The World Manx Society gathered together on the birthday of Manx poet TE Brown’s birthday on May 5 in the Glen Falcon gardens in Douglas where a wreath was laid by Mr Philip Kennaugh who then recited some of his poetry.
Afterwards the group retired to the newly opened Mannin Hotel on Broadway where they enjoyed tea or coffee.
If you are interested in joining the society’s get togethers ring 673251 for further details.
A senior leisure attendant at the National Sports Centre pool has completed a five-mile sponsored swim to raise money for charity.
Mark Snell raised £2,208.78 towards 3D mammography equipment for the Manx Breast Unit at Noble’s Hospital.
Mark undertook the challenge after a close friend’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.
‘I originally decided to swim three miles, or 196 lengths of the NSC pool, but was persuaded by my fellow lifeguards that this wasn’t challenging enough, so I set myself a higher target and swam 320 lengths in a single day,’ he said.
Mark – who has never swum competitively – doubted whether he could complete the challenge but he said: ‘Adrenaline, the support of family, friends and colleagues and the knowledge he was supporting such a worthwhile cause pushed me past the pain barrier.’
Mark handed the cheque over to the Manx Breast Cancer Support Group, which has raised £1.7 million to build and equip the unit.
Mark was joined by Tim Crookall MLC, Minister for Education and Children – which is the government department responsible for sport – and representatives of Friends Provident International/Aviva, which sponsored him.
Although the unit is fully operational, the charity is continuing its fundraising to ensure services can operate to the highest standard. The group plans to fund an upgrade of the breast screening machine to provide 3D images which can improve cancer detection rates. It also wants to purchase equipment to make use of a new form of radiotherapy to treat cancer during surgery.
Julie Stokes, the charity’s chairman, said: ‘We’d like to say a massive thank you to Mark for choosing to help our charity. We really appreciate his support.’
Thirty-six members and guests of the London Manx Society assembled for their annual lunch at the traditional venue in Southampton Row on Saturday.
Having toasted the Lord of Mann, sung the Manx National Anthem and toasted the guests and the land of our birth, the guest of honour, Edmund Southworth, director of Manx National Heritage brought them up to date with the organisation’s work answered a number of topical questions.
Other guests present were Suzanne Richardson, David Nash and Rev Justin White.
Members who attended were Anne and Nick Alexander, Voirry and Robin Carr, Bryan and Sheila Corrin, Pam and Mike Fiddik, Colin and Sheila Gill, Sally and Peter Miller, Melodie and Harry Waddingham, Sam and Mary Weller, Jim and Sue Wood, Douglas Barr-Hamilton, Margaret Brady, Stewart Christian, Derek Costain, Rose Fowler, Maron Honeyborne, Alastair Kneale, Carol Radcliffe, Margaret Robertson, Maisie Sell, Elizabeth Watson, and Mary West.
The outgoing president, Alastair Kneale, after three years in the post, handed over to his successor Bryan Corrin from Beckenham.
Bryan is Emeritus Professor of Respiratory Medicine at Imperial College London and a long-time member of the society.
He is a descendant of Richard Corrin of Castletown and Catherine Creer of St Anne’s (presumably Santon) who were married at Braddan in 1839, immediately prior to leaving the island to settle in Liverpool.
To escape the worst of the Liverpool blitz Bryan was evacuated to Teenie Faragher in Douglas, a stranger but one who looked after him with true Manx kindness. He returned to the island in 1946 as a boarder at King William’s College where he made many Manx friends. This was followed by medical school in London where he progressed through the academic ranks to a chair in lung pathology.
Eight years after EuroManx ceased trading, questions were raised in the House of Keys about the airline’s collapse.
LibVan MHK Peter Karran (Onchan) queried whether government should have extended credit facilities to EuroManx given the scale of its debts.
Mr Karran suggested Treasury had failed to establish the truth and claimed EuroManx had a £20m overdraft. ‘Is Treasury now going to accept that they have been taken for a very expensive ride?’ he asked.
Treasury Minister Eddie Teare said his officers could find no reference to a £20m overdraft and government had received £285,111 following the airline’s liquidation. He insisted the decision to extend financial support was sound.
Mr Teare said Mr Karran’s comments were ‘rich’ given that if he, or his researcher, had done their research, they would have found that EuroManx’s annual returns for 2004, 2005 and 2006, indicated a company indebtedness of nil. ‘So where has the £20 million come from?’ he asked.
