The following awards are included in Her Majesty The Queen’s Birthday 2012 Honours List:
MEMBER OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (MBE)
Mr Kevin Andrew Christian
For services to Maritime Safety
Mr David Patrick Downie
For services to hyperbaric medicine and the community of the Isle of Man
Mr Denis Godfrey Maxwell
For services to the Manx Government
BRITISH EMPIRE MEDAL
Mr William Henry Kneale
For services to the ex-services and local communities in the Isle of Man
Mrs Dorothy Eleanor Shimmin
For services to music and the community in the Isle of Man
Mr Kevin Christian
Over 33 years unbroken years of voluntary unpaid service to the Ramsey Branch of the RNLI in spite of serious ongoing ill health.
RNLI crew man from 1979, rising to Second Coxswain by 2000
On retiring due to ill health in 2000, immediately took on general administrative support within the branch.
Appointed Deputy Launching Authority from 2002 to 2006.
Appointed Lifeboat Operations Manager in 2006, a post he still holds.
He has put his own experience and training to excellent use and is the driving force behind any project involving Ramsey Lifeboat: fundraising events; educational visits and talks; PR events.
Constantly supportive of RNLI aims and individual crew members.
David Downie
David Downie has taken a leading role in the provision and operation of the Island’s Hyperbaric Chamber and the provision of hyperbaric medicine for the last 30 years.
David organised the housing and equipping of the Chamber, and its initial funding.
He was then the sole technician operating the Chamber, initially on a part-time basis, often in unsocial hours to convenience patients.
Increasing demand meant that David became a full-time technician but he remained single handed and for the next 21 years provided an on-call 24 hour x 365 day cover service for emergencies and worked an average 60 hour week.
Since 2003, an assistant has allowed David to focus more on promotion and fundraising. Over the 30 years he has secured almost £2m of funding.
The Chamber began as a life-saving facility for divers. However, most of its time (and David’s time) is devoted, in consultation with the Island’s medical services, to more general hyperbaric medicine including symptom relief for multiple sclerosis sufferers.
In excess of 15,000 treatments are now carried out each year.
David has been a pioneer in the field of hyperbaric medicine. He is not only prominent and well-respected on the Island but has an international profile; presenting papers and attending international conferences to hyperbaric oxygen.
In 2004 he led a UK National team that made a successful application for recognition of a new category of hyperbaric medical chamber for use within the European and National Health Service.
Denis Maxwell
Denis Maxwell came to the Isle of Man in the late 1960’s from his native N. Ireland, joining the Island’s Civil Service in 1970.
Working for various departments including the Planning Committee.
After joining the Customs and Excise section of Isle of Man Treasury, his skills led him to rapid promotion and he attained the senior position as Collector of Customs and Excise in 1994, a post from which he will retire from in July.
Denis has been an imaginative and productive leader and has made a significant contribution over many years to the Island’s revenue collection, law enforcement and economic development.
He has represented our Island both nationally and internationally.
As Collector of Customs and Excise he is one of the key public servants responsible for the calculation and collection of the Island’s share of revenue under the Customs and Excise agreement with the United Kingdom.
Eleanor Shimmin
For over 50 years Eleanor Shimmin has played a remarkable part in the musical life of the Manx community.
She is a teacher of singing and piano of both adults and children, and has enjoyed great success both at home and abroad.
She gives musical recitals and concerts as well as entertaining the elderly and disabled.
She has won the esteemed Blackpool Rosebowl for her singing.
Eleanor is an active committee member of the Manx Music Festival.
She won the prestigious Cleveland Medal 3 times for singing and was a Festival accompanist for 25 years.
Eleanor formed the Aeg Threshlyn Children’s Choir; sustaining a great enjoyment of music amongst its young members and through her enthusiasm and drive it became the best children’s choir at the Manx Music Festival 11 times and represented the Isle of Man both nationally and internationally. They also contributed to a vast number of fundraising charity events.
She has been the Vice-Chair of the Isle of Man Fund for the Blind for over 25 years and has played a major role in the success of the Society’s care of over 500 blind or visually impaired people; helping raise sums of £50,000 per annum and more recently actively fundraising for the erection of the purpose built Day Centre for the Blind in the Island.
Willie Kneale
Willie has an outstanding record of personal dedication and work for the benefit of the ex-service and wider communities in the Isle of Man.
He has been a member of the IOM Branch of the Royal Artillery Association since 1970 and the branch secretary for the last 15 years.
He is recognised as the backbone of the organisation and arranges all the social events for members and their families including holidays for Gunners widows. The branch is recognised as one of the strongest and its strength is largely due to Willie’s efforts.
Since 2000, Willie has been an active member of the IOM War Pensions Committee.
Willie has been a driving force behind the establishment of Veterans’ Day in the Island. He is a permanent member of the National Committee and strives to ensure the event’s success with some 1000 people now attending the annual service and march past.
Within the wider community Willie is also known for his energy and good works, usually behind the scenes. He has been a stalwart of the Castletown Metropolitan Silver Band for well over 30 years.
He is a good neighbour always willing to help those in need, particularly the elderly.
