The Peace Light of Bethlehem arrived in the Isle of Man for the first time last night.

After being lit from the eternal flame in Bethlehem, the light has made its way across Europe.

It was shared with five members of the Isle of Man Scouting and Guiding movements who travelled to a distribution ceremony at St Anne’s Church, St Helen’s, on Tuesday evening.

Carried to the island aboard the Ben-My-Chree in a modified windproof oil lantern, the light has been placed in St Matthew’s Church, Douglas, where another distribution ceremony will take place on Saturday at 2pm.

Scouts and Guides from across the island will use long lasting candles to take the light into their communities. They will be placed in over 50 locations around the Isle of Man over Christmas, including churches, residential homes and Noble’s Hospital.

Work on Douglas Promenade is likely to be delayed until the autumn next year.

The Department of Infrastructure recently announced what it called ‘a pause’ in its promenade refurbishment programme to explore additional options, while retaining the focus on improvements to the highway, footways and drainage.

The process of finalising designs, taking proposals to Tynwald and submitting an application for planning approval means that work is unlikely to start again on Douglas Promenade until autumn 2015.

Douglas Council had planned to suspend the horse trams for 2015 for the roadworks. They will now be running after all.

A public consultation and exhibition in October generated feedback on the proposals, including people’s preferred location of the horse tram tracks.

More than 3,000 people visited the display at the Sea Terminal and the comments are being taken into consideration in the designs currently being drawn up by the project team.

The department has also held productive meetings with members of the retail and hotel industries and is working in partnership with Douglas Council in order to resolve outstanding issues and take the scheme forward.

A Department of Infrastructure spokesman said: ‘It is widely recognised that significant capital investment in Douglas Promenade is urgently needed, as the road continues to deteriorate, with the surface becoming uneven, patched and badly cracked. It has reached the end of its useful life, both as a highway and from an aesthetic viewpoint.’

Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne MHK said: ‘Work to rejuvenate Douglas Promenade is a massive undertaking and it is important to assess all the options before progressing. This represents an investment in the Isle of Man’s infrastructure for the next 50 years and we must get it right.’

‘We are looking at design proposals to take account of issues such as the horse trams, traffic flow, pedestrian crossings, bus stops and the provision of shared use areas. There was a huge response to the recent consultation and members of the public came up with some good ideas for us to consider.’

Mr Gawne added: ‘The department and Douglas Borough Council are committed to working together to achieve the best possible outcome. It is in all our interests to see a high-quality promenade that reflects the Isle of Man’s status as a leading international business centre and high quality tourist destination.

‘This is an opportunity to put in place a scheme the Isle of Man can be proud of and one that supports future economic growth.’

Members of the island’s Pakistani community have organised a candle-lit vigil to remember the people massacred in Peshawar earlier this week.

They are inviting all members of the public to meet at the Sefton Hotel’s Cowell Suite at 5pm on Sunday, December 21.

In a statement, they say: ‘We the residents of Isle of Man strongly condemn the cowardly attacks against innocent civilians in a school in Peshawar, Pakistan killing more than 140 people including 122 children.

‘We mourn with the families of the departed and with all of those parents who sent their children in school uniform and received them in coffins.

‘Please join us for a candle light vigil on Sunday evening to pay our respects to victims of this attack and all attacks on innocent human beings around the world and join our hands in saying that we will not remain silent but condemn such atrocities.’

Andrew Dixon, who leads the chartered accountancy firm’s assurance department, will be admitted to the partnership of Moore Stephens Isle of Man on January 1, 2015.

‘Andrew is an inspiration to us all; I’m thrilled that my partners have demonstrated their confidence in Andrew through this appointment,’ said Dawn Webb, assurance partner in Moore Stephens.

‘Since joining the firm, he has proven himself a leader and developed a personal brand as a trusted professional within the local business community. I am very proud of him and his team.’

