The number of youngsters joining the Manx Scout movement has witnessed an 8.6 per cent spike – the largest growth in living memory.

Membership rose from 873 in 2014 to 948 in 2015 and is now at the most it has been since the turn of the century.

To accommodate this growing demand the Scout community has opened two new Explorer Scouts in the past year alone.

Growth has been reportedly strong in the teenage age range with more girls joining this year than boys.

Allana Wade, 16, from the Rushen Explorers in Port Erin, said: ‘I really enjoy taking part in all the adventurous activities such as camping, bushcraft, climbing and hiking and I love the challenges that Explorers has to offer.

‘Explorers means a lot to me and teaches me a skills that I wouldn’t normally learn in everyday life.’

Steve White, an Explorer Scout leader from Onchan, said: ‘I love volunteering with the Explorer Scouts. It keeps me young and active and I get just as much fun out of it as the Explorer Scouts.’

This weekend, to accommodate the ever rising numbers of scouts, Manx Scouting has put on a skills training day where leaders learn the basics of camp skills, climbing and experiencing the challenge of river walking.

Twenty new adults spent the day at the island training camp called Mullin ny Carty.

Niomi Phillips, from Ballaugh, said: ‘The river walk was the highlight of the day for me. I not only conquered my fears, but I now able to share it with the young people in my group.’

A spokesman for the Isle of Man Scout Association said: ‘The growth in the past year in the Isle of Man is actually one of the largest growths for an island or county in the UK.

‘Bear Grylls has had a great impact as the chief scout. Bear recently been confirmed to continue as chief scout to 2018. Locally we have worked to expand the adventurous activities our leaders and adult volunteers are able to offer young people.

‘It is important to Manx scouting that adults are properly trained before leading adventurous activities.

‘More people have successfully completed training in climbing and river walking for example.

‘When young people experience and enjoy new adventures they want to share it with their friends.

‘The limiting factor now is volunteers. At any one time there are waiting lists of 100-150 young people wanting to experience Scouting thoughout the island, but unfortunately there isn’t spaces available in their local group.

‘Whether it’s someone with a skill that they can share with their local group or other groups on the island, somone who can only volunteer a couple of hours every month or someone that is interested in becoming a part-time or full-time leader we’d love to hear from them.’

A TT cafe is running at Malew Church hall, Ballasalla, until Saturday, June 13.

It’s open from 8am to 3pm, with hot food being served until 2pm.

The cafe is run by volunteers and raises thousands of pounds to fund four churches in Malew and Santon parish. The cafe mainly looks after the visiting motorcyclists and spectators, but is also supported by the local community.

To contact the hall during opening hours, phone 824504.

Check the terms and conditions before entering a TV competition or poll by text to ensure you won’t be charged.

That’s the message from mobile phone operators after it emerged certain broadcasters don’t accept text entries to competition or polls from viewers in the Isle of Man.

A spokesman for Channel 5, which is one broadcaster that doesn’t accept competition entries from any of the Crown Dependencies, explained it is all about cost.

He said: ‘Channel 5 – in line with most other UK broadcasters – doesn’t allow Isle of Man and Channel Islands competition entrants and poll voters to participate via text, because the mobile network operators would classify these as international calls, and so it would be cost-prohibitive.

‘I’m advised the technical set up costs between each UK mobile network and Manx Telecom would far exceed any revenue we would make from Isle of Man entrants. I believe it would also be much more expensive for participants from the Isle of Man as well.’

The same restriction applies to Channel 4. A spokesman said: ‘This is made clear in our terms and conditions. Residents in Isle of Man and Channel Islands are able to enter competitions via the 090 number or postal/web.’

Sarah Jarvis, marketing and PR manager at Sure in the Isle of Man, said: ‘If a Sure customer enters a competition via text message that is not open to Isle of Man residents it is very likely that the competition organiser won’t be set up to receive entries from Manx mobile numbers so the text message should fail to send and the customer should not be charged.

‘If a text message is successfully sent for a competition or poll that is not open to Isle of Man residents, but the organiser has not excluded Manx mobile numbers from entering, the maximum amount Sure customers will be charged is the standard SMS rate of 18p (including VAT) per text.

‘Sure advises all customers to check the terms and conditions of text message competitions and text message polls before entering to ensure they are open to Isle of Man residents.’

