States of Guernsey Media Release 4 December 2024:
The Committee for Health & Social Care has agreed to provide Autism Guernsey with a one-
off grant of £65,000 to protect important services, particularly those for neurodiverse
children and families, throughout 2025.
Autism Guernsey is a charity that has been working closely with the Committee to deliver
services to enrich the lives of people with autism and their families.
The grant will provide Autism Guernsey with time to work on a business plan to return to
financial independence from 2026 onwards.
The States of Guernsey value the impact of the voluntary sector and the benefits of charity-
led services to the community. Following the appointment of a Commissioning Lead, the
two sectors are working together to identify services that, if delivered in partnership, would
provide value for money and achieve better outcomes for the community.
Deputy Al Brouard, President of the Committee for Health & Social Care, said:
“Autism Guernsey provides a very valuable service to our community and the Committee were concerned to hear of the financial challenges impacting the charity. While Committee finances are tight, it is important that Autism Guernsey is properly supported for the next year.
The impact of Autism Guernsey needing to reduce or withdraw services would be felt by those that most need it, leading to increased demand on health and social care services with added cost overall. We are hopeful this one-off grant will help give the charity time to get on a steady footing for future years to ensure the vital service it provides to the community can long continue.”
David Harry, the Chairman of Autism Guernsey, said:
“Autism Guernsey is grateful for the support from the Committee for Health & Social Care. This provides the funding we need for 2025 to ensure we can continue to make a positive difference to those with autism and their families. We will take this opportunity to develop, in partnership with the Committee for Health & Social Care, a sustainable plan to put the charity on a more secure financial footing going forwards.”
Deputy Heidi Soulsby, the States lead for the Voluntary Sector and Commissioning, said:
“We have a successful and healthy voluntary sector in Guernsey which highlights that we are a caring community at our core. Charities provide a wide range of support for islanders who need it. It is well understood that there is increasing demand for support across the spectrum of services delivered in health and care, and the services offered by charities plays a crucial role in meeting that demand.
Where there is an opportunity to commission services through the voluntary sector which will deliver value for money and better outcomes for the community, we are keen to put such arrangements in place.”
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