A petition has been launched calling for the Manx government to stop the sale of the Summerland site and instead turn it into commemorative gardens.

It was launched on Sunday by Tina Brennen, who was 19 at the time of the disaster, and vividly remembers watching the complex go up in flames from Port Jack, while holding her five-month-old daughter.

The petition states: ‘We strongly believe this site should be dedicated to the 50 men, women and children who died there.’

‘When 3,000 people entered Summerland, Douglas, Isle of Man on the night of August 2, 1973 they trusted they would be safe within it.

‘Fifty people lost their lives and 80 were seriously injured due to the Isle of Man authorities and companies who made many mistakes when designing, building and operating it.’

It continues: ‘We believe a remembrance garden will provide a peaceful place for families and friends of loved ones.

‘A place to reflect and celebrate the lives of all those who died; a place to demonstrate our compassion for all those who suffered physical injury or mental trauma as a result of this tragic event.’

She said that the Summerland site is now under offer and the parties are in negotiation – but that an offer can’t be accepted and approved until Tynwald sits in October.

The online petition was launched on Sunday and a paper version will be distributed around the island this month.

Mrs Brennen, of Glen Vine, plans to present the petition to Infrastructure Minister David Cretney MHK in September.

She believes it is the ‘moral duty’ of the government to stop any building development taking place on the site.

‘We do not have the right to capitalise or make money from a site where so much death and suffering was brought about,’ she said.

‘I believe there are many people who are of the same mind and I ask that they sign on the GoPetitions website, or go to my Facebook page called Summerland Fire and click on the link to the petition.’

She described watching the fire as being ‘like looking into the jaws of hell’.

She added: ‘I think there’s generations growing up that don’t know the full facts. If they did, they wouldn’t want a building on the site.’

A public inquiry report, published in May 1974, found there were ‘no villains’ responsible for the fire. It made a series of recommendations, after saying the design of Summerland meant it was ‘vulnerable to the spread of fire’.

It drew attention to the waiving of a bye-law to permit the use of combustible Oroglas in the walls of the building, as well as to a neglected fire regulation and building errors. It was also critical of the organisation and training of staff in firefighting.

Commenting on the report, Mrs Brennen said: ‘Apparently, there were no villains. Yet from its earliest inception Summerland was always a tragic accident waiting to happen.’

She said: ‘We owe all those who died a great debt. Because of their sacrifice, proper fire legislation, building control and fire safety procedures were very quickly tightened up here and across the UK.

‘We know if our backs are against the wall we have a fighting chance of getting out safely. The people in Summerland didn’t get that chance.’

Sign the petition at http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/summerland-for-commemorative-gardens.html

Alda, a Manx Loaghtan shearling, may be one of the most well-loved sheep in the island.

She was adopted by Florian Pesantes and Aldo Bente, a gay couple who fell in love with the breed.

They flew over to the island to see Alda compete in the Southern Agricultural Show last weekend.

It was no mean feat for Aldo – he flew over from his home country of Brazil to meet Alda for the first time.

Alda, born in spring 2012, is one of 280 sheep owned by Jenny Shepherd at Ballacosnahan Farm, in Hillcrest, Dalby.

Jenny said: ‘They were absolutely enchanted with the Loaghtan sheep. They thought it was amazing a small island had been able to keep an ancient indigenous sheep.’

Florian, who is originally from Germany but currently works as a locum doctor in Wigan, had his eyes set on Alda from when he took up Jenny’s invitation to visit the island and meet her flock in September 2012.

They met while Jenny was working as a dermatologist at the same hospital.

And Florian developed an interest in the sheep when he was shown a picture.

Florian went with Jenny to buy some ewe lambs and stepped in when she could only afford to buy three of the four, saying that he would like to adopt the fourth for Aldo.

Since then, Jenny has sent regular updates to the couple, who are in a civil partnership.

‘Whenever we do anything with her, such as give her injections or have her sheared we send them an update and pictures,’ Jenny said.

She said that Alda was ‘beautiful and very loved’, adding: ‘They absolutely adore her’.

Florian and Aldo have even set up their own Facebook page for Alda – Alda Manx Loaghtan – which features the updates.

Lynn Strickland says she will never forget the night of the Summerland tragedy.

