Latest news with #Manx
BBC News
16 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Bird conservation charity's £4.9k education boost
A bird conservation charity has received lottery funding to develop an outdoor education programme to encourage children to connect with BirdLife received £4,900 to expand its education programme for species monitoring in the Point of Ayre Nature Reserve, which is run by the money would be used to buy equipment such as moth traps, bat detectors, butterfly nets and action cameras for schools and community groups to borrow for Graham from Manx BirdLife, said it would enable more people to "engage directly with the natural world, develop a deeper understanding of the species around us and become active participants in conservation efforts". 'Inspire future generations' "It's an exciting opportunity for the Isle of Man community to help protect and preserve our natural heritage," she the last academic year, about 2,500 children participated in activities as part of Manx BirdLife Education Kelly, chairman of the Manx Lottery Trust, said it was "wonderful to see the charity creating opportunities for people of all ages to connect with nature and contribute to wildlife conservation."It will inspire future generations to care for the natural world around them." Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
More than 600 to race at Viking Longboat contest
First held in 1963, the championships are seen as a key event in the Manx calendar [Jimmy Lee] More than 600 people are preparing to compete at the 62nd annual Viking Longboat World Championships in the west of the Isle of Man. The contest will see 62 crews of 10 people row authentic longboats in a 1,312ft (400m) sprint in Peel Bay on Saturday. Advertisement Championship secretary Jimmy Lee said it was a "very Manx" competition that took place in "one of the Manxest places you'll find". He said most teams "go out for a laugh in the race against the clock", which was "an all out five-minute row" for those in the boats. Teams in the 2025 competition included one group called the Greeba Goats and another made up of members of the Manx Parliament of Tynwald. Meanwhile, the Whitehouse Odin's Vikings will celebrate their 50th anniversary of taking part, with two members from the original 1975 crew still involved and another who rowed in the first competition. A total of 62 crews are set to compete in the 2025 event [Jimmy Lee] Every crew member in the event is required to row using an 11ft (3.3m) oar and each team must complete at least two practice runs in preparation for the event, which was first held in 1963. Advertisement Mr Lee said the rehearsals were important because getting 10 people to row together for the first time was "like herding cats". The secretary, who is also set to compete, said: "It's one of those events that's gotten under people's skin on the island, and once you've done it you feel hard of stopping." The event will see the closure of sections of East Quay, Victoria Road, Crown Street and Shore Road by Peel harbour from 11:30 to 18:30 BST, but emergency access will be maintained at all times. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X. More on this story
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
More than 600 rowers to compete at Viking Longboat Championships
More than 600 people are preparing to compete at the 62nd annual Viking Longboat World Championships in the west of the Isle of contest will see 62 crews of 10 people row authentic longboats in a 1,312ft (400m) sprint in Peel Bay on secretary Jimmy Lee said it was a "very Manx" competition that took place in "one of the Manxest places you'll find".He said most teams "go out for a laugh in the race against the clock", which was "an all out five-minute row" for those in the boats. Teams in the 2025 competition included one group called the Greeba Goats and another made up of members of the Manx Parliament of the Whitehouse Odin's Vikings will celebrate their 50th anniversary of taking part, with two members from the original 1975 crew still involved and another who rowed in the first competition. Every crew member in the event is required to row using an 11ft (3.3m) oar and each team must complete at least two practice runs in preparation for the event, which was first held in Lee said the rehearsals were important because getting 10 people to row together for the first time was "like herding cats".The secretary, who is also set to compete, said: "It's one of those events that's gotten under people's skin on the island, and once you've done it you feel hard of stopping."The event will see the closure of sections of East Quay, Victoria Road, Crown Street and Shore Road by Peel harbour from 11:30 to 18:30 BST, but emergency access will be maintained at all times. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sir Mark Cavendish Raceway officially opened
