£66k Gov awards ceremony cost taxpayers more than three years combined

Tuesday 21 November 2023

A lavish awards ceremony for civil servants made a bigger dent in the public purse this year than the previous three years combined, according to a recent Freedom of Information request.

While the bill for previous iterations of the ‘Our Stars’ event was offset by corporate sponsorship, the 2023 edition was not.

It saw more than £66,000 of taxpayers' cash drawn down to cover the lavish event at the Royal Jersey Showground in Trinity, which aimed to celebrate excellence in public service by handing out awards across twelve categories.

In 2022, 83% of event costs were covered by sponsorship from Jersey businesses, with the ‘platinum’ sponsors being Dandara, Deloitte and EY.  

However, the Government still faced criticism for its £14,000 outlay – as well as its decision to spend more than £5,000 on gifts and letters, including £1,371 on gold envelopes and £2,706 on pin badges. 

This year's spending figures – which were revealed via a request under the Freedom of Information Law – did not include a breakdown of spend.

Express has asked why no corporate sponsorship was used to mitigate the high cost of the ceremony this year.

The Government has not yet responded to that specific request, but Constable Andy Jehan, Vice-Chair of the States Employment Board, said it was "important for us to take the time to acknowledge the fantastic work that is carried out behind the scenes and on the front line for the benefit of our island".

The 2023 ceremony, which was attended by around 400 people, saw 12 awards presented.

The top 'Our Superstar' award was given to all States employees who responded to major incidents in the past year, such as the sinking of the L'Ecume II fishing trawler, the Pier Road explosion, and the Grands Vaux flooding. 

Connétable Jehan said: “We will never forget the profound impact these incidents had, and still have, on our community and will always remember the lives and homes lost during those events.”