She was just 14 years old when along with her family she was enjoying an evening’s entertainment at the leisure complex on Douglas seafront, on August 2, 1973.

Mrs Strickland was originally from Liverpool and was on holiday with her mum, brothers Danny and Tom, and her younger sister Jean.

Her dad had died of cancer two weeks previously.

Mrs Strickland, who lives in Stanley Terrace, Douglas, said: ‘We loved the Isle of Man and I thought we were abroad just like my friends who had gone to Spain!

‘Up until the fire we had a great time and Summerland was the place to go for youngsters and families to have a fun time.

‘When the fire broke out I wasn’t really aware of it at first as me and my brother Tom were having fun and there didn’t seem to be any urgency.

‘I remember someone on the microphone saying not to panic, everything was OK.’

She said it was only when she saw the flames and the looks of terror on people’s faces that she realised it was serious.

‘I remember trying to hold on to Tom as we were getting crushed by the crowd and the force made me let go of his hand,’ she said.

‘We were pushed and squashed towards the side of the building but the doors wouldn’t open.

‘ We got herded and pushed about and somehow managed to get out the front of the building just before the doors shattered.’

She said she saw some terrible sights, including people on fire.

‘An image that has stayed with me was of a young man holding a girl in his arms,’ Mrs Strickland said.

‘His jacket had melted and I think the girl was dead, but I am not sure.

‘The holiday turned into a nightmare for my poor mum but thankfully Tom and I were alive.

‘I have definitely got a guardian angel.’

Mrs Strickland has lived in the island since 1980 with her husband Pete and has brought her three children up here.

She will be attending today’s memorial service at the Kaye Memorial Garden, in Douglas.

‘I love the island very much but I will never forget the night of the tragedy that was the Summerland fire,’ she said.

Mrs Strickland was one of about 3,000 holidaymakers who were inside the seven-storey building when the fire started, shortly before 8pm on August 2, 1973.

The fire was unintentionally started by three Liverpool boys who had broken into a kiosk next to the complex to smoke a cigarette.

Today (Friday) marks the 40th anniversary of one of the worst disasters in Manx history when 50 people were killed when a blazing inferno engulfed the Summerland leisure complex in Douglas.

About 3,000 holidaymakers were inside the seven-storey building when the fire started, shortly before 8pm on August 2, 1973, just over two years after it had opened.

It was the biggest death toll in a fire in peacetime since 1929.

Nine of the 50 fatalities were children, and a further 80 people were injured.

The fire was unintentionally started by three Liverpool boys who had broken into a kiosk next to the complex to smoke a cigarette.

On September 17, 1973, the boys – two of them 12 and the other 14 – appeared before Douglas Juvenile Court and admitted wilfully and unlawfully damaging the lock of a plastic kiosk next to Summerland.

They were each fined £3 and ordered to pay 33p compensation and 15p costs.

One of the boys told police: ‘We tried to stamp it out, but it got too hot and dangerous.’

They then ran away.

An inquest returned a verdict of death by misadventure and found that there were ‘no villains’.

A public inquiry opened on November 18, 1973, and its report was published in May the following year.

The report made a series of recommendations, after saying the design of Summerland meant it was ‘vulnerable to the spread of fire’.

It drew attention to the waiving of a bye-law to permit the use of combustible Oroglas in the walls of Summerland, as well as to a neglected fire regulation and building errors and was also critical of the organisation and training of staff in firefighting.

But it corrected the widespread public impression that it played a primary role in the development and spread of the fire.

The inquiry was satisfied it was not ignited until there was ‘a very substantial fire’.

It added: ‘Of cardinal importance was the failure to call the fire brigade until 21 minutes after discovery of the fire.

‘If the fire brigade had been summoned within a minute of water first being applied to the fire, the building might have been saved.’

The report also called the use of Galbestos – steel sheeting with asbestos felt on both sides coated with bitumen – in the wall of the building an error of judgement.

The void in the wall, lined with a combustible inner surface on both sides – fibreboard and Galbestos – was a dangerous fire hazard and ‘a serious breach of good building practice’.

Summerland was later rebuilt to a different design and rebuilt and re-opened.

It shut for good in 2005.

Retired journalist Alan Bell had just finished his evening meal at home when he found out that Summerland was on fire. At that time, he was a freelance reporter based at Manx Radio, and provided copy for the Press Association and the Isle of Man Courier.

