Episodes
All the results are in after local authority elections were held across the Isle of Man on Thursday (24 April).There were 28 seats up for grabs across five local authorities.Siobhán Fletcher runs us through the winners (and the losers) from the night, plus we have exclusive interviews from all the counts!
The infrastructure minister says she 'regrets' how plans to implement 20mph speed limits in the Island's towns and villages have been communicated.Earlier this week, Michelle Haywood confirmed there would be more opportunities for feedback on the proposals following backlash from the public.She's been speaking to Amy Griffiths:
On the 23 April 1945, 31 men were killed when a US military aircraft crashed into the side of North Barrule.Some of their relatives have now travelled from the US to pay their respects at the place where their loved ones died to mark the 80th anniversary of the deadliest aviation accident in Manx history.Amy Griffiths has been speaking to Ivor Ramsden from the Manx Aviation and Military Museum and Don Madar, who's come all the way from Pennsylvania, USA to honour his great uncle:
Are you ready to dodge, duck, dip, dive...and dodge?A new community sporting event is being launched by Isle Listen as part of Mental Health Awareness Week in May.The inaugural Isle of Man Dodgeball Championship will take place on 16 May in the National Sports Centre’s main hall, open to teams of six to nine players.The charity hopes the event will promote mental wellbeing through physical activity and social engagement.Lewis Foster has been speaking with Isle Listen's Steven Downward and Juan Christian, alongside Mikey Haslett from Active Souls.
In Tynwald this week, the infrastructure minister announced a significant change in direction for the Island’s housing strategy.Michelle Haywood confirmed proposals to establish a Housing Association have been shelved in favour of a new government-led Housing Agency.She's been speaking to Ben and Sian:
A record-breaking ultra long-distance runner will be taking part in a Q&A session tomorrow night (18 April) in support of Hospice Isle of Man and Motiv8 Addiction Services.Jack Scott holds the record for the fastest time to complete the 268-mile Montane Spine Race, finishing in 72hrs 55mins 5secs and beating the previous course record set by Jasmin Paris (2019) by more than 10 hours.He'll be visiting the Isle of Man this weekend to take part in the Manx Mountain Marathon (Saturday, 19 April) which sees participants race across a 50km route from Ramsey to Port Erin.The race route passes over...
Parents are being urged to keep a close eye on their children's whereabouts following a recent spate of antisocial behaviour.Police across the Island have reported incidents of doors being banged or kicked late at night and eggs being thrown at houses.In this edition of Newscast, Manx Radio speaks to Sergeant Steve Gorry from Castletown Police Station.
Last month we heard that Leigh Morris was going to be stepping down as CEO of the Manx Wildlife Trust after five years in the role.He's sat down with Amy Griffiths to reflect on his time with the charity and offer advice to his successor:
April marks Autism Acceptance Month and it's been revealed a sub-working group will be formed to assist autistic people in getting into the workplace.So says a lay member of the Autism Spectrum Strategy Steering Group.In the UK, one in five people with the disorder is in employment but it's not known what the statistic is here on the Island.Chanelle Sukhoo spoke to members of the group, MHK Joney Faragher and Lauren, someone whose been waiting for a diagnosis for years
Louise Thomas is part of an all-women team taking part in the Proflex Manx Rally this weekend (11-12 April).But how common is that in the sport?She's been telling Amy Griffiths more about that and why she's supporting the Manx Breast Cancer Support Group in this year's event:
New research by population analyst and Member of the Legislative Council Paul Craine has revealed that the Isle of Man recorded its lowest number of births in more than 100 years in 2024, raising questions over the Island’s long-term demographic outlook.
The treasury minister says changes to the child benefit are about 'putting money back into the pockets of working families'.A 2.2 percent uplift comes into effect from today (7 April), whilst income thresholds are increasing for the first time in a decade.Those with a household income between:• £50,000 and £60,000 are eligible for the full amount of £28.65, worth an extra £7.61 a week for each child in their family• £60,001 and £70,000 are entitled to £21.49, up an extra £7.46 a week for each child in their family• £70,001 and £80,000 are entitled to £14.33, up an extra £7.32 a week for eac...
The RNLI has released its annual rescue figures, showing crews on the Isle of Man were called out 40 times last year.That's an increase on 2023, during which lifeboats were launched 31 times.During last year's callouts four lives were saved - double the figure from 2023.The number of people aided rose from 27 in 2023 to 53 in 2024.In this edition of the Manx Radio Newscast, Lewis Foster catches up with Chair of Peel Lifeboat Management Group, Stuart Blackley, about the latest annual rescue statistics.
May marks Mental Health Awareness Month and on 15 May the Isle of Man mental health training business Manx Minds will be hosting its annual conference.Taking place at Babagge's at the Mountain View Innovation Centre, it's open to anyone interested in promoting positive mental health and wellbeing.It's described as a 'chance to learn, connect, and share ideas with others who care about making a difference.'There'll also be talks from guest speakers: Diana Parkes (Co-Founder of the Joanna Simpson Foundation), Sarah McIntosh (CEO of Mental Health First Aid England), Heather Melvin (Director of...
'We all have a stake in our health and social care on the Island' - that's the message from the health minister, who says 'this is the right time' to review the working arrangements between her department and Manx Care.Later this month, Claire Christian will ask Tynwald to support her motion to form a committee of five members to take evidence and review the governance framework, the division of responsibilities, and the statutory relationship between the DHSC and the healthcare body.It comes four years after Manx Care came into operation; and four months into her term as minister.Ms Christ...