David Smith, Manx Telecom marketing director, said: ‘Unfortunately, many competitions and polls organised by UK media do not accept entries from Isle of Man residents and this should always be made clear in terms and conditions.

‘We want to make it clear that none of Manx Telecom’s mobile customers are charged if they attempt to send text messages to take part in events which do not allow entries from Isle of Man residents.

‘The rules and regulations for text competitions and polls are set in conjunction with specialist “aggregators” which are companies contracted by UK media specifically for this purpose. It is our understanding that some aggregators may not consider it economically viable to establish a premium text and billing capability from the Isle of Man or Channel Islands, due to the likely volume of entrants as opposed to the individual rates.

‘However, due to demand from our customers, we have often taken steps to work proactively with UK media and aggregators to ensure they can participate in high profile UK events – for example, donating funds via text message to the BBC Children In Need appeal, and voting in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards.’

Carmel McLaughlin, director of the island’s Communications Commission, said: ‘Ofcom regulates Channel 5 and all UK broadcaster’s use of competitions/voting.

‘ITV and BBC generally include the Isle of Man but ultimately for companies like Channel 5 it is a commercial/marketing decision whether or not to include the Isle of Man or Channel Islands.’

She said that from July it will be clearer how costs for making premium rates calls to TV programmes are split.

The pilot who died in yesterday’s helicopter crash has been named.

He was Matthew Chapman. He was 48 years old and he lived in Louth, Lincolnshire.

Inspectors from the Air Accident Investigations Branch arrived in the island last night to start their inquiries into what caused the aircraft to crash.

The accident happened yesterday morning near the 33rd Milestone in the Baldwin valley.

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/pilot-dies-in-helicopter-crash-near-the-tt-course-1-7296842|Click here to read yesterday’s story.}

The Lincolnshire Echo is reporting that Mr Chapman was a married father of twins whose family run Douglas Electronic Industries in Louth.

Anna McNally, who used to work at the firm, remembered Mr Chapman as a down-to-earth gentleman.

‘He was lovely,’ she said.

‘It was my first full-time job working on the factory floor and as he was the boss’ son, we thought he would be a bit stuck up but he was far from that.

‘He’d talk to anybody. I remember he would speak to the old ladies who worked there and was just so affable and nice; a lovely, lovely guy.

‘My heart hit the floor when I found out he had died and my thoughts went straight to his wife Mary and their twins. What a tragedy.’

Facebook tributes have also been paid.

Special Olympics Isle of Man has received a £20,000 boost from 188Bet Foundation.

The money will be used towards the cost of travel to take a squad of 36 athletes, coaches and officials to the Special Olympics World Summer Games taking place in Los Angeles in July.

Special Olympics national director Beryl Woolridge thanked the company for its donation, saying: ‘We are extremely grateful for this very generous donation as due to the time of year and the venue it has proved to be a very challenging effort to raise the funds for this year’s games.’

Athletes will be representing the island in the following sports: aquatics, athletics, badminton, bocce, bowling, cycling, football and gymnastics.

A Manx charity dedicated to the protection of hedgehogs has been launched.

The Manx Hedgehog Conservation Society has one aim: ‘to encourage and advise the Manx public concerning the rehabilitation and preservation of sick, injured and orphaned hedgehogs.

It was officially launched by Sandy Huyton of Dolittles non-profitable animal-assisted healing organisation with help from Mr Nozey, a rescue hoglet from two years ago who features in events and talks at venues across the Isle of Man.

It took place on Friday at the Education Support Centre in Glencrutchery Road, Douglas, which they have worked with for more than three years.

The charity is keen to highlight dangers to hedgehogs.

Residents are asked to make their gardens hedgehog friendly by taking these steps:

• Consider changing to animal and child friendly slug pellets

• Remove low lying netting from the garden

• Check ponds for drowning hedgehogs –a ramp will enable hedgehogs to climb out safely and save a life.

• Be aware of hedgehogs hiding in compost heaps.

• Place covers over recycling boxes on your paths as hedgehogs can become stuck inside tins etc

• Hedgehogs like to move between gardens. Creating a gap or hole of approximately five inches will provide access to foraging hedgehogs.

• Check your garden for sleeping hedgehogs before strimming,mowing or digging.

• Become litter friendly and dispose of all your rubbish.

