Support provided by three local organisations to council workers during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic has been acknowledged by the Mayor of Douglas, Jon Joughin.

At a reception held at Douglas town hall the mayor, together with the mayoress, Angela Joughin, extended their thanks on behalf of the council to Debbie and Maurice Kelly of Motaworld, John McCallum of Highway Access Cleaning Services and Ian Cooil and Kerry Macduffie of Manx Blind Welfare.

Auto parts supplier Motaworld donated fast-acting in-cab diffuser sanitisers and bottles of sanitiser for frontline crews to use in the council’s waste collection vehicle fleet when they were working under challenging conditions to keep Douglas waste free and clean.

John McCallum, of High Access Window Cleaning Services, voluntarily cleaned public lighting columns and deep-cleaned street furniture, in particular bus shelters, in the IM2 area of Douglas free of charge.

Manx Blind Welfare prepared bacon baps from their own kitchens then distributed them to key council operatives and also baked cakes which were delivered to residents in the council’s sheltered accommodation at Ballanard Court and Hazel Court.

Debbie Kelly praised ’the hard work and dedication’ of the council’s frontline workers and police and ambulance teams.

John McCallum said it been ’a pleasure to assist the local community’.

Ian Cooil said: ’It’s been great to see how the private, public and third sector came together to offer help and support at a time of national crisis.’