a full-time and remunerated Executive Officer to manage and lead activity. This is the next stage of development for the JRA."

Speaking about the next steps, David Elliot said: "We are really pleased to be able to build on the success of the Retail Development Group and establish a formal industry association. This grant will enable us to appoint a full time Executive Officer who will be tasked with working with retailers across the island to maximise their potential. At the same time, we will engage further with the sector to develop a detailed business plan for the association. This is a very exciting development for our industry and we are grateful to the Minister for his belief and backing."

Pictured: Senator Farnham agreed to give the association a "one-off" £100,000 grant.

Senator Farnham granted the association a "one-off" £100,000 grant on 20 July. He had to defend the decision during a Scrutiny panel chaired by Deputy Simon Brée. He explained the decision to award what was described as a "substantial amount to a new organisation destined to benefit private businesses" saying that his department was also supposed to develop the economy and did "very little" in the area.

The Ministerial Decision, which was made on 4 July, mentions that  "...after speaking to the Chair of the Jersey Retail Association (JRA), and after being appraised of the project risks, (the Minister) approved a one-off grant up to £100,000 for the Jersey Retail Association to fund the cost of delivering its 2017-2018 business plan objectives." The £100,000 will provide the JRA "with sufficient funds for the organisation to secure income levels to be self-funding by the end of 2018 and not reliant on government support."

Pictured: "Retailers have been at the heart of our communities throughout our history" says John Marquis, Store Director at De Gruchy, one of the driving forces behind the JRA.

Commenting on his approval of the grant Senator Farnham said: "I am pleased to be able to support the establishment of an industry body to represent and develop retail in Jersey. Maintaining a vibrant retail sector is extremely important not just to us as islanders and our economy but also to our tourism industry. The funding will allow the Retail Association to be established and get straight to work building and developing the retail sector across the whole island."

The decision mentions that the grant is a "one-off" and that all future funding needs will have be raised through "membership fees and/or other JRA activity." "The JRA is a membership organisation which within one year aims to raise sufficient income from membership fees and events to cover future annual operating costs.