The Probus September lunch was attended by 29 members, by two guests, and by our Speaker who was Jo Dixon; island manager for the MHA Live at Home Charity.

Following a promotion, Jo became area manager for the Isle of Man, Scotland, and the North West of England from 1st May 2016. Not surprisingly, the title of Jo's talk was “The Isle of Man Live at Home Scheme”. We learnt that there are over fifty Live at Home Schemes operating across the UK which enable older people to maintain their independence. The services provided by the Schemes aim to relieve social isolation and encourage older people to take an active part in their communities while continuing to live in their own homes.

The services available are visits to members in their own homes, assisted shopping, advice and information, and social outings. We were informed that there are five Schemes operating in the Isle of Man, covering the whole of the island except the South, and that the Northern Live at Home Scheme offered befriending services to people living in the Ramsey, Ballaugh, Bride , Andreas, Jurby and Maughold areas.

Currently there are approximately 700 older people who are members of the island's schemes and a team of 12 MHA staff and around 500 volunteers; many of whom are high school students. We have a rapidly ageing population in the Isle of Man; currently having one of the highest percentages of old people in the U.K. There will therefore be an increasing need for the provision of these services in the future.

Jo went on to mention “Northern Men in Sheds” as being part of the Isle of Man Live at Home Scheme. Men in Sheds offers a sense of purpose and a chance to be creative and productive with the emphasis on a positive active retirement. It is a place to learn new skills, share old ones, and socialise with other retired men. In response to a question from one of our members, Jo assured us that there was no reason why women should not join the men in their shed.

Our next lunch will be on Wednesday 12th October 2016 at Ramsey Golf Club. Open from 12.30pm for a 1pm start, when our guest speaker will be Norman Rivers, BEM, whose topic will be “Children of Chernobyl”

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