Members of the public will have an opportunity to learn more about the modernisation of the island’s police force during a series of regional meetings.

The Chief Constable {http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/any-more-cuts-to-the-manx-police-could-endanger-public-safety-says-chief-1-6681478|recently announced a major programme of reorganisation at a time of reduced budgets} and tough financial targets.

Public meetings, to be attended by Home Affairs Minister Juan Watterson MHK and Chief Constable Gary Roberts, have been organised to help raise further awareness of the changes and to encourage people to share their views.

The events will be held at venues in the four neighbourhood policing areas – Central, Southern, Western and Northern:

Monday, August 11, at 7pm in St Andrew’s Church Hall on Glencrutchery Road, Douglas, next to St Ninian’s.

This meeting will focus on the ventral district covering Douglas, Onchan and Braddan.

Thursday, August 14, at 7pm in the Castletown Civic Centre for the southern area, incorporating Port Erin, Port St Mary, Castletown, Malew, Santon, Arbory and Rushen.

Meetings for the northern and western neighbourhood policing areas will be arranged after the Manx Grand Prix.

The meetings are being organised by the Police Consultative Forum (PCF), an independent body made up of community representatives that seeks the views of the public regarding policing and the prevention of crime.

Councillor Colin Cain, Chairman of the PCF, said: ‘Safe communities and low levels of crime make a significant contribution towards the overall quality of life enjoyed by people in the Isle of Man.

‘The package of measures announced by the Chief Constable in June will undoubtedly have an impact on policing in the Isle of Man.

‘These public meetings will provide a forum for people to hear more about the changes and what they will mean in practical terms.’

Mr Watterson added: ‘We are committed to working with the public in the best interests of the Isle of Man. This is an opportunity for us to explain the police modernisation plans in more detail and to listen to people’s views and concerns. I hope as many people as possible will attend and provide their feedback.’

The police’s modernisation plans include the closure of two police stations and a reduction in the total number of officers.

Neighbourhood policing is set to continue, but in a different format with the three teams outside Douglas being reduced in size and brought under the command of a single inspector.

Monday to Friday night time cover will be provided centrally from Douglas.

The changes will also result in significant changes to call handling, and to the tasking and management of police officers.

Mr Watterson, the Chief Constable and the local neighbourhood inspector will attend the meetings to respond to any questions.

Roads will be closed for longer on the middle Saturday of the Festival of Motorcycling fortnight.

The Department of Economic Development has announced that, following a consultation, roads will close at 9.30am on Saturday, August 23, rather than midday as was the case last year.

The day’s schedule will begin with a practice session for the Classic TT F1/F2 machines followed by a Vintage Motor Cycle Club parade lap at 11.25am. The four-lap 500cc Classic TT will get under way at 12.30pm and the Manx Grand Prix machines will get have an hour’s practice between 3.15pm and 4.15pm, when a Joey Dunlop Legend Rivals Parade lap will leave the TT Grandstand.

A further session of Manx Grand Prix practice is then scheduled from 4.45pm.

Crossing points around the course will be open between 2.30pm and 3.15pm.

The consultation was launched on June 27 regarding additional practice time as a result of an increase in competitors for the Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT Races.

David Cretney MHK, political member with responsibility for tourism and motorsport, said: ‘We appreciate that road racing on the island can only go ahead with the goodwill of the local people and are very grateful for their continued support.

‘The festival’s success in attracting a higher number of competitors has necessitated this move to ensure that adequate practice time is allocated.’

‘The festival makes a significant contribution to the island’s visitor economy, not only through competitors but also the significantly increasing number of visitors.’

Visiting children from Belarus enjoyed a session at the popular Ape Mann attraction in South Barrule plantation.

The youngsters kitted up with harnasses and hard hats to try out the attraction’s new high rope course which incorporates zip wires and a number of obstacles to scramble across.

The children visit the Isle of Man on health-boosting trips each year courtesy of the Chernobyl’s Children charity.

A free information day in Peel will raise awareness of the services available for the older members of the community and their carers.

Taking place at Peel Cathedral on Friday, August 15 between 10.30am and 3.30pm, the event will bring together support, expertise and advice under one roof.

