Police are investigating another attack on livestock in the north of the island.
Fourteen hens were attacked or killed and two pigs attacked by at least one dog in the area of the Garey Road, Lezayre.
A police spokesman said: ‘Police would like to remind all dog owners of the importance of keeping their dogs under proper control at all times.’
Constable Diamond at Ramsey police station is investigating. Phone 812234 or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
The Samaritans will be offering people who have been bereaved by suicide the chance to plant a tree sapling in memory of their loved one.
The event will take place at Woodland Trust’s nursery at Ballamaddrell in Ballabeg at 7pm on Wednesday.
‘We’d like anyone touched by suicide to have the opportunity to come and remember their loved one on the 24th,’ said Helen Gibson, the Samaritans’ publicity officer.
Ballamaddrell is 400 metres along the Grenaby Road, just outside Ballabeg. There will also be a further opportunity to plant the sapling out in September.
For more information contact Helen Gibson on 663399.
Police have appealed for witnesses after an altercation in Douglas left one man needing surgery for facial injuries.
The incident happened in Glen Falcon Gardens off Broadway around 11pm on July 11. Four people were later arrested.
Witnesses or anyone else with information should call Douglas police on 631212 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Liverpool Care Pathway, the controversial ‘tick-box’ care regime for terminally-ill patients is to be suspended in the island - after an independent review concluded it should be phased out in England.
A joint statement issued by Hospice Isle of Man and the Department of Health insisted there was no evidence that the Pathway had ever been used inappropriately in the Isle of Man.
They said they we would suspend the use of the LCP documentation and work closely with doctors and nurses to ensure dying patients get personalised end of life care plans.
More on this story in today’s Isle of Man Examiner
Erin Arts Centre is hosting a special free exhibition of images from past Manx-made movies.
Coinciding with the filming of the the latest production to hit our shores, Our Robot Overlords, the exhibition feature many familiar locations and famous faces, from Johnny Depp to Gemma Arterton.
Mike Reaney, of Isle of Man Film, said: ‘The exhibition is a credit and a thank you to local people who have supported and worked on these movies.
‘Who would have thought 18 years ago that the Manx film industry would go on to produce more than a hundred films, many thousands of hotel bed-nights, local jobs - even Oscar nominations?’
The free exhibition is inside the Sir James Mellon Gallery at the Erin Arts Centre from Wednesday, July 24, to Friday, August 2.
The gallery will be open from 10.30am to 4.30pm Wednesday to Friday, plus during the centre’s evening events.
Information on events can be found at the Erin Arts Centre website www.erinartscentre.com
The island’s VAT sharing agreement with the UK could mean we receive less in the future again.
After the UK changed the agreement three times in the last few years (in its favour and cutting Manx government income by a third in the process) the agreement is being looked at again in a ‘data collection exercise’.
Treasury Minister Eddie Teare tells today’s Isle of Man Examiner that could mean our share drops again.
The paper’s main story on page one is also a political report.
The Examiner reveals that Tynwald questions, the time when backbenchers challenge ministers, is coming under review.
Inside, we report on the comments made in a Tynwald scrutiny committee by two ministers and the Chief Minister about the Sefton bailout deal.
The paper also reveals more about the progress of the £13m Cambrian Place (Lord Street) development in Douglas.
Our sports coverage includes all the news from the Island Games, where our athletes topped the medals table.
In the centre pages, we visit Castle Rushen for its special history event, Unlocked.
The Examiner also includes the island’s liveliest letters and comments in our ‘Your Island, Your Views’ pages.
Plus there’s the Examiner’s monthly business special, Business Word, which looks at property among many other topics.
The island’s favourite paper is in the shops now.
Confidence is returning to the Manx property market, according to a leading estate agent.
Cowley Groves chairman David Creane believes there has been a noticeable change in mood and attitude - although this did not mean that we are ‘out of the woods’ yet.
In his market report for July, he said: ‘Momentum continues to gather. This is not to be interpreted as a return to the days when buyers were literally buying unseen and over the phone but a noticeable change in people’s attitude has taken place.
