Almost £180,000 of grants was distributed to local charities in the final quarter of 2022 by the Association of Jersey Charities, supporting a broad range of community initiatives.
Initiatives which have received support include a local community meals program, financial planning guidance for vulnerable people and a program to safeguard children’s welfare.
Following the meeting of its Grants Committee in December, a total of £179,572 was awarded by the AJC as part of its Q4 2022 tranche of grants. That includes grants totalling £72,400 distributed from profits from the Channel Islands Lottery to:
- Caring Cooks of Jersey Limited: £12,400, to support operational costs
- Community Savings Limited: £30,000, to support staff costs
- NSPCC Jersey: £30,000, to support staff costs
In addition, a further £60,000 was awarded through conditional grants to charities where additional criteria or specific conditions need to be met, whilst a further £47,172 was awarded from private donations.
The latest round of grants means that the AJC helped distribute funding amounting to a total of £472,157 over the course of 2022 to a broad cross-section of local charities.
Commenting on the latest round of grants, Marcus Liddiard, Chair of the AJC’s Grants Committee, said: “Our latest round of grants brings a close to another challenging year for local charities and reflects the broad financial support they require in a high-pressure environment, where charities are being called on to do more but with less resources.
“These grants also reflect the wide range of charities the AJC supports through its grant distribution program. Whilst on the one hand it is pleasing that we have been able to distribute approaching £0.5m to local good causes over the past 12 months, on the other we know full well and first-hand the financial hardships charities are under, and we remain focused on maintaining our support – financial and otherwise – over the coming months.”
Yvonne Corbin, CEO of Caring Cooks of Jersey, whose grant will support the delivery of its Weekly Meal Service, added: “The Caring Cooks Weekly Meal Service offers a home cooked meal to vulnerable families on a Saturday for a period of 6-12 weeks to support households through health or financial crises.
“What is very clear now as a charity is that the need for support is growing. The waiting list for the Weekly Meal Service is longer than it has ever been and this is unsurprising given the unprecedented challenges faced by families today. Funding from the AJC allows the charity to continue with this vital service in the community for the foreseeable future.”
The AJC’s Grants Committee will next meet on 14th March with a deadline of 21st February – though the grants portal is always open with applications able to be made at any time. Details of who is eligible and how to apply can be found here. The Grants Committee is made up of Officers of the Association and independent panel members.
