The Prince’s Foundation Report released

This week has seen the publication of The Prince’s Foundation Report which can be viewed at: https://princes-foundation.org/resources

Back in April 2023, Sark’s Seigneur, Christopher Beaumont, and The Prince’s Foundation hosted a public meeting at the Island Hall whilst other stakeholder meetings were also scheduled for the following day. Attended by more than 150 residents who were eager to hear what was to be said about the initiative, a 20-minute introduction by Ben Bolgar, a Senior Director at the Foundation, was followed by several interactive exercises. The aim of the meeting was for the community to share their thoughts about Sark, its unique qualities and the various challenges it faces in order to collate a long- term plan including a sustainability appraisal, and ‘to build a consensus around what future opportunities might be for the island.’

Activities involved islanders listing out their positive and negative views on the natural, social, financial and built aspects of the island, whilst another activity featured a large map of Sark where attendees were asked to place coloured dots on areas that they either liked, disliked, or felt that opportunities and improvements could be made. Further to the consolidation of the feedback by The Prince’s Foundation, the following has been confirmed within the report itself:

Strengths & Assets

• −  A well-preserved natural environment
• −  A strong community & community facilities
• −  Local goods & services
• −  Self-sufficiency & self-governance
• −  Heritage & culture
• −  A unique lifestyle
• −  Car-free streets Weaknesses & Concerns

Weaknesses & Concerns

• −  Poor infrastructure & utilities
• −  An absent population & tax schemes
• −  Unused or abandoned properties
• −  Lack of conservation & protection
• −  Poor availability of housing
• −  Poor access to health & social care
• −  Lack of trust in governance
• −  Insecure employment & financial instability
• −  Poor access to education
• −  Unfair leaseholder system Opportunities

Opportunities

• −  Tourism & more winter trade
• −  Potential of Sark produce
• −  Fair taxation
• −  Better medical & social care
• −  Conservation & study of environment

• −  Renewable energy investment
• −  Planning & building regulation
• −  Land reform & security of the housing market
• −  Access to the island & investment in the harbour
• −  Financial services & long-term security
• −  Supporting local businesses & young people

The Report confirms that the next steps are: ‘This report represents an initial assessment of current issues, opportunities and challenges as represented through conversations with the community and stakeholders. A lot more work is required to develop a long term strategy. To develop tangible solutions, strategies and actions, additional work with the community is required, which could include further workshops, events, and opportunities for community stakeholders to review and comment on outcomes.’