Category: Media Centre > News (Channel Islands)

Three of Jersey’s utility companies have joined together to support the National Trust for Jersey’s campaign to plant and restore the island’s hedgerows. Teams from Jersey Electricity, JT and Jersey Water will fund and volunteer their time to work together to create the largest continuous grid of hedge corridors in Jersey, by planting and maintaining an additional five miles around the island. This new five mile area of hedge planting will take place in the north of the Island in and around St John.

The ‘Green Grid’ partnership will enhance the existing grid of 26.5 miles of hedgerows which will help Jersey’s wildlife, landscape and natural resources to flourish.

Charles Alluto, Chief Executive of the National Trust for Jersey, said: “The ‘Green Grid’ project provides natural corridors for wildlife, enhancing biodiversity and helping to trap carbon. It’s such an important project for the island’s environment and we are so grateful for the support of these large island employers and are looking forward to working with their teams over the winter, as together we provide a much needed resource to make this happen. Without these teams the scale of the project really wouldn’t be possible.”

Daragh McDermott, CEO of JT Group, said: “Our people have supported the National Trust for Jersey for many years and we’re delighted that, three of the islands largest utilities can come together to give back to our community. As the providers of power, communications and water to islanders and business, we recognise the importance of protecting and improving our green spaces, making sure our contribution to this network allows it to thrive and contribute to island life.”

Chris Ambler, Chief Executive of Jersey Electricity, added: “Our core goal is to help Jersey realise its ambition to become carbon neutral to help reduce climate change, conserve resources and protect the environment.  It is great to be able to help build awareness of the wonderful work of The National Trust and play a real part in preserving nature.  I’m proud of the fact that our teams have come together to work on this project which is incredibly important to all our futures.”

Helier Smith, Chief Executive of Jersey Water, said: “All of our companies play a vital part in people’s lives, and we all have sustainability at the heart of what we do. It’s a natural thing for us to work together for this project as we focus on extending a ‘green grid’ on our island.’’

Financial support will also be provided by the Countryside Enhancement Scheme who have been a long-time supporter of the project.

The partnership is due to last for a year, but it is hoped that as more land becomes available for planting, then the project will continue for as long as it is needed.

A Jersey student who designed and built his own hovercraft is the latest to be sponsored by JT as part of a leading engineering scholarship programme. Following a rigorous selection process, Sebastian Kirkby from Victoria College has been awarded a JT Arkwright Scholarship.

The Arkwright Engineering Scholarship programme has been running for 30 years, helping 16-year-olds in the UK and the Channel Islands achieve their dream of a career in engineering, computing or technical design at university or through a higher-level apprenticeship. Every successful candidate in the Channel Islands gets financial help, access to a mentor and support from JT.

Sarah Gosiewska, Group Head of Talent, said: “Our two current scholars work closely with their JT mentors who have said they wish they’d had a similar scheme when they were doing their A Levels. As the students take a step back from their busy schedules, the mentors are there to offer vital guidance, discussing their plans, looking at their targets and supporting them as they reach important milestones and decisions. It is difficult to choose who goes forward for a scholarship as the quality is outstanding, however Seb’s use of a leaf blower within his hovercraft showed an exceptional level of imagination and ability that was really impressive. I hope this process will inspire Seb to join a challenging and rewarding industry, which is both fun and interesting, and one where you can go as far as your drive and talent will take you.”

Sebastian said: “From as long as I can remember I’ve been making and repairing things made out of wood, metal or leather – my current project is restoring an old Land Rover, hoping to get it up and running again. It’s my ambition to become an engineer, I’m genuinely fascinated by product design and the whole process of manufacturing. This scholarship will not just help me with my studies, it’s an amazing opportunity to work with people who are at the cutting edge of technology and innovation.”

JT is the only business that sponsors the scholarships in the Channel Islands and is hoping more young people will consider applying as the company continues to encourage and support involvement in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects.

Flo Kirkby, Sebastian’s mum added: “Winning the scholarship will give Seb the additional support and guidance he needs as he begins a busy couple of years working towards his A Levels. I really would urge other schools to encourage their students to look at the opportunities schemes like this provide and apply for one of these prestigious awards.”

Not-for-profit organisations, schools and community groups across the Channel Islands will be able to apply for funding and other resources from a new community giving scheme launched by JT.

‘JT Community Giving’ aims to help local projects and initiatives by offering them the opportunity to apply for funding, devices, subscriptions, technical support, or even hands-on help from some of JT’s many willing volunteers.

While funding is available, the scheme offers so much more. Successful applications could request help towards anything from a charity initiative which may require some prizes to aid fundraising for a community need, an educational scheme that helps the development of digital skills for islanders, which needs some devices or connectivity, to an environmental project that requires volunteers in order to improve the biodiversity of our island for many years to come.

