His Majesty The King has recognised several people on the Isle of Man in the 2024 New Year Honours List.
The on Island residents to be recognised are Dr John Keith Daniels MBE, Mr Guy Julian Thompson MBE, Derry Kissack BEM, Diana Parkes CBE and James Michael ‘Mike’ Keggen MBE.
Recognised for outstanding services to Primary Care
Dr John Keith Daniels has been awarded an MBE for outstanding services to Primary Care on the Isle of Man.
Dr Daniels worked as a full-time GP Principal at Palatine Group Practice from 1990 to the end of August 2022. He was the Isle of Man’s first GP Postgraduate Tutor and he formalised and organised teaching for Island GPs.
Since 2016, he has supervised Foundation Year Junior Doctors during their GP rotation, successfully encouraging many to pursue a career in GP Practice.
He has worked in the role of Independent Advisor to Manx Care and held other roles, such as supporting the RNLI with medical services and advice.
Outstanding Services to Scouts Association Isle of Man
His Majesty The King has made Mr Guy Thompson an MBE in the New Year Honours List for 2024 for outstanding Services to Scouts Association Isle of Man.
Mr Thompson has been involved in scouting for nearly 20 years and was appointed as Island Commissioner 10 years ago.
During this time, he has focused on leadership, programme development and training so that a full, exciting and robust programme of activities is accessible to as many young people as possible across the Isle of Man.
Mr Thompson has worked tirelessly to secure funding and grants for equipment and training, with kayaking, archery, grass sledging and bush craft being some of the examples of his successes.
Consequently, the Island now has one of the strongest Scout groups in the British Isles.
In 2021, Mr Thompson began his long held ambition to offer the scouting experience to children with complex needs and vulnerabilities.
With the cooperation of the Island’s Educational Special Needs Units, there are now four ‘Rainbow’ scout groups in the Island’s schools, allowing these children to participate in mainstream activities.
This was the first scouting programme of its kind in the British Isles.
Derry Kissack to receive British Empire Medal
The King has awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) to Reginald Derek (Derry) Kissack in the New Year Honours List 2024 for outstanding contribution to charitable, cultural and community work on the Isle of Man.
Mr Kissack is perhaps best known for promoting the Isle of Man through the world famous Purple Helmets, a comedic motorcycle stunt group, which he formed in the 1990s.
Following an initial event to raise money for a local ambulance charity, Mr Kissack organised annual shows with the Purple Helmets at Onchan Stadium, raising £124,000 for the Southern Motorcycle Club.
This enabled the Club to buy 112 acres of land at Cairnagrie and build a clubhouse with rider and family facilities.
The Purple Helmets, led by Mr Kissack, went on to entertain thousands of visitors for more than 27 years and raise funds for local charities.
Mr Kissack is a well-known local character with a wonderful, dry sense of humour. He is an author of two books about Manx history – his autobiography and one regarding local motorcycle history.
He has undertaken many local celebrity appearances, commentating at shows, as well as after dinner speaking.
Over the years, he raised countless funds in support of local charities, including Breakthrough Breast Cancer, RNLI, Hospice Isle of Man and Cystic Fibrosis Isle of Man.
Longest standing seagoing crew member awarded MBE
In addition to the three Isle of Man nominated awardees, The King has also awarded the MBE to James Michael ‘Mike’ Keggen, a long-standing member of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI).
During 50 years unbroken service, Mike Keggen has undertaken a wide range of roles at Port St Mary Lifeboat Station on the Isle of Man, including Crew, Mechanic, Helm and Coxswain, a position he has held since 2019.
In this time, Mike has been called out on more than 300 shouts on three generations of all-weather lifeboat.
From 1994 to today, he has crewed 140 rescues, come to the aid of 124 people and saved 13 lives. For his dedication to saving lives at sea over half a century, Mike will be made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
Mike has been recognised along with four other RNLI volunteers in His Majesty The King’s New Year Honours for their roles in helping the charity save lives at sea.
RNLI Chief Executive, Mark Dowie said: “It is particularly poignant to see recognition for our longest standing seagoing crew member in the Isle of Man, which is where our founder Sir William Hillary came from.”
Diana Parkes awarded CBE
Diana Parkes has been awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) medals in The King’s New Year Honours List.
Diana, as co-founder and co-Patron of the Joanna Simpson Foundation, is receiving the honour after being recognised for her services to vulnerable children suffering from domestic abuse and domestic homicide.
Diana and Hetti Barkworth-Nanton (Joanna Simpson’s close friend) co-founded the Joanna Simpson Foundation in 2014, following the brutal killing of Joanna Simpson by her estranged husband, Robert Brown in 2010.
Lieutenant Governor’s Commendation
Government House has announced that His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor has recognised Mrs Elizabeth Bankes-Jones, and awarded her the Lieutenant Governor’s Commendation.
Mrs Bankes-Jones is a primary school teacher and psychotherapist who, over the years, has helped numerous children with special needs and their families.
In 2005, following a project to find pen pals for her pupils in Africa, she set up a charity, S4U, to raise money and buy land to build a senior school in Uganda, called the Good Hope School, benefiting the whole community.
This fundraising continues, and has facilitated a free dental clinic for the village on dental aid mission.
Her work led to a British Council International Award for Foxdale School.
Her training in global education and shared pedagogic knowledge for other schools has led to good practice across the Isle of Man.
His Excellency will present the award to Mrs Bankes-Jones in the New Year.
The full list will be published tomorrow (December 30).
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