The Journal | Issue 5

3 NEW LAW FIRMS RECENTLY LAUNCHED FROM PAGE 10

MEET THE TEAM

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL PAGE 6

The Journal ISSUE FIVE

BUSINESS • FINANCE • LAW • RECRUITMENT

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Jersey wins international Finance Centre Award

Jersey has won the ‘International Finance Centre – Editor’s Award’ at the WealthBriefing GCC Region Awards 2017, underlining its credentials as one of the world’s leading international finance centres.

Held at the Taj Dubai on Wednesday 8 November, the awards recognised companies, teams and individuals which the panel of judges deemed to have demonstrated innovation and excellence during 2017. The awards showcased the best of breed service providers in the global private banking, wealth management and trusted advisor communities.

Commending Jersey for its highratings with international bodies, this year’s judges said: “The scale of banking and investment fund activity, coupled with the sheer number of international agreements on information-sharing, as well as the high scores accorded it by entities such as the Financial Action Task Force and OECD, prove that Jersey is in the top rank. With stories from around the world showing why reputation is a precious asset, and easily damaged, this IFC has worked hard to protect it.”

Geoff Cook, Chief Executive of Jersey Finance commented: “It is an honour to have been recognised at the WealthBriefing GCC Region Awards 2017. Over the past 12 months, the Island has not only continued to innovate and attract new

L-R: Patrick Crowley – Senior Vice President, DBS Singapore; Comac Sheedy – Business Development Director, GCC, Jersey Finance; and Bruce Weatherill, Chair, Clearview Financial Media

business from within its key markets, but has also demonstrated its ability to respond quickly and appropriately in a rapidly shifting global market. This prestigious award is also evidence to the fact that Jersey remains a leading jurisdiction globally in terms of its robust regulatory regime and worldclass tax transparency framework, and its ability to make sure that this framework is working well in practice.”

Publisher of WealthBriefing and CEO of ClearView Financial Media, Stephen Harris, said: “The firms who triumphed in these awards are all worthy winners and I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations. These awards were judged solely on the basis of entrants’ submissions and their response to a number of specific questions, which had to be answered focusing on the

PURPOSE BRINGING IT SKILLS KEEPING THE WORKPLACE TO FIRMS FROM DIGITAL LIFE WITH NATURE TRANSFORMATION Local accountancy firm with a difference, Purpose, has revamped its office design to give its staff a more innovative and uplifting environment to work in.

Full story on page 2

Skills are the biggest barrier to digital transformation in the Channel Islands according to top IT executives who were surveyed by Logicalis.

Full story on page 3

client experience, not quantitative performance metrics. That is a unique, and I believe, compelling feature. These awards recognise the very best operators in the private client industry, with independence, integrity and genuine insight being the watchwords of the judging process - such that the awards truly reflect excellence in wealth management.”

JERSEY RECEIVES FULLY COMPLIANT RATING FROM OECD

J​ ersey has been given the highest possible rating by the international body responsible for assessing jurisdictions’ compliance.

Full story on page 4

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PREPARATION FOR DATA PROTECTION CONTINUES

Work is continuing to prepare the Channel Islands for new data protection legislation which is due to come into force in 2018.

Full story on page 5

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THE JOURNAL NEWS

Purpose bring their workplace to life with a touch of nature Business

Local accountancy firm with a difference, Purpose, has revamped its office design to give its staff a more innovative and uplifting environment to work in.

Inspired by the new trends in modern office design, Purpose has created a positive working environment through its reimagined office space complete with moss walls, white-board spaces, think pods for independent study, a chill-out area and silver birch trees.

Staff are encouraged to brain-storm solutions on the white-board walls so that everyone can understand what problems people are trying to solve. It is hoped that the new office will banish any sign of Monday morning blues, creating a relaxed environment for Purpose’s team of ten to excel in their studies and day-to-day work.

Luke Smith, Director of Purpose, said: “Our objective is to be provider of choice to our clients and employer of choice to our team, so it was important that we had an office space that reflected this.”

“What employees value is changing and we all know we’re at work a lot so having somewhere to show Purpose

as a great place of employment and collaboration is hugely important to stay authentic to our objective.”

Luke worked together with Stuart Dryden of Waddington Interiors to come up with the concept for the office.

They were keen to bring elements of the outdoors inside and reflect nature and the environment in their office given Purpose’s close involvement with many renewable energy projects such as ‘Clean Marine’ and ‘Repowering London’.

