Gef’s Daily Roundup

MYG

Hundreds of children have started training towards the Sporting Club Manx Youth Games, on the same day that the 2022 event was officially launched in Douglas.

The island’s largest multi-sport event sees young people take part in a series of regional training sessions, before putting their skills into action on the big day on 7 May.

In the coming months, MSR will host more than 50 weekly get-togethers for children to try one of 14 sports, including a multi-sport offering for those with additional needs, all made possible by an army of volunteers.

Tony Keating, Chairman of Sporting Club, said: ‘We are proud to support this event which has been an important part of the Island’s community for 20 years, and want to embrace all the hard work undertaken already to help it develop further.’

Julie Edge, Minister of Education, Sport and Culture, said: ‘The Games provide our young people with the perfect opportunity to try new sports, make friendships and see the benefits of getting active for physical and emotional wellbeing. It also instils important values such as team work and discipline and I am confident, with our new sponsor on board, it will continue to go from strength-to-strength.’

More than 20,000 young people have taken part in the Games since it was first held in 2002.

Ah Sh*t

The second phase of the Regional Sewage Treatment Strategy (RSTS2) is focused on delivering first time sewage treatment for Laxey and Baldrine as well as Peel.  Options are being fully assessed for local treatment works’ locations as well as pump away solutions to establish a positive outcome as soon as possible.

Manx Utilities have continued their dialogue with Garff MHKs, Commissioners and local interest groups, with the latest Garff Consultative Group meeting held in December and has announced a further step towards resolving sewage management in the Garff catchment through the purchase of land at Glen Garwick where the sewer network comes together.  Despite the final solution being either local or pump-away a pumping station or other facilities will be required at this key location.  Following the completion of activities in this area, the intention is to place the remainder of the land and property back on the open market.

Chairman of Manx Utilities, Rob Callister said, ‘Since the disappointing rejection of the previous planning applications Manx Utilities has continued to work hard behind the scenes to progress the solution for Peel and Garff and much of the detailed work undertaken for the previous planning submissions remains valid to current considerations.  The purchase of land at Glen Garwick is an affirmation that progressing the project to completion is very much a priority and puts Manx Utilities in the best position to move quickly both in this location and the Cairn site in Laxey as something has to be built in these locations, despite the final solution.’

There are currently 3 locations where raw sewage is still being discharged to sea through Manx Utilities’ infrastructure - Laxey, Baldrine and Peel.

Party Plane

Work on a retired 747 passenger plane has been completed to transform it into a party venue and museum space. The transformation cost nearly half a million pounds and public tours of the space are due to begin in early March. The aircraft in Kemble, Gloucestershire, has been painted in the Negus livery that adorned the airline’s planes in the 1970s and ’80s. Its galley has been transformed into a bar and party venue and the first party booking is due to take place next month, with a wedding booked in for spring. Most of the plane has been preserved as a museum piece and public tours will available to book via an app.