Mr Bell, aged 78, of Ballaquane Park, in Peel, said: ‘I had just finished my evening meal when [veteran journalist] Terry Cringle phoned to say Summerland was on fire and I’d better come into the office.

‘At that stage it was just a fire. I jumped into the car and set off for Douglas. As soon as it came into view I could see this large plume of smoke rising over the fire.

‘The office at Manx Radio looked straight over the bay. I could see that Summerland was ablaze from end to end.

‘It made a really indelible impression.’

He said the rest of the night ‘became a bit of a blur’.

While Mr Cringle raced to the scene to interview bystanders and eye-witnesses, Mr Bell manned the newsroom telephone. In the early stages, it wasn’t clear whether there had been any fatalities.

But he said ‘all hell broke loose’ after it was broadcast by the BBC that a number of bodybags had been carried away from the scene.

‘Phone lines immediately became jammed as families tried to establish whether their nearest and dearest were involved, while holidaymakers tried to phone home and reassure their families they were OK.’

They worked through the night, covering the developing tragedy, with the Press Association keeping a phone line open so they could receive updates all night.

He remembers that as dawn broke the following morning, he could see smoke/steam drifting away from the site.

‘We just carried on phoning news copy around the world to radio and TV stations including America, Canada and Australia.

‘It really was a world story. Unfortunately tragedies like this always are.’

Certain parts of the night remain really vivid in his mind 40 years on, he said.

They include when the then manager of Manx Radio, Peter Kneale, arrived with a bottle of whisky to ‘keep us going through the night’.

He said: ‘The story went on for weeks, months, years even, as the fine details of the disaster emerged.’

Mr Bell retired in 1999. By then, he was the news editor of Isle of Man Newspapers.

He said: ‘Summerland was a terrible tragedy.

‘There’s no shadow of a doubt, it was the biggest story I ever worked on – and never wanted to work on.’

The sister of one of the victims of the Summerland disaster has broken her 40 year silence on her brother’s tragic death.

Stella Sissons’s brother Bill Aves was just 18 when, along with his friend David Piper, 17, he was killed in the fire that broke out at the Douglas leisure complex.

Mrs Sissons, aged 63, will be visiting the island this week from her home in Enfield, London, to attend a service to mark the 40th anniversary of the tragedy that took place on August 2, 1973.

She said the ‘terrible tragedy tore my family and my marriage apart’.

At the time of the fire, she was married to a Manxman and living in Glen Vine.

Her first baby, Nicholas Corlett, was just two weeks old.

Her younger brother Bill and his friend David were visiting the island as their first holiday without their parents.

And it was Bill’s first chance to meet his nephew.

Mrs Sissons said: ‘On the evening of August 2, at about 8pm, a neighbour popped her head into the cottage I lived in at Glen Vine and said she thought that there had been an IRA bomb that had gone off in Summerland.

‘I had a horrible feeling somehow that my brother would be there with his friend.

‘I immediately left my newborn son Nicholas with my lovely sister-in-law and myself and my husband drove into Douglas.

‘We didn’t know that they were there, but I had a great sense of foreboding.’

She said: ‘I sat all night in their hotel in Onchan waiting for them to come home, but they did not.

‘They were two of the 50 who died that night.

‘They are both buried in the same grave in Marown.

‘It was decided that as they loved the island, that they should be buried there, also I lived there at the time.’

Mrs Sissons has since remarried and moved back to London, but she still comes back to the island.

Her son Nicholas will be getting married in a month’s time.

She said: ‘Ironically, his birth was announced at the back of the paper on August 3 when the news of Summerland was on the front.’

Restaurant chain Pizza Hut is to open in Douglas, it has been confirmed.

Alex Barlow of Vision Media, who is the marketing executive for the franchise, told the Isle of Man Courier: ‘It’s definitely coming, despite everyone thinking it’s a rumour.’

He said the owner was a conglomerate, Reims Limited, which is behind Coffee Republic, in the capital’s Victoria Street, and Bar George, in Hill Street.

It’s due to open in November but he couldn’t give the precise location because the deal ‘hasn’t been fully signed off’.

Mr Barlow said it was too early to say how many staff would be employed at Pizza Hut, saying: ‘There’s two different routes we could go down – it could either be a take-away or a sit-in.’

