Having board meetings and late dinners at the weekend seem to be becoming a habit. And I have to say it was a ‘memorable’ Mother’s Day, with the prescribed 2m apart walk with my mum and family up a quiet Glen Auldyn on a beautifully bracing IOM sunny spring morning yesterday
So, following further news announcements at the weekend, I wanted to communicate our current stance for you, our clients.
The coronavirus pandemic has clearly progressed here in the Isle of Man.
Therefore, in line with the official guidance and taking necessary measures to protect our staff, their families, and our clients, our office will close today and we will move to working from home.
Fortunately, a few years ago we’d already put in place the hardware and software solutions needed to ensure a business continuity plan, so it’s a case of our team now putting that plan into action and working remotely.
Our existing systems are all cloud-based, which means no loss of access working at home rather than physically being at our offices in St John’s Mill, Tynwald, St Johns.
Our team and our clients have been so considerate, and we’ll continue to offer our clients the alternative to meet with us remotely, via video conference or phone call, instead of meeting face-to-face, and I have another of those calls later today.
As for the effect on the Coronavirus on our clients’ portfolios
We will provide further updates as the situation evolves and will continue to provide updates as they relate to the economy and markets too. More clarity is constantly emerging over the economic and market response to what’s happening right now.
It is good to see our own Isle of Man Government step up and provide some decisive leadership in this having followed closely the scientific advice and good practice shared from countries already further ahead on the Coronavirus curve than us.
They are providing support for those businesses unable to operate during the coming weeks and months, and of course, we will look to offer support to those businesses where we can, and help signpost.
Adversity is something that most of us have had to overcome at some time or other already in our own lives.
One of Charles Darwin’s most famous quotes is that “In the long history of humankind those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed”.
We’re already seeing many great examples of human ingenuity and above all kindness that is instinctive in most of us to want to help others, and I’d love you to share those with us.
One thing we can do is mention the lovely team at St John’s Mill here who run the conference centre with now no conferences are offering to supply people in the community with food in line with the government restrictions on catering/ so see the SJM website for contact details.
The BBC is in the process of setting up a page for small acts of kindness and its uplifting to share these things.
How we behave over the coming months for many of us will be life-defining.
For us in the Thornton team, we’re focusing on what we can control rather than what we can’t, taking the opportunity to read, learn, reconnect with old friends, write, create, do all of those things we’ve been putting off……I might even get the bagpipes out! A social distancing tool if ever there was one.
We’ve put our news and blog items on our website are there for you as a source of information and help, and sharing if it helps anyone feeling isolated. We’ll continue to provide you with updates there as well as individually.
There’s also our new podcast series on there, recorded before we’d heard of Coronavirus, and just coincidentally planned to launch now. But Bob Jeavons has some great messages of ideas, support and just genuinely being someone to aspire you. it’ll take your mind off Coronavirus TV for an hour or so.
Of course, if you have any questions or concerns do speak to one of us in the Thornton team. We’re here.
Do stay safe, keep yourself well and we can come back stronger from this when normality returns.