Stuart Dryden, Senior Interior Designer, Waddington Interiors, said: “It is a small office so we wanted to maintain the open space, whilst creating a vibrant and welcoming office. Bringing in more natural light and a sense of the outdoors with trees and real moss.”

The addition of the feature moss wall provides more than just a focal point as it helps to oxygenise the room and control humidity. It also assists with noise levels, absorbing reverberations and adding a pop of colour to the environment.

The project is nearing final completion as they look to install LED screens to their office ceiling. These will minic the effect of a sky light on the ground floor and bring a little piece of sunshine into everyone’s working day.

Bedell Cristin bolster its property team Recruitment

L- R: Austen Chevalier, Priya Jobanputra, Guy Le Sueur, Natalie Harris, Jeff O'Boyle, Kerry Fernandes and Jane Needham

Bedell Cristin has bolstered its property team in Jersey through the appointment of Jeff O’Boyle as a Senior Associate and Priya Jobanputra as an Associate.

Jeff, who joined the firm from a Guernsey practice, has been advising clients in the Channel Islands on local and UK commercial property transactions since 2013. Previously, Jeff spent 12 years working for Pinsent Masons in the UK and brings experience of representing a number of multinational clients including investors, developers, lenders and private clients on a wide range of complex and high-value instructions.

A qualified solicitor in England and Wales, Jeff has a particular expertise in acquisitions and disposals, landlord and tenant matters, property finance and energy.

Priya, who is also an English qualified solicitor, joins Bedell Cristin as a Property Associate. She has more than seven years’ experience working in residential property and conveyancing. In her most recent role, she assisted in developing standard practices and growing the department.

These appointments follow the promotions of Natalie Harris to Senior Associate and Jane Needham to Associate, who was sworn in as a Jersey solicitor earlier this month.

David Cadin, Managing Partner, Bedell Cristin, commented: “I’m delighted to welcome our new colleagues to the property team here in Jersey. Jeff and Priya bring substantial experience that enhances our firm's capabilities. We’ve seen a significant uplift in both residential and commercial property work compared to last year, which reflects a thriving real estate market and underpins our own team growth.”

THE JOURNAL NEWS

Eateries must show their Eat Safe rating

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Business

Every restaurant, café, and takeaway in Jersey must show their ‘Eat Safe’ food safety and hygiene standard rating or face prosecution.

All Island businesses providing food directly to the public are inspected and awarded a food safety star rating from zero to five stars.

The rating depends on how well they comply with the Jersey Food Law and the Food Standards Agency food safety code of practice. Until now, only businesses with three or more stars have been allowed to display their ratings. This was intended to encourage those with low ratings to improve their hygiene practices. From 1 December 2017, every business must display their rating.

The Eat Safe scheme is run

by Environmental Health in the Department of the Environment.

Director of Environmental Health, Stewart Petrie said ‘When we buy food from a business we expect the kitchen to be clean, free from vermin and for the food to be produced hygienically. Food poisoning of any type is incredibly unpleasant and for some people can result in life changing illness.

Compulsory display of the Eat Safe sticker allows people to make an informed choice before deciding where to eat.’

Inspections are carried out every six months to five years, depending on the level of risk and compliance by businesses. If a company thinks it has improved since its last inspection, the owners can ask for a new (unannounced) inspection to be carried out by an officer from the Environmental Health team.

From June 2018, businesses such as home caterers and takeaways will have to point people to search for food safety and hygiene star ratings online.

Glitz and glam night out with Voisin Law Business

Voisin Law’s clients have been getting ready for the party season.

Clients and associates of the Jersey law firm enjoyed a fabulous ‘glitz and glam’ evening last week, when around 75 guests took part in a fantastic catwalk style fashion show at Voisins Department Store;

checking out the latest trends in ‘metallic’ and the en vogue ‘velvet look’, whilst also taking a sneak peak at some wonderful ‘wow’ outfits from top brands such as Ralph Lauren, Whistles, Ted Baker and Millie Mackintosh.

Ladies attending also got some top tips on the latest ‘hair up’ dos from Aveda stylists and ideas on how get

the perfect finish and a great glow from Laura Mercier make up artists.

Head of Marketing at Voisin Law Georgina Jeffries said: “We all had a really fabulous evening and we’re grateful to Voisin Department Store for letting us host this exclusive event which will help our clients ensure they’re right on trend for the party season!”

IT Skills holding firms back Kensington Place from digital transformation property bought according to IT executives for hospital site Finance

Skills are the biggest barrier to digital transformation in the Channel Islands according to top IT executives.

