Mediaboss Marketing

by Carys Lloyd

YOUNG people will have a passport to exciting new out-of-school-hours learning experiences with the launch of a Childrens University in the Isle of Man.

Childrens University offers all five to 14-year-olds access to a wide range of opportunities and activities that take place outside of the normal school day.

Pupils buy a passport for just 2 and obtain stamps by visiting validated Learning Destinations, both locally and further afield. Certificates chart their progress and are awarded at a graduation ceremony where children wear caps and gowns.

An accompanying E-Passport will even allow children to rate the activities they have attended. It will also allow schools to manage childrens participation in a more efficient way.

Carys Lloyd, who leads Childrens University in the Island, said: Childrens University is about having fun with learning and gaining a real sense of achievement at the same time. Its about giving our children opportunities to choose their own pathways into learning, aiming to raise their aspirations, broaden their horizons and build their confidence and self-belief.

Public Learning Destinations that have been validated so far include Manx Sport and Recreations many clubs for children, run at the NSC and other venues, the Manx Youth Orchestra, which rehearses on Saturdays, has several offshoot groups and enjoys foreign tours, Manx Heritage Foundations Bree, a Manx music youth movement that features a monthly Saturday afternoon music session and regular workshop days and weekends, a number of activities run by the Manx Wildlife Trust and Film School, which is run by Community Arts, DCCL.

Museums and other sporting and cultural activities will soon be displaying the black and gold Childrens University Learning Destination logo.

Attending the many lunchtime and after-school clubs and activities at restricted Learning Destinations, such as participating schools and clubs and societies they belong to, will also qualify children for passport stamps. The Isle of Man Childrens University is a charitable trust funded by a Henry Bloom Noble education endowment, a grant from the institution nationally and sponsorship. Celebrated wildlife artist Dr Jeremy Paul, from Colby, has agreed to be its Chancellor.

See the original post:
Children’s University is launched in the Isle of Man

By Tommy Wilkes

LONDON (Reuters) - Laxey Partners is calling on Alliance Trust to raise its dividend, the latest move by the Isle of Man-based hedge fund to try to shake up performance at one of Britain's largest investment trusts.

In a letter addressed to the trust's chairman Lesley Knox, Laxey said Alliance will be in a position to pay larger dividends when new tax rules come into force allowing some investment trusts to pay realized capital gains as dividends for the first time.

Laxey, which has waged a campaign dating back to 2010 to try and force Alliance to boost shareholder value, is upping its pressure on the trust to improve performance ahead of its annual general meeting next month.

Earlier this month, it put forward a resolution to fellow shareholders demanding the trust consider outsourcing management of its 2.9 billion pound portfolio of assets, and criticizing the performance of Alliance as "completely unacceptable."

Alliance Trust said on Thursday in response it had already hiked its dividend by 7 percent last year, the largest annual rise in two decades. Laxey also gave an example of how Alliance could increase its dividend by paying out all 2011 earnings per share and realized capital gains as a dividend.

"The example given by Laxey makes Greek finances look prudent," a spokesperson for the trust said.

Last year Alliance defeated a controversial shareholder resolution pushed by Laxey to set up an automatic buyback policy, which would have been triggered when a discount of its shares to net asset value fell below 10 percent.

A discount to net asset value occurs when the market places a lower value on a company - measured by its share price - than the value of its component assets. This is often because investors believe those assets are poorly managed or illiquid, and so their full value is not reflected in the shares.

Many investment trusts trade at such a discount, but few as wide as Alliance.

See the rest here:
Hedge fund Laxey urges dividend hike at Alliance Trust

by Olivia Rawlinson

The winner of an Isle of Man Railways competition has generously donated their prize to The Childrens Centre. Free tickets were offered as a prize in a competition in which entrants were invited to suggest names for the Isle of Man Railways mascot.

The competition winner, who wishes to remain anonymous, came up with the name Cushag. The name is that of the Islands national flower which, like the railways cuddly mascot, is bright yellow. The competition winner asked that their prize be donated to the Islands leading charity for children and families, and Isle of Man Transport has kindly presented two season tickets that can be used by any child in residential care.

Susie Cox, Community Fundraiser at The Childrens Centre, said:

The tickets were originally donated anonymously to The Childrens Centre by the winner, and then Isle of Man Railways kindly offered to let the tickets be used by any child in residential care with The Childrens Centre, which is a lovely gesture. A trip on the railway is a real treat and these tickets will be greatly appreciated by the children who use them. On their behalf I would like to say a big thank you to the competition winner and Isle of Man Railways for such wonderful generosity.