Facebook page ‘Pizza Hut Douglas’ was set up on Wednesday and, as the Courier went to press, had more than 2,000 supporters.

It says: ‘Thank you for your patience and co-operation, we will make announcements as they are confirmed to us.’

Suggestions for Manx pizza toppings include queenies, kippers, Loaghtan lamb and chips, cheese and gravy.

While it looks as if an international franchise will be opening in the island, our love of pizza has already been exported to the UK thanks to The Real Man Pizza Company, in London. There, pizza names include Port Soderick Smoked Salmon and Manx Queenie.

Another international pizza brand, Domino’s, already operates a takeaway and delivery service in Douglas.

In the UK in 2007, Pizza Hut was criticised for the high salt content of its meals, some of which were found to contain more than twice the daily recommended amount of salt for an adult.

A number of signs on the TT course have been stolen.

Police are appealing for witnesses after information/warning signs from locations around the course were taken in the weeks following this year’s races.

The signs were stolen from Cronk-y-Voddy outside Lambfell Beg, Kerrowmoar next to Rollick Road, the Ballahutchin near Trollaby Lane, Kate’s Cottage and Braddan Bridge outside the rugby club entrance.

Constable Moore of Lord Street police station said: ‘These signs may have been taken by over enthusiastic TT fans as souvenirs but they are an important early warning to visitors who maybe unfamiliar with the layout of the road and their removal is potentially hazardous to new visitors using our roads.’

Constable Moore can be contacted at Lord Street police station in Douglas.

The A36 Shoulder Road, near South Barrule, is open again.

Work to repair the large hole which closed it on Sunday is now complete.

The Department of Infrastructure thanked the public for their patience while the road was shut.

Newly crowned British Junior Women’s National Road Race Champion, Anna Christian, is hoping that her latest success will earn her a ride in the 2013 world championships.

On Sunday, Anna became the first local female to win a national cycling title at junior or senior level since the great Marie Morgan (Purvis) more two full decades ago.

The event took place at Ampleforth, North Yorkshire, where Anna broke away from the field of 27 juniors in a combined round of the senior women’s national road race series.

The Ryedale GP was held over a very hilly course, much to Anna’s liking. ‘I’d targetted this race as I prefer hilly courses,’ said Anna, who will celebrate her 18th birthday on Tuesday.

‘At the start of the second lap of the larger 15-mile loop, used for the 2012 men’s road race championships, I managed to get away in a group of 12 riders - including three juniors.

‘That later reduced to seven when the pace increased on the hills and five dropped off, including the other two junior women in the group - Beth Howard and Amy Gournal.

‘When it came to the single lap of the shorter 10-mile loop I attacked off the front to raise the pace as the senior women were looking at one another. I had seen that our lead had dropped from 20 to 14 seconds and I didn’t want the other two junior girls to get back onto us.

‘Towards the finish, I let the six senior women battle it out in the sprint for the overall win, safe in the knowledge that I was unchallenged for the junior title.’

Anna’s overall result places the Isle of Man Sport Aid recipient firmly in the top-10 in the national road race standings, although she will not be contesting the final round in Stafford.’

She does, however, have her eyes set on the UCI World Junior Women’s Road Race Championships in Florence at the end of September, when her brother Mark is likely to again represent Great Britain in the men’s under-23 events.

‘I believe the course there is mega-hilly, which will suit me down to the ground.’ said Anna, who started cycling at five but only became serious at it when she was 15.

Laura Wasley, who also rides for the Scott Contessa-Epic Cycles team in UK events and Manx Viking Wheelers locally, finished 25th in the national round.

l Meanwhile, Anna’s brother, Mark Christian, 22, continued his strong comeback from an early-season hip injury to finish fifth in the final round of the Premier Calendar Road Race Series over the same Ampleforth course on Sunday afternoon.

The Team Raleigh rider got away in an early group of three with Simon Yates (100%ME) and eventual winner Joe Perrett (Team IG-Sigma Sport) on the first of three large laps, extending their advantage to over four minutes on the second lap before a six-strong chasing group broke away from the peloton third time up the main climb and took up the chase.

The chasers eventually caught up with the long-time leaders on the third lap of five smaller finishing circuit.

