The Weekly Briefing from The Quarry

Dig This - a podcast for Guernsey

The Charity Sector Survey has provided a snapshot of volunteering, capacity, funding and demand in Guernsey. Association of Guernsey Charities chair Wayne Bulpitt discusses the key findings as well as the huge funding opportunities should Guernsey free up some £100m in dormant money for the sector in the same way as happens elsewhere.

In other news...

• Prison Information Management System has no audit logs to track staff access to prisoner records
• Guernsey Prison Service exploring new database with enhanced auditing capabilities as essential functionality
• Role-based access controls in place but no senior staff have unrestricted access to all records
• Suspected breaches investigated through information governance and disciplinary processes with Data Protection Team support
• Medical records managed separately by Health and Social Care Committee in different systems

• Policy & Resources Committee has submitted planning application to demolish buildings on Bridge frontage at Leale's Yard for new vehicle entrance
• New entrance would allow construction traffic to avoid pedestrianised areas by using new arm off existing mini-roundabout
• Application would enable simultaneous demolition of all site buildings, providing better value for money
• Committee has tendered for demolition and master planning work, both expected to start later this year
• Development is one of States' super priorities, with master plan to cover Leale's Yard, Saltpans and Parc Le Lacheur sites

• Les Fouaillages, a neolithic tomb discovered in 1976 after a gorse fire on L'Ancresse Common, may finally get an accurate date
• The monument has been dated to approximately 4800BC, but charcoal samples from 1979-1981 excavations were not in secure contexts
• A planning application proposes using optically stimulated luminescence dating to determine when minerals were last exposed to sunlight
• The technique involves inserting a small tube into soil beneath the dolmen to extract a sample kept dark for laboratory processing
• A small trench of about one metre will be excavated near the tomb's south-west end if planners agree, avoiding unexcavated deposits, then backfilled

• Guernsey charity Grow partnered with Cornwall's Burncoose Nurseries on a Chelsea Flower Show display that won a gold medal
• Grow designed and created two bespoke giant bug hotels that featured prominently in the 'Over the Garden Hedge' stand
• Two Crew members from Grow helped with final preparations including painting and turf laying at the show
• The collaboration marks Burncoose Nurseries' 29th gold medal at Chelsea
• The display featured more than 500 rare and unusual plants in contrasting styles linked by a traditional Cornish hedge

• States asked to approve up to £10.7m funding for replacement of 40-year-old QEII Marina gates, split equally between loan and grant
• Current gates have become erratic and unreliable, with 2022 survey concluding "significant risk of them failing permanently"
• Gate failure would reduce marina water levels by around one metre, making it unsuitable for most current berth holders and threatening £1.1m annual surplus
• Six options evaluated ranging from £5.2m to £10.7m, with new gate in new position offering longest 60-year design life
• Design-and-build procurement approach proposed, with full business case expected early 2027 and construction completed in 2027

• 994 under-18s attended Guernsey A&E for alcohol or drug-related issues between 2010 and 2025
• Annual cases nearly doubled from 42 in 2010 to 81 in 2025, peaking at 108 in 2022
• Females accounted for 652 attendances compared to 342 for males over the 15-year period
• Recent five years (2021-2025) averaged 90 cases annually, up from 52 per year in the previous decade
• Data shows significant fluctuations, with a notable surge from 34 cases in 2018 to 108 in 2022

• Castel Primary School Street scheme will progress to formal trial from 1st June after successful informal trial
• Roads around school will close to most vehicles during drop-off (8:15-9:00am) and pick-up times (2:45-3:30pm)
• Formal trial will last between nine and 12 months, with decision on permanent status to follow
• Scheme aims to promote walking and cycling whilst creating safer environment for pupils
• Two local schools have permanent School Streets, with trials ongoing at two further schools

• JT Group and CVC DIF have completed the acquisition of Manx Telecom following final regulatory approval on Friday 15th May
• The transaction strengthens JT's position as the largest full-service telecoms provider across the Crown Dependencies
• The combined entity will accelerate next-generation network upgrades across Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man
• CVC DIF will support expansion of enterprise, IoT and managed services capabilities internationally
• The partnership aims to deliver world-class digital infrastructure with long-term investment backing