The Logicalis Global CIO Survey 2017-2018 questioned nearly 1,000 Chief Information Officers and IT directors around the world about issues surrounding digital transformation.

62% of CIOs in the Channel Islands cited skills as a main barrier to digital transformation in their organisation, nearly double the global average of 34% and the UK average of 29%.

Organisational culture, cost, and complex legacy infrastructures were also key issues, however just 23% of Channel Island CIOs cited security as a main barrier, compared to a global average of 34%.

When it comes to using cloud based services, security is a much bigger concern. 65% of Channel Island CIOs cite security as a challenge to

increased use of cloud services, less than the global average of 70%, and the European average (UK, Ireland, Germany and Spain) of 80%.

Tom Bale, Business Development and Technical Director, Logicalis, said: “Digital technology is changing everything and IT and security are becoming an increasingly important part of what every organisation does.

The challenges facing IT executives are growing and as the survey shows, every area has slightly different concerns. Skills are clearly a huge issue for Channel Island businesses.

Outsourcing IT services, leveraging the skills of global groups such as Logicalis, which train home-grown talent to international standards, is one way of mitigating the problem.

38% of Channel Island IT executives we surveyed plan to provide additional training and development to help digital transformation.”

The Logicalis survey also found Channel Island CIOs have slightly different worries to

global counterparts regarding IT security threats, with 88% thinking ransomware and corporate extortion pose a significant risk to businesses over the next 12 months.

Identity and credential hacking is also a prime security concern for Channel Island CIOs, with 73% believing they will pose a significant threat to business over the next 12 months, compared to a global average of 43% and a European average of 50%.

IT executives in the Channel Islands may also have a greater awareness of other security issues. 50% of Channel Island CIOs identified ghostware concealed attacks that evade forensics as a concern, compared to just 27% of CIOs globally and 41% of CIOs in Europe. Despite this, security concerns or considerations have only prevented or stopped 19% of new IT projects going ahead compared to a European average of 29%, a global average of 33% and in the UK where they put the brakes on 36% of projects.

Business

The Minister for Infrastructure, Deputy Eddie Noel, has authorised the purchase of The Maisonette, 44 Kensington Place, which is needed for the proposed Future Hospital site.

Following the States decision on the site of the hospital in November 2016, the Future Hospital project team has been in contact with owners and occupiers of properties in Kensington Place whose homes and businesses are required for the site of the new hospital. The Minister wants to avoid compulsory purchase if at all possible and is therefore happy for negotiations to take place with owners on a case by case basis.

Although vacant possession of the property is not needed until the third quarter of 2018, the current owners have already found alternative accommodation and, as a result, want to move sooner.

Deputy Noel said “This is the first property purchase for the Future Hospital site. This is an opportunity for us and the vendor to move forward that neither could afford to miss. It is unreasonable for us to ask the owner to wait and risk losing the property they wanted. Discussions will continue with other owners and we will look to acquire the remaining properties by negotiation, once the decision on funding has been considered by the States Assembly on 12 December.”

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THE JOURNAL NEWS

DISTINCTIVE EXAM RESULTS FOR STAFF AT UBS JERSEY Business

UBS Jersey is proud to announce outstanding exam results for two members of staff.

Client Advisor Assistant John Pipon has achieved 1st Class Honours in the BSc (Hons) International Financial Services degree. Trust Officer Frankie de la Cour has been awarded his STEP Diploma in International Trust Management with a Distinction.

The STEP Diploma is the global industry standard covering the essentials of international trust principles and practice. It is delivered in association with Alliance Manchester Business School and is a collaboration between STEP, the International Trust Companies Association and CLT International.

The 2-year BSc (Hons) International Financial Services degree is run by the Jersey International Business School and has been designed to provide students with a broad and

comprehensive understanding of international financial services. The degree is awarded by the University of Buckingham and features a unique Undergraduate Employment Programme that provides students with the opportunity to work in paid employment two days a week for the duration of their studies. UBS Jersey has been supporting Mr Pipon through the undergraduate programme and he is now a full-time employee in the Private Clients team.

Mr Pipon, who also completed his CISI Investment Advice Diploma whilst studying for his degree, is now using his knowledge and studies to aid him in his role at UBS. He is pursuing a career with the company in private wealth management and is furthering his studies by also working towards the CISI Private Client Investment Advice & Management qualification.

Mr de la Cour also completed the BSc (Hons) International Financial Services with a 2:1 back in 2015. He

was then employed by UBS Trustees (Jersey) as a Trust Officer. His recent STEP qualification has increased his knowledge of the Trust industry has helped him grow in confidence within his role. The company will now be able to give him more responsibility and increased exposure to complex markets.

