I am standing as Constable of St Helier in June 2026, setting out a vision for a more connected, inclusive and people-focused Parish and opening a period of consultation to shape my final manifesto.

After seven years serving as Deputy across St Helier, I feel ready for the next step builds on delivery and partnership.

My family and I live in St Helier, and I have been proud to represent our Parish for the past seven years. I bring over 25 years of leadership experience in business and public life including as Minister, President of the Scrutiny Liaison Committee and Chair of the Public Accounts Committee.

Our town is the heart of Jersey. It must serve every generation – young families, teenagers, first-time buyers, older residents and the businesses that sustain our economy. We have an opportunity to strengthen community life, improve connectivity and modernise how the Parish operates. I am ready to lead that next chapter.

She made clear that leadership includes listening.

My ideas -from neighbourhood green spaces and youth provision to Parish-led housing and Waterfront connectivity – are proposals for discussion and refinement. These ideas reflect my record and I am inviting parishioners to challenge, support or reshape these ideas. Tell me what works. Tell me what does not. Tell me what is missing.  My manifesto will be stronger if it is shaped together.

What Has Been Done

I have worked alongside volunteers and residents to turn ideas into practical improvements. I am at the heart of initiatives such as the GROW Project and the La Pouquelaye community gardens, transforming underused land into shared green spaces shaped from the ground up. I am grateful for the extraordinary contribution of Parish volunteers – including the Honorary Police – whose service underpins community safety and civic life in St Helier.

I proposed and secured the adoption of Jersey’s Ageing-Friendly Infrastructure Framework, ensuring that future planning considers accessibility and wellbeing across generations. If something is age-friendly, it is people-friendly. Wider pavements support parents with buggies. Safe crossings assist people with disabilities. Good design benefits everyone.

As former Minister for Children and Education, I oversaw improvements in schools and children’s services, including the extension to Mont à l’Abbé School, the delivery of the Play Strategy, the expansion of free school meals and free GP appointments for children – commitments made in my2022 manifesto.

Since returning to the backbenches, I also secured £500,000 through the Government Budget over three years for neighbourhood improvement schemes in St Helier – funding designed to support visible, community-led change across local areas. The funding is there. Now the important question is how we use it. My record shows I focus on delivery. But delivery must evolve with the needs of the Parish.”

A Vision for St Helier

I experience  St Helier as “a mini-Jersey”- reflecting the diversity, energy and ambition of the whole Island.

Please see below a series of proposals for consultation, recognising that that parish is divided into three distinct areas each with their own challenges.

  • Exploring a Parish-led housing scheme combining supported housing and pathways for first-time buyers;
  • Expanding community allotments and green spaces;
  • Creating dedicated dog parks;
  • Better linking town to the Waterfront and harbour to create natural flow
  • Revitalising children’s play areas and developing modern youth spaces for teenagers and young adults, including swing-style social spaces
  • Creating welcoming places in town where young professionals returning to the Island can connect and build networks – recognising that many live independently in St Helier and contribute to its working-day and evening economy
  • Exploring how neighbourhood development and arts-led regeneration can shape different areas of St Helier as destinations in their own right
  • Piloting a more structured Municipal-style forum bringing together deputies, Parish representatives, residents and Youth Assembly representatives

These are proposals for discussion – not fixed conclusions. They reflect what I believe is achievable. But they must be shaped by parishioners.

Working with Government and Andium, the Parish can play a proactive role in sheltered accommodation alongside support for first-time buyers. Intelligent planning can create movement in the housing market while keeping communities intact.

We need to wire town to the Waterfront – not only through infrastructure, but through culture, activity and natural flow.

If St Helier is to thrive long-term, young people must have a seat at the table.

“I believe leadership is not about imposing a plan. It is about creating the conditions where the best ideas can emerge. If you support these ideas, say so. If you would change them, say how. If something is missing, bring it forward.

My aim is to ensure St Helier is a place where people feel connected – to their neighbours, to their green spaces, to their Parish and to the wider Island. St Helier must be a place where children grow, teenagers belong, young professionals build their future, families put down roots, older residents remain valued and businesses are thriving.  That future is ours to shape – together.

Open public drop-in sessions for consultation:

Tuesday 3 March 11:00 -12:30 Beresford Kitchen

Thursday 5 March 17:30 – 19:00 First Tower Youth and Community Centre

Friday 6 March 11:30 -13:00 Edinburgh House Community Café (La Collette Low Rise), Green Street

Saturday 7 March 11:00 – 13:00 Le Grand Douet Community Room

Relaxed family friendly knitting workshop linked to a collaborative installation for the Maritime Museum exhibition in 2026 with tea and cake

Monday 9 March 9:30-11:00 The Yard, Jersey Museum

Saturday 14th of March 10:00 -12:00 Springfields Stadium café

Tuesday 17 March 16:30 – 18:00 Finn & Co, Waterfront

Friday 20 March 16:00 – 18:00 Le Grand Douet Community Room.

Relaxed family friendly knitting workshop linked to a collaborative installation for the Maritime Museum exhibition in 2026 with tea and cake

Monday 23 March 15:30 – 17:00 Grand Vaux Youth and Community Centre

Tuesday 7 April 11:30 – 13:00 Town Hall

If you would like to be involved in the campaign, please be in touch gardiner4constable@gmail.com or on 077977926252