Reception to honour Island's snow heroes

Community spirited individuals who led the response to the Isle of Man’s worst snow storms for 50 years have been invited to a special reception at Government House on Thursday evening.

Representatives from a wide range of emergency services and public utilities will be in attendance, along with members of the public who went to the aid of stranded neighbours or helped to rescue livestock. The reception, to be hosted by His Excellency Lieutenant Governor Adam Wood, is an annual event held in honour of Her Majesty the Queen’s official birthday in June.

Each year local residents are invited to Government House in recognition of their efforts within a particular sector, such as charity work or service to the community. This year the Lieutenant Governor was keen to pay tribute to some of the people involved in the community effort in the wake of the severe weather in March. Guests at Thursday’s reception will include members of the emergency services, Manx Electricity Authority, Water and Sewerage Authority, Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, Department of Infrastructure, animal waste plant, farming community and general public.

The Lieutenant Governor said:

‘I am looking forward to meeting everyone and hearing their stories about the snow and how it affected them. The weather in March was exceptional but so was the response of the Manx public, many of whom worked for long hours in extreme conditions to protect lives and restore normality. This reception is an opportunity to mark that tremendous effort and for me to personally thank some of those who helped.’

Pauline Pescodd, His Excellency’s Private Secretary, added:

‘Regrettably, not everyone can be invited to the reception because of the restriction on numbers at Government House. However, there will be more than 200 people in attendance in what will be a celebration of their outstanding dedication to the community.’