The exhibition will feature around 30 organisations from health and social care providers and various voluntary and private care agencies, and representatives will be present from Men in Sheds, the Stroke Association, the Diabetes Centre and the Older Persons Mental Health Team.

The services available can involve help in the home with tasks such as cleaning or shopping, disability equipment and adaptations, day centres, residential homes, support for carers and financial support.

Member for adult services David Quirk said: ‘There is a great deal of support out there, but sometimes we find that people are unaware of how to access it.

‘By highlighting the support available we can help empower more of our older people to make choices that suit their individual needs and assist them in leading fulfilling and independent lives.’

The event will include both free blood pressure testing and diabetes testing throughout the day. Refreshments will be provided. For more information contact adult services on 686182.

A member of the Manx Dyslexia Association’s committee, Joyce Monroe, who’s a senior educational psychologist, has been awarded a doctorate from University College London.

Joyce’s interest in psychology began at Castle Rushen High School where she taught science.

After completing an Open University degree in psychology she trained as an educational psychologist.

She left the island to do her masters in educational psychology at UCL, which included a year working in Surrey.

She also completed a post graduate diploma in specific learning difficulties (dyslexia) and became an associate member of the British Dyslexia Association, dyslexia having become her particular interest as two of Joyce’s children are dyslexic. All this gave Joyce three different perspectives on dyslexia; as a teacher, as a parent and as an educational psychologist.

On her return to the island Joyce began to offer training to schools.

She believed rather than trying to fix the problems (reading and writing) the key was to find ways around them. This led to Joyce’s decision to do her doctorate with her thesis being about using audio books to support the development of struggling readers’ vocabulary.

The line-up of visiting authors and poets has been confirmed for the third annual Manx Litfest, which takes place in September at venues across the island.

The festival will run from Wednesday, September 24, until Sunday, September 28, with award-winning authors Sally Gardner, Mark Billingham and Philip Reeve among the big names set to entertain book fans.

Festival director John Quirk said: ‘We are thrilled to have attracted more fantastic names this year, a job which is being made easier year on year by the positive feedback we’ve received from the first two festivals. There should be something for everyone, of all ages, be it the Roald Dahl Family Day at Laxey Glen Gardens, the crime writers’ event, Neil Spring and his book The Ghost Hunters, or the Writers’ Day, which will again be held at King William’s College.

‘We’re spreading things out over five days this year, instead of four, with the Poetry Slam kicking things off on the Wednesday night at Jabberwocky, for which we’re delighted to have UK performance poet Mark Grist as compere for the night, and we’re hoping for another full house after the success of last year’s slam.

‘The full schedule for Litfest 2014 will be on our website - www.manxlitfest.com - in the next week or two, along with details of how to obtain tickets, and our free printed programmes will be distributed soon after via various outlets.’

The line-up of visiting authors and poets is:

Mark Billingham - acclaimed crime author, whose Tom Thorne series has won a number of awards, including the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year twice; the first two books in the series, Sleepyhead and Scaredy Cat, were adapted by Sky TV, with David Morrissey in the lead role

Sara Crowe - Sara’s debut young adult novel Bone Jack was published in April, and Litfest is delighted to welcome her back to the Island; a nature writer, she was a guest at the inaugural Manx Litfest in 2012, when she teamed up with Deep Country author Neil Ansell

Sally Gardner - author of Maggot Moon, winner of the Costa Children’s Book Award and the Carnegie Medal, and I, Coriander, winner of the Smarties Prize

Mark Grist - a poet and educational consultant, Mark was named Poet Laureate of Peterborough in 2008, Chief Bard of the Fens in 2009 and Edinburgh Fringe Slam Champion in 2010. He will be performing his show, Rogue Teacher, at Noa Bakehouse on the night of Friday, September 26

Mark Lowery - Children’s author, whose first two novels - Socks Are Not Enough and Pants Are Everything - were both shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, which is why he’s been asked to take the lead for our Roald Dahl Family Day (sponsored by Sure) at Laxey Glen Gardens on Saturday, September 27

Sarah McIntyre - an author and illustrator, Sarah recently teamed up with Philip Reeve for a series of books, the first of which was Oliver and the Seawigs, with the second - Cakes in Space - published this September