Andrew was educated in the island at King William’s College and graduated from Lancaster University in 2007 with a first class honours degree in accounting and finance. After training at a Big Four firm, he joined Moore Stephens in 2010.

Andrew has diverse audit experience including funds, banks, pensions, regulated coporate service providers, local and international manufacturing, shipping, agricultural, distribution and Stock Exchange listed clients.

He and his team are currently responsible for more than 120 audits a year, a portfolio that has grown continuously under his leadership.

Since joining the firm Andrew has identified and developed new service lines, including superyacht audits, and also assumed responsibility for company valuations and liquidations.

As mentor to qualified staff and counsellor to the firm’s Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales trainees, he also helps staff advance their career development.

Local charity The Karsons Family Foundation is offering an amazing experience for a young Manx person to join a Quest Overseas expedition working with children in Rwanda, Malawi or Peru next summer.

The foundation is looking to recruit a local youngster aged between 18 and 24 in July 2015 who is interested in other cultures to take part in Quest’s ethical volunteering programme.

The successful candidate will spend four or five weeks working on a project that particularly benefits children in one of the locations.

The candidate will be requested to raise £500 through their own fundraising efforts towards the cost of the expedition, with the Karsons Foundation funding the rest.

‘This is an opportunity for a life-changing and enriching experience for the individual involved,’ said the foundation trustees. ‘Not only does it offer a wonderful chance to learn about life in a different part of the world, it can make a transformational difference to the community the project benefits.’

Developed in conjunction with the One World Centre, this project is an initiative of one of the younger foundation members, who has taken part in a similar trip in the past and who found it a real life-changing experience.

‘The outlook and openness it brought to a young and developing mind is a direct influence on this project being set up now,’ said the foundation trustees.

Potential candidates should apply by email to info@owciom.org giving their details along with up to 1,000 words explaining:

· Why they should be the successful candidate

· Which project they would like to be part of and why

· How they expect this opportunity to fit in with their plans for work or further study

· What experience or knowledge they have of other cultures

· Some practical examples of what they have done to help others

· How they plan to raise £500 towards the cost

The closing date for applications is January 9 and short-listed candidates will be interviewed in February.

The expedition is organised by Quest Overseas, a company which specialises in gap year and short term experiences overseas whilst championing ethical volunteering, responsible travel and sustainable development. More information is available at www.questoverseas.com.

The Karsons Family Foundation thanked Rosemary Clarke of the One World Centre and Quest Overseas for helping it to give this opportunity to a young person and bringing the project to fruition.

A performing arts space in Castletown that can hold more than 200 people has been opened to the community for the very first time.

The theatre at King William’s College was recently reopened after major refurbishment.

As part of a £1 million investment programme which saw improvements to boarding houses, year group centres and much needed window and roof repairs during the summer, around £80,000 has been spent on the theatre.

Brand new retractable seating has increased the theatre’s capacity to 211, making it one of the largest performance spaces in the island.

The seating can also be folded away to open up the room for large events. The space was recently used as a catwalk and dinner venue for a fashion show by local designer Claire Christian.

There are also plans for further expansion including the addition of a new lighting and sound system.

David Dawson has been hired as bookings manager to help the community make use of the facility.

He said: ‘I couldn’t be more proud of what we at King William’s are trying to do for theatre on the island.

‘To the best of my knowledge our theatre has the highest seating capacity on the island behind the Gaiety and Villa Marina.

‘It really is a jewel in our crown, and we’re really excited to open it up for the community for the first time.’

He continued: ‘We already have dance classes using the venue and hopefully we can attract more groups – choirs, amateur dramatics or bands, everyone is more than welcome. I’m really keen to work with people and help them get the best from our theatre.

He said the new seating has transformed the venue and made it possible to use the room for a much wider range of functions.

He said: ‘It’s fantastic compared to what we had before. It used to take three days to put the seats up, and three days to take them down again.

‘It was quite rickety, and it was so high that people at the back had to watch their heads!’

