The tradition of recognising Manor Park School pupils’ merit by presenting one boy and one girl each year with the TE Cowell Award for Meritorious Service and inscribing their names on a roll of honour is to survive thanks to the donation of a new name board by former pupil, now Leader of Douglas Borough Council, Councillor David Christian MBE JP.

The TE Cowell Award for Meritorious Service to Manor Park School was established when the school opened in 1975, with one boy and one girl recognised each year for their outstanding contribution. That first year Councillor Christian received the award, alongside Leslie Gelling, since when the names of successive exceptional pupils have filled two boards.

Councillor Christian recalls: ‘When children left the Sunshine Primary School all the boys went to Demesne Road School and the girls to Tynwald Street. Everyone from the Spring Valley and Pulrose areas then went to Manor Park School when it opened in 1975.

‘TE Cowell was chairman of the Primary Education Committee and a long-serving member of the then Board of Education since 1954. As the new Manor Park School had represented such a major investment he set up the award to encourage children to contribute to their school.

‘I remember being a school monitor and one of my responsibilities was to collect all the individual class marks each week to see which class had won the Merit Award for Education and Good Behaviour.’

During his 1996-1997 mayoral year Councillor Christian was invited to the school where he gave a talk and presented a plaque bearing the Borough of Douglas shield. In 2015 he was invited back to the school for the leavers’ assembly and presented the TE Cowell awards.

He said: ‘I was also appointed a governor of Manor Park School, a position I was honoured to accept, having been a pupil there and representing the area as a councillor for Hills Ward since 1987.

‘When I heard that the two name boards had been filled and that the school would need to find the funds to have another one made, I was more than happy to provide a new board to ensure the tradition of the award continued. I have very fond memories of my time as a pupil at Manor Park School, which continues to encourage young people to be the best they can and give them an excellent start in life.’

Councillor Christian is also a governor of University College Isle of Man, a Justice of the Peace since 2002 and, in 2013, was appointed MBE.

Manor Park School’s deputy head teacher Sonya Evans (pictured above with Councillor Christian) said: ‘All the children at Manor Park School aspire to have their name on the board as recognition of their contribution to the life of the school.

‘The pupils understand that this is a great honour and is only achieved through a positive attitude towards their learning, exemplary behaviour and extra contributions to the life of the school, such as representing the school in competitions or running clubs or having a role with responsibilities such as house captain or school governor.

‘We are very grateful to David Christian for his generosity in allowing this tradition to continue at Manor Park School.’