Michael Clarke, Head of Private Clients, UBS Jersey, says: ‘We are delighted for both John and Frankie. They are a credit to UBS and we will continue to support them as they move forward in their careers.

Frankie’s qualification has allowed UBS Trustees to task him with the administration of more complex trust structures. John’s qualification provides a sound academic platform and John joins our Private Clients team at a very exciting time as we continue to grow our local business and offer world-class wealth management solutions to Jersey residents.’

Frankie and John with certificates

Jersey has received ANALYTICS EXPERTS a fully ‘compliant’ RECOGNISE LOCAL rating from OECD COMPANY CONTINUUM in tax transparency

Business

Local specialist data consultancy, Continuum has been acknowledged at the 2017 Alteryx Inspire Europe 2017 conference for its global expertise in delivering data analytics platforms with its prestigious award of ‘EMEA Rookie Partner of the Year Award’.

As the only Channel Islands partner for Alteryx solutions and services, this award recognises Continuum’s ability and commitment to help businesses in Jersey and Guernsey to solve their own analytic challenges and gain deeper insights from their data. The unique Alteryx self-service offering is rated #1 in the industry defining Gartner ‘Customer Choice award for Business Intelligence & Analytics Platforms’.

The Continuum team travelled to London with six of their local clients to join the record 800 analytic professionals meeting the Alteryx team and to learn from the exciting Alteryx analytics achievements of Shell, NHS England, Adidas and other global brands.

Dan Hare, Director of Continuum, commented: We are very proud that as new partners we have already received Global recognition from a truly

Finance

innovative company like Alteryx. Our Certification was extremely rigorous and has allowed us to deliver immediate value to our growing and enthusiastic customer base here in the Islands. Every local company would benefit from Alteryx’s simple, powerful code-free data automation, releasing valuable members of staff from “Excel Hell”. We are partnering with other specialist local businesses to provide unprecedented data insights, efficiencies, training and support to our clients.

Rynhardt VanHeerden, Senior Director of Partnerships (EMEA) at Alteryx, commented: “Continuum has wasted no time building a tangible Alteryx business. A partner since April 2017, Continuum out of Jersey is already challenging the more tenured partners for a spot in the ‘top 10’ ranking. As they rapidly expand their business, they are proving that it can be truly iconic to focus your analytics business with a big emphasis on self-service data analytics from Alteryx”

J​ ersey has been given the highest possible rating by the international body responsible for assessing jurisdictions’ compliance with global standards on tax transparency and information exchange.

A report published last month by the OECD’s Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information on Tax Matters (the Global Forum) has rated Jersey fully compliant in all ten of the areas reviewed. This places the Island in the top band of countries who have completed both phases of the OECD review process, and represents a higher rating than that achieved by several major G20 economies.

Jersey was last reviewed in 2014, when it was found to be “largely compliant“. The island has improved its ratings in four areas focusing on the way in which it deals with requests for tax information from other jurisdictions, to give it a “fully compliant” rating all round.

The Review process involved a detailed examination of the legislation and procedures in place in Jersey concerning tax

transparency and beneficial ownership information, and a full on-site evaluation by an assessment team including peer members of the Global Forum in February 2017.

The assessment process required input from Government Departments, the Law Officers’ Department, the Jersey Financial Services Commission and meetings between the assessment team and the financial services industry in Jersey.

The Chief Minister, Senator Ian Gorst, said: “I welcome the OECD’s Global Forum’s recognition that Jersey is fully committed to the highest standards of tax transparency and cooperation with international standards.

‘At a time when transparency is more important than ever, Jersey continues to demonstrate its steadfast commitment to international cooperation.”

Senator Alan Maclean, Minister for Treasury and Resources, said: “This rating reflects the hard work done across all levels of government and regulators to ensure that Jersey has not just signed up to international standards, but has put them into practice in every area.”

THE JOURNAL NEWS

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NEDBANK PRIVATE WEALTH AND NEDGROUP TRUST HAVE RETAINED GOLD STANDARD Business

Nedbank Private Wealth and Nedgroup Trust recently had good reason to celebrate. Not only had they been reaccredited with the prestigious Gold status from Investors in People (IIP), but they had also achieved a perfect score against the Framework, meeting all 196 of the evidence requirements.

This level of accreditation places the companies in the top 16% of IIP accredited organisations across the UK, demonstrating their commitment to people management excellence across all areas of their business.

This was the fifth successful review since the bank was first awarded the Investors in People Standard in 2002.

