Support provided by three local organisations to key Council workers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic has been acknowledged by the Mayor of Douglas, Councillor Jonathan Joughin JP.

The Mayor and Mayoress with Kerriy Macduffie, Ian Cooil, Vicky O'Connor and John McCallum and Debbie and Maurice Kelly

At a reception held at Douglas Town Hall hosted by His Worship and the Mayoress, Mrs Angela Joughin, the Mayor extended his thanks on behalf of the Council to Debbie and Maurice Kelly of Motaworld, John McCallum of Highway Access Cleaning Services and Ian Cooil and Kerry Macduffie of Manx Blind Welfare.

The guests enjoyed a tour of Council Chamber

Auto parts supplier Motaworld donated fast-acting in-cab diffuser sanitisers and bottles of sanitiser for frontline crews to use in the Council’s waste collection vehicle fleet while they were working under exceptionally challenging conditions to keep Douglas waste free and clean.

Kerry Macduffie with the mayoral mace

John McCallum, of High Access Window Cleaning Services had voluntarily cleaned public lighting columns and deep-cleaned street furniture, in particular bus shelters, in the IM2 area of Douglas free of charge, while local charity Manx Blind Welfare prepared bacon baps from their own kitchens then distributed them to key Council operatives and also baked cakes which were delivered to residents in the Council sheltered accommodation at Ballanard Court and Hazel Court.

Ian Cooil checks out the mace

Debbie Kelly praised ‘the hard work and dedication’ of the Council’s frontline workers and police and ambulance teams, John McCallum said it been ‘a pleasure to assist the local community’, while Ian Cooill said: ‘It’s been great to see how the private, public and third sector came together to offer help and support at a time of national crisis.’

John McCallum also tries the mace for size