He added: ‘With our plans to develop the venue into the leading theatre space behind the Gaiety, this can only mean great news for our island and a real investment in our community.”

King William’s College Big School Theatre is available for hire to public groups and individuals as a rehearsal or performance venue.

For more information call 820400 or download a booking form from.kwc.im

Isle of Man Transport has moved to reassure people that there are no problems with its travel card website after one customer viewed another’s personal details.

As we previously reported, from January 7 children will pay to use school buses using smart cards which are already on sale at a price of £2 and will need to be topped up with money to pay for journeys which cost 25p each.

A spokesman said: ‘We can confirm there has been an isolated incident where a parent viewed another customer’s information through using the travel cards website to purchase a Go School card top-up.

‘It appears that the parent entered their card number incorrectly and by coincidence there was already a customer with that number using the same password.

‘The password chosen was not ‘strong’. When a password is set customers are informed if it is weak, medium or strong and we will be modifying the website so that only strong passwords will be accepted.’

‘We are continuing to make improvements to the website, including adding the facility to manage multiple cards on the same account, which function will be available shortly.’

TT supporters are trying to find anyone connected with a memorial at the side of the TT course which appears to have been destroyed by a vehicle crashing into it.

The small stone memorial was at the side of the course at The Nook and commemorated Czech rider Petr Hlavatka from Holodin who crashed nearby during TT practices in 1991.

According to the Isle of Man TT Circuit Memorials Revealed book by Paul Copparelli and Peter Mylchreest, the memorial was erected by Mr Hlavatka’s family and friends in a field on the outside of the course and bore a plaque on top of the stone plinth.

Fellow Czech Jiri Podobski, who lives nearby at Governor’s Hill contacted the Manx Independent recently noting the memorial had been demolished apparently by a vehicle hitting it after running off the road.

‘I drive past it every day and recently I noticed it was crashed into. I believe he was the only Czech rider to have died in the TT races.’

Mr Podobski said he knew the memorial was visited by Czech riders currently competing in the event and added there appeared to be a significant amount of debris left at the site, possibly from the vehicle responsible.

‘I’ve been going past it for about 15 years now so I am keen to know about any family ties. It would be nice if someone who knows something could come forward and then something could be done to repair it,’ he said.

Isle of Man police have said they are completely unaware of who may be responsible or indeed of any damage being done.

Paul Bradford, TT fan and author of the TT and MGP Memorial Book said he too had noticed the damage.

‘It’s clearly something substantial because it seems to have been broken right off,’ he said.

‘I know people who may be able to help with repairing it but we need to know if there is anyone in the island connected with the memorial. It would be nice to hear from anyone and see if they would like some help with repairs. It may be that matters are in hand.

‘It would be good to try and make contact with the person responsible for building it in the first place.’

Anyone able to help should contact John Turner at Isle of Man Newspapers who can pass on their details.

Noble’s Hospital was £4.5m over budget at the end of September, MHKs heard.

But Health and Social Care Minister Howard Quayle told the House of Keys that this figure was misleading as there are bills outstanding and £1.1m costs to be transferred.

He insisted: ‘It’s not a severe overspend. However, we do take it exceptionally seriously.’

The Minister said that while the overspend, totalling about £3.4m after costs were taken out, was a significant amount of money it had to be put in the context as his department has the biggest expenditure of any in government.

Mr Quayle told the Keys: ‘At the end of September 2014 the financial system reported that Noble’s Hospital was £4.5m over budget.

‘However, the financial system does not accurately reflect the exact position at that time.

‘There are some costs that will be reclaimed from Treasury-held funds at year end and some costs that will need to be transferred to other departments following the creation of shared services. At the end of September these costs amounted to £1.1m.’

Mr Quayle said the rest of the over-spend is mainly associated with costs of hospital medical practitioners, including associated locum and agency costs.

He said: ‘It should be recognised the department has not been funded for pay awards or increments for several years and the cost of locums has risen.’