Nicola Morgan - an author, educationalist and professional speaker, Nicola writes novels for the young adult market, and a series of non-fiction books on the adolescent brain and mind, the latest of which - The Teenage Guide to Stress - was published earlier this month. Nicola is also renowned for her straight-talking advice for aspiring writers

Donald S Murray - author, poet and Scottish Gaelic speaker, Donald lives in Shetland and his books include The Guga Hunters and Small Expectations. His visit to Litfest will coincide with his research into the herring industry around the British Isles

Philip Reeve - author of the hugely popular Mortal Engines/Traction Cities series, the first of which won the Smarties Prize, while the fourth - A Darkling Plain - won him the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize. He has also won the Carnegie Medal for Here Lies Arthur

Harri Sansostri - 12-year-old Harri is an actor and author of The Little Dudes’ Skool Survival Guide, which he wrote last year on how to deal with school bullies

Samantha Shannon - author of The Bone Season, the first of a series of seven books published by Bloomsbury, the movie rights for which have been picked up by 20th Century Fox

Neil Spring - author of The Ghost Hunters, his debut novel; based on the true life events at Borley Rectory, dubbed the most haunted house in England, it has been optioned for a TV series by the team behind Midsomer Murders

Jo Swainson - literary agent with the Hardman and Swainson agency, who is returning to the island after being involved with Litfest 2012, when she signed up two Isle of Man writers who pitched their manuscript to her

Martyn Waites - joining Mark Billingham on the crime night (Saturday, September 27 - sponsored by IQE), Martyn writes under his own name and also Tania Carver - as well as crime, Martyn wrote the sequel to Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black - Angel of Death

John said: ‘In addition to the visiting authors and poets, there will be a number of island-based writers involved with the festival, some of whom will be taking part in panel discussions at the Writers’ Day, while others will be involved with the schools day, which is again one of our most important events.

‘The schools day will be on Friday, September 26. It creates such a fantastic buzz each year, not just among the children, but the teachers, the Litfest team and the authors and poets taking part. We’re delighted that Isle of Man Bank has again agreed to sponsor the schools day, which is such vital support, as it allows us to deliver the day free to schools and help inspire children of all ages to read more and write more.’

John added: ‘This year’s Writers’ Day, sponsored for the second year by Pokerstars, will involve a series of talks, panel discussions, workshops and pitch sessions aimed at writers - both published and unpublished - in the island. We were really pleased with how this event went down last year, and given the interest shown so far for this year’s Writers’ Day, we’re expecting it to attract even more writers.

‘Once again, we’re indebted to the financial assistance provided by Isle of Man Arts Council and Culture Vannin, along with our numerous sponsors.’

The Litfest team and the festival’s partner bookseller, the Bridge Bookshop in Port Erin, attended Tynwald Day and the Southern Agricultural Show to promote this year’s festival, and the publicity will continue at the Royal Manx Agricultural Show (August 8/9) and the Isle of Man Food & Drink Festival, which takes place in the Villa Marina Gardens on September 20/21, the weekend before Litfest.

Anyone interested in becoming a ‘Friend of Manx Litfest’ should email manxlitfest@gmail.com for details.

Two sixth-form students from the Isle of Man are in Houston, USA, attending NASA’s United Space School.

Caitlin Pinder from St Ninian’s High School and Kitto Maddrell from Castle Rushen High School won the annual ManSat scholarships for the two-week space school in Texas.

Working with the Department of Education and Children, island-based ManSat has been offering the scholarships since 2000.

Caitlin and Kitto will join students from 21 other countries at the school, and follow in the footsteps of last year’s recipients, Christopher Clarke-Halewood from Castle Rushen High School and Alex Eaton from Queen Elizabeth II High School.

ManSat chief executive Chris Stott said: ‘It’s an international class, with around 45 students from countries as far afield as New Zealand, Russia and Bolivia, and it’s fantastic for the island to have two representatives at the Space School.’

The competition to win the scholarships is open to 16- and 17-year-olds at the island’s five state high schools.

This year’s entrants had to write three short essays – each between 500 and 1,000 words – on these subjects:

1. How can space be of service to humanity?

2. How can the Isle of Man play a greater role in international space activities?

3. Why am I interested in space?

Caitlin and Kitto are staying with families connected with NASA during the two weeks, and will attend the Space School Culture Fair, at which all students are challenged to promote their homeland.