‘Unit sales made over the past few months are significantly higher than last year but by no means anything like the buoyant days of old.
‘To put it into perspective in the last few months of this year we have doubled the number of sales effected compared to last year. This undoubtedly has a knock on effect in the many areas the property market touches which quite literally are enormous.
‘Whilst I don’t want to beat the drum that the good times are back I certainly want to reflect change in mood and attitude.’
Mr Creane said there are a significant number of properties on the market for sale – some of which are vastly over-priced which will not sell unless a realistic attitude prevails among vendors seeking higher prices than the market can stand.
‘Having overpriced properties distorts the market and conveys the wrong impression. All this does is create confusion,’ said Mr Creane.
He said a swap register is proving successful in cases where properties have been on the market for some time. Matching a vendor and a buyer together with a cash consideration for the difference has allowed transactions to take place.
Two houses on the same estate in Crosby were matched by Cowley Groves this month.
This week’s Business Word, free with today’s Isle of Man Examiner, takes a look at the Manx property market.
If it works well, why ‘privatise’ it? That’s the view of Liberal Vannin leader Peter Karran who is opposing possible plans to hive off Isle of Man Post Office.
Radical changes to the way some government services are run – starting with the operation of the Post Office – are going to be brought in from October onwards, Chief Minister Allan Bell has confirmed.
It is likely the government will hold back from full privatisation - but a planned sell-off of the Royal Mail in UK may have an impact on proposals here.
Member for Economic Development Richard Ronan introduced the Post Office (Amendment) Bill into the House of Keys at the end of last month.
This legislation will allow Isle of Man Post Office to operate with a greater degree of freedom like postal undertakings in the UK and to diversify into areas such as logistics, communications and financial services.
Onchan MHK Mr Karran said he could not see the need to privatise the Post Office - but hoped it could be become a national bank.
He told the Examiner: ‘My concern is that if it works well, it washes its face, why privatise it? We need to look at the Post Office as a national bank. We need a more sensible way forward. I believe there’s a need for a small business bank.’
All government departments and statutory boards have been asked to review the way they operate services as part of the Scope of Government exercise.
In the UK government-owned companies Royal Mail and Post Office Ltd have operated in competition with private sector concerns.
Postal services have largely ceased to be profitable but the UK undertakings have been able to diversify their operations into more profitable areas like communications and logistics - which Isle of Man Post Office as a statutory board is currently unable to do.
Wednesday is ‘international self-care day’ and an event will be taking place in Douglas to mark it.
The Department of Health’s self care steering group, along with staff other care sectors, will be available to explain more about self care at The Strand Shopping Centre in Douglas between 10am and 4pm.
Cath Quilliam, director of community nursing, said: ‘Celebrating international self care day is an important way of raising awareness amongst the public, and helps the department to get the message out about the important role self care plays in wellbeing. The concepts of self care and ill-health prevention are fundamental to the department’s health strategy.’
The Health-e Directory has been developed as a ‘one stop shop’ for up-to-date help and advice about self care and keeping healthy in the Isle of Man.
A Department of Health spokesman: ‘The Health-e Directory is a partnership between government and the community, not focused on government provided health services, but on the diverse range of self care support available.
‘Self care refers to the actions individuals take for themselves and their families to stay healthy and to take care of minor and long term health conditions, based on their knowledge and the information available. This includes working in partnership with health and social care professionals as necessary.’
The spokesman said that self care practices ranged from brushing your teeth to learning to live with a long term health condition such as Parkinson’s disease.
Ann Corkill, senior nurse for self care, said: ‘We are bombarded with vast amounts of information and news articles on ‘healthy living’, telling us to stop smoking, cut down on fatty food and alcohol, maintain a healthy weight, reduce the amount of salt and sugar in our diet and increase our exercise.
‘It is far too easy to ignore these health warnings – that is until the inevitable happens – we develop a long term health condition such as diabetes, heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, it should be recognised that for many, their long term condition may not have a direct link to lifestyle choices.
