CHRISTMAS is a special time for giving – but this year more than ever in recent times it is important that the spirit of generosity does not fade away on Twelfth Night.

It is already clear that we are all entering a period of financial difficulty, both individually and collectively, and it is not too surprising to learn that many Jersey charities fear that the amount they receive in donations will fall dramatically as Islanders look for ways to reduce their spending.

It is a worry shared by charity organisers across the developed world, who are anxiously asking themselves how they will meet their present commitments, let alone their future aims, in an era of economic uncertainty greater than any experienced in most of our lifetimes.

If individual donations great and small were to dry up dramatically at a time when these organisations are also squeezed by a decline on their return on investments, the results would be sadly obvious – and, in a cruel twist, all the more difficult, given the greater demand for charitable services likely to be generated by the very economic crisis causing the reduction in contributions.

As household budgets are scrutinised and New Year resolutions made, therefore, it is important that we do whatever we can to avoid cutting out those donations, whether regular or occasional. The habit of giving is a vital component of work we have perhaps come to take for granted and the cost to the community of losing that habit would be enormous.

At home, a range of well-run charities provide social, medical and caring support services which enhance and in some cases replace what is offered by the state. Their loss would place an intolerable burden on the public purse and, even if the state could offer substitutes, it could not hope to match the deep-rooted sense of community created by the present public-private partnerships and the opportunities they offer for Islanders to give both money and time.

Meanwhile, the overseas work of Jersey charities – a remarkable number of them home-grown – helps this tiny, privileged place to connect with a wider world whose troubles are magnified by poverty and inequality; to define its personality and sense of identity; and to share its good fortune with others.

A few days after the anniversary of the Boxing Day tsunami – the current results of Jersey’s response to which are reported elsewhere on this page – is a good time to reflect on the importance of that connection.
Tough times lie ahead and giving to charities remains a vital necessity rather than an expense to be eliminated. Quite apart from its obvious practical benefits, giving to others within our means is also good for the spiritual health of the community and, in the long run, that is likely to be the measure by which we judge how well we have survived the coming social and economic upheaval.