The Minister said there had been significant changes in senior management and the team was looking at improving efficiency of Noble’s while addressing patient safety issues and quality improvement following the review by the West Midlands inspection team.

Kate Beecroft (Lib Van, Douglas South) asked if some of the overspend was because the department had simply not been given enough money in the first place.

Mr Quayle replied: ‘Of course, I need more money in my department.’

He said other departments’ budgets had been ‘cut to the bone’ to give his the funding it has. ‘We try to live within our means,’ he said.

A gig will be held in memory of Department of Education and Children youth worker Paul Cooper by some of the youngsters whose lives he touched .

Paul worked for the Youth Service for five years and for the last three years ran the Soundcheck project, which assists solo artists and bands with rehearsal space, tuition and instrument use.

Gig4Paul, organised by Soundcheck members following Paul’s sudden death in October, takes place at St Ninian’s High School on Saturday from 6pm to 11pm.

Youth officer Dave Hattersley explained: ‘The gig came came about at the wake following Paul’s funeral.

‘Everyone had gathered at Soundcheck,in the Youth Arts Centre, Douglas, and the members decided there.

‘They started to write names of acts and helpers on a white board, and two of our members asked if we could use the stage at St Ninian’s and they kindly agreed.’

He said: ‘Everyone at Soundcheck – members past and present – all remember Paul in the different ways in which he helped them to develop their musical ability etc and to grow into the well matured young people they are today.

‘This was evident by the numbers at Paul’s funeral with many travelling from all corners of the British Isles to be there.’

Taking part will be a mix of new and old Soundcheck members, and a variety of bands and acoustic acts.

The line-up, with more acts to be confirmed, includes Azariah, Marc McCabe O’Kelly, Ellipsis, Antidote, Red Shift, Greg, Naked, Joey Wylde, Tender Rage, Alice Dudley, Ignite the Sky, Ben and Brad Ingham, and Keiran Ball.

Singer-songwriter Marc McCabe-O’Kelly, aged 17, of Douglas, who has been a member of Soundcheck for three years, will dedicate his version of Foo Fighters’ My Hero to Paul.

He explained: ‘The song is all about how ordinary people can very much be heroes.’

Marc said: ‘Taking part means everything to me. He was a close friend as well as being head of Soundcheck.

‘He was a genuinely nice, funny guy who used to help with everything.’

Singer-songwriter Azariah Sheeley, aged 17, of Douglas, was writing a song with help from Paul when he died.

‘I carried on writing it and finished it, and am going to play it in his memory.

‘We were really excited about it, and to finally finish something I’m happy with feels like I’ve achieved something.’

She added: ‘Soundcheck means so much to me. Playing in the gig is like giving back a little bit of what he gave to me.’

During his time with Soundcheck, Paul helped extend Soundcheck, which was initially based in Douglas, into new areas, including Peel and Ramsey.

He played a key role in the creation of a dedicated recording studio at the Youth Arts Centre, in launching Soundcheck as a charity this spring and in working with schools.

He organised Soundcheck’s participation in events such as Mannifest, the Deep South Music Festival and the Port Erin Beach Festival and arranged its regular gig at Bushy’s on Mad Sunday. Free tickets for Gig4Paul are available from.is.gd/gig4paul

Saturday night will see the last in the run of shows for this year at the Amber Bar in Douglas.

Rounding off proceedings for 2014 will be reggae- tinged folk outfit Rusty Jam Revolution.

The band have had a busy year undertaking an impressive amount of shows both in the various venues across the island and also out on the streets in UK towns and cities while promoting their recent Live at Laxey Dub Club release.

The band will hit the stage sometime after 9pm and it’s free entry.

The band also has more shows booked over the Christmas period including a solo show from front woman Teresa McNulty and a full band show on Saturday, December 27, at The Carnival Live Lounge.

