In honour of Blein ny Gaelgey - Year of the Manx Language 2026, there are a number of different initiatives taking place over the course of the year.

In a recent video interview conducted by Culture Vannin, Sulby teacher Susie Brunswick spoke about how the Manx language is alive and well at the school.

Susie said: ‘At Sulby School, we have a really brilliant culture of the older children really nurturing and supporting the younger children. They all love their Manx lessons and are really keen to share what they've learned.’

‘So, we applied for a grant to put in a piece of playground equipment into our playground. It's called a U-turn round.

‘And the idea is that the children can record eight tracks of audio in Manx that then the rest of the school community will be able to play at their leisure. It's a self-powered outside machine and the children wind a handle and get to choose one of the tracks.’

A similar machine is currently installed at the Wildlife Park, which is where the children developed the idea of having one at school.

Susie’s hope is that once the equipment is installed it will run itself and becomes a part of the playground, forming a part of the community - with learning and speaking Manx becoming a lot more accessible for the children when they are at school outside of their designated Manx lessons.

‘I've been learning Manx for the last couple of years and learning any language opens so many doors for you.

‘It allows there's so many songs that you can understand.

‘There's so many books you can read and there's so much more out there than you'd realise for Manx speakers.

‘The more I learn, the more I realise I don't know. The more I see it all around me and realise how much I can gain by learning some more Manx.

‘It's everywhere around us.’