The 10th annual Manx Telecom It’s Our Community scheme has set a new record for the number of applications from Isle of Man community organisations. Since the first scheme in 2008, it has helped more than 150 good causes across the Island and made a difference to the lives of people of all ages and all backgrounds. This year, more than 60 organisations applied for grants, which sets a new record and shows the growing interest in the scheme.
 
Over the years recipients of Manx Telecom It’s Our Community funding have included charities, voluntary groups and clubs involved in all aspects of Island life ranging from sports, the arts and Manx culture, to organisations which help children and young people, the elderly, or which provide support for people coping with illness or disability. Every autumn, applications are invited for grants that can range from ?100 to ?1,000 for a wide range of purposes such as buying equipment, decorating club rooms or other meeting places, or paying for transport costs. A grant of a few hundred pounds may seem a small sum, but it can make a big difference.
 
Every year, the recipients are decided on merit by a judging panel. This year’s judging panel – Gary Lamb, Manx Telecom CEO; Laurence Skelly MHK, Minister of the Department of Economic Development; Michael Jordan, Print Sales Manager at Mannin Media; and Gavin Smith, Marketing Communications Manager at Manx Telecom – recently met at Manx Telecom’s headquarters to decide which applicants would receive grants. 
 
Gary Lamb said: “Along with sponsorship of major events, such as the Parish Walk and Royal Manx Agricultural Show, the It’s Our Community scheme is an important part of what we do as a community-focused company. Charities, voluntary and community groups make an enormous contribution to the quality of life on the Island, but it’s often difficult for them to raise the funds they need. It’s Our Community was launched to help address this issue, and it’s great to see how it has supported such a large number and wide variety of organisations.”
 
Department of Economic Minister, Laurence Skelly MHK, said he welcomed the opportunity to support this ‘great initiative’ which is ‘valued by a wide range of people and organisations’ across the Island. He added that the judging panel had a difficult task because there are so many deserving causes which have applied for support from the scheme.
 
The recipients of this year’s Manx Telecom It’s Our Community grants will be announced in Manx Tails following the official presentation evening later this year – the publication has given a great deal of coverage to It’s Our Community ever since the scheme was launched in 2008.
 
Here are some comments about how Manx Telecom It’s Our Community grants have benefited various good causes in recent years:
 
“Many of our members find it difficult to get out and about, so trips out around the Island are great for enabling them to go to places that bring back happy memories from visits many years ago. This year we have been able to organise more days out thanks to a 2016 It’s Our Community grant which has been put towards covering transport costs. The grant means we can organise more trips and make them more affordable for all of our members.” – Val Haslam, Scheme Manager, Southern Befrienders
 
“The donation we received from Manx Telecom for our allotment has made an enormous difference to what we have been able to achieve with our students. Over the years we have grown lots of crops, using the tools we bought with the donation.” – Linda Quayle, Ballakermeen High School
 
“The Men in Sheds project was set up in 2011 in response to local research that highlighted isolation and loneliness as a growing and underestimated social issue. As with any community project, raising enough funding is always the hardest part. We applied for an It’s Our Community grant to help start off the project, and buy some hobby equipment and materials to refurbish the building. Men in Sheds in Port Erin is now a thriving community project.” – Janet Bridle, Men in Sheds, Thie Rosien, Port Erin
 
“La Leche League Isle of Man is a very small charity. We were extremely grateful to receive an It’s Our Community grant from Manx Telecom because it enabled us to purchase an up-to-date library of books for expectant and new mothers to borrow.” – Katie Davies, La Leche League Isle of Man
 
Photo - The judging panel for the 2017 Manx Telecom It’s Our Community scheme met at Manx Telecom headquarters to discuss this year’s applications. Left to right are Gavin Smith, Marketing Communications Manager at Manx Telecom; Michael Jordan, Print Sales Manager at Mannin Media; Laurence Skelly MHK, Minister of the Department of Economic Development; and Gary Lamb, Manx Telecom CEO.