This year, Caitlin and Kitto will be conjuring up a couple of batches of bonnag to give their international peers a taste of the Isle of the Man.

Caitlin said: ‘It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I visited universities in England recently, and they all said what a fantastic addition the Space School trip is to have on your personal statement.’

Kitto said: ‘I heard about the scholarship from one of last year’s winners, Christopher. He told me what a wonderful experience he’d had, and that inspired me to enter this year’s competition.

‘What I’m looking forward to most is immersing myself in American culture. It’s a trip that could be life-changing.

‘I’ve not yet decided what I want to do with my life, and so this could set me on a career path.’

In addition to the Space School scholarships, ManSat sponsors and supports the annual Spirit of Innovation competition for Manx high schools, in cooperation with the Pete Conrad Foundation, and earlier this year sponsored an island high school to participate in the UK Rocketry Challenge.

Plans to create a campsite and motor home park on agricultural land off Truggan Road, Rushen, have alarmed residents who are concerned about access issues and the visual impact of the proposal.

Farmer Derek Cain submitted the plan, (14/00800/B) for the site to go on land at Glendown Farm.

In addition to the campsite and motor home park, they hope to create a shower and toilet block in an existing agricultural building.

He has already discussed improving access to the site with planners and the Department of Infrastructure.

Resident Nicola Hester wrote to planning arguing that Truggan Road is a small, rural lane and there are already issues driving there which would be exacerbated by this proposal.

In her letter, she added: ‘The site in question is accessed from a very narrow road, already too narrow for cars to pass each other.

‘Larger vehicles such as motor homes will cause a hazard on this road.

‘This is a peaceful rural location and it would be inappropriate to have campers using this site.

‘It would have a seriously adverse impact on the appearance and character of this area of open countryside.’

Mrs Hester added that, as people using motor homes tend to eat in their vehicles, the move would be unlikely to benefit nearby restaurants and cafes.

Also, she said an element of the plan to build wooden huts was ‘not in keeping’ with the rural setting.

A further concern raised by Mrs Hester focused on where the motor homes would park when they go to local shops and amenities.

Another resident, who did not want to be named, said: ‘The houses at the end of Truggan Road have to park outside their houses, have oil deliveries, etc, and the large camper vans would have a tight squeeze, in addition to which, the bend down there is quite blind as it is.

‘Plus the road is not suitable for two cars to pass in places, never mind larger vans, and will result in reversing on a narrow road.’

The anonymous resident added that those who use motor homes sleep in them at night and tour around in them during the day, meaning vans travelling in and out of the site twice a day (at least); if there were, for example, 17 sites, that would mean a van on the road every 20 minutes, ‘which is rather excessive for a tiny country road which plenty of residents require to use.’

Mr Cain, a Rushen Parish Commissioner, declared an interest and removed himself when the authority discussed the plan on July 16.

They had no objections.

Due to popular demand by politicians to have all copies destroyed, Southern Befrienders have decided to reprint their popular non-fiction work, Tynwaldballs. 

The book is a compilation of political gaffes and mangled metaphors compiled by Juan Watterson and Quintin Gill (current and former Rushen MHKs), with illustrations by Phil Woodford and extracts from Isle of Man Newspapers.

The first run of 1,000 copies raised almost £8,000 for the charity.

Mr Watterson, who is also SB treasurer said: ‘This book is a guaranteed laugh, with proceeds going to a great cause in the community.’

Co-author, Mr Gill added: ‘For those people who ask, “Have you made these up?”, you have to ask yourself, could we?”’

Plans for a second volume are already underway.

Books, £10, are available from the Manx Museum Shop, Bridge Bookshop, Port Erin, or Southern Befrienders’ office at Thie Rosien, Four Roads, Port Erin.

The Henry Bloom Noble Library, in partnership with Douglas Council’s parks section, invited children from St Thomas’s School to create designs of their favourite book characters that could be made into floral displays for the play area on Douglas promenade.

The chosen designs, Peppa Pig, SpongeBob SquarePants and War Horse, were devised by children from the school’s gardening club.