For more information on the band, their forthcoming shows and releases, visit www.facebook.com/RustyJamRevolution

Another hugely popular local band, Nick Barlow and The Bad Noise, continue their relentless gigging schedule this Saturday night with a show at The Carnival Live Lounge.

For anyone who has been present at any of their shows will attest to the fact that these guys are a pretty fantastic live prospect.

To put you in the picture, if you’re a fan of delta Blues with a smattering of both acoustic and electric guitar pieces and the odd stomp box thrown in from Nick for good measure, all complimented by the bass, keys, drums and guitars of The Bad Noise behind him giving a modern feel, then you’re getting somewhere close to the sound that they produce.

The band are currently in the studio laying down the tracks for what will become their debut album for release next year – so I’ll be reviewing that when I can get my hands on it!

For more information visit www.facebook.com/nickbarlowandthebadnoise

Now on to the Smallbear Records camp, a local record label that can never be accused of not keeping themselves incredibly busy.

I’ve received a press release with news regarding local singer/songwriter Clara Barker who, while having been away from the live scene a little in the past couple of months, is getting ready to re-issue her debut album Indigo, following the release of her second album Fine Art & The Breslins earlier ithis year4.

Originally released in March 2010, this edition has been gently remastered and sees the addition of the Christmas In New York single.

Indigo contains a variety of songs, ranging from the joyous and playful Cowboy, Ninja, Bear! to the more downbeat and dark title track and features many live favourites such as Abigail and the original version of Sangion.

The album is available now from https://indigosmallbear.bandcamp.com and will be on all other leading digital retail sites soon.

The video for Abigail, shot by Alex Mealin: youtube.com/watch?v=OTJpEW7_SNk

Christmas In New York: youtube.com/ watch?427RvCKb4 &spfreload=10

Fine Art & The Breslins is available now from lovelyroo.bandcamp.com

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Steve Leach brings the latest rumblings, murmurings, news and views on forthcoming events in and around the island’s music scene. Help support the scene by emailing leachsteve@hotmail.com

Manx Business Solutions (MBS) has appointed Mark Patterson as sales executive.

Mark joins MBS at a key stage in the company’s development.

Mark is familiar with the local corporate market and experienced in the delivery of technical solutions.

Previously employed within the island’s telecoms sector, Mark has also worked within both the island’s recruitment and financial sectors.

Mark will be based on the island. In addition to account managing a number of key accounts he will take responsibility for sales of our office productivity, document management, and business workflow solutions.

MBS managing director, Rupert Leaton said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Mark to our team.

‘We are going through a period of rapid growth both on and off the island, and believe Mark’s appointment will greatly assist us in the delivery of appropriate business solutions for our clients on the island.

A small but vital component in the global fight against ebola has come from an unlikely source in the Isle of Man.

A family business is supplying materials to help medical staff in West Africa who are helping to contain the outbreak.

Dr David Salter, a 53-year-old chemical engineer turned entrepeneur who lives in Colby, is the man behind the Salclear company.

It manufactures a range of chemical products from its base in Ballasalla, normally serving mail order customers who use their products to prevent fogging in motorcycle visors and scuba diving goggles.

But an unexpected inquiry to his website has led him to play a small part in a global crisis.

Dr Salter told the Independent: ‘We’re selling our product Salclear Sport to an overseas aid consultancy in the South of England, who pack up and send aid parcels to various parts of the world.

‘They’re buying anti-fog to help people who are treating the ebola outbreak. You see them on the news and they’re clad head to toe in gowns, gloves and goggles. In such a hot environment, any sort of protective goggles will fog up without the use of our product. It’s a very minor but significant part of the process I suppose.’

But he also revealed that the sale nearly didn’t happen out his fear of fraudulent emails.

‘I very nearly ignored them’, he said.‘When I get contacted by a company that does work in west Africa, I usually delete the email because nine times out of 10 it’s a scam.

‘I replied to say that we get inquiries like this every day and I believed it to be a hoax, but the guy came back and said “no, it’s a serious inquiry”.’

