'They help people like me' - charity secures funding

An islander says he is "very happy" a charity that helped him look for work has secured extra funding to continue its services.

Last week, the States said it would not give Jersey Employment Trust (JET) extra grants this year on top of its agreed budget, but said on Tuesday it had since decided to give the funds.

Thirty-eight people had been told their jobs were at risk at the charity, which helped 516 islanders in 2025 and helps people with disabilities and long-term health conditions find jobs.

James McLinton, who has high-functioning autism, said JET helped "people like me" with "job hunting, they help them with interviews, they might give them vocational training if they need it".

He added: "[JET] offers very good services for people of different needs."

Tuesday's announcement came after criticism and pressure from the public and politicians.

Deputy Max Andrews said it was "very clear" from the amount of backbenchers asking questions that the "overwhelming public response" had made "the Council of Ministers capitulate" and give JET the funding to "maintain their services".

Last week, the charity said it was reviewing the scale of its services, after being told by the government that the additional grants would no longer be made available.

At the time, Social security minister Deputy Lyndsay Feltham said JET had "considerable overspends".

Feltham said the latest announcement was not a U-turn and her position had not changed.

She said: "The conversations that I'm having with the trust are the same as I was having before, which was we need to be realistic about funding last and this year to stabilise the organisation.

"We all need to ensure that we're working together so that we're getting the best services possible," she added.

However, Deputy Johnathan Renouf said he had seen "nothing" from Feltham to show JET was not providing "a service which was good value for money" or that the government "could provide those services cheaper or better".

JET acting chairman Dan Perkins said: "I am delighted that we have managed to reach an agreement to secure JET's funding for 2026, and we remain totally committed to positive engagement over the coming weeks and months, and to finding a sustainable way forward for all parties.