Her Worship the Mayor, Councillor Sara Hackman JP, held a reception on Thursday July 2nd to launch the 2015-2016 mayoral charity appeal.

The three charities chosen by Her Worship to benefit are Junior Achievement Isle of Man, Manx Breast Care Unit Appeal and the RNLI.

In her speech of welcome to a gathering of charity representatives and appeal supporters she said: ‘All three [charities] are very important to me in my life’ and she went on to issue a call to action for local businesses to pledge their support in whatever way they could.

The occasion also provided an opportunity for each of the charities to outline their work.

Junior Achievement chief executive Sue Cook said that with the help of its volunteers, which now number in the region of 400, the charity’s goal was to develop young people’s skills for the workplace, financial literacy and entrepreneurship through programmes the volunteers delivered in schools. In closing she said: ‘We don’t save lives, but we have the power to change lives.’

The Mayor and Mayoress with Junior Achievement's Sue Cook and Joy Spence

Manx Breast Care Unit Appeal’s president, David Gawne said that the patient was ‘at the forefront’ of the charity which aims to raise more than £1.6m to equip the unit at Noble’s Hospital, which would widen the range of treatment options and allow cancer sufferers to be treated ‘with dignity and sensitivity.’

The Mayor and Mayoress with Manx Breast Care Unit Appeal's Chris Barr, Julie Stokes, Anne Dowds, Denise Bridson and David Gawne

RNLI coxswain mechanic Tony Radcliffe said the charity relied almost exclusively on donations and legacies and depended on volunteers and supporters in order for crews to continue their lifesaving work.

The Mayor and Mayoress with the RNLI's Tony Radcliffe and Mary Corran