Queen's Jubilee birthday honours: Manx heart screening stalwart honoured

A man who helped raise more than £1m to screen thousands of Manx residents for heart defects has been awarded the British Empire Medal.

Paul Healey helped to set up Craig's Hearstrong Foundation, which has identified more than 600 people with previously undetected conditions.

Mr Healy said he was "surprised but also very honoured".

Heritage supporter Pamela Crowe and RNLI volunteer Frank Horne were both appointed MBE.

Mr Horne has been recognised for his work in promoting safety at sea within the Manx community and for delivering safety training to the commercial fishing industry across the British Isles.

Mrs Crowe has been honoured for championing the island's history as part of Rushen Heritage Trust, as well as her charity fundraising through the organisation of community events.

She said she was "very humbled to have been chosen as a representative of all volunteers", as there were "so many people" on the island that deserved recognition for their charitable work.

"You get to meet such lovely people when you work as a volunteer, it is a very worthwhile thing," she added.

Craig's Heartstrong Foundation was formed after Manx footballer Craig Lunt, who was a close friend of Mr Healey, died from an undiagnosed heart defect in 2005.

Together with Mr Lunt's mother, Paula Lunt, he has fundraised to enable the screening of more than 8,500 people from across the island.

The charity has also been responsible for the installation of defibrillators in many sporting clubs and community venues around the island.

Reflecting on the honour, he said: "I do it because myself and Paula want to keep Craig's memory alive, something like this never crossed my mind really."

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