Wilton, whose local operation is based in Athol Street, Douglas, has teamed up with Operation Nightingale in London to help transport 300 face shields.

They were delivered to Ronaldsway via a private aircraft before being delivered  to the Isle of Man Pharmacy Contractors Association, Corrin Residential Care Home in Peel and the Manx Taxi Federation.

The independent financial services firm, which also has offices in London’s Mayfair, Dublin, Dubai and Bristol, has helped Op Nightingale distribute £1,500 worth of PPE equipment to the Isle of Man.

Tony Flanagan, Managing Partner of Wilton, said: ‘At what are unprecedented times, we felt this was a great way to support our community by pulling together as a group and provide funding to ensure key workers in the Island have sufficient PPE.

‘Thankfully, the Manx Government has sufficient stock in place in the Island’s hospitals and residential homes at the moment, so it was felt the stock would be helpful for local pharmacies, taxi drivers and a care home in the west of the Island, all of whom work closely with customers and patients.

‘Hopefully these shields will provide peace of mind to anyone who feels vulnerable in this situation, ensuring staff are able to provide the very best service for their customers in a safe way’.

Operation Nightingale has been delivering PPE to hospitals and front-line services in UK, using Wilton’s Mayfair office as an accommodation and operation bases.

The voluntary relief project, comprising former military personnel, transports the equipment throughout the country to provide essential support.

Initially, an initiative to assist the recovery of wounded, injured and sick military personnel and veterans by getting them involved in archaeological investigations, it turned its attention to working in support of health service staff after the Covid-19 outbreak.

James Brooke, Team Director, explained: ‘It is a pleasure to arrange this trip to the Isle of Man as part of our work to support doctors and nurses. In fact, it’s a role reversal from times when nurses supported our Armed Forces to see how veterans are uniting to support the British Isles socially and economically.

‘This has been our first visit to the Island but if there is a need for further trips, we will certainly consider them and would urge any organisations with a need for PPE to contact us.

Isle of Man Health Minister David Ashford has praised Wilton and Operation Nightingale for supporting the Island community in a time of need.

He added: ‘This partnership is just another example of organisations working together to offer peace of mind to the community and support the health and wellbeing of health professionals who are so committed to providing the very best care for their patients.

‘This sort of spirit is what makes the Island a special place and the PPE will go a long way in supporting our ongoing fight against Covid-19 and protecting our front-line teams and the people they treat.’

The Corrin Home, is one of many care homes to receive PPE delivered through Op nightingale. Lisa Sims, administrator of the Corrin Home has said ‘Our care workers are delighted to have received much needed personal protective equipment.

‘This is down to the generosity of the Wilton Group and the team at Operation Nightingale which has been delivering PPE to hospitals and frontline services throughout the UK.

‘A sincere thank you to them. Our utmost priority is the safety of the people within our home; both residents and staff.’

Pat Bell, a member of the Manx Taxi Federation has let us know ‘Passengers in Island taxis can feel safe in the knowledge we are committed to their safety.

‘We have taken stock of personal protection face shields which all our drivers will wear on routes island wide.

‘Many thanks to the team at Wilton and Operation Nightingale for their donation and delivery of this invaluable equipment.

Ian Hemensley, on behalf of the Isle of Man Pharmacy Contractors Association: ‘A big thank you to financial services company Wilton and the team at Operation Nightingale after their delivery of personal protection equipment.

‘The face shields will ensure our Island pharmacists provide the very best care for their customers in a safe way during the current pandemic. We really appreciate the recognition and support to allow our hard-working and dedicated staff to continue their work.’