Salclear has been trading since 2004, and Dr Salter said that his company is the result of an innocent question from his then three-year-old son.

He said: ‘On a beach in Spain he was complaining that his swimming mask kept fogging up, and he asked me if I could invent something to stop it – that was the start of the business really! He needs to take the credit because it was his idea, not mine.’

After a decade in business they have developed several secret formulas and supply them across the world through their products.

He said: ‘We do everything here. We manufacture and market the product here from the Isle of Man. We control the whole process, from blending, mixing, production, packaging, labelling and shipping, the whole lot, which is unusual these days as people normally get things made for them.

‘Our presence in the anti-fog market is quite significant. Of course there are bigger manufacturers out there, but they don’t make the products themselves. They’re usually farmed out to India or China, or elsewhere outside of Europe. I’d say we’re the largest independent manufacturer of anti-fogs, certainly in Europe.’

After a career in industry, he and his family moved to the Isle of Man in 2000. But their connection with the island stretches back to the Second World War, when his mother’s side of the family were evacuated to Foxdale.

He said: ‘I grew up on Merseyside with my mum and dad, but I spent time here every year on holiday and fell in love with the place, so when I got the chance to come and live here I jumped at the chance.

The application by Ramsey Commissioners to build a new sports hall, next to Ramsey Rugby Club on Mooragh Promenade, has been refused.

A letter from the planning department in response to the application says that the size of the building would ‘create a visual intrusion into what is currently a very open and exposed location’.

Asked if there will be an appeal against the decision or an amended plan put forward, Ramsey commissioner Richard Radcliffe said: ‘The trustees and the commissioners will be meeting to discuss this; I will not presuppose the outcome of those meetings.

‘It is interesting that neither of the objectors live within the town boundary. Says it all, really.’

We previously reported how Ramsey businessman Keith Kerruish had registered his concerns over the plan and said in a letter to the planning committee that such a structure would be ‘a wart on the unique panoramic vista enjoyed to Barrule driving south on Ramsey’s north promenade’.

Mr Kerruish called for residents to join him in expressing their feelings on the project.

After the decision he said: ‘Although I am in favour of the principle of the Jan McElroy Sports Hall, I am pleased that the planning committee unanimously agreed to decline approval in principle for a building almost 50 per cent larger than the Ramsey Grammar School sports hall on the highly visible Mooragh promenade.

‘I hope the committee will be able to find a suitable site on the Mooragh Brooghs, Leighanny field or elsewhere in the town.’

The planning department letter in response to the application says: ‘The department has determined to refuse the application.

‘The proposed building of the maximum dimensions shown in the application would, by virtue of its size and particularly its height, create a visual intrusion into what is currently a very open and exposed location, and designated as public open space.

‘If the building were smaller, this may result in other sites which have been discounted by the applicant as being inappropriate, potentially being suitable and any further proposal for a smaller building should re-consider the alternative sites on this basis.’

Members of the public can view the plans and the report on the decision here www.gov.im/planningapplication/services/planning, under reference 14/01115/A

A local man aged 22 died in a road accident this morning.

The incident happened at 7.50am on the Mountain Road near the Mountain Box.

The man who died was driving a white Citroen Berlingo van towards Ramsey, when it has collided with a blue, high top Ford Transit van travelling in the opposite direction.

The driver of the Ford Transit was injured, and was taken to Noble’s Hospital. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Detective Inspector Mark Newey, who attended as senior investigating officer said; ‘Emergency services were called to the scene shortly before 8am this morning.

‘The road was completely blocked, and the road was closed while fire officers and paramedics rescued the casualties.

‘Both were transferred by ambulance to Noble’s Hospital, where sadly the Berlingo driver was pronounced dead. We were then in attendance for several hours whilst investigations were carried out.

‘A number of witnesses have already come forward. I’d be grateful if anyone that didn’t leave their details with officers at the scene could get in touch with us at police headquarters on 631212.