‘For many of us we know what we need to do but actually doing it is difficult and we don’t always know where to go for help and support. Supporting people to self care brings many benefits, such as improving confidence, knowledge, skills and overall wellbeing.’
The department believes that around six out of 10 adults in the population report some form of long term health problem and by 2030 it is estimated that the incidence of long term health conditions is set to double.
These numbers are predicted to rise due to factors such as an aging population and what the department describes as ‘certain lifestyle choices’.
Dennis Taylor, one of the best-known figures in the world of snooker is to visit the island to talk about the sport and his career at a black tie event in October.
The Isle of Man Sporting and Dining Club will welcome snooker legend Dennis Taylor to its next dinner event.
Dennis Taylor took up the game of snooker at the age of nine and became local champion in Coalisland in Northern Ireland five years later.
He moved to England in 1966, won the national under-19 billiards championship in 1968 and became a professional snooker player in 1972.
In 1979 he reached his first world championship final, where he was defeated by Terry Griffiths. Having experimented with contact lenses, Dennis began to wear the large snooker glasses that were to become his trademark in 1983.
The following season, he collected his first title, when he beat Cliff Thorburn in the final.
A few months later, Dennis took the world title in extraordinary fashion. Steve Davis took an 8-0 lead in the first session, but Dennis fought back to trail 9-7 overnight.
He ended up claiming the title on the final black and in so doing became part of snooker history. Dennis continued to be a powerful force in snooker, reaching the latter stages of many ranking events.
In 1987, he won the B&H Masters title after a nailbiting final against Alex Higgins and later that year it was against Dennis that an 18-year-old Stephen Hendry claimed his first ranking title in the Grand Prix.
Dennis found fame later in life thanks to his performances in the BBC’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’. He is also part of the BBC television commentary team.
During the dinner, a charity raffle will be held, with all funds raised being donated to a local charity to be nominated by sponsors HSBC. At the previous dinner held in June featuring cricket icon and West Indies legend Sir Garfield Sobers, £855 was raised in aid of the Douglas Mayoral Charity Appeal 2013-14.
John Wannenburgh of the Isle of Man Sporting and Dining Club said: ‘Even for those who are not avid snooker fans, Dennis Taylor is perhaps one of the most recognisable figures in sport. For those who are keen on snooker he is an icon of the game, being both a hugely talented player and a hugely charismatic personality at the table and away from it. Dennis will undoubtedly be a fascinating speaker with a host of stories to tell, which I’m sure will make this dinner another hugely popular event.’
The event will take place on Thursday, October 17, at the Palace Hotel and Casino in Douglas, with dinner tickets costing £60 for members and £65 for non-members (excluding VAT).
They are available by contacting the club on 617049 or mobile 495749 and at john@sportinganddiningclub.com.
Vehicle inspectors will be carrying out regular road side checks as part of a government road safety push.
Working with the police’s roads policing unit and neighbourhood teams, Department of Infrastucture staff are to carry out checks at various locations and times around the island.
The chief examiner, Mark Pattison, said: ‘One of the most alarming statistics is the use of temporary fuel filler caps.
‘These caps are not suitable for permanent use as they do not form a seal, they only help prevent rainwater and debris entering the tank and should only be used for a short period until a proper replacement cap is obtained.
‘Such caps may result in fuel spilling on the road surface and that can cause a danger to other road users making the road surface slippery. There is also a possible fire hazard,’ concluded Mr Pattison.
The political member of the DoI for highways, Leonard Singer MHK, said: ‘It is disappointing that some owners are not maintaining their vehicles in a road worthy condition.
‘Proper vehicle maintenance is not only essential for road safety but prevents excessive emissions and higher fuel costs.
‘I would urge vehicle owners to ensure that their vehicles are maintained.’
The department will carry out vehicle checks throughout the year to promote road safety and drivers are reminded that they can be prosecuted if their vehicles have serious defects.
Of the 402 vehicles checked in the winter period, 123 had no defects, however of the remainder, the following defects were identified :
Among the problems identified were: Lighting defects 210, tyre defects 63, wiper blades damaged 12, temporary fuel filler caps 7, broken mirrors 11, exhaust blowing 11 and other problems 28.
