As anyone reading this website would know, I’m a candidate in an election being held next week. However, many things in life are more important than elections. Since I’ve been humbled with a wonderful online following, I’d like to draw your attention to two things happening here in the Isle of Man over the next few days:

1. Foodbank at Tesco until Saturday

Each Thursday, I’ve been volunteering for the Isle of Man Foodbank to deliver parcels of food to people in need. However, in addition, this week, we’re doing a Tesco Donation Drive from today, Thursday 20 August, until Saturday 22 August. The IOM Foodbank plans to have a presence at the Tesco store in Douglas between 9.30am and 7pm on those three days, collecting donations from shoppers on their way out. With official figures now showing that unemployment in the Isle of Man is now around a quarter higher than in the UK, many of our neighbours are in need. If you are able to make a contribution, please consider doing so.

2. Flying for Manx Solidarity Fund on Saturday

Tomorrow (Friday, 21 August) is my birthday – I’m going to be 39 years old. Before the by-election was even announced, I volunteered to participate in Saturday’s Castletown Tin Bath championships as part of their 49th Annual World Tin Baths Flying Attempt. At the time, I thought that would be a fun thing to do as part of a birthday trip on the steam train down to Castletown.

I’m going to honour my word and follow through with this. In short, I’m going to run* off a pier and fall ingloriously into the water. Perhaps a metaphor for this election campaign!

But regardless, it is all for a good cause: raising money for the Manx Solidarity Fund. If you’d like to encourage me to jump into Castletown Harbour and make a fool of myself to help a charity, then please go ahead and make a donation now. Anything is welcome – from £1 to £1,000! You are also naturally welcome to join me in Castletown at the Tin Bath championships and be a part of a good Manx event!

The Manx Solidarity Fund is helping out people in need as a result of the harm caused by the pandemic, and this money will help people across the Isle of Man who need it.

*hobble like a three-legged giraffe might be more accurate