Daragh McDermott, CEO of JT Group, said: “JT Community Giving’ matches our ethos as a business, one that’s firmly rooted in the places and communities we live in and serve. We’ve worked with many charities and community groups over the years, and we wanted to introduce a scheme to provide as much support as we can for the breadth of those not-for-profit organisations who work so tirelessly for our community and give so much back. We want to help those who better our islands and make a real visible difference.

Kevin Keen, Chair of the Association of Jersey Charities, commented: “These are tough times for many charities, and they’re constantly seeking new sources of support and ways of giving. ‘JT Community Giving’ is a much-welcomed and vital community initiative. Targeted support like this, across so many avenues, will really help a huge number of worthwhile charities, individuals, and organisations.”

Applications are now open and will be reviewed every three months. The scheme is open to all registered charities, schools, and community groups across the Channel Islands that meet at least one of four criteria: community support, digital inclusivity, raising awareness of mental and physical health and well-being, and environmental improvement.

JT is excited to announce that it has been shortlisted for its innovative home Wi-Fi service and is up against one of the world’s leading telecoms companies. JT, and its partner Plume, are one of three finalists for Best In-Home Wi-Fi network in the Wireless Broadband Alliance Industry Awards.

JT Total Wi-Fi was launched to give customers a better experience from their home fibre broadband network. It is competing against the French global telecommunications operator Orange in the awards which have recognised and celebrated achievements in Wi-Fi innovation for ten years.

JT teamed up with Plume, a leader in consumer experience management, two years ago to give customers improved Wi-Fi coverage and a higher level of control over their home networks. On average, homes in the Channel Islands have over 17 connected devices and more than 44,000 devices are managed through JT’s home Wi-Fi networks that are powered by Plume’s SaaS Experience Management Platform.

Learn more about how JT and Plume are revolutionising smart home experiences in this case study written by Omdia.

Pip Carpenter, JT’s Head of Commercial Market, said: “The Best In-Home Wi-Fi category recognises the operators that put their customers’ needs first. People rely on their home fibre broadband network for work, everyday tasks and entertainment, so we are delighted to be up there with some of the biggest companies in the world. What our customers like the most about it is the way it improves the distribution of their Wi-Fi signal around the home, with many reporting a massive improvement in their Wi-Fi user experience.”

The service includes content filtering and protection, and this year the parental control function on Plume HomePass has automatically protected younger family members nearly seven million times. Over 1.4 million malware attempts have been blocked and the system has prevented attempts to access customers data through spy, adware and phishing more than 450,000 times.”

Stefan van den Broek, VP Customer Success at Plume, added: “We value our partnership with JT because they share our aim of providing the best connected experience possible. Following independent tests, JT’s network was recently declared the fastest in the world, and pairing that with Plume’s cloud-based platform ensures that the highest quality of experience is maintained throughout the home and to every connected device. Our adaptive Wi-Fi, robust cybersecurity and advanced user controls combine to bring users a highly personalised and state-of-the-art smart home service.”

A vlog presentation on Jersey’s dolmens, drone footage of the island’s heritage sites and a stop motion film were among the 200 projects produced by Year 7 students over the summer break.

For over five years, JT has partnered with the school to support its new intake and every summer the school sets its new pupils a task to complete over the holidays. The students, all aged between 10 and 11, must produce a piece of work inspired by the lessons they were taught during their transition taster days in their last term at primary school.

This year’s theme was ‘Our Island Home’ and the introduction of a new award for best use of digital technology, sponsored by JT, inspired many to take their project to another level. The students used a wide range of technology including digital photography, coding, animation and videos to present their work. The projects were judged in each subject category the winner for the ‘Best use of Digital Technology’ was Mia Le Marquand, whose Lego stop motion video wowed the judges from JT. Just over a quarter of the presentations made this year were digital, up from 10% in previous years.

Pip Carpenter, JT’s Head of Commercial Market, said: “We have been supporting the Year 7 transition process for several years and have been blown away by the standard achieved this year, it made selecting the best project much harder than usual. I particularly liked the way that so many of the students brought their work to life using digital technology to explain their findings. One pupil produced a video of herself painting a beautiful piece of artwork, the attention to detail and ingenuity of all the projects was exceptional. Having good digital skills is essential in today’s world, and more so for these students who are tomorrow’s leaders. That’s why it’s so important for us to support the next generation as they begin this part of their learning journey, helping them to gather the skills they will need to succeed.”

Pete Jones Assistant Headteacher at Les Quennevais School, added: “This year’s Transition Project is by far our best yet with our most consistent level of work. There was certainly an increase in digital projects, largely due to JT’s support of our Transition Days and students’ ability to harness digital technology from a younger age. It was lovely to also see students use digital technology alongside their physical projects via QR links to videos that showed how their work was made or to complement their project. I can only see the number of digital projects increasing going forward and we are very grateful of JT’s ongoing support of our students’ transition experience into Les Quennevais School.”