The assessment included interviews with staff from both the Wealth and Trust divisions of the organisation, and from across five of their office locations: Jersey, Guernsey, London, the Isle of Man and Dubai.

Mick Lynch, who carried out the assessment, said: “During the assessment I was extremely

impressed by the commitment to client and staff contentment, staff development, wellbeing, and the overall ‘whole team’ positive atmosphere at Nedbank Private Wealth. It was a pleasure to facilitate the assessment at such a professional organisation.”

Cameron Walker, head of relationship management at Nedbank Private Wealth in Jersey, said: “Retaining our Gold standard with a perfect score, and the observations of the assessor reinforce the power of collaboration within our organisation and the amazing efforts of all our staff who continually seek to enhance and develop our business.

“Retaining the award provides a strong, independent endorsement that a continued focus on ethical people practices and the needs of our staff directly results in a top performing business for our clients. We continue to promote the Investors in People values in our pursuit of high quality service levels, innovation and client satisfaction.”

Investors in People is the international standard for people management, defining what it takes

Bernard Quant, Managing Director of Nedgroup Trust, with Stephanie Coyle, Executive Secretary, and Cameron Walker, Head of Relationship Management, at Nedbank Private Wealth

to lead, support and manage people effectively to achieve sustainable results. Underpinning the Standard is the Investors in People framework, reflecting the latest workplace trends, essential skills and effective structures required to outperform in any industry. Investors in People enable organisations to benchmark against the best in the business on an international scale.

Work continues to prepare the Channel Islands for new data protection legislation Business

WORK is continuing to prepare the Channel Islands for new data protection legislation which is due to come into force in 2018, says the islands’ independent data protection regulator.

Emma Martins said she and her pan-Island team were working hard to support both governments and businesses in the islands, recognising the potential economic benefits for those who engage with the opportunities created by the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.

Her comments come after it was announced by the States of Jersey and the States of Guernsey that the

data protection commissioner will be leaving her post in March 2018.

The governments also confirmed that the pan-Island role will end, with each island introducing their own dedicated data protection commissioner post at that time.

‘After the recent decision for the Islands to move away from a panisland data protection regulator, we will continue to work hard to ensure the Islands are as prepared as possible for the new data protection legislation in May 2018,’ said Mrs Martins, who is the Data Protection Commissioner in Guernsey and the Information Commissioner in Jersey.

‘The decision is regrettable after the two islands have come such a

long way together and in light of the significant work done in recent years to create a pan-island presence. To a certain degree, it reflects the fast evolving nature of the data economy.’

Important work to prepare the islands for GDPR will, however, continue to be carried out by Mrs Martins and her team.

‘These events should not and must not distract from the important work that lies ahead and on which industry and citizens are entitled to our complete focus and attention. There are very real economic opportunities for any jurisdiction that embraces those opportunities in an intelligent and enlightened way,’ added Mrs Martins.

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THE JOURNAL BUSINESS

THE JOURNAL BUSINESS

MEET THE TEAM

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CHRISTMAS SPECIAL “My business should be called webuyabsolutelyeverything.com” Whether it’s serving customers in the shop or doing house calls, valuations and clearances, no two days are the same for Stephen Cohu.

When I was just a young boy I used to go and dig up the old bottle and rubbish dumps around the island.

We used to find loads of interesting stuff and my interest in antiques and collectables developed from there. I began buying and selling and by the time I went to Oxford Polytechnic to study Accounting I was supplementing my meagre allowance with a small profit here and there.

After returning to Jersey I joined the accountancy profession and by 1988 I had qualified as a Chartered Accountant. However, me and my desk never really got along and in 1993 I left the profession with a rather radical change of direction into antiques dealing! Since then there have rarely been many days that have followed a regular or dare I say normal pattern.

My day starts with getting the children to school just a short walk away. By then it is around 8.45am and that is where any kind of daily routine ends. I check my emails and look in my diary, usually consisting of scraps of paper with details of house visits that need doing, clearances that need looking at and collections that need picking up! Fortunately my absolutely invaluable employee Sarah has introduced a calls book system where these scraps of paper are taped in so we don’t miss anything. Sarah is my PA, shop tidier, window arranger, house clearance sorter, occasional child minder, delivery driver and keeps me away from the customers in the shop who might otherwise be greeted less than enthusiastically!

