Make the super-rich donate to charitable, community, cultural, educational and sporting causes – how’s about that, then?

If ever there was a national treasure then he certainly fitted the bill. A larger than life philanthropic character, he gave far more back to British society than he ever took out. He will be missed.

The Oxford dictionary defines a national treasure as: ‘ an artifact, institution, or public figure regarded as being emblematic of a nation’s cultural heritage or identity.’ Saville may not have been in the same league as Shakespeare, Churchill or the late Queen Mother, but he epitomised the age of popular culture when pop became hip and the weekly hit parade was eagerly awaited each Sunday.

Yet he was far more than a product of the explosion of the popular music business from the 1950s; he used his fame and huge earning capacity for the good of others. He gave his time freely to work as a hospital porter and raised millions by running marathons and fronting many other fund raising initiatives.

Saville may not have conformed to the stereotype of the nuclear family but that just made him fall into another national characteristic, that of the English eccentric. Eccentric he most certainly was with his trademark platinum blonde hair and huge cigar, shiny tracksuits and chunky gold jewellery.

Sir Jimmy was no stranger to the rock as his mother lived here. I recall many a school friend excitedly recounting how he had paid for a veritable flock of children to indulge in ice cream and fizzy drinks so he could have a bit of peace and quiet to sunbathe at Havre des Pas.

He wasn’t just a single national treasure but an entire chest full because of his many guises as pop maestro, eccentric and a man generous to a fault, but moreover, in his role as the maker of dreams for two decades.

The Jim’ll Fix It badge became as synonymous to generations of children as the Blue Peter badge. For 20 years his show made dreams come true and fulfilled the ambitions of children and adults, who wrote in at the rate of 20,000 letters a week at the show’s peak and lived in hope that they would be chosen. Alas, the overwhelming majority never was.

Saville has more catch phrases credited to his name than Sir Bruce Forsyth and a ready quip whenever a microphone was shoved under his nose. His advice to live each day as if it were Christmas and New Year’s Eve was sound as long as it was not applied to food and drink consumption.

He was everyone’s favourite uncle; embarrassing dad or kindly grandpa and the world will be a lesser place by his passing. No doubt when he was fast-tracked through the pearly gates, St Peter has a long list of things that needed fixing. Saville may not have led a conventional life in the accepted tabloid media sense, but his kindness to others and generosity was evident long before he needed an accountant to manage his fortune.

What wealth enabled him to do was help others less fortunate than he and in that capacity he is an example for the rich to follow. As the economic crisis further widens the ages-old divide between the haves and have-nots, it never fails to amaze me at how tight people can be. And I’m not just referring to the super-rich; with a plethora of folk earning six-figure salaries in Jersey, charities should be overwhelmed with donations!

We live in a wealthy Island with more millionaires per square mile than the average community, yet many charities are struggling. Thankfully a credible amount of those who come here to do business because the conditions are favourable to the finance industry, or to consolidate and protect assets from the taxman back home, do dig deep in their pockets.

Yet, as some of the corporate treasure chests are seemingly bottomless pits, judging by the obscene profits announced by global finance institutions on a weekly basis, how’s about being a tad more generous when it comes to charitable causes?

A few tens of thousands of pounds here and there is chicken feed when quarterly profits amount to hundreds of billions and corporate heads receive seven figure salaries and multi-million dollar bonuses.

If a knighthood doesn’t find its way to Jersey’s very own Father Christmas David Kirch soon, then there is something seriously wrong with the Honours system. He is a shining example for all 1(1)Ks to follow.

As the States seek to swell the ranks of wealthy immigrants, and tax them less comparably than the average wage earner on our little rock, how’s about making it conditional that as well as paying so much tax each year, they are also expected to contribute significant amounts to charitable, community, cultural, educational and sporting causes.

After all, it is we good burghers who will be ‘subsidising’ their lifestyles so how’s about a bit of payback time? Perhaps the wealthy individuals who reside here could follow the example of Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, and other members of the super rich club, who advocate paying more not less tax to ensure that the wealthy pay as much a share of their income as the middle class.

As the Biblical saying goes: ‘it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’