Sir Mark Cavendish broke the record for the most Tour de France stage wins last year [BBC] The raceway where Sir Mark Cavendish fell in love with cycling as a 10-year-old boy has been officially renamed to celebrate his legacy in the Manx capital. The cycleway at the National Sports Centre in Douglas was where the Manx Missile first started cycling competitively as a child. Advertisement The 40-year-old went on to become the most successful stage winner in Tour de France history when he took his 35th victory last year, having claimed 135 career wins. Sir Mark said he was "massively honoured" to have the "place where I started" named after him, adding it "was definitely the place I honed my craft". A guard of honour by members of his boyhood cycling club welcomed him back to the track [BBC] The record-breaking cyclist was welcomed to the raceway with a guard of honour by members of his childhood racing club before he completed a timed "hot lap" of the 0.6-mile (1km) circuit. Following a ceremony to officially open the newly-renamed raceway, school children from across the island were invited to join him on two laps of the circuit. Advertisement Reflecting on the celebrations, Sir Mark said: "I know there's so many riders who start here and dream of being professional, and if they can take a small bit of inspiration from that that's important to me. "If it can help people even start ride a bike, let alone start to pursue their dreams,. then I'm going to be happy." A young Mark Cavendish started cycling competitively as a boy on the circuit [BBC] The mural is made up of the names of 1,000 school children [IOM GOVERNMENT] A mural featuring the names of hundreds of pupils, a new podium, finish lines and signs explaining the cyclist's successes, were all unveiled at the launch event. The new artwork also includes a quote from the cycling legend reflecting on his experience from before childhood races. Advertisement It reads: "I dreamed of being like my heroes." The Manx government said the project had been designed to celebrate Sir Mark's legacy by encouraging the next generation to take up the sport, while recognising the place where his journey began. Children from all of the island's primary schools were invited to take part in the event [BBC] Dot Tilbury said she hoped it would inspire more children to excel in cycling [BBC] Dot Tilbury, who leads the cycling club at the raceway, said Sir Mark's achievements were "just sensational". "I think it's wonderful what they've done, and I hope it will attract more children to cycling or whatever sport.," she said. "But this boy has gone far, he's the Isle of Man's greatest asset." Advertisement The Manx Missile took part in a similar event in August by taking part in a lap of honour the first time he returned to the island after breaking the Tour de France record. Sir Mark Cavendish spend time meeting young fans and signing autographs [BBC] The raceway in Douglas will now be known at the Sir Mark Cavendish Raceway [Andy Bell] Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X. More on this story Related internet links
The Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Sir Mark Cavendish Raceway renamed in honour of Manx sprinter
The raceway at the Isle of Man 's National Sports Centre has been officially renamed in honour of Sir Mark Cavendish. The Manx sprinter was in Douglas to christen the new Sir Mark Cavendish Raceway, where he began cycling competitively as a child, and which helped kickstart his glittering career. Cavendish, who retired at the end of the 2024 season after a 19-year professional career, completed a timed 'hot lap' of the 1km raceway before being joined by a number of local children to ride around the renamed facility. Cavendish told The Independent, 'It's a big honour. It's the place where I started and it had a profound impact on my career, so from a sentimental point of view, it's very, very nice. I was about ten or eleven when I first started racing there, going down on a BMX and getting my head kicked in! Then getting a bike with gears, getting the thrill of it, I wanted to be first across the line every time. 'It's exactly the same now [for these kids], they've just got faster bikes!' The 40-year-old raced his final Tour de France last year, retiring with a record 35 stage wins at cycling's most prestigious race, along with 20 stage wins at the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana, a world road race title, several major one-day wins including at Milan-San Remo, and three world championship victories on the track. His children, including seven-year-old Casper, now follow in his footsteps by riding on the raceway, and Cavendish said the facility is hugely important for instilling a love of cycling and enjoyment of sport. Members of his former cycling club were also in attendance at Friday's event, forming a guard of honour before his timed lap. 'I fell in love with cycling because of the community,' Cavendish added. Some of the volunteers who run events at the Raceway, including children's racing nights, are still around from when he was coming through the ranks. 'That's the beauty of cycling, that everyone can do it, it's got this club feel to it, and it's so nice to see that hasn't changed. 'The facilities for sport are so good for such a small community, everyone embraces it here. It rains a lot and everyone is out, whether it's playing footy, track and field, or cycling – it's in everyone's blood. Most people have a racing nature in them.' The Raceway held a similar 'parade lap' featuring local children alongside Cavendish last year to celebrate his Tour de France record, and he wanted to replicate that this year to get the community involved. 'I'm so honoured that it's my name on there, but it's a place for everyone,' he said. 'The kids can dream there. To be able to push things further [as a professional cyclist] you have to travel the world, and knowing someone from your community can do it, having the inspiration to do what you want to achieve [is important].'
