The Isle of Man Flower Festival has become a favourite event in the Manx Calendar.

That’s the message from Culture Vannin vice-chairman Geoff Corkish, who was the guest speaker at the official launch for this year’s festival, which will be held in its regular slot of National Week, from July 2-July 8.

Mr Corkish praised the work of the many volunteers who help to make the festival a success and said Culture Vannin was pleased to support the event.

‘This is one of our favourite events and I wish it well,’ he said. ‘I wish it well for the other people it brings to the island and for the people here who will visit buildings they may not otherwise visit.’

The event is also supported by the Isle of Man Community Foundation.

Foundation director Kurt Roosen said: ‘We are very proud to support the Flower Festival and help the supporters who take it across the island.’

This year there are 13 venues taking part in the festival, staging a wide variety of flower displays on the theme of Charity Is…

A number of events will be staged at various venues, to tie-in with the festival, and there will be the return of the popular photographic competition. The official festival programme will be available shortly and the website flowerfest.im carries all the latest news.

Committee member Jean Clifton told the launch, at St John’s Methodist Church: ‘We could not have the Flower Festival without the support of people that open up the churches and venues and we are very pleased that so many this year are joining with us.’

The participating venues are: The Cathedral Isle of Man, Peel; St Mary de Ballaugh Old Church; Jurby Church; St Andrew’s Church, Kirk Andreas; Ramsey Baptist Church at Mountain View Innovation Centre; St Olave’s Church, Ramsey; Christ Church, Laxey; Onchan Elim Pentecostal Church (in Second Avenue); St Peter's Church, Onchan; The Abbey Church, Ballasalla; Old Grammar School, Castletown (Manx National Heritage); Ballabeg Methodist Chapel; St Peter's Church, Cregneash.

To keep up to date, visit the festival page on Facebook or go to www.flowerfest.im.

Festival launch: Geoff Corkish MLC of Culture Vannin (centre, left) and Kurt Roosen, of Isle of Man Community Foundation, are pictured with Flower Festival committee members, left to right, Lillian Burnett; Judy Matthews, Becky Dorricott, Paula Smith, Jean Clifton and Alex Day