Their banner, with the slogan ‘Watch Out, Hedgehogs About’, will be going on display around the island.

For more information about the charity visit the Manx Hedgehog Conservation Society Facebook page.

Contact the charity by calling 413921 or email manx hedgehogs@gmail.com

A smashed charity box was found in the public toilets in Shore Road, Port Erin.

Police say someone must have stolen it from a local business, smashed it open and stolen the money from it.

The money would have been used to help to provide volunteers to the Southern Befrienders Charity, which visits the vulnerable elderly community in the south of the island.

Manx National Heritage and the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham have reunited the two bikes that participated in what is widely recognised as the greatest TT race of all time.

Carl Fogarty’s Loctite Yamaha 0W01, owned by Manx National Heritage and the National Motorcycle Museum’s ex-works Norton NRS588 that Steve Hislop raced memorably over six enthralling laps in the 1992 Senior TT will feature in a unique display at the Manx Museum in Douglas for the duration of the TT festival.

The race, which was voted the Greatest TT Race of all time in a poll by Isle of Man Post Office, saw Hislop swap the lead with Fogarty throughout the race before the Scot eventually won by just 4.4 seconds. Fogarty had the consolation of setting the outright lap record at 122.61mph while Hislop set a race record of 121.8mph.

The display forms part of a programme of Manx National Heritage events and exhibitions for visitors and local residents during this year’s TT.

Other activities include talks and a film by Mike Hailwood’s son, Dave, a short film screening of ‘No Ordinary Passnger’ and Q&A session with 90-year-old ex-sidecar world champion Stan Dibben and an exhibition featuring Ulster’s TT Heroes at the House of Manannan in Peel.

MNH has also produced a TT collector’s pin badge, which retails at £10, which gives users free admission to all MNH sites throughout both the TT Races and Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling.

The exhibition is sponsored by the Steam Packet.

A spectator was arrested near Union Mills on Sunday afternoon after the Superbike TT race had been stopped.

A few minutes after the race had been red-flagged because of a last-lap incident at the Nook, race marshals at Ballahutchin called for assistance from the police following a disturbance.

Police dealt with four males who had been walking on closed roads and verbally abusing race marshals. One of the four was subsequently arrested for a public order offence and was detained at Police Headquarters.

The presence of the emergency services on the Snaefell Mountain Course forced the cancellation of the rescheduled RST Parade Lap, which was due to go ahead immediately after the race.

A police spokesman said that enquiries are continuing and issued a reminder that when roads are closed for racing, marshals have similar powers to police officers. If members of the public do not follow their instructions they may face prosecution, they warned.

Braddan Commissioners have joined forces with Keep Britain Tidy’s ‘We’re Watching You’ campaign to try to reduce dog fouling in problem areas within the parish.

The aim of the initiative is to target the minority of irresponsible dog owners who still do not ‘scoop the poop’.

Research has shown that most dog fouling occurs during the hours of darkness and that dog owners are more likely to pick up after their pets if they think they’re being watched.

Braddan Commissioners clerk Colin Whiteway said: ‘You will notice the posters going up on litter bins and posts around the parish.

‘The great thing about them is they glow in the dark, so they’ll serve as a reminder to people when they are out with their dog, no matter what time of day or night.

‘We will also be providing dog poo bag dispensers in certain areas as a trial. If successful, we will roll them out to other parts of Braddan.’

The commissioners are urging residents who see dog owners failing to pick up after their pets to report them to commissioners’ office 852808 or braddan@braddan.im

Should other areas follow Braddan’s lead? Email opinions@newsiom.co.im with your view.

Visitors will once again flock to the island from around the world for this year’s Flower Festival which bursts into bloom from July 5 to 11.

The festival will take place at a total of 17 venues around the island including many churches and Manx National Heritage sites such as Milntown, the Nautical Museum in Castletown, the Grove Museum in Ramsey, St Peter’s Church in Cregmeash and St German’s Cathedral in Peel. The theme for this year’s photographic competition is Our Community. Entries are restricted to four per person and must have been taken at one of the venues. To find out a full list of venues see the official programme or log on to www.flowerfestival.im

As well as the floral displays there will be concerts and exhibitions taking place around the island. Pictured, from left, Geoff Corkish MLC, Connect2Charity directors Sharon Kissack and Tracy Kinrade and Bishop Robert Paterson at the launch.