Perrett, Ian Bibby (Madison Genesis) and Richard Handley (Rapha Condor) caught the rest on the hop and flew off the front on the final circuit to contest the top-three positions, while Christian finished second in the sprint for fourth.

The Isle of Man Sport-sponsored Gateway Games were held on Sunday at the NSC in perfect conditions, with Peveril triumphing in a nail-biting conclusion to the day.

This year the Games were opened by Geoff Corkish MBE MLC a member of the Department of Community Culture and Leisure.

A total of 35 took part in the junior Games in a range of events from tri golf to Kwik Cricket, football and athletics before going off to the pool for a series of swimming events.

The seniors undertook the usual format of athletics, five-a-side football, bowls and swimming as they fiercely competed for the Isle of Man Bank Shield.

The overall champions were the blue team of Peveril beating the green team of Tynwald by one point in a result that was only decided by the last swimming event of the Games. Stanley were third and Atholfourth.

Senior results Athletics 60m sprint 1, Jason Fox 7.4 seconds; 2, Duncan Watterson 7.6s; 3, Mark Henry 7.8. Javelin A 1, Susan Quirk 15 metres; 2, Kathy Dyer 10; 3, Sonia Plasted 10. Javelin B 1, Barry Faragher 18; 2, Georgina Lorimer 17; 3, Lauren Faragher 17m. Welly Throwing 1, Owen Langton 16.5 (new Games Record); 2, Susan Quirk 12m; 3, Shaun Anderson 9m. Relay 1, Stanley 2min 12sec; 2, Tynwald 2:14; 3, Athol 2:19. Medicine ball throw 1, David Eastaff 12m; 2, James Quilliam 10m; 3=, Lian Milne 7.5m; 3=, Sally Tate 7.5m. One-lap walk 1, David Eastaff 2:20; 2, Georgina Lorimer 2:21; 3, Elizabeth Tinkler 2:39. Obstacle race A 1, Mark Henry 21.9; 2, David Eastaff 28.4; 3, Dane O’Brien 33.3. Obstacle race B 1, Laura Oram 40.2; 2, Katie Dulson 41.5; 3, Julia Karran 44. Football 1, Peveril; 2, Stanley; 3, Athol. Bowls 1, Athol; 2, Peveril; 3, Tynwald. Tug of War 1, Stanley; 2, Peveril; 3, Athol. 25m Freestyle swimming 1, Suzanne Woods 27.85; 2, Lindsey Fox 29.77; 3, Elizabeth Tinkler 48.95. 25m freestyle 1, Ryan Jasinski 18.06s (New Games record); 2, Ryan Aitkin 18.69s; 3, Stuart Marquis 20.63s. 15-25m breaststroke 1, David Eastaff 47.6s; 2, Julia Karran 54.35s; 3, Julie Hinstridge 65.06s. 50m freestyle 1, Ewan Donnell 39.73s; 2, Ryan Jasinski 52.56s; 3, Katie Saunders 57.66s. 50m freestyle 1, Katie Saunders 59.28s; 2, Sean Roberts 76.86s; 3, Suzanne Woods 96.52s. Assisted swimming 1, Danielle Milligan; 2, Amanda Jones; 3=, Lian Milne; 3=, Kath Quayle. Swimming relay 1, Peveril 2;2.8; 2, Tynwald 2:14.62; 3, Stanley 2:44.33. Overall 1, Peveril 33 points; 2, Tynwald 32; 3, Stanley 25; 4, Athol 19.

Inquests were opened and adjourned today (Friday) on two men whose bodies were recovered from the sea last weekend.

The bodies of Stewart Curphey and Harold Clive Faragher, who were both aged 66, were discovered on Saturday July 27 in the sea off the north west coast of the island.

Opening the proceedings, coroner John Needham offered his condolences to the men’s families and said enquiries were continuing into the deaths.

He added the precise time of death had not been determined but for both men it was between July 26 and 27 and the cause of death in each case was salt water drowning.

Mr Curphey, a retired builder of Smeale Road, Andreas, was recovered from the sea by a Sea King helicopter and was confirmed dead at 6.20pm on July 27.

He was formally identified by his wife Christine Curphey.

Mr Faragher, a retired MEA supervisor of Lamb Hill Estate. Bride, was recovered by Ramsey lifeboat and confirmed dead at 7.30pm on July 27. He was formally identified by his son Michael Faragher.