• Guernsey Police recorded 485 domestic abuse offences under new legislation introduced in June 2025, resulting in 66 arrests and 11 Domestic Abuse Protection Orders
• Total recorded crime increased less than 1% to 2,215 offences, with offences against the person accounting for 51% of all crime at 1,131 cases
• Sexual offences rose 9% to 258 reported cases, with officers making 115 arrests and bringing 72 charges following specialist Soteria training
• Road collisions decreased 9% to 331 incidents, but drink driving cases surged 40% to 92 and mobile phone violations rose 82% to 53 fixed penalty tickets
• Anti-social behaviour calls fell 8.5% to 1,189 following targeted patrols at hotspot locations, whilst mental health calls increased 6% to 572 incidents

• New visitor pontoons have opened in Victoria Marina following a six-week installation programme
• The 80-metre pontoon system features upgraded power, lighting and water supply facilities
• Located near the marina entrance, the pontoons are suitable for visiting boats with deeper drafts
• The work is part of a £300,000 investment including further pontoon replacement in Albert Marina
• Guernsey Ports has invested around £1 million annually in marina infrastructure since 2023

• Foster Care Fortnight runs to 24th May, with the theme 'This is Fostering' highlighting everyday realities of foster care
• The Family Placement Service is hosting drop-in sessions at Beau Sejour on 20th May, Guernsey Park Run on 23rd May, and Beach House on 23rd May
• Over half of the Bailiwick's foster carers have been fostering for more than ten years, according to the Family Placement Service
• The next Skills to Foster Course will run from 29th to 31st May 2026 for those interested in becoming foster carers

• Les Bourgs Hospice aims for 600 cyclists at its Rock to Rocque cycle ride on 31st May, up from 435 last year
• The event marks the hospice's 35th anniversary and the start of a three-year sponsorship with Zedra
• The ride helps fund the £2.8 million annual cost of running the island's only hospice
• Two routes are available: a full round-island route starting at 9am and a shorter option from 11am
• Entry costs £15 for adults, £5 for under-18s, or £30 for a family

• Public consultation launched on modernising Bailiwick birth registration laws, which date back to 1935
• Key proposal would allow same-sex female couples to both be named on birth certificates without adoption, provided conception occurred through approved clinic
• Parental orders proposed for surrogate arrangements, offering quicker and less costly route than adoption
• Committee also consulting on whether to make it compulsory to record use of donated eggs, sperm or embryos regardless of parents' sexual orientation
• Consultation runs until 29 June 2026, with all feedback to be anonymised and used to shape final proposals

• Free outdoor exhibition '90 Years of Service' opens 2 June at Guernsey Museum to mark the 90th anniversary of St John Ambulance & Rescue Service
• Display features large outdoor panels with historic photographs and research tracing the service from its origins with one second-hand ambulance to today's comprehensive organisation
• Exhibition created through partnership between Guernsey Museums & Galleries and the Ambulance Service
• Opening date coincides with actual anniversary of the first ambulance leaving Rohais station in 1936
• Exhibition runs until 6 September 2026 on the terrace at Candie Gardens with free entry

• Guernsey Museums & Galleries will host a free 'Denys Corbet Night' on Friday 22 May to mark the 200th anniversary of the poet's birth
• Guernsey Museum at Candie will be open from 6pm to 8pm with illustrated talks, Corbet's self-portrait on display, and poetry readings
• Free guided walks inspired by Corbet's epic poem L'Touar de Guernesy will take place on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 May
• Corbet, known as 'Le Draïn Rimeux' ('The Last Poet'), was among the first to recognise Guernesiais as a threatened language
• The Guernsey Language Commission will be present with information about the language today

• Fort George wastewater outfall discovered discharging closer to shore than designed after BBC shared drone photograph
• Investigation using drones, CCTV robot and dye indicates fault may be caused by break in inspection chamber
• Repair attempts planned when very low tides allow access to damaged chamber
• Office of Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation informed and providing water quality advice
• Guernsey Water to provide update after repair attempt

This week's audio briefing

The Weekly Briefing from The Quarry

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Guernsey Gazette

Fort George Estate Company has designated access roads and grass verges as protected land where trespassing can result in fines up to £50.

Two roads near Castel Primary School will be closed to most motor vehicles during school drop-off and pick-up times starting 1 June 2026 for a 12-month trial.

A silver Chevrolet Matiz abandoned at Royal Guernsey Golf Club since December 2025 will be disposed of if not collected by 31 May 2026.

GFSC notices

Mr William Stephen Cairns and Mr Du Preez Gert Vermeulen

Weighbridge Trust Limited, Mr Paul Conway, Mrs Linda Dowding

Information Hub

Planning Applications and Decisions

Roadworks and Closures

Weather and Tides

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Ste Apolline's Chapel

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