The DoI issued some safety tips for driving in hot weather. They included always making sure tyre pressures were correct, making sure there was enough oil in your car, checking coolant levels, keeping a large bottle of water in the boot. If a car overheats, the driver should pull over in and allow it to cool for at least half an hour before topping up the radiator. If they cannot stop straight away, they should open windows and turn on heaters as this may help dissipate some of the heat.
Reform of Tynwald question time is being considered – amid concerns the current system isn’t working and isn’t fair to all Ministers and backbenchers.
Speaker Steve Rodan, chairman of the standing orders committee, has written to all Tynwald members to canvass their views on changing the order of taking questions, length of questions and dealing with blocks of questions – as well as the costs of researching answers and whether there should be limits on the number of questions per Minister.
Tynwald questions give members a chance to quiz Ministers about policy and specific matters. But they are subject to a time limit.
Mr Rodan said he has received representations from various members about difficulties with the present system, such as blocks of questions being directed to one Minister, particularly the Chief Minister, preventing some members from reaching their oral questions.
He said there is a difficult balance between the use of questions for scrutiny and the burden on departments of answering them in a short timescale.
‘This is about more effective scrutiny and to be fair as possible to all members and indeed Ministers,’ he told the Examiner.
Treasury Minister Eddie Teare is one of these who has raised concerns. He suggested that questions should be limited to three per Minister.
He said: ‘I’ve no problem at all about answering questions. But it is unfair on some of the other backbenchers who have put perfectly reasonable questions down.’
Mr Teare said that as he and the Chief Minister were always first in line to answer, questions were sometimes inappropriately directed at them rather than to other Ministers.
At the last Tynwald sitting only 22 of the 35 questions were answered in the allotted period.
Of those, five were directed at the Chief Minister and five at the Treasury Minister. Members ran out of time before they could get round to the questions for the Infrastructure Minister and Social Care Minister.
In his letter to Tynwald members, Mr Rodan wrote: ‘The committee would like to know what particular aspects of the questions system are not working at present and what needs to be reformed.
‘The committee is completely in support of the scrutiny of the executive by way of questions but would also be interested in the experience of Ministers and departments in how the system works from their point of view. It would like to understand more completely the resources involved in preparing questions.’
The major road reconstruction scheme on Peel Road – one of the biggest such projects seen in the Isle of Man in recent years – is entering the next phase.
Focus of the work will switch to the section between the Brown Bobby and Belmont Hill.
And as part of an ongoing flood alleviation scheme, a new outfall pipe will be laid across Peel Road between Belmont Hill and Hills Meadow.
Director of highways Richard Pearson said: ‘The project is proceeding well and is ahead of programme.
‘We are moving on to complete the section between Brown Bobby and the current work area as well as continuing to work towards Quarterbridge from Pulrose Road.
‘Along with the road reconstruction works, a new outfall pipe will be laid across Peel Road between Belmont Hill and Hills Meadow.
‘This is part of an ongoing flood alleviation scheme for this area of Douglas which is being carried out in conjunction with the Water and Sewerage Authority.
‘The new upgraded outfall to the river will help reduce the frequency of flooding incidents on Peel Road as well as improving capacity in the wider catchment.’
The department said it will issue more detail about the temporary traffic management early this week.
All businesses on Peel Road and Pulrose Road will remain open and fully accessible throughout the course of these works.
The Department once again apologised for any delays the works will cause and said it is grateful for continued public patience to enable the major and long overdue improvement project to be completed.
The £4.3 million project to reconstruct the ‘switchback’ Peel Road was originally expected to take 80 weeks to complete.
Mr Pearson said it was ahead of schedule and on target to be completed in less than 80 weeks but with the uncertainty of continuing at the same pace through a Manx winter, he said he could not commit himself to promising an early completion date.
Peel Road has had no major repairs for more than 25 years.
The highways director said it had ‘demonstrably the worst ride quality of any strategic route in the island’, with road surface severely cracked, the concrete slab sub-base having shifted and there being significant subsidence as well as drainage problems.
