HONORARY service and voluntary work have long been key elements of Jersey society.

This is understood here in the Island, but it is often lost on those who look at our community from the outside and tend to be preoccupied with our status as a low-tax jurisdiction, the number of millionaires who might live here, and, alas, sensational events such as last week’s tragic stabbings or scandals like the botched child abuse investigation.

It is, therefore, a welcome change when an influential visitor appreciates and remarks upon the Island’s tradition of unpaid activity and charitable generosity.
Conservative MP Daniel Kawczyski is not the first person from the UK to achieve some understanding of what makes Jersey tick.

However, he might be the first to promise to inform a British Prime Minister about what he has observed and learned.

In particular, Mr Kawczyski, a junior minister, says that Jersey can be used as a template for the ‘Big Society’ that PM David Cameron believes to be the way forward for Britain as a whole. He has also promised to urge Mr Cameron to come to see our caring community in person.

Mr Kawczyski’s visit was brief, but it is significant that his impression of the Island matches that of our former Lieutenant-Governor, Lieutenant-General Sir Andrew Ridgway. Sir Andrew’s parting address stressed the importance of institutions such the Island’s parish structure, the honorary police and the prevalence of charitable efforts. He spoke of their beneficial effects and of the strength of community spirit that they engender.

We should without doubt be proud of our tradition of voluntary service, but we should also recognise that it is one dimension of a partnership. As critics of Mr Cameron’s vision for Britain point out, a strong charitable sector should never mean that the state backs away from its commitments as a provider of essential amenities.

A healthy balance between public services and efforts made on behalf of others by individuals and organisations with a social conscience is what is required. Even if it would be wrong to suggest that Jersey has either achieved the perfect balance or discovered all the answers, it would be true to say that there are elements of Island life that those living on the other side of the Channel would do well to emulate.