The shop is closed on a Monday and a Tuesday to give us time to do calls and clearances but these are also done on other days of the week before opening at ten or when the shop closes at five. We always endeavour to be open from Wednesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm but sometimes there is so much to do we have to put the “Sorry, closed” sign up for an hour as the amount of work can be overwhelming. Lunch is a moveable feast, maybe a sandwich

and a banana sometime between midday and five or six pm. Even when we are in the shop, there is no routine as people come and go all day, either bringing in items for sale or needing assistance in the shop.

All our finest items are displayed in our St Lawrence showrooms but we also have a 7000 square foot storage warehouse where we can show you almost anything you might think you didn’t need!

Planning a day of house calls either for valuation for probate or where items are offered for sale is very difficult because until you

get to a property we have no idea how long it will take. When we do a home visit we are very thorough and often identify for people things of value that they have overlooked or may even have earmarked for the dump. There is nothing worse than arriving at a property and finding a skip outside where they have “helpfully” started clearing before getting the contents checked. When quizzed they then reveal that is skip number five but are certain they have only thrown away rubbish!

Sometimes it will take just a few minutes to go around a large house,

sometimes hours to look at a small bungalow. Last year, to the delight of the owners, we found in a house an exceptional Oriental item that was subsequently sold for just shy of a million pounds! The owner had no idea of its value and needless to say they were rather pleased.

My business should be called “webuyabsolutelyeverything.com”, from fine antique furniture to contemporary art, jewellery, silver, bric-a-brac, even cars and car number plates! Anything we don’t keep for the shop or warehouse is processed for charity except a very few items which

as a last resort are dumped. Following a few challenging years for the traditional antiques business there has been modest renewed interest from those who are confident to mix and match old and new.

The day rarely ends at five as there will always be more house visits to do or deliveries of larger items we have sold during the day. Usually by 8 or 9pm things are starting to wind down then it is home for supper then maybe valuations to type or articles to write!

We never know what the new day will bring, every day is different which is exactly the way we like it!

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THE JOURNAL BUSINESS

Jersey Water wishes you all a very Merry Christmas Above: Queen’s Valley, Right: Chief Executive Helier Smith

The Jersey New Waterworks Company Limited (trading as Jersey Water) is the oldest established Company in the Island with a history dating back to 1882.

About us It all started from a small well in St Lawrence; the first mains water ever made available to Islanders.

Fast forward to 2017 and we now supply over 38,000 properties with approximately 20 Million litres of water everyday through a network of 580km of treated water mains.

We collect rain water which is known as ‘raw water’ from streams and funnelled into one of our six reservoirs. This surface water is then stored before being used by one of our two treatment works to create ‘treated mains water’.

The objective Our objective is to provide safe, high quality drinking water which consistently meets all of the quality requirements laid down in law and regulation. The Water (Jersey) Law 1972 includes physical, chemical and bacteriological parameters and limits

for water to be deemed wholesome.

We continually monitor the quality of our drinking water; our laboratory carries out tests on approximately 8,000 samples taken throughout the year from water sources, treatment works, storage tanks and customers’ taps.

Increases in population, changing lifestyles, pollution and shifts in weather patterns are all placing increased demands on the fresh water we have at our disposal. Recent figures reveal that the number of people living in the Island now stands at over 103,000. The Island’s reservoirs store 120 days’ worth of supply and with the average daily demand for water in Jersey at 20 million litres (the equivalent of 8 Olympic sized swimming pools), it is vital we all do our bit to conserve it. Fortunately, we have the desalination plant in times of need; however this is an insurance policy we hope we don’t need to call

on because when running, the plant is the equivalent of 700 kettles boiling 24 hours a day nonstop.

How you can help Everybody can do their bit to help reduce the amount of water that is wasted, whether it’s in the home, the garden, at work or at school – many of the changes in routine are small and will hardly be noticed. Together they add up to significant overall savings and help keep water bills as low as possible: • Fix leaking taps; a dripping tap can waste more than 60 litres of water per week.

• Keep a bottle or jug of water in the fridge, instead of leaving the tap running while it gets cool.

• Avoid rinsing dishes in the sink before loading them into the dishwasher.

Scrape them clean instead.

• Take a shorter shower, 4 minutes or less. Showers can use anything

between 6 and 45 litres per minute.

• Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. A running tap can use 6 litres of water per minute.

We offer a number of free water saving devices such as tap aerators, shower timers, showersave and cistern bags, please visit our website www.jerseywater.je/save-water to order yours. There is also a free water saving calculator that can be helpful in working out if there are opportunities to reduce bills and save water.

Open to the public We are the third largest landowners after the States of Jersey and National Trust and look after over 1,000 Vergées of land to ensure there is safe access for visitors, whether they are members of the public, our employees or inspectors from regulatory bodies.

