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JT Board appoints new Chair

The Board of the JT Group is pleased to announce Meriel Lenfestey has been appointed as its new Chair, taking over from Phil Male, who has held the position since 2018. Meriel has been a Director on the JT Board since 2016 and was its Senior Independent Director until this new appointment.

Meriel is a customer experience entrepreneur with experience across a wide range of business sectors. Her attention is always on the impact business decisions have on stakeholders, in the short and long term.

After completing a Masters degree from the Royal College of Art, she worked for Microsoft in Seattle and the BBC in London in the 1990s. She founded, grew and sold a pioneering Customer Experience Design agency in London over the next 19 years. Meriel currently chairs Gemserv, a professional services and consulting firm in the energy and low carbon market, is a Non-Executive Director for Boku, an AIM listed global leader in mobile payment solutions, Aurigny in Guernsey, and two FTSE 250 infrastructure funds. She holds voluntary Board roles with the Guernsey IoD, and Art for Guernsey.

Meriel has lived and raised a family in the Channel Islands over the past 18 years.

Daragh McDermott, CEO of JT Group, said: “With her experience in the Channel Islands, and long-standing role on the JT Board, Meriel is the ideal candidate to help guide JT forward, and deliver on our five-year strategy. Making sure we deliver the very best customer experience for the future is a key part of that strategy, and Meriel is ideally placed to lead that.

She is taking over from Phil Male who helped to steer JT through some huge developments including making Jersey the first place in the world to connect full fibre broadband to every property, followed by the creation and eventual sale of the IoT business. I would like to thank Phil for his leadership, support and considerable achievements.”

Meriel Lenfestey added: “I’m really looking forward to taking over as Chair from Phil and supporting JT as we deliver our new five-year strategy. JT is already making great strides in ensuring the needs of all our stakeholders are at the heart of everything we do, and I’ll be working closely with the team to develop that further.



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Baking scarily good creations for Autism Guernsey

Halloween treats, towers of terror and deliciously wicked pumpkin-inspired delights will be judged for their spookiness, technical skill and taste at The Great Charity Bake Off for Autism Guernsey later this month.

The Halloween-themed competition that is raising money for Autism Guernsey is being judged at Les Cotils in St Peter Port, with the overall champion receiving a JT One Ultra package* worth £684.

Every bake must be Halloween themed and will need to be dropped off with their form and entry fee at Les Cotils between 9am and 10:30am on Saturday 29th October. Based on the popular TV show, there are five categories to choose from including a biscuit baking and decorating challenge for children, showstoppers and a technical ‘free from’ bake which must be either gluten/wheat free, dairy free or vegan.

The judging panel, led by the wife of the Lieutenant-Governor, Louise Cripwell, who is also a Patron of Autism Guernsey, will decide which bakers would be worthy of approval from the Great British Bake Off’s Prue Leith or a handshake from Paul Hollywood, so the pressure is on.

Joining Mrs Cripwell on the panel will be Kate Marshall, Head of Guernsey Enterprise at JT, who said: “I’m really looking forward to seeing and sampling the cakes and desserts. This is a fantastic opportunity to raise the profile of Autism Guernsey and get all those would-be bakers who have been inspired by the TV show to have a go and have some fun.”

For those that don’t fancy baking,  the event is open to the public to come along and join in the fun, enjoy a piece of cake for £3, vote for your favourite and take part in the raffle. The Showstopper cakes will be auctioned off at 4pm.

Mandy Rowlinson from Autism Guernsey, added: “The phenomenal success of programmes like the Great British Bake Off has inspired people to try their hand at chocolate ganache, baked Alaska and even showstopping toadstool cakes. Their creations are only limited by their imagination, and I really hope that we have some fantastically scary cakes and bakes in this competition. The judges will be looking for the wow factor but if they taste good too, then they should be onto a winning formula because those that don’t want to bake and are just there for cake can vote for their favourites too.”

The event takes place at Les Cotils between 9am and 10:30am on Saturday 29th October. Further details and entry forms are available from Autism Guernsey by calling Mandy Rowlinson on 01481 232879 or office@autismguernsey.org.gg.



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Sun used to power the final Cobo Balcony Gig

The Cobo Balcony Gigs have taken an environmentally conscious step forward as the series of summer gigs draws to a close this weekend. The Little Green Energy Company will power the final event using solar power generated from the company’s Homefield site, in partnership with JT.

The Balcony Gigs have become a major part of Guernsey’s summer and JT has been a partner for over a decade, helping to bring live music to islanders and visitors. In keeping with the Cobo Bay Hotel’s environmental policy and JT’s commitment to becoming carbon neutral, JT has teamed up with the Little Green Energy Company to livestream the popular gig around the world using its solar photo voltaic energy system.

This joint Carbon Offset initiative used locally generated renewable solar energy to offset the electricity used at the Balcony Gigs with savings of around 200kg of CO2e (Carbon Dioxide equivalent) to benefit the local community.