Lexie Gibson designed Peppa Pig, Matthew McCausland War Horse and Kieron Shimmin SpongeBob.

People who’d like to get fitter by running are being given some help to get going.

That’s the message from the government’s Manx Sport and Recreation (MSR) staff, who are is holding beginners’ groups with qualified leaders on hand to offer advice and encouragement.

MSR’s Run Isle of Man Begin to Run group was formed a year ago in conjunction with Run England, athletics’ official recreational running programme.

MSR, part of the Department of Education and Children, is supporting Run England’s #whywerun campaign to encourage people to take up running this summer.

Trevor Christian, MSR Athletics development officer and group leader, said: ‘Running is one of the best ways to improve your health and fitness and, with longer days and warmer weather, summer is the perfect time to start.

‘Run England beginners’ groups – with qualified group leaders on hand to help you every step of the way – provide a friendly, sociable platform for anyone to turn up and take part.’

Sessions take place on Mondays and Fridays at 12.10pm and last 40 minutes – designed to fit into an hour’s lunch break.

Participants meet at Jaime’s Café, opposite the Jubilee Clock on Loch Promenade, Douglas.

Trevor said many of those who signed up to his group as novices a year ago have progressed to being able to run for half an hour or more.

‘If newcomers don’t want to run straight away they can walk to start with,’ he said. ‘When they feel ready they can dip their toe in the water with the odd 10-second jog and go from there. The group is friendly and welcoming, so come along and try it out.

‘Some of us want to get fitter, some to lose weight, some to stay healthy or just meet up with a group of like-minded people. It’s amazing how a chinwag in a social running group can take your mind off the effort you are putting in.’

To find out more about Run Isle of Man, Begin to Run, contact Trevor on 688576 or email trevor.christian@gov.im

Out-of-town groups also exist under the Run England banner. The Southern Striders meet at Thie Rosien, Port Erin, on Saturdays at 9.15am. Contact Janet Bridle on 838180. Ramsey Runs, Walks, Jogs holds sessions at Mooragh Promenade (opposite the northern pool) on Mondays from 6pm. Contact Nikki Boyd on 481194.

The island’s twins, triplets and other multiple births have been invited to join a fundraising event.

The sponsored twin toddle, walk, ride and push along Douglas Promenade will take place on Sunday, August 31, starting at the Bottleneck car park cafe at 2pm.

Event organiser Kerry O’Hare said: ‘We are hoping to attract twins, triplets and any other multiples of all ages for this fundraising walk, and see just how many twins the island has. Farmhill Lane has five sets of twins living on it, is there anywhere with more?’

The event is part of a fundraising campaign by the Isle of Man twin mums support facebook group, affiliated with the Twins and Multiple Births Association, to purchase a second specialist twin cot for Noble’s Hospital.

One cot has already been bought with funds raised by the group and the Oskar’s Dreams charity. It will be presented to the Special Care Baby Unit later this month.

The second cot will be donated to the main maternity ward for twins who do not require specialist baby care, but can be kept together.

For further information and sponsorship forms contact Kerry O’Hare kezza@manx.net or 469299.

The supreme champion at this year’s Southern Agricultural Show will be immortalised as a work of art.

Pasturefield Turbo Tommy, the eight-year-old Simmental bull owned by Peter and Sheila Quayle of Ballagraingey Farm, St Mark’s, was the inspiration for their daughter Stephanie and son-in law Darren Jackson’s entry in the show’s Sculpture Competition.

The bull’s head, fashioned from farm implements, and so large it had to be displayed outside the Heritage Tent, received the most public votes.

Designs in the competition, funded by the Arts Council for the 2014 Year of Culture, celebrated 100 years of the Southern District Agricultural Society (SDAS) and its agricultural heritage.

Tommy will be modelling for the final sculpture over the next year, and the finished, larger than life metal bull will be on display on the showfield at the 2015 show, and in subsequent years.

Stephanie and Darren, who are the artists behind the 30ft sculpture of Mananan at the Mannifest event and giant loughtan sheep on the Mountain Road, would be grateful for any donations of agricultural machinery and parts to complete the work.

