After a period of negotiation, and in a ground breaking move which will have benefits to many members of our community, it has been agreed that from 1 December 2011, Crossroads Caring for Carers will formally adopt the running of current services provided by the Manx Foundation for the Physically Disabled. It is planned that the transition will have minimum impact on services users. Crossroads’ current services will be unaffected. The current economic climate has had a dramatic effect on global charities, and at a local level it is equally challenging, but some in particular have found it exceptionally tough. Earlier this year, the Manx Foundation realised that its resources were over-stretched and it was becoming very difficult to maintain a viable level of services. This was particularly worrying as more and more demands were being made upon them, and the situation prompted talks with local charity Crossroads Caring for Carers. Their discussions not only covered all practical implications, but also how they might achieve their shared vision for people with disabilities in the future. The Foundation and Crossroads are both long serving, local charities sharing the same goals and ideals for people with care needs and those who care for them. Manager of the Manx Foundation, Jan Jukes, said “Crossroads is an innovative organisation managing to expand and diversify its services in the current climate. By passing them our torch we can make sure the Foundation’s work continues for many more years to come. We believe that this is an exciting move which will benefit our members and service users whilst continuing to support people with disabilities” Crossroads is looking to develop service growth and sustainability for people with care needs. “We also see this as an exciting move which will be of benefit to many people and allow us to continue to grow. We have a first class staff and with their help we can deliver real benefit to the community”, stated Jackie Betteridge, CEO Crossroads” “. We will undoubtedly see more such situations developing in the future as third sector organisations strive to deliver high quality value services” she added. Ends