He said he was satisfied Treasury took the correct decision as if in November and December 2007 government had not stepped in to support the airlines, operations would have ceased over Christmas and on the vital London City route. ‘I’m disappointed that something which happened nearly eight years ago is now the subject of questions. If this had been a burning issue, surely questions should have been asked earlier?’ he said.
An Andreas man, well-known for his gardening skills, has celebrated his 100th birthday.
Albert Gostlow, of Ballaradcliffe, spent his big day at home surrounded by friends after receiving his birthday card from the Queen.
Albert is originally from the Wirral. He served in the Royal Artillery in the Second World War and had a hairdresser’s business in Cheshire after the war.
He retired to the Isle of Man more than 20 years ago.
He is probably best known on the island for the cultivation of his prize-winning begonias.
Albert, who has been married twice and is a widower from his second marriage, has been a member of the National Begonia Society for more than 30 years.
Albert said: ‘My family used to grow chrysanthemums in a big way. It was always in the back of my mind to become a gardener.’
He was nominated for a Pride in Mann award, the Isle of Man Newspapers’ initiative which recognise outstanding work, for his begonias.
He often wins a clean-sweep of prizes at horticultural shows across the island.
In his recent years he did have a spell in a nursing home, but fought tooth and nail to return to his own home, where he still lives.
As a young boy in the north west of England Albert found himself in the workhouses after his father had died in the First World War and his mother remarried.
Albert described this as a ‘rough time’ and said that he ran away as soon as he could.
He enrolled in the Royal Artillery, which took him to North Africa during the Second World War, where he was part of Winston Churchill’s security during trips to Cairo.
He was posted near Rome as the war ended, as part of security for a large interrogation centre.
When he retired to the island he developed his gardening skills and landed a job as head gardener at Rushen Abbey gardens.
In 2009 Albert developed an entirely new and officially recognised variety of begonia, named Gwendoline Woolard. The flower is one of only 86 recognised varieties of begonia ever produced in hundreds of years of horticulture.
Asked what his recipe for a long life was he answered: ‘Plenty of exercise, gardening, and eating plenty of fresh home-grown vegetables.’
A trainee accountant who drove across the path of an approaching motorbike, seriously injuring the rider, has been given a suspended prison sentence.
The 23-year-old driver was said in court to be mortified and full of remorse after the accident at Derbyhaven, which left the motorcyclist with two broken arms, broken shoulders, a broken pelvis and a knee injury.
The accident, involving Alexander Atherton’s Fiat Punto, caused Nigel Wright, the motorcyclist, to fly through the air after the defendant turned across him into a car park entrance on the afternoon of April 14 last year.
Atherton went voluntarily to the police station, and said in a statement: ‘I looked but didn’t see the bike. I can’t explain why I didn’t see him. I accept responsibility.’
His advocate, Dawn Jones, told an ealier hearing: ‘It was a classic case of look and didn’t see.’
Both parties were travelling relatively slowly and an accident report said Mr Wright’s motorcycle would have been in view for between eight and 19 seconds before the accident. The court also heard Mr Wright would require a knee replacement and would not regain full use of his left leg for between nine months and a year.
Atherton, of Main Road, Union Mills, admitted a charge of causing serious bodily harm by driving carelessly.
Defending Atherton at his sentencing hearing, Peter Russell said his client had made a single error which unfortunately caused awful injuries to Mr Wright.
Mr Russell said: ‘Mr Atherton has deep, genuine and sincere remorse and if he could turn the clock back, he would do it in an instant.’
A victim impact statement was provided but was not read out in court. However, Mr Russell said Mr Wright had been generous in his approach.
‘Not many people would take such a generous stance,’ he said.
‘It was an error of judgement, nothing more. There was nothing to suggest bad driving previously or that he was doing anything other than in accordance with the rules of the road.’
He said Atherton was working extremely hard towards exams and was also doing some bar work to help support himself, in addition to his day job.
‘Overall he is a young man any parent would be proud of and this has had a great impact on him,’ he said.
Sentencing him, Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said she had to balance the impact on Mr Wright against the defendant’s relatively low culpability.
He received eight weeks’ custody, suspended for two years, was banned from driving for a year and must retake his test. He pays £200 costs.
A 45-year-old man from St John’s has been charged with two new offences of rape.