Adjourning the proceedings, Mr Needham said they would resume at a date to be fixed.

The names of all 50 people who died in the Summerland fire disaster were read out in a moving ceremony on Friday night.

A large crowd gathered at the Kaye Memorial Garden, Queen’s Promenade, Douglas, 40 years to the hour after the tragedy began to pay tribute to the victims of the blaze.

The event, organised by Douglas Council, dedicated a memorial to the dead.

The memorial takes the form of three granite columns set into a circle of paving. It bears the names of the 50 people – including nine children – who died.

The Archdeacon of Man, the Ven Andrew Brown, began the service and read the victims’ names and their ages at the time of the tragedy in 1973.

Some of the people at the service were visibly moved. Among those present were some who lost relatives and friends in the disaster.

There followed a two-minute silence, which began at 8.01pm, 40 years exactly after the first alarm call to the emergency services.

The people who attended the event then sang the first hymn, We trust in you.

The mayor of Douglas, Cllr Carol Malarkey, followed with an address and the memorial was dedicated by the archdeacon.

The second hymn was O God beyond all praising.

Prayers were then led by the Revd Fr Canon Phillip Gillespie, the Roman Catholic dean of the island.

The Bishop gave a blessing in English and Manx and the event ended with the national anthem.

‘Reasonable progress’ is being made on the Health and Safety at Work Inspectorate’s investigation following the death of mechanical engineer Gareth Sowden.

That’s according to head of the government inspectorate, Bernard Warden.

Mr Sowden, aged 55, of Douglas, was working at a sewage treatment site in Balleira Road, Kirk Michael, at the time of the fatal incident on May 1.

Mr Warden said: ‘At the moment, interviews are progressing well. There are quite a large number of organisations involved, it’s a complicated investigation.’

He said interviews had taken place both on and off-island for several weeks, adding: ‘They will be ongoing for a number of weeks, maybe a number of months.’

At the investigation’s outset, Mr Warden said he expected it would take six months to complete. Three months in, he said: ‘We hope to have all the interviews completed by the six months but we can’t give any guarantees on that.’

The main objectives of the Inspectorate’s work are to identify any lessons that need to be learned to ensure the risk of another accident happening in the future are minimised. In addition, it’s their aim to establish the level of compliance with the relevant health and safety legislation.

Once the investigation is completed, a report will be submitted to the coroner.

When Coroner John Needham opened the inquest into Mr Sowden’s death in May, he heard he died from multiple injuries after a container came down on him.

The Isle of Man Water and Sewerage Authority contracted out its project to redevelop the sewage treatment works at Kirk Michael.

It involves the plant being replaced by two Integral Rotating Biological Contactor (IRBC) plants.

The humble lawnmower became one of the star attractions at Castletown’s Southern Agricultural Show, with the event’s first sit-on lawnmower rally.

A field of 13 budding champions entered their machines in the circuit racing in front of an impressive crowd.

Organiser – and competitor – Robert Comish said it could become a regular fixture at the Southern Show.

‘It was a great event, an excellent success for the show, because it drew a massive crowd. It was three-deep all the way around the circuit,’ said Mr Comish.

‘The show committee was dubious to begin with, but they were amazed with how it went in the end, and we’ve been asked to hold it again next year which is brilliant.’

Two heats came before a mass final, with many of the competitors entering into the spirit by racing in fancy dress. The competitive element came a distant second to the sense of fun.

‘Some of the lawnmowers were modified in their own ways. Well, my one was!’ said Robert. ‘Just for crowd entertainment, really. Some were totally standard.’

The eventual winner was Will Duggan, though Robert joked he ‘had it in the bag’ before a breakdown to his speedy mower forced him out of the running.

‘The atmosphere was great,’ he added. ‘Thank you to [the voice of the Purple Helmets] Derry Kissack for doing the commentating, he was absolutely brilliant, he made it.

‘What a guy – people were in stitches!’

Mother of two Nicole Bodell has launched a new website to host crowdfunding campaigns for island folk or groups to promote and manage their fundraising campaign online.

The website is open to projects from films, music, art, technology, design and charity events, in fact just about anything that needs funding can use the crowdfunding site so long as it is legal and in good taste.