Tim Crookall MHK, Minister for Community, Culture and Leisure, commented:

We are all very happy that the winner of our mascot naming competition chose to donate the prize to charity. I am especially looking forward to seeing the children enjoying great days out on the Islands heritage railways and am sure that they will give Cushag a wave as they set off from the station.

- ENDS -

a big thank you to the competition winner and Isle of Man Railways for such wonderful generosity.

Read the original:
Generous Prize Winner Donates Rail Tickets to The Children’s Centre

by Jade Foster

Tickets are now on sale for the lecture Titanic: Behind the Legend. William Blair Chief Curator of the blockbuster exhibition TITANICa at National Museums Northern Ireland has been invited to the Isle of Man by Manx National Heritage to mark the centenary of the tragedy. On April 20th William will talk at the Manx Museum about the ambitions behind the design and build of Titanic and what drove the White Star Line to create the worlds largest vessel of its time at a staggering cost of c. 1.5m. He will explore life in the gritty Harland and Wolff Belfast shipyard, where Titanic was built, and reveal some of the stories of life on board the ship. Few dramas have caught and held the public imagination quite like Titanic. However, it is the small details, the personal objects and the experiences of private individuals that give the story its human dimension. From passengers in first class enjoying the glamour of a transatlantic journey to travellers in third class pursuing the American dream, this talk will reveal stories of human endeavour, ambition and courage. Not surprisingly for a sea-faring nation, the Isle of Man was intrigued by the Titanic story from the outset. The Manx press frequently reported on the design and build of the ship. The Ramsey Courier ran a story on 12th May 1911 telling of the arrival of the sixteen ton anchor at Belfast and in June The Monas Herald reported in great detail on the successful launch of the ship.

Inevitably news of the tragedy struck a chord with the Manx who had only recently endured the loss of the Ellan Vannin in December 1909. The population joined together once again to raise money for widows and orphans and held a memorial service at The Palace which drew a crowd of more than 5,000. To find out more about the captivating story of Titanic and its place in myth and memory, join us at the Manx Museum on Friday 20th April, 7.30pm (doors open 7pm). Tickets are 6 for adults and 5 to FMNH members and children, available now from the Manx Museum Shop or online at http://www.manxheritageshop.com. Pre-booking is recommended.

- ENDS -

If you'd like to send any information or news releases to us then please feel free to do so and we would be more than happy to consider sharing your news with the Isle of Man!

Send your Isle of Man news to:webmaster@manx.net

Manx Telecom Ltd 2012

Manx Telecom Ltd, Isle of Man Business Park, Cooil Road, Braddan, Isle of Man IM99 1HX Registered in the Isle of Man Reg no.5629V Vat Reg no GB 003-2919-12

More:
Titanic: Behind the Legend

by Sue Staley

Isle of Man Pony Club is delighted to announce that Mylchreests Group is to sponsor the Clubs Annual Spring One Day Event on Sunday 29th April 2012. This event will be held at Oatlands, Santon, with kind permission from Mr & Mrs D Shacklock.

Each rider competes at Dressage, Show Jumping and Cross Country. The Cross Country course consists of four courses, these being 60cm, 75cm, 90cm, 100cm and 110cm.

The event has ten classes covering Juniors and Seniors of differing abilities and ages ranging from eight years to adult.

The sport, part of the Olympic programme since 1912, is a combined competition discipline in which men and women compete as equals. It demands considerable experience in all branches of equitation and a precise knowledge of the horses ability and character. It covers every aspect of horsemanship: the harmony between horse and rider that characterise Dressage; the stamina and extensive experience essential for the Cross Country; the precision, agility and technique involved in jumping.

Mylchreests Group is pleased to sponsor this event and David Mylchreest, Managing Director Mylchreests Group, said We are delighted to be associated with the Isle of Man Pony Club and to support their Annual Spring One Day Event. The event itself demands considerable experience and skill from both rider and horse/pony in the areas of Dressage, Show Jumping and Cross Country setting the standard across all the disciplines. We are looking forward to an exciting day.

Mylchreests Group have provided prizes for winners of each class, rosettes up to sixth place in each of the ten classes, Best Dressage rosette for each class plus Pony/Horse sash for winners of each class.

Presentation of awards will be made at 4.30pm on the day (unmounted but dressed in dressage attire).

- Ends -

We are looking forward to an exciting day.

Read the original here:
Mylchreests Group to support Isle of Man Pony Club One Day Event