Isle of Man Post Office (IOMPO) Chairman Julie Edge MHK and Maxine Cannon, General Manager of Stamps & Coins, will attend a memorial service in honour of Professor Stephen Hawking at Westminster Abbey in London on Friday (15th June).
IOMPO have been invited to attend having worked closely with The Stephen Hawking Foundation (SHF) over the past few years on a number of projects, including the privilege to record the Professor's life's work on postage stamps in July 2016. IOMPO has assisted the Foundation by sending all invitations for the memorial service using a special postmark and stamps from the Hawking collection.
Elizabeth Forrester, Executive Director of The Stephen Hawking Foundation, said: "It has been a great pleasure for The Stephen Hawking Foundation to work so closely with the Isle of Man Post Office over the past several years. Their creativity and generous support are to be celebrated!"
Continuing their emphasis on education and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), the Foundation has invited five enthusiastic Year 10 science pupils from each of the Island's secondary schools to also attend. As well as being guests of the service to commemorate the life of the scientist, the pupils will enjoy a private tour of Westminster Abbey where the late Professor's ashes are set to be interred alongside other great scientists including Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.
Julie Edge MHK, Chairman of IOMPO, said: "We feel incredibly honoured to be attending what will be a very special memorial service. Professor Hawking is one of the greatest scientists of our time and to be privy to his final send-off will be a moment to treasure."
One of Professor Hawking's quotes in relation to the issue of the set of Isle of Man stamps was "much of my life's work has been to encourage young people in the study of cosmology and astrophysics and to help inspire them to better understand our universe and beyond. I hope that this unique set of stamps goes some way towards achieving this." Ms Edge feels that by having five of the Island's students attend the memorial service is doing exactly that.
Minister for Education, Sport & Culture Graham Cregeen MHK said: "I am pleased to have been able to support the opportunity for a Year 10 student from each of our schools to attend Professor Hawking's memorial service. Professor Hawking's life is a lesson to us all, both in his brilliance as a visionary in mathematics and physics and his personal battle with illness. I hope that the young people representing their schools at this event are inspired to continue to progress their own interests in science to the highest levels."
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