Gill Knights, JT Group General Counsel & Head of Sustainability, said: “We have been proud partners of Guernsey’s balcony gigs for many years and we are delighted that we are able to power the finale using renewable energy. JT’s purpose is to connect our customers to their sustainable future, so it was fitting that we linked up with Little Green to offset the event in a unique way whilst supporting the environmental commitments we have made to our Islands.”

As part of JT’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality in all its operations, the Little Green Energy Company was the natural choice to partner with. JT has been using locally generated renewable energy to offset the electricity it’s used at previous Cobo Balcony Gigs. It is hoped that as further renewable energy initiatives are developed, all the events JT holds in the island will be carbon neutral.



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JT’s sustainable credentials proves a draw at Chamber lunchtime series

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 speakerswhich 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.”



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Local music celebrated in Guernsey’s largest street festival

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 23rd July to 6th 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.”



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JT helps empower and mentor the next generation of female leaders

JT leaders will join other business figures in guiding students from JCG and around the world as they take part in a global female leadership programme this week. LEAP, which stands for Leadership and Entrepreneurship Accelerator Programme, is open to all girls aged 14 to 18 and develops business and leadership skills with the participants launching social enterprise projects which are pitched to a group of business dragons.

JT’s Group Senior Legal Counsel and Head of Sustainability, Gill Knights, and JT International’s Head of Solution Design and Innovation, Marcus Irwin, will join local and international experts from across the business spectrum to act as coaches and mentors during the ten-day programme.

Local students will be joined by students from China, Taiwan, India, Turkey, Austria, Rwanda and the USA. They will be split into teams to come up with business ideas that they will pitch to a ‘Dragons Den’ at the end of the programme. There is real money at stake with up to £2,000 going to the winning team out of a total prize fund of £4,000. Previous projects have been based on social inclusion and waste management.

JT International’s Marcus Irwin will be on the panel of eight dragons, and he said: “This is an amazing opportunity for the young women who will be the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders. As a father, I understand the importance of nurturing talent from an early age and LEAP does a huge amount to bring that out of all those that take part.

As with our own recently launched JT Venture, a platform for ambitious start-ups and entrepreneurs to partner with JT and take their business to the next level, I will be looking closely at each proposition to see whether they have thought about supply chains, customer journeys, the digital outlook and just how they’ll fund their business ideas. This presents a real chance of investment and I have no doubt these girls will deliver business ideas that we’ll all see in the not too distant future.”

Throughout the week the students will take part in team building exercises and workshops and will hear inspirational talks from business leaders across all sectors, one of which is JT’s Senior Legal Counsel and Head of Sustainability, Gill knights, who will share how she came from an engineering and legal background to reach her current position.

JT will be donating SIM packs to all of the visiting students for the duration of the programme.

Peter le Masurier, from JCG, added: “This is the third year we have hosted LEAP and we are incredibly lucky to have so many prominent businesses involved along with successful business leaders who are prepared to give up their time to guide our students. I am looking forward to seeing how our students and the visiting students interact with each other, taking onboard, sharing knowledge and making the most of the invaluable advice and help they will be getting.”



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Mitel rewards JT’s continued commitment to business excellence

JT is excited to announce that it has retained the highest level of accreditation from a global leader in business communications. JT was first awarded Mitel Platinum status in 2020 and is still the only telecoms company in the Channel Islands to have reached that level.

Platinum status is the highest accreditation available, making JT one of Mitel’s key partners and one of only 14 businesses across the UK, Ireland and the Channel Islands to have ever received the accolade. Earlier this year JT was chosen as Mitel’s Innovation Partner of the Year after not only setting up its own state-of-the-art Mitel Contact centre but also for completing a world-class, multi-dimensional and complex migration process of IT systems for the Government of Guernsey.

James Singleton, Strategic Partnership Manager said: “We are really thrilled that Mitel continues to recognise JT as one of its key partners, rewarding our commitment and the team’s genuine hard work. It means that once again our teams have met the highest level of expertise in delivering exceptional service to our customers. Together we have deployed, managed and supported many complex Mitel solutions across the Channel Islands. It’s thanks to the dedication of an exceptional team that not only are our customer’s communication needs in good hands but that world leaders such as Mitel distinguish us as an elite partner.”

Mitel services are found in businesses and organisations all over the world, providing a wide array of solutions, from simple business communications to sophisticated unified and collaborative communications, whether on-site or in the cloud.

Nick Riggott, UKISA Sales Director at Mitel, added: “We demand high standards from the channel partners we work with in our partnership programme and JT has shown its continued commitment to providing a service that surpasses most. They reached the Gold level in 2019 and then Platinum a year later. This achievement demonstrates that JT is a reliable highly-skilled partner with whom we built a strong and fruitful relationship to address current and future UC needs of businesses in the Channel Islands and beyond.”