‘The family of the driver who died are aware, and our thoughts are with them at this time.’

The island’s nationalised bus company is running additional night buses for people having a night out tonight (Friday) and on New Year’s Eve.

Bus Vannin’s ‘Hullad Oie’ night owl buses leave Lord Street, Douglas, at 12.15am and 1.15am and in the early hours of New Year’s Day to take people from Douglas to Ramsey, Port Erin and Peel.

Buses return to Douglas from Ramsey bus station and Port St Mary (Albert Hotel) at 12.15am, and 1.15am, and from Peel Town Hall at 12.50am and 1.50am on both nights.

The fare is double a standard daytime fare for the journey taken.

A Sunday service with no night owls will operate on Boxing Day and on New Year’s Day.

There are no bus services on Christmas Day.

Rebecca House children’s hospice will receive some of the proceeds from The X Factor winner’s single and ITV Text Santa appeal.

Children’s charity Together for Short Lives, which works with children’s hospices including Rebecca House, has been chosen to benefit from both.

Syco will donate 100 per cent of its profits from the sale of each CD single and download and also from streaming to Together for Short Lives.

This is expected to be at least £1 for each CD and 20p for each download.

The two X Factor finalists will perform their prospective winner’s single live during the final at the SSE Wembley Arena this weekend.

The song will be available to download immediately after The X Factor winner is crowned on Sunday.

X Factor judge Simon Cowell said: ‘I have worked with this charity for many years and I’m delighted that The X Factor winner’s single sales will help families who are going through unthinkably difficult times. Together for Short Lives is such an inspiring and important charity which supports children all over the country. The money we hope to raise will really make a difference.’

Meanwhile Together for Short Lives is one of six charities that will benefit from the ITV Text Santa fundraising campaign on December 19.

Hospice PR and marketing manager Mary Doyle said: ‘Our children’s hospice, Rebecca House, needs to raise £500,000 each year to look after the 31 children and their families that use the service.

‘This is truly wonderful news particularly when the ITV Text Santa campaign to be held on Friday, December 19 ,will also benefit our children’s hospice.

‘Both events are so hugely popular with the public.’

The Youth Justice Team has been successful in diverting young people away from a life of crime, according to its annual report.

The team, led by the police, experienced a ‘challenging but successful year’, with its report for 2013-14 showing a reduction in the number of referrals – 293 (involving 193 individuals) compared with 412 (277) for the previous 12 months.

The report, which is available on the government website {http://www.gov.im/about-the-government/departments/home-affairs/|here}, also provides examples of ‘positive outcomes’ achieved through alternatives to prosecution such as restorative justice, drug and alcohol referral schemes, cautions and final warnings.

The Youth Justice Team (YJT) is focused on the prevention of offending and reoffending by children and young people under the age of 18 years.

Statistics show that it has been instrumental in transforming young lives and reducing the number of victims of crime.

Home Affairs Minister Juan Watterson said: ‘The excellent work of the Youth Justice Team continues to make an important contribution towards maintaining public safety in the Isle of Man. The multi-agency approach is helping to turn young people away from crime and set them on a path to being more productive members of the community. This work involves behavioural change rather than just quick-fix solutions and the results speak for themselves.’

He added: ‘Importantly, this is not just reducing crime for the future, but re-engaging a section of our nation’s youth who might otherwise be unskilled and potentially unemployed. The Youth Justice Team helps them into education, work or training, steering them away from the criminal justice system to being fully engaged members of society. This underlines our desire to protect the vulnerable, both in terms of victims of crime and the young people themselves.’

The YJT brings together professionals from various departments of government, including Home Affairs (police and ptobation), Health and Social Care and Economic Development. The aim is to have a ‘positive impact’ on young people’s lives by working to a philosophy of prevention, restoration and integration.

