Addressing representatives of 100 Island organisations, Mr Davis Smith pointed out that if the true value of UK volunteers’ efforts were calculated, volunteering would qualify as one of the nation’s major industries.
There can be no doubt that if a similar exercise were carried out in Jersey, the results would be very similar, if not even more impressive. In terms of both giving to charity and volunteer services offered for no material reward, this Island is exceptional.
The health of voluntary service is, moreover, underpinned by traditions that have stood the test of hundreds of years of change and development. At the parish level, honorary service is still alive and well, and although our political representatives are now paid, other manifestations of the voluntary principle – such as the Jurats’ bench – continue to thrive.
It is, however, at the level of the plethora of charitable, sporting and service organisations that most of the Island’s volunteers operate. Thousands give their up time and employ their talents for the benefit of bodies ranging from Hospice Care to football clubs, from the Citizens Advice Bureau to the Battle of Flowers.
It goes without saying that Jersey would be an infinitely poorer place – spiritually as well as materially – if all this selfless activity suddenly ceased. But, as Mr Davis Smith argues, there is always room for more volunteers. He has suggested that in a wealthy community such as ours, it would be possible for larger firms to give employees one day off a month to engage in some sort of voluntary service.
This is an interesting proposal, but it should not be taken to mean that Island commerce can be criticised for insufficient effort as matters stand. Through direct cash support, through encouraging workers to
engage in all types of socially responsible activity, and through the various projects they initiate, our businesses – inside and outside the finance sector – already contribute a great deal.