Two of our sites are open to the public

– Queen’s Valley and Val de la Mare Reservoirs, while some of the others, including Grands Vaux, Dannemarche and Millbrook, have restricted access to members of organisations such as the Jersey Fresh Water Angling Association.

Queen’s Valley is the newest and largest reservoir, completed in 1991 and holds up to 1.2 billion litres of untreated water. There are several walking routes around the reservoir; the full circuit is 1.9 miles.

Val de la Mare constructed in 1960 is the second largest reservoir and holds up to 938.7 million litres. The full circuit is 2.8 miles. It has a natural wealth of flora and fauna and is home to many species of birds and wildlife.

Please take time to discover these beautiful reservoirs but remember to take care; stick to the footpaths and respect the environment, this is our drinking water so it’s important everyone protects it.

THE JOURNAL BUSINESS About the team Our main offices are at Westmount, however we operate from a total of 20 sites across the Island, including our two Water Treatment Works; Handois and Augrès, our Millbrook Depot (home to the Laboratory, MeterReading Offices and Workshop) and the newly commissioned La Rosière Desalination Plant. Chief Executive Helier Smith heads up a team of 81 staff with an average length of service of 15 years.

The Customer Service Team provide the first point of contact for all your water related queries, whether you contact us via social media, email, telephone or post we are here to help. Everyday customers contact us for help when moving home, want advice on how to save water or have spotted a burst pipe in the street.

Many customers contact us because they would like us to email their bill or set up or change a Direct Debit. Every person in our team not only cares about our customers’ problems, but is empowered to solve them quickly and with minimal fuss.

The Finance and HR Teams make sure we manage our business prudently; are efficient, profitable and financially secure. HR is responsible for employee welfare, recruitment and training.

The Water Supply Team have the job of making reservoir water into potable drinking water. We operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so that when your alarm goes off for work at

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“Every one of the 81 people who work at Jersey Water play an integral role in ensuring our customers have high quality water at their tap 24 hours a day/ 365 days per year.”

7am we have been pumping treated water all night long so that the Island can shower, brush their teeth and make breakfast! When our Customer Services Team go home we help look after the emergency phone all night and if you have a leak in the middle of the night we are here and will get one of our engineers to you, anytime.

We are also the team that take and test over 8,000 samples in our laboratory to ensure that your drinking water is safe and high quality.

The Network Team look after all the pipes in the road that bring you the water into your home, in fact we have 580km of pipework to look after along with hundreds of valves and stop taps. Every year we are extending our network so that more Islanders have access to safe drinking water.

We install, maintain and read 35,000 water meters; some of us start our day at 4am in the morning travelling the Island searching for leaks.

Our Asset Management and Facilities Team take great care of all of the Company’s land; at Queen’s

Valley and Val de la Mare for example we maintain paths and cut hedges and empty the bins so that we can all enjoy these walks. We also have the job of inspecting all of our dams and making sure that they are safe and working correctly.

Every one of the 81 people who work at Jersey Water play an integral role in ensuring our customers have high quality water at their tap 24 hours a day/ 365 days per year. Whether it is the leak detection team who are out and about at 4am in the morning looking for leaks when the roads are all quiet, the treatment works operator who is on shift during Christmas and other Bank Holidays or the Facilities Team who cut 7 miles of Branchage each year and look after our reservoir paths; they all do a great job at providing a first class service to our customer.

From all the Team at Jersey Water, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year from Graham Hoare

Graham Hoare recently set up Grays - a competitive, friendly estate agency, we caught up with Graham to see how everything’s going so far.

What has the response been to you setting up on your own?

Since the first idea of setting up Grays, I have had so many "good wishes" from friends, previous buyers and sellers.

In fact of the 10 new houses added to my website in the past 11 weeks, over 50% have been referrals and with 2 houses now completed and 2 more to go in the next few weeks, I am very pleased with how it is going.

Who is involved business?

in

the

It’s just me, my wife and my 3 mini long haired Dachshunds.

What’s next for Grays?

Clockwise from top left: Laura Anderson in the laboratory, Alex Le Moignan - Network Administrator, Dominic Le Roy - Meter Reader, Aneta Kowalska - Customer Services Agent

My next objective is to gain new instructions from the general public.

This is very tough at the moment as all

the agencies are looking for stock and there appears to be plenty of willing and able buyers, just not enough properties to fill the current need. In my favour is my low commission rate 0.75%, which can and will save some vendors thousands of pounds upon completion.

