The head of Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT) is stepping down to take up a new international role.

Leigh Morris will step down as chief executive officer at the end of May after five years in charge.

He is to take on a new role as the Director of International Nature & Climate at The Wildlife Trusts, bridging the gap between local conservation efforts and global environmental challenges.

MWT has already begun the process of recruiting a new CEO, which comes with a salary of £45,000-£60,000 - with the aim of making an appointment by mid-May.

Leigh joined MWT in September 2019 after a two-year stint working on the remote island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic.

Over the past five years, he has been instrumental in expanding the charity’s work and ensuring its growth.

Under his leadership, MWT celebrated its 50th anniversary and was honoured with the King’s Award for Voluntary Service earlier this year.

Leigh said: ‘The last five years have been a wonderful chapter of my life.

‘I leave MWT with a sense of pride in everything we’ve accomplished and a deep confidence in the team and the future of MWT. Though I will be embarking on a new chapter, I know that my connection to MWT and the Isle of Man is far from over.’

While Leigh would have been happy to remain with MWT, the opportunity to take on a new challenge and a new chapter of life was too compelling to pass up.

His new role will include providing expertise on global conservation and climate change. The Wildlife Trusts’ central office is in Newark, Notts, but Leigh will be working remotely from his home in Edinburgh.

He will continue to be involved in the Inter Island Environment Meeting, which will be hosted in the Isle of Man for the first time in September.