The Mayor of Douglas, Councillor Carol Malarkey, has launched the 2013 Royal British Legion poppy appeal in the Strand Centre, Douglas.
Joining the Mayor were the Mayoress Councillor Sara Hackman and the Royal British Legion’s Isle of Man county president Steve Rodan SHK and chairman Graham Hooton. Also in attendance were members of the Isle of Man Army cadet force and the Ellan Vannin Pipes and Drums.
The Isle of Man has long been noted for raising more money per head of population than anywhere in the UK, an achievement remarked upon by Mr Rodan in his short speech of welcome and also by the Mayor who referred to the Manx nation’s unfailing generosity ‘even in these difficult economic times’. Mr Hooton added that the 2012 appeal had raised ?108,000 and the 2013 target across the UK had been set at ?37 million.
The occasion also provided the Mayor the opportunity to be among the first to view the art exhibition ‘Shadow of the Bomb’, inspired by the experiences of the British nuclear test veterans. The exhibition had been mounted by charity for atomic veterans the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association (BNTVA) with works, principally by artist Gary Bennett, interpreting veterans’ physical and mental suffering and anguish, and hosted in the Strand Centre by the association’s chairman, Nigel Heaps.
Photo - The Mayor of DOuglas Councillor Carol Malarkey, second right, the Mayoress Councillor Sara Hackman, third right, with left to right, veteran Eddie Pithers, Graham Hooton, Audrey Brown MBE, Pam Collister and Steve Rodan SHK. Picture Andrew Barton.