Nicole, 32, an island civil servant, said: This type of fundraising has become extremely popular in the USA and is rapidly gaining a following in the UK and Europe.

Douglas woman Nicole said there are three distinct models of crowdfunding available in the UK today:

l equity fundraising for investing in businesses,

l debt fundraising to provide loans to businesses and

l creative and community fundraising to provide funding for non-commercial purposes which is the model used by this new Isle of Man based venture.

Nicole, the founder of www.letscrowdit.com explained more about her website, ‘I was very impressed by how crowdfunding has helped a wide variety of projects in the USA and the UK and wanted to bring it to the Isle of Man as a way for local people to raise funds for a project that they are passionate about that is of a creative, community or cultural nature.

‘We are a strong community in the island and crowdfunding very much fits with that spirit.

‘It brings together likeminded people who support local projects with donations in exchange for small personal rewards’.

Nicole added, ‘The people who post campaigns typically use them for things such as artistic projects, social projects, community events, club fundraisers etc.

‘For example a band might want to record an album, a filmmaker might need funding to produce their film or maybe a local community wants to refurbish a children’s playground.

‘They can all publish their campaigns on the web site and upload pictures and video clips to give potential supporters a good understanding of what they will be doing with the money raised.’

Each campaign has its own project page and owners can share their projects to their Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts.

Their supporters can simply log in to the project page and make a donation by either PayPal or by credit/debit card using a secure gateway.

Nicole explained that setting up a project page offers a great focal point for fundraising campaigns and because www.letscrowdit.com is open to projects from all over the UK projects could reach a much wider audience than you anticipated.

For more information visit: www.letscrowdit.com or email: Nicole@letscrowdit.com

IT’s fair to say the Isle of Man punches well above its weight in motorsport and this was never more evident than when a small team of amateurs went to Bonneville salt flats in America last year and smashed not one but two land speed records.

Now the team, known as the Lonan Gentlemen’s Fellowship (team name - cricket and straw boaters) is planning to make the return journey in 2014, taking two bikes with them and with their sights firmly set on more world records.

Stuart Harvey – day job a landscape gardener and crew chief last year to rider Richard Barks – is to ride one of the bikes in 2014.

Fellow team member Paul Hodgson is building another bike using a Yamaha frame and engine as a base, which he will ride.

‘The event is called Speed Week and it’s billed as the fastest race on earth,’ said Stuart.

‘Last year’s event was fantastic because in addition to the two records we were also accredited as the most successful motor cycle rookies in the history of Speed Week (next year is the 100th event/year): apparently no new team has ever gone away with two trophies after their first attempt!

‘We were also the first production based 500cc motorcycle to top 200mph on the salt flats: they were almost hoisting us in the air.’

In temperatures of 52 degrees centigrade and 4,500 feet above sea level, the Fellowship’s bike took the speed record in two different classes at 188.7mph and 303.3mph. Cooling was a major challenge and ice was packed into a special dummy compartment which formed part of the bike’s tank to help with this.

‘Ice is hard to come by in quantity but the hotel had ice machines which people used for their drinks. We were filling containers full of ice using the ice machines - it took about an hour to get the amount we needed each time so I don’t think we were popular with the other guests!’ he said.

The team is hoping to raise funds for next year’s return trip and to this end it is asking for sponsorship in return for a newly designed tee-shirt and certificate of sponsorship as well as subscription only content on the web and access to a dedicated members’ area to find out more about the project, progress, and join in with discussions. To find out more, see www.bonnevillelandspeed.org

‘We want to shamelessly plug that!’ said Steve.

An afternoon of workouts followed by a barbecue and raffle helped Braddan’s CrossFit IOM gym members raise £310.50 for the Hyperbaric Chamber.

Owner Dan Bonett, who set up the gym with fiancé Erin Callister (pictured above) almost one year ago, wanted to organise a benefit for the chamber that for months has been part of his recovery from shoulder reconstruction.

With Dan out of CrossFit competitions, his sponsors have got behind him with a drive aimed at inspiring injured athletes through periods of rehab. Thirty-eight CrossFit members took part on Saturday.

‘Thanks to Danny and Jo from Clean Fitness Apparel and Prehistoric Fuel for providing the prizes and to everyone who brought raffle prizes,’ said Erin. ‘And of course family for supporting and members for taking part, and their kind donations to a great charity.’