If you are thinking of selling contact Graham on his mobile 07797765036 or email graham@grays.je in confidence for a honest valuation of your property.

Graham would like to wish his past, present and future buyers and vendors all the very best for the festive period and a happy and prosperous New Year.

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THE JOURNAL LAW

New family law firm launched by advocates Barbara Corbett and Nicholas Le Quesne Law

A new specialist family law firm, Corbett Le Quesne, has been launched by Advocates Barbara Corbett and Nicholas Le Quesne who are practising from 1A West’s Centre.

Corbett Le Quesne advise and represent clients in all areas of Jersey family law including: divorce, financial settlements, cohabitation, pre-nuptial, postnuptial and separation agreements, civil partnerships and dissolution, children law, parental responsibility, residence, contact, relocation, child abduction, care proceedings, surrogacy and adoption.

Advocates Corbett and Le Quesne are both experienced family lawyers qualified in both Jersey and England and Wales and are therefore able to advise and represent clients in both jurisdictions. They also advise foreign lawyers and clients on Jersey family law internationally.

Both advocates are trained in collaborative law and Advocate Corbett is also a mediator and an arbitrator. In November 2016, Advocate Corbett was awarded Family Law Partner of the Year at the Jordans Family Law Awards in London.

The ethos of the firm is to help people resolve their family law issues to ensure the best outcome for their clients and their children. This is done by working in a constructive, consensual and holistic way using out of court methods wherever possible. Barbara and Nick consider it is important to take into account

emotional as well as financial factors when resolving family disputes.

When it is necessary to go to court, cases are dealt with rigorously and thoroughly.

Barbara Corbett said: "Nick and I share a desire to help people by providing exceptional service, support, guidance and representation at what can often

be one of the most stressful and traumatic periods of their lives. For us, this means being creative in our approach and accessible whenever our clients need us."

Corbett Le Quesne can be contacted on 01534 733030 or via email enquiries@corbettlequesne. com. Their website address is www. corbettlequesne.com

THE JOURNAL LAW

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NEW BOUTIQUE LAW FIRM Law

A boutique family law firm has opened in Jersey with a principle to provide a holistic approach to family disputes.

Myersons, which has opened its doors in Broad Street, has been founded by esteemed advocate Victoria Myerson.

Myersons is based on the expertise of an already wellestablished team of local advocates: Victoria Myerson, Carly James and Celanne Scally. The trio worked together previously for over seven years under the Appleby brand, where Advocate Myerson was a Partner. The team set up the new boutique firm in October 2017.

The new firm takes its responsibilities to clients very seriously and has ingrained an ethos of wellness into its core philosophy. The advocates encourage clients to seek counselling, engage in mindfulness

and other health support services whilst working through their family cases.

The new business is built on the strong reputation of its advocates who have decades of combined legal practice experience.

Advocate Myerson has worked on some of the most significant matrimonial proceedings in Jersey and is considered a formidable court room advocate and skilled tactician. She is also the Vice Chairman of the Jersey Family Law Association. Advocate James has 12 years’ experience and is heralded for her negotiation skills, robust advice and empathetic rapport with clients. She is also the current Chair of Relate – the relationship support charity. Advocate Scally is known for her approachable style and client focused vision.

She holds a Master’s degree in philosophy and is renowned for her lateral thinking and academic prowess.

A NEW FIRM WITH A NEW APPROACH Law

An experienced local lawyer has set up a new Jersey law firm specialising exclusively in litigation and dispute resolution work.

Advocate Paul Nicholls, who formerly headed up the litigation and dispute resolution department of a large global offshore firm and who has been practising law for 25 years, has now established Nicholls Law. Nicholls Law is a boutique litigation and dispute resolution firm, which offers a conflict free, accessible, relationship based service. In addition to offering competitive hourly rate charging, where appropriate the firm will also offer a range of flexible fee arrangements including no win no fee, deferred fee and fixed fee agreements and every client will be offered a free initial consultation.

Discussing the new firm Advocate Nicholls said: “My aim is to offer an unbeatable combination of accessibility, experience, quality and value. I strongly believe that the Jersey legal market is changing. I also believe that Jersey law firms need to adapt to be able to offer a much more affordable, flexible and timely level of service for clients.

“I hope to be able to position myself as a credible alternative to many of the existing Jersey law firms. That credibility comes not from the size of my firm, but from my experience, acumen and proven ability to conduct this type of work.”

Nicholls Law currently has as offices at 4 Wharf Street.

Carly James, Victoria Myerson and Celanne Scally

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07829 838844

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