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JT helps Autism Guernsey expand its coding club

More young people on the autistic spectrum in Guernsey will have the opportunity to learn about computer coding following a donation by JT to Autism Guernsey.

The donation of 5 laptops and 5 Spheros (mini coding robots) from JT will make a huge difference to the Coding Club run by the charity. This welcome addition allows children who don’t own a laptop to take part and has meant five more people have been able to join the course.

Working with Spheros encourages exploration, imagination, and perseverance using computer science. They help to empower people of all abilities to discover their interests and passions.

Pip Carpenter, Head of Commercial Market at JT, said: “The Coding Club gives young autistic people the chance to learn in a stress-free environment. I’ve loved hearing about how some of the children come back to help new group members, providing a sense of purpose that is so important for self-esteem, confidence and motivation. We’re really pleased to be able to give another group of people the chance to take part in the Club, these education kits are brilliant for teaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) subjects by creating activities that help put all they have learned about coding into practice.”

Martine White, Wellbeing and Enablement facilitator, from Autism Guernsey, added: “The Children’s Coding Club is often the only social activity that many of the young people we help engage in. Anxiety makes it very difficult for a lot of our young people to participate in group activities, but coding works well because the experience is completely structured from the second they arrive to the moment that they leave. They are focusing on set tasks which takes the emphasis away from social engagement. It means that the engagement that they do experience within the group is based on sharing a common interest and intention. It takes the mystery out of socialising and is a much more comfortable environment. They are all very interested in computers, gaming and coding, and are so excited about the Spheros, we are very grateful to our partner JT for taking our learning to a new level.”



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Designer brands auctioned for Autism Guernsey

Handbags, accessories and the latest designer frocks and shoes will be available at bargain prices at a fund-raising fashion show and auction for Autism Guernsey next week.

The charity event, sponsored by JT, is being held on Wednesday 22nd June at the St Pierre Park Hotel where donated dresses and outfits in sizes 6-22 will be modelled on the catwalk by some of the volunteers who help at the charity. They’ll be showing off high street brands and designer outfits, with additional clothes, shoes and handbags also available for sale.

And it’s not just designer clothing that’ll be going under the hammer. Among the many amazing auction lots donated by local businesses are pamper hampers, champagne, jewellery, cosmetics and much more plus a JT One Ultra subscription, kindly donated by JT.

Tamara O’Brien, Deputy Managing Director at JT Guernsey, said: “The Autism Guernsey Charity Fashion Show and Auction is a much-loved annual event and tickets sell out every year which we are delighted to be sponsoring. It promotes purchasing pre-owned outfits as a more sustainable way of buying clothes, as well as offering our Guernsey community some designer bargains and a fun night out. We hope it’s hugely successful and well attended so that Autism Guernsey can raise further funds towards the great work they do for our island and islanders.”

Tickets, which include a drink on arrival, cost £17.50 and are selling fast. They are available from Autism Guernsey on 01481 232879 or by emailing office@autismguernsey.org.gg.

Mandy Rowlinson, Fundraising Manager at Autism Guernsey, added: “Every time we hold this event it gets bigger and better. We raised nearly £5,000 when we last held it in 2021 with guests coming away with designer dresses and Mulberry handbags. Autism Guernsey couldn’t run their fundraising events without the help of our fantastic volunteers and our incredible partner JT, so a big thank you to them all for their help and support.”



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Sark test bed for solar powered mobile network

JT has installed six solar panels on Little Sark as part of a trial to see whether further mobile sites in the Channel Islands can be powered by renewable energy.

The panels, which were installed by the Little Green Energy Company, will maintain the batteries that power the antenna which provides JT’s mobile phone coverage in Little Sark. If successful, this model could be used at other JT sites across the Channel Islands, meeting JT’s commitment to reduce the company’s reliance on power from the grid.

Joseph Donovan, Private Circuit Project Manager, said: “Operating in Sark provides its own challenges, so it’s the perfect place for JT to test equipment that needs to work with minimal intervention and maintenance. This trial will provide an opportunity for our engineers to gauge how well our network will handle calls and data using 100% renewable energy. The mobile site will use the electricity grid to provide the initial charge of the batteries, but after that, it’s the power of the sun that will keep those charged up and working, day and night.’’

Six panels have been set up next to the small mobile radio site, using kit specially designed to run in remote areas that are not connected to the grid. If the trial is a success, it is hoped that more of JT’s equipment and infrastructure can be transferred to sustainable sources of power.

Tom Noel, Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, added: “We have set out to make significant reductions in the amount of carbon emissions our activities generate. Everything we do, from decisions made by JT’s Board to the vehicles our engineers drive, must fit into the strategic goals we have set to become carbon neutral. Our renewable energy initiatives will make a real difference and we are proud to be backing this project in Sark to reduce emissions and our carbon footprint. We’re really hoping that during the summer it will run 100% of the time on solar power, providing a greener way to run our network in Sark.”