William Henry Kelly, of Peel Road, had previously appeared in court accused of five counts of rape which are alleged to have occurred: between March 1, 2016, and March 21, 2016; July 1, 2014, and July 31, 2014; November 1, 2015 and November 30, 2015; November 1, 2015, and January 27, 2016; April 1, 2013 and July 19, 2013; July 19, 2013, and September 4, 2013; and on March 27, 2016.
Mr Kelly also faces three charges of indecent assault, two of assault causing actual bodily harm, one of common assault and one of conduct amounting to harassment.
The incidents are alleged to relate to the same woman.
Two further rape charges, alleged to have occurred between April 1, 2013, and July 19, 2013, and between July 19, 2013, and September 4, 2013, relate to a second woman.
The case was adjourned until June 7 and Mr Kelly was remanded in custody.
Wigan-based band Vukovar make their way across to Manx shores on Saturday night for their debut show here.
The band that is also on the roster of Manx based imprint, Small Bear Records, will be playing an album launch at Amber in Douglas in support of their new release entitled ‘Voyeurism’, the follow up to their previous offering ‘Emperor’, released last year.
Indeed, both albums were recorded on the island at the Small Bear Records studios and I believe they are also recording their third, as yet untitled album during their visit. Busy times for the band it would appear!
The band, featuring Rick Clarke, Dan Shea and Buddy Miller in their line-up, also have a video available for the first single to be lifted from ‘Voyeurism’, entitled ‘The Blood Garden’.
Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alf6t0Su_AY
The new album will be available to buy on the night and can also be found at https://vukovarsmallbear.bandcamp.com/
Support for the Amber show comes from fellow Small Bear label mates Postcode and Daniel Ankers.
The doors for this free show open at 8pm with Daniel Ankers opening the show from around 8.30pm.
A new name on the Manx music scene has come to my attention this week in the shape of Chess Warren.
Chess has just released a debut single entitled ‘Kicks’ and for a first release, it’s pretty impressive stuff.
Not in the least because Chess is still only 15 years old.
It’s easy to pigeonhole and make comparison but to me there is a touch of Kate Nash and a sprinkling of Florence Welch there in her fledgling voice.
The single can be heard at https://soundcloud.com/chess-warren/kicks
Certainly one to watch!
The single was also recorded with the assistance of Soundcheck Isle of Man.
For the uninitiated, Soundcheck Isle of Man is a Department of Education and Children run project that provides local musicians over the age of 13 with a place to meet up, organise gigs, make recordings and videos, offers practice facilities and is a hugely important project for beginner bands and solo artists.
Elsewhere on the island, this weekend you’ll find the likes of Symbollix in action at Jaks Bar in Douglas on Saturday night.
The band is rooted in mostly 70s classic rock with a nod to the likes of ZZ Top, The Who, Wings, Bad Company, Whitesnake, Cream and The Rolling Stones and features John Ruscoe, George Hughes, John Ryan, Martin McEvely and Stewart Steptoe in their line-up.
For more information on the band and their future live dates, visit www.facebook.com/groups/379000418888939/
More next week!
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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
The island’s Chief Minister received a round of applause from delegates when he addressed an international anti-corruption conference in London.
Allan Bell joined political leaders from around the world, including US Secretary of State John Kerry, for the summit at Lancaster House hosted by UK Premier David Cameron.
Mr Bell said: ‘It’s fair to say that it exceeded all our expectations and was much better than we could have hoped.
‘In some quarters there were initially very low expectations at what the outcome might be. But we gained a lot of support and instead of being on the back foot we were absolutely on the front.’
Mr Bell said he was able to make an early intervention while John Kerry and David Cameron were in the room and was able to explain that while the Isle of Man has done much work to comply with developing international standards, the United States still has a great deal to do.
He made a particular reference to one building in the Delaware where no fewer than 285,000 companies are registered, 10 times the number registered in the island - and no one is able to find out who the beneficial owners of these companies are.
In contrast, the island is committed to setting up a central register of beneficial ownership, which will speed up the process by which tax and law enforcement agencies can find out who the real owners are of Manx-registered companies.
The UK will launch its own fully public register next month. Mr Bell has previously said making the island’s register public is a red line he is not prepared to cross.
But Mr Bell said after the summit ended: ‘We would always follow all international standards. If a public register becomes accepted as the clearly identified global standard, the island would consider its position. But there is a long way to go on that.’