The trustees of the Manx Lottery Trust, as delegated partner of the Big Lottery Fund, are inviting applications from organisations for funding, available over a three-year period, for new projects that meet the needs of older people in the Isle of Man.

The trust has a total of £150,000 on offer, with grants available ranging from £2,501 - £150,000 maximum, for projects which empower older people, support better ageing and help older people better manage change in their lives.

Projects should focus on:

Isolation: Helping older people become less isolated. Manx Lottery Trust is seeking proactive and preventative approaches to the challenges of older people’s social isolation.

Voice: Giving older people a greater voice and promoting greater independence and control. Manx Lottery Trust will be looking for the genuine involvement of older people resident in the Isle of Man throughout all stages of consultation, planning, delivery and evaluation of projects.

Transition: Supporting and strengthening older people through difficult changes in their lives.

Prevention/Resilience: Helping older people, building resilience and capacity to cope with difficult life events.

Testing new approaches: Delivering either a completely new service, or replicating a service that has been successfully delivered elsewhere.

Not viewing older people in isolation: Considering also their connections with the wider family, neighbourhood and community.

Partnership: Manx Lottery Trust would encourage organisations to come forward with projects which enable them to work in partnership.

Malcolm Kelly, chairman of the MLT, said: ‘The 2014 Isle of Man Government Joint Strategic Needs Assessment states that, over the next 20 years, the number of older persons in the Isle of Man is projected to increase by 75 per cent, which indicates a “seismic shift” in the population profile.

‘We hope the 2015 “thematic funding” will generate learning about what works or is needed in the island, so that this can be shared as widely as possible for use in the future as the number of older people on the island increases.’

To apply, visit the Manx Lottery Trust website www.mlt.org.im , read the guidance notes, and complete the community awards application form. Applications should be submitted via an email headed Thematic Funding. The deadline for applications is Friday, July 24.

Applications will be considered by the Trustees at the August meeting.

For more information contact the grants officer by email mltgrants@gov.im or, telephone 685745.

A Manx charity is releasing its first ever fundraising calendar this week, following a successful online photographic competition.

The Manx Cancer Help 2016 calendar features 12 stunning landscape photographs taken around the Isle of Man.

The photographs were all taken and submitted from the scores of highly talented photographers in the island, and the shots chosen to feature in the calendar were voted for through a poll on the charity’s Facebook page.

There are some stunning images of the island’s coastline on offer, and also some beautifully coloured sunset scenes. The winning shot, which received the most votes and is given pride of place on the cover, was taken by Greg Barlow, and features a bleak-looking tholtan framed by a dramatic skyline. Along with gracing the cover, Greg also received £250 worth of photographic vouchers.

Other photographers featured are Steve Meadows, Paul Marriott, Serena Wood, Sabrina Crowe, Tony Lloyd-Davies, Barry Murphy, Bill Schofield, David Cubbon and Nessie Gillen.

‘We are delighted with the calendar and hope that it will sell really well and help to raise the profile of our services as well as boosting our funds,’ said Andrea Chambers, from Manx Cancer Help.

‘We would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the project. Mannin Media have been incredibly generous and supportive as always and all of the retail outlets who are selling the calendars on our behalf are doing so without any personal profit, so a huge thanks to all of them also.’

The competition was the brainchild of MCH volunteer Diane McCudden, herself a very well respected and experienced photographer.

‘Diane McCudden has worked tirelessly as a volunteer to advertise and organise the competition and then to drive the production of the calendar forward so that it is in the shops this week,’ said Andrea.

‘We are so grateful to all of our volunteers who give their time to help us with fundraising which is the lifeblood of the charity.

‘This particular project was Diane’s idea and has been a huge success. It will hopefully become an annual event so we are incredibly grateful to Diane for her time and talent.’

Manx Cancer Help send their thanks to Tromode Motors and to Mannin Media for their help in printing the calendar. It is available, priced £6, from various stockists around the island.

Money has been stolen from a donation box church in the north of the island.

The theft took place at St Bridget’s Church in Bride between Sunday, May 24, and Saturday, June 6.

The donation box was near the entrance and had been forced open.

