Gef’s Daily Roundup

Donation

Developer Kelproperties has donated £100,000 to children’s hospice Rebecca House. The charity provides vital respite care, therapeutic support and end of life care for children on the island with life limiting illnesses. This care extends not just to the children but also to their family members and close carers, often over many years.

The funds will fully cover the costs of three dedicated nursing team members within Rebecca House for a period of one year.

John Knight, the new Chief Executive of Hospice Isle of Man, said: ‘Rebecca House is a fundamental part of the Hospice charity’s wider provision. It provides vital support to children and families and is a service that is almost entirely funded through both our own charitable efforts and the wonderful support of the Island’s community. This donation is not only massively generous but also very timely, helping us to sustain the services of Rebecca House into the immediate future. On behalf of everyone involved at Hospice, I extend our sincere thanks.’

Gary Walker and Marietjie Herbst from Kelproperties added: ‘Our shareholder has a long record of donating profits to charities, particularly to the hospice movement and he is thrilled to be supporting Rebecca House. Indeed this donation is in addition to a previous £100,000 donated to Hospice IoM in recent years.’

Eye Doctor

UCM Health & Social Care Lecturer, Adam Melvin is hoping his PhD research into the Nystagmus eye condition will help improve the treatment, education and quality of life for those struggling with the condition. Nystagmus is an involuntary rhythmic vision condition which causes the eyes to make repetitive, uncontrolled movements or flutters. This often results in reduced vision and depth perception. At least 1 in 1,000 babies are born with the condition, with other sufferers developing the condition later in life.

Adam said: ‘Although there is plenty of research surrounding the treatment of the condition, there is very little on how it impacts people in their daily lives. I myself have nystagmus and have experienced first-hand how it can affect the way I live, work and socialise, so this is something which I am passionate about and I would like to raise awareness for the condition.’

As part of his research, Adam will be conducting in-depth interviews with adults who have nystagmus, allowing for a deeper understanding of some of the challenges they face. It is hoped that this research will shed new light on how nystagmus is experienced from the perspective of the patient.

Adam joined UCM in 2014.

Top Bankers

Investec staff on the island are celebrating after Investec Bank (Channel Islands) Limited won Private Bank of the Year, Channel Islands and Isle of Man, for the second year in a row, at the Citywealth International Financial Centre (IFC) Awards 2023.

The Awards, now in their 12th year, highlight excellence in the private wealth sector in the major international financial centres, and are judged by an international panel of highly respected practitioners from all private wealth sectors covering all the jurisdictions. The winners are those deemed to have excelled in achievement, innovation, expertise, and service.

Investec Bank (Channel Islands) Limited has had a representative office in the Isle of Man since 2018 and Head of Office Mark Beresford said it was an honour to be included in the award.

Mark said: ‘The Isle of Man office is proud to be part of the great team at Investec Bank. This award recognises the dedication of staff across the Crown Dependencies and our organisation’s commitment to putting our clients and communities at the heart of what we do. As we approach the fifth anniversary of the Isle of Man office, it’s fantastic to have this endorsement from the judges and our peers.’