The developer of the proposed Cambrian Place multi-storey car park and library in Douglas hopes the £12.85 million project will start this autumn.
On Friday Time and Tide Group submitted a ‘reserved matters’ application, which may address some of the conditions laid out when the initial planning application (12/00831/B) for the Douglas Council facility was approved.
The developer said that with the submission of the detailed plans, which ‘flesh out the finer detail of the project’, only the ‘relevant approvals’ are now required to start work, and projected that the project – on the site bounded by Lord Street, Fort Street, Cambrian Place and Muckles Gate – could be finished by the end of next year.
Time and Tide managing director John Asplin said: ‘We can’t stress enough the importance of the council taking the lead in the provision of car parking in the area, we’ve always believed this development has the potential to play a catalytic role in the regeneration of lower Douglas, whilst providing much needed facilities in economic as well as social terms.’
He added: ‘This facility will cater for the planned displacement from the two neighbouring development sites, currently being used as car parks, which in turn will enable the planned leisure scheme development on Middlemarch to be accelerated. It’s logical the horse has to come before the cart.’
The managing director of scheme contractors BCS Ltd, Malcolm Blackburn, said: ‘We are currently into the detailed design and programming stage, and our first priority will be to liaise with the neighbouring properties and current users.’
Asked on how optimistic an autumn start date was, Douglas councillor David Ashford said that until there was government approval for the council to borrow almost £13 million, there could be no real time scale. He agreed, however, that the current plans ‘could be the kick start for development in the area’.
The neighbouring Middlemarch site was bought for £3.2 million by the government in April as part of the Sefton Group bail-out, to lease back to the company.
There have been calls by Douglas councillor Bill Malarkey to not to ‘rush off and spend a great deal of money’ on Cambrian Place, and consider a joint development with the government of the former Lord Street bus station site, as a bus station that incorporated a new library and car park.
Douglas West MHK and former town councillor Chris Thomas said: ‘Throughout my time in council, I lobbied to have Cambrian Place postponed until it was integrated with other development in lower Douglas. I have stated that all Douglas car parks should be managed by a single authority and Chester Street should be refurbished before a new car park was built. If the proposed development is integrated, and the plans are better, I wish the council and developers good luck.’
The Isle of Man’s share of VAT receipts could go down again, Treasury Minister Eddie Teare MHK has conceded.
Mr Teare was speaking as it was announced that a data collection exercise, that will be used to determine the size of the VAT share in the future, is being widened to cover business revenue and expenditure.
The Manx government has lost about a third of its income following changes to the VAT revenue sharing arrangement.
Mr Teare explained UK Treasury wants the island’s share to be equivalent to what we would receive if we had a stand alone VAT system. We currently get about £270 million.
Mr Teare said: ‘We think that is a reasonable estimate but it may go down. We don’t think it will go down a lot.
‘But we are warning colleagues they need to be careful about their department spending plans as they need to be sure they are based on sound revenue forecasts.’
In January this year, 1,000 households selected at random were asked to complete a record of their income and expenditure. That exercise is now halfway through. Later this month, a similar exercise will begin on the company sector which will include some 200 businesses including leading players in each industry.
Mr Teare described this a ‘technical exercise’ that will provide data that will be analysed by the UK Office of National Statistics to determine our share of the VAT in the medium term.
He said he believed the current formula was ‘quite clear and quite fair.’
Data collected for the VAT exercise will relate to a 12 month period ending in this calendar year.
Government economic advisor Stephen Carse said: ‘We need companies to provide us with a breakdown of their figures relating to revenue and costs. This is so even if a company neither incurs or charges VAT, since we need to build up a quantitative picture across the whole economy.’
The Twenty20 cricket trophy is to be displayed in the Isle of Man on Friday.
As official sponsors of the Twenty20 (T20), Friends Life, the parent company of Friends Provident International, has commissioned a tour of the T20 Trophy to all its British Isles offices.
On July 26 between 2pm and 3pm Friends Provident will welcome all cricket fans to see the trophy and have their picture taken with it.
