First finance firm in Jersey supports the Pledge to Put Children First

13 December 2019

Intertrust in Jersey has become the first business in the island to support the Pledge to Put Children First.

Intertrust, a global trust fund and company administration business, launched a Tree of Joy initiative this Christmas to help put children first and are providing gifts and food vouchers for families in Jersey who are experiencing financial difficulties or might not otherwise receive a Christmas gift.

Children’s Minister Senator Sam Mézec said: "Thank you to Intertrust for supporting vulnerable families living in Jersey this Christmas and congratulations for being the first finance firm, in Jersey, to support the Pledge to Put Children First with a tangible and generous gift.

"Putting Children First isn’t the responsibility of just parents, or of the Government and social workers. It’s the responsibility of friends, families and neighbours and the wider community too.

"More than 850 Islanders have now pledged to support Putting Children First, which is a fantastic start in what will be a long-running awareness campaign. We developed the campaign to respond to the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry’s recommendations to change the Island’s culture and attitudes around children’s care and protection.

"The campaign was designed in collaboration with primary and secondary students from Jersey’s School Council Network. It’s been great to see businesses, organisations, charities and Islanders help to positively promote this awareness campaign and who want to Put Children First and help build a child-friendly Jersey."

On Friday, the Children’s Minister will meet staff at Intertrust to thank them for their Tree of Joy initiative and being the first finance firm in Jersey to support the Pledge to Put Children First.

Louise Carter, HR Business Partner at Intertrust, said: "We are delighted to be supporting the ‘Tree of Joy’ initiative this year. Intertrust Jersey are partnering with the Government of Jersey to provide Christmas gifts to vulnerable families, which is being fully funded by Intertrust. We hope that this initiative will help to bring a little Christmas joy to people in Jersey and would like to continue our support into 2020 through helping young people prepare for the world of work."

Jacob Smed, Managing Director, said: "I am so proud of how enthusiastically everyone in the office has got involved with the tree of joy, taking the tags and buying presents for others in our community. It’s a fantastic initiative that will make sure everyone has a merry Christmas."