Sergeant Lund of the Isle of Man Constabulary’s Northern Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: ‘This is a mean spirited theft which resulted in little gain and we appeal to anyone who may have seen anything suspicious to contact us.’

If you can help, call Ramsey police station on 812234 or police headquarters on 631212.

Yesterday, we reported how a smashed charity box was found in the public toilets in Shore Road, Port Erin.

Police are appealing for the public’s help as they investigate a serious crash.

It occurred at around 10.15am yesterday (Sunday) at the junction of Glen Wyllin camp site in Kirk Michael.

It involved two motor bikes, a red Honda VTR travelling in the direction from Kirk Michael towards Glen Wyllin, and a white Suzuki GSXR travelling in the opposite direction from Peel with a pillion passenger.

Officers appealed for members of the public who saw the lead up to this incident or the collision itself to ring police headquarters on 631212.

The police say two injured parties have received treatment at Noble’s Hospital for multiple fractures and a third party, a female pillion passenger’ was taken to a UK Hospital for specialised treatment.

She is in a stable condition with serious, but not believed to life-threatening injuries.

The Douglas RNLI lifeboat was launched on Saturday evening following a report of a jet ski in difficulty in Douglas bay.

The Sir William Hillary was launched under the command of volunteer emergency coxswain Graeme Cushnie.

The jet ski, whch suffered fuel problems, was on the seaward side of the Tower of Refuge.

The lifeboat towed it to the visitors’ pontoon at the Battery Pier where it was berthed.

The two people on board were uninjured.

Monday’s TT schedule will get under way at 12.30pm with a lap of solo practice.

The programme was scheduled to start at 10.30am but was delayed following a serious incident at Ballacrye.

The three-lap sidecar race will hopefully begin at 1.30pm with roads opening between 5pm and 6pm to allow commuter traffic to ease.

The four-lap Supersport 1 race will get under way at 6.30pm.

The Superstock race is the casualty of today’s programme and will run tomorrow over four laps at 12.15pm. Roads will start closing on the Mountain Road at 9.45am, with the majority of the course closing at 11.30am.

Click on the TT 2015 Live news stream to stay bang up to date with the revised race programme.

The Macmillan cancer information centre at Noble’s Hospital is looking to recruit additional volunteers.

Anna Featherstone, Macmillan cancer information and support service manager, said: ‘Volunteers are the lifeblood of the information centre. Their support means that we’re able to offer advice and support to those with cancer as well as to their family and friends. This helps us to deliver Macmillan Cancer Support’s mission of ensuring that no one faces cancer alone.

‘Being a volunteer is very rewarding, especially for vital services such as ours. It gives volunteers the chance to bring a smile to someone’s face and maybe even make their day. All it requires is some time, a willingness to listen and a desire to help.’

Volunteering hours are flexible.

Ideally volunteers would commit to one shift a week, either 9am to 12.30pm or 1pm to 4.30pm Monday to Friday.

Volunteering suits a wide variety of people: those who have retired or who are unemployed, those in work but with some spare time, as well as those considering a career in health or social care.

Anyone who in interestedcan ring contact Anna e on 650735 or email anna.featherstone@gov.im.

A woman in her 20s was assaulted by a man in the early hours of Sunday in Douglas.

It happened at about 2.50am on Demesne Road near its junction with Westmoreland Road.

Police are appealing for witnesses.

Police are particularly interested in tracing three men who were walking together down Westmoreland Road at the time and may have witnessed what happened.

If you were in the area or have information contact Detective Constable Sam Cannell on 631305.

A man arrested for being on closed roads, and committing a public order offence appeared in court today.

David Seager, aged 47 years of Bristol, appeared in court charged with an offence under section 2 of the Public Order Act, and being on closed roads. He received a sentence of eight weeks in custody, and was excluded from the Isle of Man.

Inspector Derek Flint said: ‘This sentence should send a crystal-clear message that anti-social behaviour towards fellow spectators and marshals, as well as being on closed roads contrary to a road closure order, will simply not be tolerated. Behaviour of this sort puts people at huge risk, and we will do everything in our power to ensure the marshals difficult job is supported.

‘Anyone thinking of disregarding a road closure order should take heed, and be mindful that the courts will take a similarly dim view of such irresponsible action.’

Isle of Man Newspapers was the only media organisation in court.

There will be a full report in tomorrow’s Isle of Man Examiner.