It will eventually be handed to the winner of the T20 later this year.
All the company asks for is a small donation to one of three charities that they will be supporting on the day.
Caroline Cornish, general manager for Friends Provident International’s operation on the Isle of Man, said: ‘I am delighted to have the opportunity to showcase the prestigious trophy to the community on the Isle of Man. My colleagues and I look forward to welcoming cricket fans to our offices at Royal Court, Castletown, and raising money for the causes we support.’
On the morning rain started falling again in the Isle of Man – accompanied by thunder and lightning in many places - officials warned residents to be careful with water use.
The Water and Sewerage Authority says that the current stock levels in the island’s reservoirs are:
Sulby 78 per cent; Clypse 65 per cent; Kerrowdhoo 65 per cent and West Baldwin 72 per cent.
Water is now being transferred from the Sulby reservoir to the West Baldwin reservoir to supplement the supply of raw water to the Douglas water treatment works. This will continue ‘as long as is necessary’.
The authority’s chief executive, Peter Winstanley, said: ‘This procedure is a normal part of the authority’s dry weather plan.
‘It is operating effectively and maintaining the stock level in the West Baldwin reservoir. However, as there is no significant rainfall forecast in the near future we would ask customers to be mindful of the prolonged dry spell and to continue to use water wisely.’
With more than 100 feature films and TV dramas produced to date, a 10 per cent share in Pinewood Shepperton Studios and a host of Hollywood names, Isle of Man Film has been making its mark in movie making since 1995.
But in an industry where the box office and distribution deals decide financial fate, what measures are being taken by members of the Department of Economic Development to safeguard the Manx tax payers’ £12m investment and £25m media development fund, how does this sector contribute to the economy and what might it look like in future?
Introduced by Laurence Skelly MHK, political member with responsibility for film and media, and presented by Steven Christian of Isle of Man film, Junior Chamber of Commerce members and guests can expect a cinematic experience with popcorn and light refreshments.
JCC chairman Chris Darnill said: ‘Film is one of our greatest exports, showcasing and raising awareness of the Island to a worldwide audience.
‘We’ve seen some great names grace our shores such as Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and John Malkovich, along with our very own Samantha Barks and are hoping to fill the 150 seat Broadway Cinema for this entertaining and insightful presentation.’
It takes place tomorrow (Wednesday July 24, 5.45pm to 6.45 pm with registratin at 5.15 pm.
It’s at the Broadway Cinema, Villa Marina Complex, Douglas Promenade.
To find out more or book your place, visit the JCC IOM website www.jcc.im or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/jcciom or join the JCC IOM LinkedIn group.
Entry: £5 each for JCC IoM members, £10 each for guests, including refreshments and popcorn.
The Junior Chamber of Commerce Isle of Man was established in 1992, JCC IoM is an independent not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to promote high standards of leadership, integrity and fellowship throughout all sectors of economic endeavour on the Isle of Man; to inform, protect and promote members’ interests.
‘Government, businesses and organisations on the island must continue to strive to be the very best in order to compete in today’s fast-moving, competitive global environment
‘We have just launched Vision 2020, an important initiative in our strategy for growing the island’s economy. It is vital that we have a clear vision of where our future economic growth will come from and how this is going to be achieved.
‘We will be working together with the business community to identify opportunities and what steps need to be taken for the island to succeed in the future. The role of the Awards for Excellence in promoting the Isle of Man in such a positive way is in complete accord with this initiative.
‘It is important to add, of course, that the Awards for Excellence are not just about the business community but also encompass charitable organisations and the public sector.
‘Last year, I was especially pleased to see that so many public sector employees entered – and won – awards.
‘The people of the Isle of Man rightly expect the highest standards from public sector employees and whilst they would normally demonstrate this through their interaction with the public and the services they provide, the Awards also give a chance to showcase achievements that the public might not otherwise have been aware of.
‘An example of this was the Award for Customer Service, won last year by the Isle of Man Aircraft Registry, which consistently demonstrates the Isle of Man’s “can do” approach to our international customers.
