The Weekly Briefing from The Quarry

• Updated financial modelling shows the 2026 Tax Reform Package will generate £36m a year in net additional revenue, down from the £39m estimate published in June
• The reduction is primarily due to updated household expenditure data showing average spending fell 6% in real terms, with housing costs taking up a larger proportion of household budgets
• GST revenue from households revised down to £38.3m from £41m, while visitor GST revenue adjusted to £3.5m from £4.7m based on latest expenditure surveys
• The package still provides tax relief for average and lower earners, with income tax changes costing £26.2m compared to £27.9m previously
• Combined with £20m annual expenditure reductions already agreed, the measures would improve public finances by approximately £56m a year - still short of the estimated £80m shortfall

• Education, Sport & Culture publishes workplan for 2026-2029 with 11 major policy workstreams addressing education, sport and cultural development
• Beau Sejour Programme to determine future of 50-year-old facility by mid-2027, with options ranging from adaptation to fundamental redevelopment
• Sixth Form Centre location and Les Ozouets Campus Phase 2 under review, with options appraisals due by Q4 2026 and September 2026 respectively
• Transformation of primary education to commence in 2027, addressing changing demographics and establishing framework for future-focused provision
• Reviews planned for preschool funding, school meals provision, higher education funding and culture strategy, alongside pursuit of University College Status for Guernsey Institute

• Caritas Guernsey is installing two additional emergency sleeping pods between the Queen Elizabeth II Marina and La Salerie car park, subject to planning approval
• The existing two pods at Vale Douzaine Rooms have provided accommodation for more than 100 nights since installation at the end of 2025
• Demand has varied considerably during the first half of the year, with waiting lists often forming for the emergency accommodation
• The self-contained units feature solar power, battery storage and toilet facilities, providing safe short-term accommodation
• The pods form part of Caritas's wider work to address homelessness, including plans for a community of modular homes

• Guernsey Development Agency receives endorsement to progress short-term enhancement projects for St Sampson's from its Political Oversight Group
• Approved projects include walking and cycling routes, new bus station, Bridge retail area improvements and family community area with play facilities
• Vale Castle accessibility upgrades, Marine Centre and improvements to La Crocq and Abraham's Bosom piers also included in plans
• Agency will engage with landowners and authorities to develop plans and cost estimates before community consultation
• Business & Funding Plan required before States of Deliberation approval and construction commencement

• La Houguette Primary School marks its 50th anniversary on 19th November 2026
• The school opened in 1976, bringing together primary education for three western parishes
• Year-long celebrations begin with a bonfire night party on 6th November
• The school features a nature reserve and Second World War bunker used for teaching
• Former pupils and staff invited to contribute to a 50th anniversary memory book

• Social Investment Fund opens second 2026 round of small grants, offering up to £15,000 to Bailiwick charities and non-profits across all sectors
• Since programme launch in 2021, 165 grants totalling over £1.5 million have been awarded to organisations supporting local residents
• First 2026 round awarded around £160,000 to over 25 charities in arts, culture, heritage and sport sectors
• Applications must support outcomes including improving lives of vulnerable people, employment opportunities, environmental protection, health and wellbeing, or community inclusion
• Deadline for applications is 12pm on Monday, 19 October 2026 through SIF's online grant application portal

• Twenty fund managers shortlisted from 112 applications for Guernsey's Fund Foundry programme selection event on 23 September
• Finalists are launching funds targeting £1.58bn combined, spanning venture capital, private equity, private debt, real estate and other strategies
• Five managers will be selected for the inaugural cohort, each receiving £25,000 support plus mentoring and investor introductions
• Total first-year programme value could exceed £75,000 per manager with no fee, equity or carry requirements
• Guernsey is home to more than 1,500 funds overseeing £1trn in investments, with domiciled fund NAV at £270bn

• Princess Elizabeth Hospital to charge £5.40 per prescription item from 1st October
• Change brings hospital dispensing in line with community pharmacy charges
• Hospital has been dispensing increasing numbers of prescriptions previously supplied by community pharmacies
• Existing exemptions from prescription charges will continue to apply
• Card payments only, to be made at time of collection

• Only 18% of Channel Islands residents have registered as organ donors, compared to 43% in the UK
• The Bailiwick of Guernsey adopted an 'opt-out' system for organ donation in 2023
• Health & Social Care emphasises the importance of explicitly registering donation decisions on the NHS Organ Donor Register
• Families are always consulted before organ donation proceeds, making prior conversations about wishes crucial
• One donor can potentially save or improve the lives of up to nine people

• History Fest 2026 takes place at Guernsey Museum on 26th and 27th September with the theme "Back in My Day"
• The festival partners with Visit Guernsey's 'The Big Eat' Food Festival and includes guided tours, craft demonstrations and a farmer's market
• Activities include a lecture on Guernsey fishing heritage, woollen crafts, and a historical tour about workers at Keiller's Marmalade factory
• 'Here for Life: 35 Years of Les Bourgs Hospice' exhibition closes on 27th September after attracting thousands of visitors since July
• The hospice exhibition features more than 100 portraits by Aaron Yeandle with personal testimonies, film and soundscape

• Guernsey Community Foundation awards £48,000 grant to Action for Children to expand its Work and Wellbeing Service
• Service will now be accessible to young people aged 16 to 25 across the island, not just those with care experience
• Programme focuses on developing confidence, resilience and practical skills to support transition into work and independence
• Grant follows Foundation's Quality of Life Report highlighting loneliness, stress and unhappiness among Guernsey's young people
• Service includes personal development, CV-building, employability support, mentoring and resilience training

• A total of 436 households are waiting for social housing in Guernsey at the end of Q2 2026, comprising 277 new applicants and 159 transfer requests
• Demand is highest for one-bedroom properties with 261 households waiting, followed by 90 for two-bedroom, 59 for three-bedroom and 26 for four-bedroom properties
• Band 1 priority applicants face waits of one to two years depending on property size, whilst Band 2 applicants wait between two and four-plus years
• Properties are allocated alternately between Band 1 and Band 2 applicants, with every 20th property going to Band 3 applicants
• The waiting list serves approximately 2,400 social rental properties managed by both Guernsey Housing Association and States Housing

• Vale Earth Fair marks 50th anniversary with alien sculpture trail featuring 25 artworks made from recycled materials
• Each alien represents a different local charity, with donations split 50/50 between charities and the festival
• Photo competition offers weekly prize draws for participants who photograph all 25 sculptures
• Silent auction for the sculptures runs until 12 noon on 16 October, with proceeds shared equally
• Trail aims to extend summer activities and raise awareness of local charities across the island

• Guernsey Financial Services Commission has amended regulations to expand digital finance opportunities in the Bailiwick
• New rules remove requirement for firms to hold separate virtual asset service provider licences in all cases
• Blanket restriction preventing virtual asset service providers from serving retail customers has been lifted
• Environmental reporting requirement specific to virtual asset firms has been removed to align with international practice
• Changes come into effect on 1 October 2026 as part of wider Digital Finance Initiative

This week's audio briefing

The Weekly Briefing from The Quarry

0:00

/0

1×

Guernsey Gazette

AK Limited is applying for a Category A liquor licence for The Room at 13 Mill Street, St Peter Port.

Three candidates have been nominated for election to fill a vacant Jurat position at the Royal Court.

Camblez on Queens Road has been removed from the protected buildings list and no longer has heritage protections.

Owners of abandoned boats at Grand Havre have three months to remove their vessels or face government removal and charges.

GFSC notices

Investment Statistics Summary Second Quarter 2026

Guernsey opens the door to greater digital finance opportunities