VOLUNTEERS at the Guernsey branch of the Alzheimer’s Society have broken away and set up their own charity after a disagreement with head office.

Tensions ran high after the national group announced it planned to disband all local branches and make day-to-day operational decisions from its UK base.

Guernsey branch chairman Jurat Mike Tanguy was dismayed at the behaviour of head office officials, who he said demanded total control of the local branch yet refused to discuss the matter.

He confirmed all local staff and volunteers have given notice that they will step down from 31 March but assured islanders the decision would not damage services as creation of the Guernsey Alzheimer’s Association was announced yesterday.

‘We have told the society that we are not prepared to continue working in this sort of atmosphere,’ he said.

Mr Tanguy (pictured) said head office had decided to change the administrative structure of the society without consulting local branches. A regional representative was appointed to manage Guernsey and he began dictating the way the local branch should be run, Mr Tanguy said. ‘Cracks started appearing from that point. I’m hugely disappointed with how the local branch has been treated. We have tried since November to arrange a meeting in Guernsey with head office representatives to discuss the implications and they have not responded.’

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