Manx Newscast

In this edition of Newscast, Lewis Foster pops in to Manx National Heritage's new visitor welcome hub in Castletown and speaks to Chief Executive Connie Lovel.

The health minister says her department was reluctant to cut services in order to come in on budget during the last financial year. The DHSC is seeking an additional £20.8m by way of a supplementary vote in next month's sitting of Tynwald. In this edition of Newscast, Phil Gawne speaks to Health Minister Claire Christian.

A candidate standing in the Garff Commissioners by-election says he would use his professional experience to support Garff Commissioners if elected. Richard Taylor, a retiree from the finance sector, believes the main issue facing residents is the Mooir Vannin offshore windfarm which he is opposed to as, as well as a lack of community spaces. Residents in the Lonan Ward will be able to vote from 8...

The owners of a local business have told Manx Radio they are 'really proud' of all the work that went into the most talked about event of the weekend. On Saturday, boxing champion Tyson Fury's 16-year-old daughter Venezuela and her now-husband Noah Price got married in St John's Church. Over the past two days there've been countless articles in the UK press featuring photos from the celebration, w...

Reintroducing 'paper services' and improving the bins are two issues that need to be addressed in Garff, according to a candidate in the upcoming commissioner's by-election. James Hewison, a volunteer for the Not For Isle of Man Windfarm group, says the main issue for residents in Lonan are the sewage treatment works and the lack of services. Residents will be able to vote from 8am until 8pm on Th...

A candidate standing for the upcoming election in Garff's Lonan Ward says he wants to help the area become more 'efficient' and support the day-to-day running of the parish. James Curtis, a small business owner, also hopes to use his previous experience as a commissioner to assist with the local authority's work. Residents in Lonan will be able to vote from 8am until 8pm on Thursday 21 May, at eit...

When an American wartime spy manual was declassified nearly 20 years ago, few could have predicted it would spark questions about modern government, bureaucracy and decision-making. Manx Radio’s Christian Jones and John Moss explore the remarkable parallels between the OSS ‘Simple Sabotage Field Manual’ of 1944 and the realities of modern organisational life. From committees and consultation to ri...

A group of volunteers are visiting from Italy to lend a helping hand this TT. They'll be joining the ranks of the Street Angels, who keep watch over the Island's key nightlife spots and make sure revellers are enjoying themselves safely. Born on the Isle of Man, Sue Sheehy, along with her family and friends, will be here from 25 May - and they're on the lookout for suitable accommodation. With upw...

The chair of the board of Manx Care has been praising the health body's outgoing CEO Teresa Cope. It was announced this week that Ms Cope will leave her role this summer, ahead of taking up new opportunities in the Autumn. In this edition of Newscast, Manx Care's chair, Wendy Reid, says it was Teresa's personal decision to step down, and she hasn't been pushed out of the role. And she's not been p...

Thomase Cleator is a young farmer who single-handedly runs Ballakeenan Farm in Jurby. Amy Griffiths has been chatting to him about some of the many challenges he's been facing, including coastal erosion, food security and mental health.

The chair of Garff Commissioners is calling on government to look for efficiencies instead of 'selling Garff down the river'. It comes after the public session in the latest round of hearings into proposals for an 87-turbine windfarm off the Island's coast. Richard Henthorn believes, if it made savings, government would be able to save more money than the windfarm would make. He and fellow commiss...

The family of a boy who had to travel to Alder Hey by boat because Manx Care refused to provide an air ambulance say the way he was treated was 'inhumane'. Fifteen-year-old Jamie seriously injured his hand last week and experienced a number of issues while trying to get the right care. Speaking to Manx Radio, his brother Gary says he's suffered life-changing injuries because of the amount of time...

A teenage mental health champion has raised nearly £300 for the Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT) with a fascinating talk about how his snakes and other ‘weird’ pets have helped him deal with long-term mental health struggles. Seventeen-year-old Jessie Quirk entertained a full house at Erin Arts Centre in Port Erin with his talk, 'The Secret Lives of Weird Pets: Snakes, Autism and Me'. He brought along hi...