The island is the first Crown Dependency to commit to an initiative on automatic exchange of company beneficial ownership information; a move spearheaded the UK, Germany, Italy, France and Spain. The summit noted 40 countries have now joined the initiative.
Drawing the summit to a close, David Cameron praised the British Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, saying: ‘All of them have committed to having registers of beneficial ownership and crucially most of them now have committed to the automatic exchange of information and automatically sharing those registers of beneficial ownership with other countries.
‘That puts them ahead of many developed countries and even states inside the United States of America in terms of what they are prepared to do.
‘They’ve been an easy target for the press, campaigners and other countries in the past. I think that is quite difficult to do that now because they raised their game to the extent that OECD has said they have shown exemplary leadership.’
The Manx Labour Party has unveiled three candidates for the September general election.
Richard Halsall will be standing in Douglas East, Carol Quine will contest the new combined seat of Castletown, Arbory and Malew, and Lynn Sirdefield has put her name forward for Douglas North.
The three candidates were announced last Thursday evening at a Manx Labour Party meeting held at the South Douglas Old Friends’ Association Club, when the party’s 2016 policy document was also unveiled.
MLP chairman David Cretney MLC praised the three for their introductory speeches: ‘There’s more hard work ahead but we already have three caring, dedicated candidates who will stand up and be counted with your support.’
Mr Halsall, 53, was born in the island and was educated at Ramsey Grammar School. He has spent most of his career working at the Curraghs Wildlife Park, initially as a keeper and then progressing to head keeper and collection manager.
He is standing in Douglas East where has lived with his partner Kirsty since 1999, and is a constituency which is at the heart of the Manx tourism sector.
Ms Quine, 55, is Manx born and a life-long Castletown resident. She is the mother of three grown up daughters and has three grandchildren.
Shw has put her 16 years organisational and administration experience gained as a civil servant to good use with her involvement in a wide range of community events and projects.
These include forming the Friends of Castletown Railway Station, organising the annual Hop-tu-Naa party, 1940s dances and bringing forward the tinsel town event. She is a Castletown commissioner and served for 12 years as a special constable - a role she had to resign from to stand.
Manx-born Mrs Sirdefield and her husband Trevor run a scaffold company, and she says caring for a daughter with special needs has ensured her priority has always been her family. She added the challenges this brought has given her a passion to help those in similar situations and has led her to become a volunteer for Epilepsy Action and have active involvement in the Mental Health Carers Group.
The number of Douglas councillors could be reduced by one third if a proposal put forward by council leader David Christian is adopted.
Mr Christian successfully moved a motion calling for the council’s executive committee to look into cutting the number of councillors from the current 18 to 12, with two rather than three representing each of the six wards.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s council meeting, Mr Christian said: ‘As I was canvassing door to door before the local elections 99 per cent of people seemed to support the idea. We are over-governed. Some elections were uncontested.’
The reduction, if accepted following the executive committee’s review, would take effect from the 2020 local authority elections. A review of boundaries would be carried out.
Councillor John Skinner was installed as mayor 2016-17 at Wednesday’s meeting.
A team from the prison raised money in the Lisa Lowe Appeal Walk organised by Manx Cancer Help.
Members of staff and prisoners acted as ‘Wombles’, tidying up half an hour behind the main group of walkers tackling the 28-mile Millennium Way from Sky Hill in Ramsey to Castletown.
Deputy prison governors Nigel Fisher and Geoff Hathaway, senior officer Mike Pacey and Andy Morrison gave up their free time to take part. They were joined by two trusted prisoners and supported by head of business operations Michelle Mitchell and Paul Mitchell.
The staff and prisoners completed the challenge in seven and a half hours and in addition to keeping the route clean and tidy, they raised money for Manx Cancer Help through sponsorship from colleagues and prisoners.
The number of government workers employed on zero-hours contracts has increased, MHKs were told.
But Policy and Reform Minister John Shimmin said government wanted to reduce the number of such contracts as it was less expensive and more efficient to appoint people on full-time posts.
Replying to a House of Keys question from Peter Karran (LibVan, Onchan), Mr Shimmin said 88 new zero-hours assignments were created in 2014-15 for employees holding a substantive contract in the public service, and a further 108 created in 2015-16.
Mr Karran warned about the creation of an underclass in our society who have no security and ‘who cannot even get a mortgage’.
The Minister said that for some individuals, zero-hours contracts provide positive flexibility that adds income to households.
