Burgers, sizzled sausages and drinks were passed around at Nunnery Howe, Douglas, in celebration of Autism Initiatives (AI) reaching its target amount of £40,000 to buy a ’much-needed’ minibus.

The amount was raised following the death of a cherished race walker in the island, Murray Lambden.

Both he and his wife, Marie, have been big supporters of Autism Initiatives across the island with their son called Robbie who is in full-time care.

At the barbecue Marie said: ’People have been so generous with money towards the minibus since Murray died and have been raising the profile for AI.’

She explained that her husband had passed away after suffering a heart attack in April last year while out walking his dog on Marine Drive.

Murray, pictured below, was well-known for his efforts in the sporting community as he was a British record holder in race walking and had represented the island in the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Australia. As well as competing and winning the Parish Walk, he was also an administrator and developer of the Parish Walk’s live streaming website.

Marie added that when the community learned of his death, there was an immediate response to do something in his memory.

That response has now led to enough money being raised to purchase a new, fully-equipped Ford Transit for AI, which is due to be delivered in the next six to eight weeks.

Marie says it will be a ’fantastic’ asset for the charity.

’[The service users] are sometimes offered work placements, so the minibus will be able to take them and make them more part of the community,’ she said.

’It will also get them there safely. Even to get down to the bus station from here can be dangerous for them. Many walk down, but it’s not safe because people drive so fast on the road at the bottom of the drive on Old Castletown Road.’

Those who attended the barbecue included her sons Ben and Robbie with friends and supporters of AI.

Ann Corlett MHK, Tim Baker MHK and care directorate Will McCann from the Department of Health and Social Care also visited.

Paul Ormond-Smith, the head of service for AI explained that he was ’completely overwhelmed’ and at everyone’s generosity.

He said: ’The purchase of a mini bus had been a dream for a number of years and it is hoped this new acquisition will enable the charity to provide an even wider range of community activities for the people they support to empower them to get the best out of their life.

’As a charity we are committed to life-long learning for the people they support and that an important element of this is that the daily living skills they teach those accessing the service are transferable into the community, and that they are supported to have the opportunity to make friends and interact with others.

’The minibus will provide this much-needed gap, and provide opportunities such as community trips to shops, café’s, libraries and accessing activities such as swimming and horse riding and will particularly benefit those people living in remote parts of the island who are not on easily accessible bus routes and who otherwise might end up socially isolated.’

It was three of Murray’s friends and former colleagues, Nick Smith, Tony Edmonds and Barry Williams, who raised the last of the funds needed for the minibus after walking the length of Hadrian’s Wall. The trio completed the fundraising marathon in May, raising over £3,000 in the process.

Barry said: ’We worked in the finance sector together and all kept in touch despite going different ways. When Murray passed away we were keen to do something to help.’

They explained it had been Murray who had been keen to walk Hadrian’s Wall with them, therefore it was ’fitting’ to do it in his memory while raising funds for a service in which his son is a part of.

’Murray was just a lovely guy and he’s done so much for sport,’ Nick added.

Former business partner Eammon Harkins added: ’He was such a stunning man with great integrity. Everything he did he did 100%, whether that was working, the Parish Walk or family.’

Another person struck by the personality and determination of Murray is Margaret Brown, who successfully worked to get a blue plaque about him on Douglas Promenade.

’I think Murray was so instrumental with the Parish Walk,’ she said. ’He did all the records for the Parish Walk and sold photographs [of the event] for charity.

’He was also instrumental in saving the promenade walkway as the Department of Infrastructure wanted to put the horse trams there.

’Murray very much felt there were very few open spaces in Douglas and campaigned to keep the promenade walkway a walkway. As you could imagine, children and bikes mixed with horse trams wouldn’t work. It seemed awfully appropriate to have something in memory of him.’

The plaque rests at the end of the sunken gardens near the War Memorial and contains a synopsis of what Murray has achieved in his lifetime. The only other plaques are dedicated to Archibald Knox and the Bee Gees.

She added: ’Robbie sometimes goes walking on the promenade with Eammon and Eammon said he stops to read the inscription about his Dad and is very proud.

’Ben has been a great support to his brother as, of course, have Marie and Murray in his lifetime. It is nice for the family that Ben is now working back in the island as a doctor at the emergency department.’

Marie thinks her husband would have been ’amazed’ about receiving the plaque. ’It shows what a great sense of community the Isle of Man still has and Murray’s friends have been incredible.’

Although she thinks of the AI facilities and efforts of the staff as ’wonderful’, she believes more can be done to improve understanding towards the condition. ’Those with autism have somewhere to go to and something to aim for.’

’When you come up here [the service users] who have been fairly withdrawn now really do mix in socially and they wouldn’t have been able to do that without AI.’