Crime is prevented or reduced by addressing the underlying reasons behind the offending behaviour – whether they are personal, family, social, educational, training, employment or health issues – and by pursuing earlier and more effective interventions.

The YJT ensures that young offenders face meaningful consequences that hold them accountable for the harm caused to victims and the wider community. A restorative approach is followed, with recommendations in line with the seriousness and persistency of the offending.

Work is also undertaken to integrate young people back into mainstream society. The results have been impressive, with the vast majority of young people referred to the YJT staying out of trouble. Only 19 out of 193 individuals were referred on three or more separate occasions.

In addition, 49 young people made the move into employment, education or work training placements in the first six months of the reporting period, with the support of a full-time careers adviser.

Inspector Paul Bryan said: ‘The year 2013-14 has been a challenging but successful year for the Youth Justice Team. The most striking aspect of this year’s annual report is the continued reduction in referrals. I feel confident the team will continue to provide a quality service in support of positive outcomes for the young people of the Isle of Man who find themselves in difficulty or at odds with the law.’

A fast food retailer has teamed up with a local charity to support their beach cleaning work around the Isle of Man.

McDonald’s is offering free drinks vouchers to all members of Beach Buddies, the community-led volunteer programme that has helped to transform beaches around the island.

Employees of their outlet on Peel Road in Douglas have also started joining in with beach cleaning sessions.

‘We like the work that Beach Buddies is doing around the island, and we wanted to show our support’, explained Lidia Silva, relations manager at McDonald’s in Douglas.

‘Some of our staff have already attended beach cleaning sessions and really enjoyed the experience, and we have more keen to take part in the future.’

The link-up with McDonald’s has been welcomed by Beach Buddies’ founder Bill Dale, who acknowledged that fast food waste represents a significant proportion of the litter that the team removes from the island’s beaches.

He said: ‘It has to be said that some of the most common items to be found on our beaches are fast-food containers, and I’m sure McDonald’s get the blame for them all, which is a bit unfair as the majority do not have any logo of any sort.

‘But it’s sadly true that people throw their fast-food and drinks containers in the street, and they get flushed down the drains, into the rivers, out to sea and eventually end up on our beaches.’

He continued: ‘McDonald’s recognise that this is a problem, and they want to encourage their customers, and everyone else who uses fast food outlets, to be more responsible.

‘We are working on a joint project to raise awareness about the damage that can be caused to the environment and wildlife by litter.’

Miss Silva added: ‘Our first beach cleaning session showed us that there is an ongoing problem with litter, and we want to play our part in making a difference alongside organisations such as Beach Buddies.’

She continued: ‘This is a very positive project, and we are very happy to give our full support to what they are trying to achieve.’

Since November the staff at McDonald’s have taken part in four different beach cleaning sessions at Beach Buddies events across the island.

The war memorial in Ballasalla should stay where it is, resident Orry Mitchell believes.

Malew Commissioners are concerned that the memorial – a Celtic cross near the Poacher’s Pocket development – is eroding.

Moving the cross from its current position by a busy road is ‘unlikely’, so if a replacement is required, they decided to investigate if there is a more suitable location, perhaps near Rushen Abbey.

This was reported in the Isle of Man Examiner on November 18, but Mr Mitchell said he didn’t want to read about it in the newspaper.

He wrote: ‘The article opens to say “discussions are taking place”, so where and with whom are these discussions taking place?

‘The discussions are not taking place at the moment with the people of the parish of Malew whose previous generations in 1923 erected the war memorial to honour those who gave their lives for us and we would remember them in a prominent position.’

He added his father, Cecil, and the late David Allsebrook ‘along with others, fought off an attempt to have the war memorial moved so a developer could build or improve sight lines at this location. There’s got to be some respect for that.’

He added: ‘I am more than disappointed that, using this modern term, the stakeholders were not asked to attend a meeting to discuss this matter.

‘I and many more I am sure of, will wish/want the war memorial to stay where our predecessors erected it for all to remember.’