Guernsey Aid is a Guernsey registered charity (CH645) which works with trusted partners in under-developed countries around the world to address basic needs such as health, education, gender inequality, food security, income generation, water, sanitation and hygiene.
It was set up in 2020 by Dr Nick Paluch, a General Medical Practitioner and qualified Barrister, after he had served for many years as one of Guernsey’s Overseas Aid Commissioners. During his time on the Commission and at his own expense Dr Nick visited numerous grant aid projects sponsored by the people of Guernsey including health clinics and hospitals where he and his wife Claudine who is a trained midwife were able to put their medical skills and experience to good use.
As a Commissioner he also gained valuable insight into the benefits and the difficulties of providing effective aid to individuals and communities in need. Along the way he built up a network of trusted in-country partners whose selfless work he has been privileged to witness at first-hand in the field.
Guernsey Aid exists to offer practical and financial assistance to new and ongoing aid projects with the aim of helping the disadvantaged to improve their lifetime prospects and lift themselves out of poverty. Between them the members of the Committee have decades of experience in the provision of overseas aid either as Commissioners or through involvement in charitable organizations of their own.
Projects already supported include a rural health centre in Malawi, a school for hill-tribe children in Myanmar, a floating clinic on the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia, a mission hospital in Zambia, and a refugee camp in Bangladesh. For further details please refer to the relevant country in the section about our partners and the life saving, life giving work that they do.
The Guernsey Aid Committee consists of;
Judge Russell Finch OBE. KHS. Lieutenant Bailiff and retired Judge of the Royal Court, Bailiwick of Guernsey (Patron)
Dr Nick Paluch MB.BS. MRCGP (Chairperson). See above
Peter Keeling DipFS. MBA. ACIB (Treasurer). Peter is a retired Financial Services Officer who worked for 11 years in undeveloped areas of west and southern Africa. He has first hand experience of rural needs in the Dominican Republic and in Zambia where he has been involved in the preparation and management of several development projects.
Tim Peet MBE. FRCS. Tim is a retired General Surgeon. He was awarded the MBE in 2010 for services to surgery after a distinguished local career and a further 12 years experience teaching and operating in Africa at Kitovu Hospital, Masaka, Uganda. He also served for many years as a Commissioner on the Guernsey Overseas Aid Commission.
Norah Gregson BA. PGCE. After graduating from Southampton University in English and French, Norah enjoyed a long career as a teacher working at the London Oratory School then in the USA and eventually at the Grammar School in Guernsey. More recently she has been involved with an environmental group and the development charity Cafod.
Claudine Paluch RN. RM (Vice-Chairperson and Secretary). Claudine has more than 30 years experience as a registered nurse and midwife. Since her own 5 children have grown up she has been able to put her skills to good use in the developing world and has worked as a volunteer at busy health clinics in both Malawi and Cambodia.
Jurat Connie Helyar-Wilkinson ACIB. Ch.Dir. Following an early career in banking, Connie went on to become Co-Founder, CEO and Chair of the International Private Equity company IPES. She now holds several Non-Executive Directorships and is a Trustee or Board member of a number of charities including the Guernsey Society for Cancer Relief and the Guernsey Arts Commission.
Judge Cherry McMillen BA. Born in Belfast, Cherry graduated in history and then qualified as a solicitor specialising in criminal and family law. In 1998 she was appointed as a Deputy District Judge (Magistrate’s Court) in England and from 2004 to 2019 she worked full time as a Judge in Guernsey. Since retiring she has continued to serve as a Lieutenant Bailiff in the Royal Court and has become involved with several charities including the Guernsey Cheshire Home and Autism Guernsey.
As a small team of volunteers we have no salary costs and no overheads.
We can therefore put 100% of the donations we receive directly into the charity projects we support.
To view our policies please follow these links:
Guernsey Aid 