Anyone who would be willing to contribute should contact the artists directly or through SDAS secretary Sarah Comish on 494497 or sdas@manx.net

Do you have an important message that you’d love to share, or could you inspire an audience with a short talk on your favourite Manx subject?

The first ever TEDx event will be held in the Isle of Man this November and the organisers are looking for inspiring speakers to enthral their audience with powerful, thought-provoking talks.

TEDxDouglas will take place at the Youth Arts Centre in Kensington Road, Douglas, on Monday, November 10.

TED – which stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design – is a non-profit organisation devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short talks, normally no longer than 15 minutes.

Since the first one-off event in 1984, the movement has developed into a worldwide phenomenon.

TEDx events are independent from the main TED conferences but operate under the same banner and follow similar principles and guidelines.

There are more than 30,000 talks in the TEDx online library from presentations in over 130countries.

Chris Stott, chief executive of Manx satellite company ManSat, is the licence holder for TEDxDouglas. He said: ‘I’ve been involved with TED for eight years now and also teach with the TED Fellows, and I’m proud to be able to bring a TEDx event to the Isle of Man.

‘The goal is to bring together bright minds to give talks that are idea-focused to foster learning, inspiration and wonder – and provoke conversations that matter.’

TEDxDouglas will be curated by Emma and John Quirk, with the talks being streamed live on the internet and uploaded to the main TED website afterwards for worldwide viewing.

Emma said: ‘We’re keen to hear from anyone who has an idea for an inspiring talk. The TED philosophy is about the power of ideas to change attitudes, to make people question the world around them and how they live their lives.

‘We have a very general theme in mind, and we want a good proportion of the talks to be based around, or inspired by, the Isle of Man. But we want to hear from individuals who believe they have an idea or a topic that needs to be heard, that needs to be aired and inspire others.’

The TED mission statement reads: ‘TED is a global community, welcoming people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world. We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world.

‘On TED.com, we’re building a clearinghouse of free knowledge from the world’s most inspired thinkers — and a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other, both online and at TED and TEDx events around the world, all year long.’

If you would like to propose an idea for a talk, contact Emma on tedxdouglas@gmail.com or call her on 341823.

Another important part of any TEDx event involves screening some lectures from the archives of the main TED conferences.

More than 1,500 talks from some of the world’s best-known speakers can be seen at www.ted.com, and the organisers of the Isle of Man’s event are seeking nominations from the Manx public.

More details about TEDxDouglas, including ticket availability, will be released soon.

Keep up to date with the latest news on Twitter (@tedxdouglas) or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tedxdouglas

Two students from Queen Elizabeth II High School have been presented with copies of potentially life-saving DVDs they helped to create as part of a collaboration with the charity Thare Machi Education (Isle of Man).

TME (IoM) creates lessons that teach basic health and life-skills topics to some of the world’s poorest people in their own languages.

The programming of the lessons on DVD is not a straight-forward operation and required the students to work with languages they didn’t understand themselves.

Walid Anwar and Michael Diehl, both 13, are the youngest people to produce a lesson.

They edited the images to fit in with the length of the words spoken on the DVD.

Their topic was ‘Having an HIV Test’, with Walid working in Afrikaans and Michael in Acholi, a Ugandan language.

The youngsters were brought together as part of an initiative by the St John’s-based One World Centre which works to highlight and address the issues around global poverty.

One World Centre director Rosemary Clarke said: ‘These young people had given up their lunch hours – and been allowed out of a couple of lessons – to create these DVDs which will be vital in helping promote good healthcare in some of the more isolated parts of the world.

‘I’m really proud of what they have achieved, and I hope we can look forward to doing more in the new school year.’

TME (IoM) currently has 31 different lessons waiting to be translated, recorded and authored into a range of different languages. Anyone who would like to help should contact Rosemary Clarke at the One World Centre on 800464.

People who use oil-fired central heating are being warned to check their tanks.

The Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC) says that at least one in three tanks is more than 20 years old and should be replaced. Tanks that are past their maximum life expectancy can be prone to leaking which can be bad news for both the householder and the environment.

Malcolm Farrow of OFTEC said: ‘It’s very easy to forget about your oil tank tucked away in the garden when you’re not using your central heating, but the summer months are a crucial time to think check it’s in good condition.’