He said part of the reason for the increase in such contracts had been the cap on government staff. Some departments, particularly in health, social care and education, had brought in people on zero-hours to get around that freeze and ensure that public services were not disrupted.
Mr Shimmin said that cap had now been lifted on those posts.
He said: ‘I would agree there should be nobody on a zero-hours contract who is holding a regular post that is a means of getting around the system.
‘Therefore, we are continuing to encourage departments to ensure where there is a substantive post that has been regularly filled by the same person, they should be afforded a full-time contract.’
He added: ‘We are attempting to reduce the number of zero-hours contracts, because when we are employing people on bank staff, it is a far more expensive and less efficient way of bringing people in. If we can reduce those numbers, give people full-time posts, everybody wins.’
There are some 2,507 public services workers on zero-hours contracts including health workers, education support staff, cleaners, porters, caterers and caretakers, certain emergency services personnel and some staff at Villa-Gaiety, NSC and Manx National Heritage attractions.
The Minister pointed out that some people may have several zero-hours contracts which would distort the figures slightly, he said.
In a separate question Mr Karran asked how many people continued to work for the government after taking a pension payment.
Mr Shimmin said he would get back to the House with an answer. But a written reply to a Keys question from January, which was circulated to MHKs this month, showed 28 people in receipt of a pension had been brought back to government service, up from 19 in 2014 and 18 in 2013.
The manager of the island branch of a charity which supports older people to continue to live independently has been promoted.
Jo Dixon, currently island manager for the MHA Live at Home charity, became area manager for the Isle of Man, Scotland and North West of England from May 1.
She began working for the charity in 2004 and took up her current role in 2013. Jo will continue to be based at the charity’s Isle of Man HQ at Willaston Church.
There are five Live At Home schemes in the island – Western, Northern, Onchan, Douglas, Laxey and Lonan – and the charity also runs the Northern Men in Sheds group.
All of these schemes are run by the local branch of the UK-based charity MHA.
Through their Live at Home schemes, they offer a range of services designed to enhance independence, and include regular social groups, lunch clubs, film clubs, shopping clubs, men’s groups all with transport provided.
They offer advice and signposting on accessing other support services, both third sector and statutory.
They also run befriending initiatives in which volunteers make regular visits to an older person to have a chat and a cup of tea, providing friendship and company.
Currently there are approximately 700 older people who are members of the island schemes, which are run by a team of 12 MHA staff and around 500 volunteers.
Nationally MHA runs 75 Live at Home schemes, along with 64 retirement living schemes and 86 care homes, supporting 16,000 older people. Its mission is to eliminate loneliness and isolation among older people by creating communities that care.
Jo said she was looking forward to taking up her new role, and added: ‘We have experienced significant growth in the need for our services on-island and in the UK over the last few years, and have been able to respond to that need in new and innovative ways by knowing our members and listening to them.
‘My new role will be on a more strategic level.
‘I will use the good practice demonstrated by our Isle of Man schemes to establish services and develop opportunities in line with identified needs of older people and their communities in parts of the UK which currently have minimal Live at Home community services.
‘I will be able to utilise the experience and skills acquired here on the island to drive growth, development and innovation throughout the communities of both Scotland and the north west of England.
‘With a growing ageing population, I feel we have a fundamental part to play in supporting our older generation to live independently in their own homes for as long as they are happy and safe to do so, by offering a range of services which offer quality in later life, and with a clear vision to reduce social isolation, loneliness and foster community engagement for all.’
David Gawne MBE, chairman of Isle of Man Live at Home Schemes, said: ‘I am delighted that Jo’s abilities, her drive and enthusiasm, which has resulted in the increasing and very considerable contribution which Isle of Man Live at Home Schemes are making to the lives of older people in the Isle of Man has been recognised by this significant promotion.
‘The appointment reflects an appreciation by our parent charity of what has been achieved here and reflects that the Isle of Man can and does produce the leaders and the blue print for the wider development of support to older people throughout the UK.
‘Jo leads a team of dedicated staff and volunteers who make a very real difference to the lives of potentially vulnerable people.’
If you want to volunteer to help one of the Isle of Man Live At Home schemes – or are over 60 and want to take part in its activities or know someone who does – phone 616571, email Isleofman.liveathome@mha.org.uk or find the charity on Facebook.
You can also visit the MHA website www.mha.org.uk
A couple from Essex decided to break all the rules and have a wedding with a difference using Isle of Man heritage transport.
