Skipton International to Support Open Studios for Next Three Years

ST PETER PORT, Guernsey, March 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Jersey Arts Trust is delighted to announce that Skipton International is to sponsor one of its most innovative and popular community art projects.

Now in its fifth year, the Skipton Open Studios 2012 kicks off on 22 June with an exhibition at Weighbridge Place, St Helier. Twelve shipping containers will be lowered into place and transformed into an art installation, gallery and workshop for 48 of Jersey's leading artists. Hands-on workshops include container painting, paper making, stonemasonry, print making, needle turning and photography. The installation launches the Skipton Open Studios Directory - a booklet of all artists involved, where they can be found and when their studios are open to the public. There will also be details of further workshops, courses, open studios and arts events throughout the coming year.

Artists taking part in Skipton Open Studios include fine artists, illustrators, jewellers, photographers, textile artists, artist blacksmiths and sculptors.

Jersey Arts Trust (JAT) Creative Director Tom Dingle said it was a chance for locals and tourists to get an insight into an artist's life and work.

'Open Studios celebrates the wealth of talented artists and makers producing work in Jersey, while also giving Islanders and visitors the chance to discover the diversity in the local visual arts scene.  We are delighted to have the support of  Skipton International for the next three years and look forward to working with them to deliver fantastic community events to showcase local artistic talent,' he said

Skipton International, a subsidiary of the UK's fourth largest building society, is a bank and leading mortgage provider in the Channel Islands. They sponsor the Skipton Swimarathon in Guernsey among other charity and community organisations and initiatives in the islands.

The Managing Director at Skipton International, Jim Coupe, said it was a pleasure to support the JAT in taking art into the public domain in such innovative and engaging ways.

'We are really excited to be involved in such a great community endeavour which promises to appeal to Islanders of all ages and visitors to Jersey by bringing the arts to the people and in such a public location as Weighbridge Place. There is a rich pool of diverse artistic talent in the Island - as shown by the 48 artists taking part in the Skipton Open Studios. We hope that our support will help to develop their skills and also enable Islanders and visitors to learn more about their work,' he said.

Please contact: Skipton Open Studios Project Manager Sasha Gibb on 617521 for more information, or Paula Thelwell at Direct Input on 735253 or email [email protected]

Notes to editors:
Dates to remember:
Exhibition at Weighbridge Place: 

Preview: Friday 22nd June 6 - 9 pm.
Exhibition: 23 - 28 June 10 am - 5 pm weekend, 12 - 4 pm weekdays
Weekend Open Studios Sat 23rd & Sun 24th June, & Sat 30 June & Sun 1 July, 10 am - 4 pm

1. Skipton International Limited (SIL)  will lend on residential properties in Guernsey, Jersey and Alderney and the criteria on maximum loan to value is as follows: 

Next Generation Mortgage with third party security guarantee - 100%

Standard variable rate loans, fixed are loans, base rate tracker - residential only - up to 90%

Buy to let, base rate tracker residential - up to 80% 

The maximum term is 25 years.

2. AER stands for Annual Equivalent Rate and illustrates what the interest rate would be if interest was paid and added each year.

3. Skipton International Limited (SIL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Skipton Building Society (SBS), the UK's 4^th largest building society with nearly £14 billion assets.

4. SIL is licensed under the Banking Supervision (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law 1994, as amended.

5. Skipton Building Society has given an undertaking agreeing to discharge the liabilities of SIL in so far as SIL is unable to discharge them out of it own assets and whilst SIL remains a subsidiary of Skipton Building Society.

6. As a Licensed Bank in Guernsey, Skipton International Limited is a participant in the Guernsey Banking Deposit Compensation Scheme (the "Scheme") established by The Banking Deposit Compensation Scheme (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Ordinance, 2008 (the "Ordinance"). The following is a brief summary of the Scheme, but is not intended as a substitute for the actual wording of the Ordinance, a copy of which is available on request.

• The Scheme only applies to 'qualifying deposits', which broadly means deposits made by natural persons for their own benefit; with a few limited exceptions such as, for example, deposits made by trustees of retirement annuity trust schemes, the Scheme does not apply to companies, trusts, partnerships or charities.
• The Scheme will provide compensation in the event that a Licensed Bank is unable to repay its depositors. Under normal circumstances, payment will be made within 3 months of receipt of a valid claim form.
• Compensation is limited to a maximum of £50,000 per individual claimant; in the case of a joint account each depositor would be entitled.
• Total Scheme compensation in any five year period is limited to £100 million. If claims exceed this cap, compensation would be reduced pro rata. The cap also means that compensation in respect of any one bank cannot exceed £100 million.
• The amount payable may be reduced if the Bank has any contractual right of set-off against the account. The Scheme is entitled to recover compensation from any funds subsequently paid out by the Bank.
• Further information and a leaflet about the Scheme is available at:

     Website:    http://www.dcs.gg 
     Telephone:  +44(0)1481-722756
     Post:       P.O. Box 380, St Peter Port, GY1 3FY

7. Deposits made with SIL are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme established under the UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

8. SIL places funds with SBS and thus its financial standing is linked to SBS. Publicly available information, including reports and accounts, is available from http://www.skipton.co.uk.

9. Copies of the latest SIL audited accounts are available on request.

For more information on Skipton International mortgage products, visit http://www.skiptoninternational.com or call +44(0)1481-730-730

Media contacts: Please contact:
Guy Stephenson/Jennifer Duffy
Nacelle Limited
Tel: +44(0)20-8333-9125
+44(0)7980-241-558
E-mail: [email protected]    

SOURCE Skipton International