The Isle of Man men’s national team were beaten 5-0 by a well-prepared Curzon Ashton at the Tameside Stadium on Saturday.

Island manager Steve Burns and his backroom staff will use this weekend’s two-match tour of Greater Manchester as a fine-tuning exercise with the forthcoming Inter League Cup tie against Cumberland in mind.

The hosts, who play in the Northern Premier League Division One North had played seven friendlies as part of pre-season and this was clearly evident when they took on a Manx side who are just starting their build-up programme to the Inter-League Cup.

It only took three minutes for Curzon to find a way through following a cross from the left, Matty Warburton guiding his header into the bottom-right for the opening goal.

The hosts continued to dominate proceedings as the Manx struggled to build up a head of steam, Curzon doubling their lead after Chris McDonagh ran onto a diagonal through-ball before guiding his effort past goalkeeper Grant Dawson.

Liam Cowin provided the Manx’s best chance, his long-range effort was well held by the opposing net-minder. At the other end St George’s stopper Dawson was kept busy, pulling off two fine saves.

After the break, the Isle of Man seem buoyed and had a chance to reduce the arrears with a Johnny Myers effort that went just wide. The Men came close again with the St George’s player’s free-kick narrowly missing the target.

Curzon Ashton’s class shone through in the closing stages. Matty Kay netted a third following a move engineered on the right before Ryan Humphreys scored their fourth with a thunderbolt that cannoned in off the underside of the crossbar. Ryan Brooke headed home a fifth on the stroke of full-time to emphatically seal the win.

Isle of Man: Grant Dawson, Julian Ringham, Sean Quaye, Johnny Myers (Andrew Crennell 75m), Karl Clark, Marc Kelly, Liam Cowin, Frank Jones (Josh Thomas 77m), Ciaran McNulty (Lee Gale 75m), Calum Morrissey, Ashley Webster (Sam Caine 85m).

l The Isle of Man lost their second game of the weekend against Salford City 3-2 on Sunday.

Laxey winger Josh Thomas had given the Manx a dream start slotting in after just seven minutes only for the hosts to hit back twice before the break.

City added a third after the half-time interval to stretch their lead further.

The Manx, however, hit back and St George’s striker Ciaran McNulty pulled a goal back midway through the period. The island pushed for a leveller but couldn’t force home an equaliser. More in Thursday’s Independent.

Castletown resident Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike) won race one of the eni FIM Superbike Championship at Silverstone in spectacular fashion on Sunday lunchtime.

Rea got back on the top step of the podium after more than a year after he pulled away from the chasing pack on lap seven, as the rain started to fall on the track.

The race was reduced by one lap because the weather forced a delayed start and was characterised by intermittent conditions that played a key factor and brought to constant and unpredictable position changes throughout the 17 laps.

Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) managed to get back in contention for the podium in the closing stages, to edge Leon Camier from second place during the final lap. Camier delivered his and FIXI Crescent Suzuki Team’s first podium of the season on his 27th birthday.

Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team), fourth at the flag, managed to extend his leadership in the points up to 12 points, as his main rival for the title Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) ended up 11th behind BMW Motorrad GoldBet duo of Marco Melandri and Chaz Davies. Guintoli was able to defend his position from fellow Frenchmen Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Jules Cluzel (FIXI Crescent Suzuki), both able to stay with the front runners and to battle for the podium.

Race One results: 1. Rea (Honda) 17 Laps/100.334 km in 37’16.058 average 161.535 kph; 2. Laverty (Aprilia) 3.073; 3. Camier (Suzuki) 3.480; 4. Guintoli (Aprilia) 3.608; 5. Baz (Kawasaki) 4.140; 6. Cluzel (Suzuki) 5.659; 7. Haslam (Honda) 6.443; 8. Badovini (Ducati) 10.544; 9. Melandri (BMW) 14.017; 10. Davies (BMW) 14.167; 11. Sykes (Kawasaki) 14.180; 12. Neukirchner (Ducati) 26.536; 13. Checa (Ducati) 43.561; 14. Fabrizio (Aprilia) 46.373; 15. Aitchison (Kawasaki) 1’33.624; 16. Sandi (Kawasaki) 1 Lap; 17. Iannuzzo (BMW) 2 Laps; RT. Giugliano (Aprilia).