Mark Vousden, now O’Brian, and Nicola O’Brian wanted to stand out from the crowd on their big day by having a ‘steampunk’ wedding.
Steampunk incorporates Victorian dress inspired by 19th century industrial steam-powered machinery.
The pair, from Frinton-on-Sea, are both massive fans of science-fiction and Mark has had a lifelong passion for transport being involved in the industry for 26 years.
Mark said: ‘The whole steampunk scene incorporates the works of Jules Verne and H.G Wells with their theme of industrial sci-fi and travel to another time through sea, land and air.
‘The island is steeped in all of those things with the Victorian steam trains, the world’s oldest electric trams, horse drawn trams, a massive collection of vintage cars and buses, and we have history here so it was just the most natural setting!’
A vintage bus was used to take the couple and their 20 guests to the ceremony at Douglas Register Office and then to the reception at Bradda Glen. They enjoyed a horse tram ride along Douglas Promenade, a trip on the Electric Railway and also a tour of Port Erin Railway Museum.
Their wedding is believed to be the first steampunk themed wedding to take place in the island.
Both Mark and Nicola have a special connection to the Isle of Man. Mark visited on holidays in the 90s and he also encouraged Nicola to take up a seven month work contract with the island’s health service.
He offered to drive Nicola 300 miles to the sea terminal in Liverpool and she asked him if he’d like to come over for a couple of days as he knew the island and could show her round, despite the couple being broken up at the time.
‘He had the choice of walking away or buying a ticket for the island,’ Nicola said. ‘Even though the last minute ticket was going to cost him £103 and leave him broke until payday, he chose the latter, stuck it on the credit card and a couple was formed!’
Nicola described the day as ‘utterly bonkers’. ‘The last thing we wanted was an anodyne boring hotel wedding so we wanted something that no one would forget!’
A vigil will be held in St John’s to remember islanders who died in the First World War.
The all-night event, organised by The Royal British Legion, will mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme and will honour the 1,261 Manx people killed in the war.
It will be held on June 30 from 9pm to 7.30am on July 1 at the Royal Chapel of St John’s and the national War Memorial.
The names of all the Manx people who died in World War One will be read throughout the night and song ‘Sunset’ will be played at 10pm.
At 7am a reveille military call will be sounded and at 7.30am whistles will sound ‘Over the Top’. Ellan Vannin Pipes and Drums will also play ‘The Tunes of Glory’.
The Archdeacon of Mann, the Venerable Andie Brown, Chaplain to the Royal British Legion said: ‘This commemoration allows us all to acknowledge the sacrifices made to remember each individual, to pray for peace and to mark the futility of war.’
Fighting at the Battle of the Somme began on July 1, 1916 and lasted four and a half months. In total, 60 nations from the British Empire and Europe were involved in the fighting.
All individuals and organisations are welcome to attend the vigil.
Health bosses say a series of initiatives should improve the quality of care provided to people in the public and private sector.
They are aimed at the island’s healthcare assistants and care support workers.
The island’s Healthcare Assistant Forum has worked with Chief Nurse Linda Radcliffe to develop a code of conduct, introduce the Care Certificate and launch a mentorship programme.
Minister for Health and Social Care Howard Quayle MHK said: ‘Healthcare assistants and care support workers represent a significant proportion of the island’s health and social care workforce. In the UK for example, a recent review showed that this group made up around a third of the caring workforce in hospitals and now provide more time at the bedside than nurses.
‘These individuals are an integral part of the professional teams that provide care services in the Isle of Man. They are highly valued and deliver care with kindness, professionalism and skill. These new initiatives are designed to ensure that they are supported through consistent training to gain a greater appreciation of the role they have to play in raising the standard of care.’
The Healthcare Assistant Forum is made up of healthcare assistants from health and social care services within government as well as from private sector nursing and residential homes. It was formed to give the sector a voice on topics that affect it.
The new code of conduct has been adopted across the island and outlines seven of what healthcare bosses describe as ‘behaviours’ that must be adhered to. They include being accountable for actions and promoting privacy and dignity.
The Care Certificate, an award launched in England last year, has been adopted in the island. It has 15 standards covering areas such as duty of care, communication and fluids and nutrition.
Chief Nurse Linda Radcliffe said: ‘The new Care Certificate will help to ensure that our healthcare assistants and care support workers can provide consistently good quality care.’