A partnership that started ten years ago has helped raise nearly two hundred thousand pounds for people on the autism spectrum, their families and carers in Jersey.

With JT’s help, Autism Jersey launched the event a decade ago, which today has become the annual flagship fundraising event and has gained in popularity every year. This year the event raised £24,000 with the maximum of 24 teams taking part and was a fitting celebration for a 10-year partnership that has contributed so much to the local Autistic community.

Nick Winsor, Chairman of Autism Jersey, said: “I am overwhelmed by the support that this event gets from the island’s business and golfing community, and I’d like to extend my thanks to JT, once again, who made it all possible. The money raised every year makes a significant difference to the lives of many autistic islanders, but it also increases the profile of our charity and the amazing work that our people do in changing the lives of those that we support.”

Daragh McDermott, JT’s Chief Executive Officer, added: “The fantastic work that Autism Jersey do touches the lives of so many people, and we are delighted with what we have helped the charity to achieve over the last ten years and what we’ve been able to give back to our community as a result of our partnership.  In particular, this year, where our own people also selected Autism Jersey as their 2022 chosen charity. We will continue to support Autism Jersey with their full calendar of events until the end of the year, bringing people together, united in a common cause to raise as much money as possible, for this fantastic and dedicated charity.

I think what makes the charity stand out is the team of talented people who advocate an inclusive community where personalised services are provided for individuals, families, and carers and it’s been a real pleasure to work alongside them.”

JT has been explaining to an audience of Guernsey businesses how it has embarked on an ambitious programme to boost sustainability and increase the welfare of its people at the latest Chamber of Commerce Lunch and Learn event.

Since April, the Channel Island telecommunications company has been proudly sponsoring the series which have also included important topics such as cybersecurity and wellbeing in the workplace.

The session on JT’s Sustainable Journey, which was presented by Gill Knights, JT Group’s General Counsel and Head of Sustainability, was the highest attended of the series with a very engaged and keen audience.

Kate Marshall, JT’s Head of Guernsey Enterprise, said: “We were really delighted to support this programme of fascinating speakers which made the lunchtime events so interesting, leaving us all with so much to think about.  JT is already deeply involved in the business community in Guernsey and these sessions highlight how well businesses, including JT, continue to work together to share best practice and support each other at different stages of similar paths. We are very grateful to the Chamber of Commerce for allowing us to share what we have learnt since we embarked on our 10-year Sustainability Strategy and hope that the lessons we learnt  prove beneficial to others.”

Laura McKerrel, from the Guernsey Chamber of Commerce, added: “We have really enjoyed this series of ‘Lunch & Learn’ and are very grateful for the help and knowledge that all the speakers have passed onto us and those attending the events. JT’s session on sustainability highlighted a genuine interest from our members to learn more about where to start, what to avoid and how to implement a strategy. What was really useful was hearing how JT had planned and launched its strategy and how it has measured progress since. What was clear was that JT has learned to adapt to meet new challenges, proving that having an agile plan is often the best way to ensure success.”

Talented musicians and performers are being celebrated in St Peter Port as the Guernsey Street Festival returns to celebrate local music, art, theatre, dance and food.

The two-week celebration of the arts returns on 23^rd July to 6^th August to promote Guernsey’s community spirit with local talent, visiting performers and street entertainers with JT at the heart of the action sponsoring the Green Area, the Grand Opening Procession and the harbour flags.

Tamara O Brien, Deputy Managing Director, JT Guernsey JT said: “We have always been a huge supporter of the arts, and for many years have helped musically talented young locals by giving them a regular platform to perform with JT Musical Moments. This festival will open up our streets to performers and artists of all genres, skills and ages and I can’t wait to see them in action and watch the town get into the festival spirit. JT is sponsoring the Green Zone which is in prime position on the High Street in St Peter Port and one of eight zones where islanders and visitors will be able to see the performances. Come and join us there and take part in some fabulous summer fun in Guernsey.”

The festival kicks off in style with the Grand Opening Procession and there is a chance to get tickets to be on Le Petit Train as it makes its way along the High Street for the first time.

Dominique Ogier, Creative Officer of the Guernsey Street Festival, added: “The grand parade through the centre of town will be a fantastic event with the Boys Brigade, Fidgety Feet, the Guernsey Majorettes and lots of other performers. There will be prizes for the best performances and the best newcomer. The winners will be presented with their prizes at a black-tie awards dinner on the last night of the festival where they will also get to perform in front the guests. This really is an event to enjoy the fantastic talent we have in Guernsey and show off the fabulous backdrop of St Peter Port. I would like to thank JT and all our sponsors for supporting this event.”