The contribution that volunteers make to island life is worth £3million per year, if they were paid minimum wage for the hours they contribute.
The Association of Guernsey Charities revealed the value within the data collated through its Charity Sector Survey which provides an evidence based snapshot of volunteering within the Bailiwick’s third sector.
The data shows that more than 20,000 hours were recorded across 106 organisations last year, with the AGC estimating that this contribution is worth approximately £3m annually.
Despite the value and the numbers at play the figures show that there is still not not enough collaboration between people, organisations, and corporations with more than a quarter (26%) of charities looking for strategic business partnerships. The AGC reports that only 7% of charities have secured them.
Almost two-thirds (64%) of charities say they are struggling to find trustees, and 40% of vacancies remain open for more than six months.
While finding people to help proves problematic, pairing it with wide spread increases in demand could spell trouble.
60% of charities say they’re seeing increased demand for services, while 86% are planning to expand or maintain activities, with half the sector facing capacity constraints.
The AGC has also provided a glimpse into the financial health of Guernsey’s third sector, with 63% reporting ‘diverse income streams’, and 58% holding at least six months of reserves.
To help shine light on the latest data from the AGC, it has launched a new website which includes a public facing directory of local charities, which the AGC says makes it “easier for residents, businesses and funders to discover organisations” and to help “understand their impact and explore ways to get involved”.
Wayne Bulpitt, Chair of the AGC, said the data is “incredibly important” in providing visibility for Guernsey’s charities, and in making sure they’re “better understood”.
“It moves us beyond anecdotal feedback to a shared, evidence based picture of what is really happening across the island,” he said.
“While it is encouraging to see some improvement in volunteer recruitment, the findings clearly reinforce what many charities have been telling us: recruiting skilled volunteers and trustees remains a significant challenge.
“By improving visibility of both the sector’s contribution and its pressures, we can better focus support and strengthen the case for proportionate, risk based governance that allows charities to continue delivering vital services to our community.”
You can find the survey’s full result on the AGC’s new website.