The new certificate includes support for trainees through mentorship. To achieve this, a healthcare assistant mentoring programme has been developed to train existing staff, helping them to provide mentorship to new employees.
A defibrillator, paid for by the family of a Kirk Michael man saved by one, has been installed outside Michael Commissioners’ office in the village.
Chris Corlett’s family and friends funded the project after his heart stopped at work and an on-location defibrillator was used to resuscitate him.
Craig’s Heartstrong Foundation has bought 180 machines and is installing them islandwide, with the aim of having them placed on the outside of buildings.
The Isle of Man Ambulance Service, Rushen Emergency Ambulance, Craig’s Heartstrong Foundation and St John Ambulance have formed a steering group to ensure there is a standardised approach throughout the island.
Paul Healey, chair of Craig’s Heartstrong Foundation, said: ‘It feels very appropriate to launch this 2016 scheme using the equipment purchased through money raised by the Corlett family and friends after Chris Corlett’s life was saved by one of these machines.’
The island’s newest primary school will offer top-class facilities for pupils and the community in Douglas.
That is the view of Minister for Education and Children Tim Crookall MLC about the new Henry Bloom Noble Primary School on Westmoreland Road in Douglas.
The £9.5m school, which will open for the new academic year in September, will replace the ageing Ballacloan Infants’ School on Demesne Road and Fairfield Junior School on Tynwald Street.
The school has a two-court sports hall, an artificial all-weather pitch and outdoor play areas for pupils.
Minister Crookall said: ‘I was delighted that we were able to go to Tynwald and get the money through from treasury and my colleagues and get their support for this project. Now to see the school a few months away from completion and knowing what is coming for the students, teachers and the community is really exciting. I just can’t wait to see it open.’
Head teacher Ian Walmsley said it will be emotional to leave Ballacloan and Fairfield but said the new school will make ‘the world of difference’ to pupils and teachers.
‘We know it’s going to make a change, I’m expecting that change to be massive but I don’t know how big massive is yet. We’re going to look closely at what we need to do to use the building to its full potential.’
A Douglas teenager has been handed a suspended sentence after threatening is ex-girlfriend and kicking in a door.
Dillon Frazer Cowie, of Marathon Drive, pleaded guilty in court to charges of provoking behaviour and criminal damage.
The court heard how, on February 8, Cowie had gone to his ex-girlfriend’s house and contacted her from outside.
Cowie told her that he would ‘batter her if she contacted the police’.
She asked him to leave the area but he refused and it was only when the woman phoned her father, and he arrived in his car, that Cowie left the scene.
Cowie was later arrested for provoking behaviour and made no reply after caution.
In a separate incident on March 25 Cowie went to the Belsfield hotel in Church Road Marina in Douglas.
He had gone to see a man who he said owed him £700. The man refused to open his door and Cowie kicked it until it opened. causing £250 worth of damage.
Once in the room a verbal and physical altercation was said to have occurred between Cowie and the man.
Police were called and when they arrived they saw Cowie leaving the room with his shirt off.
He was detained by officers but was said to have been resistant and belligerent.
He was subsequently handcuffed and taken to police headquarters and told he was being arrested on suspicion of burglary.
Cowie told police: ‘I didn’t think it was burglary if someone was in at the time. I thought it was breaking and entering.
‘I can’t believe he’s pressing charges, he swung at me first. I’m not going to lie, I kicked his door through cos he was gobbing through the window.’
Defending Cowie in court, advocate Peter Russell said: ‘My client and his ex-girlfriend were together a number of months. Almost without fail, previous convictions eminate from incidents to do with that young lady. He would say at times he was provoked but she is no longer in his life.
‘An injunction from another court prevents contact. On the night, he was going round to collect some clothes and she wouldn’t let him in so he lost his temper.’
Talking about the second incident Mr Russell said: ‘Again, a case of not being able to manage his temper. He kicked out and damaged the door. Clearly he has anger management issues.
‘His parents said he was the angriest baby they had ever seen.
‘He recognises he stands in the last chance saloon. There are very much two sides to him. A charming, funny, caring side. The problem is what happens when the switch is flipped.’
Magistrates sentenced to six weeks’ custody for provoking behaviour and two weeks for criminal damage, to run concurrently, suspended for two years.
The court also ruled that due to the fact that Cowie had no income, there would be no order for compensation.