A number of changes come into force today concerning employment rights on the Isle of Man.Written statements are becoming a 'day one right', partners will be granted time off for antenatal appointments, and people going through the adoption process will have the right to leave to attend appointments.There are also new rights for people taking time off to care for dependents, and changes to the Island's whistleblowing regime.But there's also been criticism as new rights to Shared Parental Leave have been left out of these latest measures.In this edition of Newscast, Enterprise Minister Tim J...
A number of changes come into force today concerning employment rights on the Isle of Man.Written statements are becoming a 'day one right', partners will be granted time off for antenatal appointments, and people going through the adoption process will have the right to leave to attend appointments.There are also new rights for people taking time off to care for dependents, and changes to the Island's whistleblowing regime.In this edition of Newscast we hear from Kimberley Emery, Industrial Relations Officer with the Manx Industrial Relations Service.
March marks Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and it's the fifth most common cancer in women, with one in 50 in the UK diagnosed with it. Sarah Jarvis, who found out about it in May 2023 says it's difficult to detect it as initial tests won't pick up the form of cancer, but symptoms will be able to give medical professionals a clue of what it could be. Joined by her consultant, Tony Stock, they spoke to Chanelle Sukhoo about how vital it is for women on the Island to listen to their bodies and go through with their screenings.
Earlier this week, the Isle of Man became the first place in the British Isles to approve assisted dying legislation.On Tuesday (25 March), the Legislative Council voted to accept the House of Keys' changes to Dr Alex Allinson's proposals.In this special Newscast, we hear from campaigners Vicky Christian - Chair of the Isle of Man branch of My Death, My Decision - and Sue Biggerstaff - who has been campaigning in her late husband's name for Dignity in Dying.Siobhán Fletcher got their reactions after the news broke.
The Department of Infrastructure has opened a consultation for local authorities to have their say on new clauses in the Local Government Amendment Bill. It follows widespread criticism about the potential impact one of the new clauses could have - including mandating new functions without providing extra money and introducing 'standards' for work carried out. The bill was first introduced in 2021, and was brought back to parliament again in 2023, to 'strengthen' and 'update' current duties like byelaw processes and members expenses. DoI Minister Michelle Haywood says there's been no consul...
An endometriosis sufferer says more needs to be done to help women like her with the condition.March is Endometriosis Awareness Month, and one in ten ladies have the disease - which causes severe pelvic pain, heavy periods and infertility. Chloe Love has suffered from the condition since she the age of 12.
The founders of an endometriosis support group say women on the Isle of Man need access to specialist care. March is Endometriosis Awareness Month, and one in ten ladies suffer with the condition - which causes severe pelvic pain, heavy periods and infertility. Sharon Lunt and Karen Van Den Berg say there are 262 members in their Manx Endometriosis Support group on Facebook, with ‘most still awaiting diagnosis’.
New facilities at the Community Dental Service on Westmoreland Road are 'all about equity of care'.That's from specialist in special care dentistry, Beverley McClung, who approached the Henry Bloom Noble Healthcare Trust to facilitate the project.The trust provided a grant of £33,000 to carry out building work which included taking down a wall to make a dedicated treatment room for wheelchair users who can't self-transfer into a dental chair - nicknamed the 'Bloom Room'.The grant covered everything, including plumbing, electrics and decorating and the provision of some new dental equipment....
What was predicted to be a health dominated sitting, didn't quite live up to its expectations.Phil Gawne and Christian Jones take a look back at the highlights.
A political member for the Department of Infrastructure says a 'house building plan' is missing from the government's housing policies. Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper believes the solution to increasing public sector housing is to work with the local authorities to find out the needs of each constituency. It comes after comments were made by Ramsey Commissioners saying the DoI is 'systematically delaying' funding for projects and is not providing support. Mr Hooper admitted there are 'blockages' in the application process for money and more 'checks' have been added which are unnecessary. Local De...
The annual Teddy's Trundle is taking place this weekend.In its fourth year, it sees a group walk the 21km from Peel to the Terminus in Douglas to raise awareness of Downs Syndrome.It's organised by Charli and Oli Dimelow, who are parents to three-year-old Teddy who has Trisomy 21.Charli has been telling Manx Radio more.
We heard this week how government is considering charging people to submit Freedom of Information requests, as the number of 'complex' requests taking more than 18 hours to process is growing.A consultation has opened asking whether charges should be introduced - or other measures such as cost limits or a limit on the amount of requests individuals can submit in a single year. FOI requests allow individuals to ask public authorities for access to information held by them and, currently, you can submit them free of charge.In this edition of Newscast, Christian Jones speaks to Cabinet Office ...
The Department of Infrastructure says a solution has been found to keep the site operational for another year following a dispute between local authorities in the area.Ramsey Town Commissioners announced last month that the site would be closing at the end of March due to funding issues associated with Bride Parish Commissioners withdrawing financial support, leaving a funding gap of £67,000 and leading to fears of increased fly-tipping in the northern parishes.From April, the Department of Infrastructure will take over the facility from the NCAS Committee and — subject to final contract — ...
A Manx resident who travelled the world through some of the Coronavirus pandemic has published a new book detailing some of his adventures.Derek Allen, and his wife Claire, were travelling near Germany in 2020 when Covid-19 struck and countries began getting ‘blacklisted’.They returned to the Island but left again for Europe, in their campervan, when things began to open up the following year.Derek told Manx Radio their experience – and a chance encounter with a kitten called ‘Vangelis’ – has inspired his writing:
Government is set to resume control of the Northern Civic Amenity Site, keeping it open and operational for another year.In just two weeks' time the site was set to close to residents due to funding issues associated with Bride Commissioners withdrawing financial support.From 1 April the Department of Infrastructure will take over the facility from the NCAS Committee and — subject to final contract — Ramsey Town Commissioners will operate the site on its behalf.Chair of the Commissioners, Rob Cowell, says it's a step in the right direction: