THE JEP is relaunching a community campaign to help support Islanders in need and combat loneliness amid the cost-of-living crisis.
As part of the Jersey Together initiative, charities and business are being encouraged to contact the paper to highlightthe support and advice available now for anyone struggling with any personal difficulty – financial or otherwise.
We will be publishing the contact details of these charities and organisations and speaking to those who are ready and waiting to help.
This month alone, Islanders have had to contend with the increased cost of water, electricity and milk, with inflation stubbornly high at 10.1% and a hike in gas prices – announced on Wednesday – due to take effect in less than two weeks.
At the same time, freezing temperatures have resulted in a surge in energy use, with Jersey Electricity recording a peak load – the highest demand in any one day – of 164 megawatts with the wintry conditions last week. This was 43 megawatts higher than the week before.
In December, Salvation Army officer Richard Nunn revealed that demand for the charity’s services, which include practical support such as electrical vouchers and food parcels, had doubled from the year before.
He stressed that those in need should “never be embarrassed” to seek help.
First launched in 2018, the Jersey Together campaign was inspired by the story of 30-year-old Christopher Thompson, who took his own life after falling into financial difficulties.
His family supported the campaign in the hope that others in similar situations would seek help. The initiative was also backed by several Island organisations and businesses and was shortlisted for the regional Making a Difference Award in 2019.
Former JEP journalist Deputy Lucy Stephenson, who was involved with a previous relaunch of the campaign during the Covid lockdowns of 2020, said: “We know that Jersey has a wonderful community in so many ways, but sometimes we need to take a moment to remember that we are a small island and we can check in on one another and offer support – which doesn’t necessarily have to be financial – when times are tough.”
Statistics Jersey’s latest Opinions and Lifestyle Survey highlighted increasing levels of debt in the Island, with almost a quarter of households who took part in the study reporting having borrowed more money or used more credit than they did the year before.
A quarter of respondents also reported feeling lonely often or some of the time.
In October, Jersey’s director of public health – Professor Peter Bradley – said his department was encouraging people to check in on loved ones in a bid to combat loneliness.
Deputy Stephenson said that those struggling with cost-of-living pressures could sometimes “withdraw” from social activities, and encouraged Islanders to visit their parish hall to find out about free events and community initiatives.
“We have a really strong parish system,” she added.
Ben Shenton, the chairman of Age Concern, said: “It is very important to check on the people around you – it’s about looking after your neighbour and being a decent human being.”
He continued: “We are a very rich island and a lot of people find it easy to give money to charity, but we also want people to give their time. You are doing something charitable by checking on your neighbours and those in your community.”
Neville Benbow, chairman of the Shelter Trust – which operates from eight sites and provides accommodation for around 125 Islanders – said that the charity had last year given out 1,500 food parcels – twice as many as the year before.
He said: “More and more people are finding it difficult to make ends meet.
“There is no greater time for people to look out for each other and direct them to those who can help.”
Patrick Lynch, the chief executive of Catholic social action charity Caritas Jersey, said: “It’s about making sure there is that sense of community.”
He added: “Sometimes people can be afraid to reach out if they are lonely or in need and we encourage Islanders to check on each other – particularly at this time of need on so many fronts.”
Jersey’s Dean, the Very Rev Mike Keirle, said it was important that Islanders remained “vigilant” and “cared for the most vulnerable in our community”.
He added: “There have been reports that foodbanks have struggled to supply enough food for those who need them and it is a sad reflection upon our island that so many are having to use them as the gap between those who have and those who do not, widens more and more.”
He noted that the Town Church has relaunched its Warm Spaces initiative for the winter, enabling people to come into the church during the day, be warm, have a drink and something to eat while enjoying the space. It also has play areas for children and free Wi-Fi.
Mr Keirle said: “It has been extraordinary to see the building so well used by so many in the community.
“Over the last few years, Jersey has experienced some difficult times, with Covid and local tragedies, floods and storms but the Island has always been very good at pulling together. It is ironic that Jersey is often at its best when things are at their worst, but that is a measure of how cohesive a community is, so please be on the watch for the people around you. They are your neighbours, whether you know them or not.”
Any individual or business who would like to help out with the campaign can contact the JEP by phoning 611692 or emailing together@jerseyeveningpost.com.