Residents should ensure their insurance covers spills.

Hospice Isle of Man will be holding a midnight walk on September 27 – and the charity is encouraging islanders to sign up and get involved.

Supported by PokerStars through their Helping Hands programme the event is designed to raise awareness of and funds for the charity.

Last year around 900 people took part – and it’s hoped this year’s event will break the 1,000 mark.

Mary Doyle, of Hospice IoM, said: ‘The midnight walk is a vision of pink – it is a terrific event.

‘You can sign up online www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?event_id=1476 or download an entry form from.hospice.org.im’

Noble’s Hospital benefited recently when they were presented with three new pieces of equipment for use in the operating theatre.

The tourniquet machines were bought for the hospital by the League of Friends of Noble’s Hospital at a total cost of £9,973.

The machines are already in use and allow surgeons to isolate a limb by preventing blood flow to it when they are conducting an operation.

The new tourniquet machines are already in use and are less bulky than their replacements and have more built in safety features.

There’s still time to get involved in this year’s Relay For Life Isle of Man, taking place from midday on Saturday, August 23.

With more than 400 participants already signed up, this year’s event looks set to raise record funds for Cancer Research UK.

Teams of between eight and 15 people will take part by completing a 24-hour relay around the National Sports Centre.

There are more than 6,000 relays worldwide for Cancer Research UK. All the funds raised in the Isle of Man go directly to cancer research in centres that treat Isle of Man-based patients.

Last year’s Isle of Man event was identified by Cancer Research UK as one of the top-performing relays in Britain.

Event chairman Nicola Walkingshaw said: ‘Last year we had 33 teams and a target of £50,000 but succeeded in raising more than £63,000; this year we already have 49 teams registered and a target of £65,000.

‘That’s an ambitious figure but past experience has shown that the Isle of Man gets behind this event with tremendous enthusiasm, so we have every hope that we’ll achieve and perhaps even exceed our target yet again.

‘It’s thanks to the continued support of our lead sponsor, Celton Manx, that we have the resources to raise the profile of Relay For Life Isle of Man and attract such a loyal and generous following. Our committee and supporters are just incredible.’

For more information call Nicola on 454789 or email marketing@relay.co.im

Plans have been submitted for a £90,000 scheme to restore a section of river bank on the Silverburn in Castletown and create a habitat for local wildlife.

The Department of Infrastructure wants to restore the river bank along the Qualtrough’s Yard side of the river in the town and to install Stoney Mountain yellow granite rock armour to protect it.

The proposed work would also see two mid-channel islands being created in the river to provide a habitat for wildlife such as geese.

A Department of Infrastructure spokesman told the Manx Independent: ‘The Qualtrough’s Yard side river back will be reconstructed with a medium sized rock armour revetment.

‘Much of the current vegetation will be removed and replaced with a manageable grassy area.

‘The area is currently extremely overgrown, difficult to maintain and has become a nesting area for geese.

‘The works aim to reclaim this river side embankment so that it can be easily maintained and enjoyed by the public throughout the year.’

Once completed, it is envisaged that a picnic area would be created on the grass area.

Explaining why the work was necessary, the spokesman said: ‘The area is currently run down, difficult to maintain and unsightly.

‘The proposed works aims to improve the appearance of the area while maintaining an attractive wildlife habitat with the addition of artificial islands.’

The aim of the two islands is to provide an alternative nesting site for the geese and other bird species.

The Manx Wildlife Trust has been consulted since the start of the project to ensure that a suitable wildlife habitat is maintained.

And the charity has provided the DoI with an extensive list of plant species and shrubbery that would be planted to encourage birds to nest on the islands.

Also included in the proposal is for a wooden viewing platform with stainless steel safety wire to be installed on the Victoria Road side of the river, leading to a riverside walkway.

The department has applied (14/00894/B) for the embankment to be reconstructed up to the slipway on Victoria Road.

But the spokesman said: ‘If the project proves a success, potential to continue the works up to the bridge and through to Poulsom Park may be possible and is something that can be looked at in the future.’

Preliminary costs were estimated at £90,000,.

The department will confirm a start date for the works when planning approval is granted.

The source of the Silverburn is in St Mark’s. It flows into the sea in Castletown.