Recipients of the first round of funding for this year included charities such as The Jersey Youth Trust which was granted £2,500 towards its YES Project. This service provides free, confidential advice, guidance, and counselling for young people under twenty-five. 

Emily Pinel, Senior Youth Worker at the YES Project, said: “The Youth Enquiry Service (YES) is a vital facility for young people that offers a safe and confidential space for any young person to pop in and speak with a Youth Worker about any concerns or worries, they may have. If we can't help, we will work with other agencies to ensure they get access to the support they need. 

“We also have a dedicated team of counsellors providing 1-2-1 talking therapy for young people aged 12-25. Our counsellors support young people who are experiencing issues that may be causing difficulty, pain, or mixed emotions. We run a drop-in centre 6-days a week at Eagle House, St. Helier. 

“We want to ensure that we are offering a welcoming, safe, well-equipped, and well-staffed place for the young people of Jersey.

Thanks to a donation of £2,500 from the Coop Community Fund, we can upgrade our drop-in centre to ensure that it’s fit for purpose to anybody wishing to access our services.”

Ms Pinel added: “We are now also open one evening a week for parents and carers to access advice if they have concerns about a young person.”

Other projects supported include: Jersey Hospice Care for their summer garden equipment, The National Trust for Jersey, and resources for Jersey Mencap’s weekly book club at Jersey Library.

On receiving the funds, Jersey Mencap’s Project Manager, Ali Hand, said: “We were pleased to hear we had received a grant from the Coop Community Fund for £500 for our Book Club."

She added: “We have a group of social club members who meet every Wednesday at the library, and they have a lot of enthusiasm for books, games and learning together.

The funds will be used towards learning resources including educational board games, learning how to use audio books and podcasts and large textbooks.”

“Revisiting skills such as reading remains a constant in their lives and our Book Club provides the opportunity for people to do this, and to share their love of books with like-minded people.

Our book club is about so much more than reading, it's about building confidence, accessibility of information and inclusion. Thanks to the Coop Community Fund, we can get new resources and welcome new members and volunteers to this group.”

Head of Community and Sustainability at Coop, Carl Winn, said: “We know that there are so many community groups, clubs and charities in our islands doing incredible work and supporting our islanders every day.

It’s in the DNA of our organisation as a Coop to make a real difference in the community, and our Community Fund looks to celebrate other charities and not-for-profit groups who share our vision.

“It’s our way of recognising the positive things that are happening right here in our islands, and giving local causes that little bit of financial support to help them to continue the truly amazing things they do daily.”

Donations were also made to 18 groups and charities in Guernsey totalling £17,952 in this spring round of funding. This brings the total amount granted from The Channel Islands Coop to charities across both islands to be just under £40,000.

Applications for the Co-op Community Fund remain open all year-round with pay-outs being made to successful projects in spring and autumn. More details on the Society’s community fund can be found at: www.channelislands.coop/communityfund

Jersey Mencap’s Book Club with author, Peter James (Photo credit: Ali Hand, Jersey Mencap)

The YES Project’s Headquarters ‘The Link’ at Eagle House in La Colomberie (Photo credit: Youth Enquiry Service)