The chair of Arbory and Rushen Commissioners says the lack of information about the Cair Vie windfarm is 'disappointing'. Kirrie Jenkins believes there's been no updates on Manx Utilities Earystane project since March last year and residents have been left in a 'void'. The local authority has written to Tynwald members asking them to 'scrutinise' Manx Utilities proposals before formal processes 'l...

The former infrastructure minister says there was a 'massive' amount of misinformation about what would've been clause five of the Local Government Amendment Bill. Michelle Haywood, who was in charge at the time the clause was added to the bill, believes the ongoing debates around the clause were distracting from more important updates. The clause could've seen functions imposed onto local authori...

Today marks the end of Autism Acceptance Month, which takes place in April each year. A loaded calendar of events has now come to a close, but some initiatives, such as businesses implementing 'quiet hours', will continue. Pete Corkhill is a Safeguarding Practitioner for Health and sits on the Autism Spectrum Condition Strategy Steering Group. He's been telling Siobhán Fletcher more.

The Department of Health and Social Care has outlined plans to introduce services that would allow for diagnosis and better support for neurodivergent people on the Island. Currently there is no assessment route for ADHD or autism for adults not diagnosed in childhood. So, what happens if you're told you need a diagnosis? In this edition of Newscast, Douglas resident Mitzi Danielson-Kaslik tells L...

A mother whose campaign led to the UK government changing its laws on medicinal cannabis in 2018 is calling on governments across the British Isles to pilot allowing regulated recreational cannabis schemes. Charlotte Caldwell's son Billy became the first patient in the UK to receive a medicinal cannabis prescription. His case led to a change in law in the UK after customs officials confiscated a c...

The CEO of Manx charity Motiv8 has been speaking out about the 'hidden harm' caused to children and young people by a parents' substance misuse. The charity's Family Service marks its ten year anniversary this month, having supported hundreds of adults and children in that time. In this edition of Newscast, Lewis Foster speaks to Motiv8 CEO Thea Ozenturk.

The chair of Castletown Commissioners says he is 'appalled' at the decision to sell the old police station. Tony Brown believes that the current government has no policies in place to protect heritage assets and that it's 'neglecting' these properties across the Island. The decision to sell the Bailie Scott building was agreed during Tynwald's April sitting with only three MHKs voting against the...

An MHK believes making it legal to buy and use cannabis recreationally on the Isle of Man would reduce the harm caused by the drug. Ramsey MHK Alex Allinson will ask Tynwald, at its May sitting, to set up a citizens’ jury to examine timelines and policies for a future regulated environment that would allow the sale of cannabis for recreational use. Currently, some patients qualify for medicinal ca...

A 15-year-old has started a petition calling for more funding for the Isle of Man Music Service. River Kelly-Brown believes there should be an increase to allow all the Island’s children equal access to music and the Manx Youth Orchestra. Uploading her petition to the internet last week, it's has now been signed by more than 300 people. Alongside her mum, River has been speaking to Lewis Foster.

A new silent book club is offering people with busy lives a dedicated reading hour in 'peace and quiet'. This evening (April 23), Douglas City Library is hosting the event from 6:45pm until 8pm to give residents 'uninterrupted' time to read their own book with refreshments. Readers are able to bring a book in any format including audiobooks, e-readers, paperbacks, manga or comics. It’s been arrang...

This week the UK government confirmed it was 'unable to recommend' the Island's Assisted Dying Bill for Royal Assent. The Ministry of Justice raised a number of concerns, seeking clarity to make sure the legislation complies with the European Convention on Human Rights. But what has the reaction been to the news? Amy Griffiths has been finding out. Some of the interviews contain descriptions which...

The chair of Peel Commissioners has confirmed that a 'formal employment matter' is being conducted and a member of staff is being investigated. Ray Harmer read out a statement at last night's commissioners meeting which asked residents to respect the confidentiality of the process. He also confirmed that the fees for the solicitors would be released after the course of events had taken place. Mean...