‘The Aircraft Registry is probably not too well known to many members of the Isle of Man public but it continues to expand, bringing business to the island, and it was voted the best aircraft registry in the world in a survey of leading aviation lawyers from around the world.
‘I hope that this year we will again see a significant number of entries from the public sector, some of them again highlighting work that normally goes on behind the scenes but is nonetheless vital.
‘As well, I want to urge as many island businesses and community groups as possible to participate, showing how they contribute to the success of the island and our quality of life.
‘The Isle of Man Government is once again sponsoring the Freedom to Flourish Award which was won last year by the Chamber of Commerce Engineering Sector Skills Group, an initiative that encourages young people to consider a career in engineering and helps them to access the training they need.
‘The Awards for Excellence Night, now in its eighth year, has become firmly fixed in the Manx calendar. It is a wonderful occasion and an ideal showcase for all that is best on this island of ours.’
------------------------
Have you entered the Awards for Excellence yet?
Entries are now being invited for this year’s Awards for Excellence.
The sixteen categories include awards for businesses, public sector and charitable organisations. Then there are the individual categories, for Business Person of the Year, Young Achiever of the Year and Volunteer of the Year – maybe you know someone whose contribution to the local community deserves to be recognised?
Every year, the standard of entries is consistently high and the prestige of winning even higher. To say nothing of the glamour of being part of such a glittering occasion, with comprehensive newspaper coverage both in the lead-up to the prize presentation and on the night itself.
This year’s Awards night takes place on November 21. The event will be compered by Hugh Dennis, star of the hit TV comedy ‘Outnumbered’, and screened live via the web to a worldwide audience.
For further details on how to enter the awards, please contact Trudi Williamson at Isle of Man Newspapers on 695695 or visit iomtoday.co.im/afe
The Cayman National Group announced the appointment of Ken Watterson as a non-executive director to the boards of both Cayman National Bank and Trust Company (Isle of Man) Limited and Cayman National Fund Services (Isle of Man) Limited.
Ken Watterson has more than 27 years experience working in the investment, banking, fiduciary, insurance, IFA and funds sectors with regulated financial companies based in the Isle of Man, UK, Jersey and Guernsey, Switzerland, the Caribbean and the Middle East.
With a background in NHS and research medical science, Ken joined Peat Marwick (later to become KPMG) in 1986.
In 1990, he moved from audit and accountancy to international private banking joining Nat West International Trust Corporation which became part of the Coutts Group.
He gained valuable experience in Coutts’ trust, banking and investment businesses and was given the task of establishing the Isle of Man office’s offshore risk and compliance function.
Following a year’s sabbatical in which he studied the island’s basking sharks and whales and travelled extensively to lecture on the subject in Japan, Australia and South Africa, he joined Close Brothers Private Bank in 2000 as director of Risk and Compliance.
Ken was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship for his work with basking sharks and co-authored a book for BBC Television.
In 2006, Ken moved to Tufton Oceanic, one of the island’s few hedge fund managers, as their chief operating officer and a director where he gained further valuable experience working with the UK FSA and the Dubai Financial Services Authority.
One of Ken’s particular areas of interest is corporate governance an area in which he specialised when studying for his Masters degree in Financial Regulation and compliance management.
He holds the Institute of Directors, Chartered Director qualification and has undertaken a number of corporate governance assignments in his current role as a compliance and corporate governance consultant.
Ken is also a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment and a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute.
Ian Bancroft, managing director of Cayman National’s Isle of Man operations said: ‘I am delighted to welcome Ken to the boards of our Isle of Man businesses.
‘He has a significant wealth of experience in the international corporate and private sectors with a strong focus on risk and compliance.
‘This strength will prove invaluable as we continue to grow our business into new markets and channels of business.
‘We have exciting plans for further development. I anticipate that Ken will make an enormous contribution to our future corporate growth’.
Ken Watterson said: ‘I am looking forward to working with the Cayman National team. They offer a comprehensive wealth management proposition and I am keen to support their development objectives as well as ensuring there is robust oversight of their regulatory obligations.’