A sponsored walk for the over 60s is being organised by the Isle of Man Live At Home Schemes charity which helps around 700 older people on the Island to live independently.
The event takes place on May 12th along the Central Promenade in Douglas, starting at 2pm by the War Memorial and finishing on the promenade opposite the bottom of Summerhill Road. That distance is just short of one mile (0.91 miles), but the emphasis is on fun and participation so those taking part don’t have to cover the full distance if they don’t feel up to it. Everyone who takes part will be presented with a certificate by Isle of Man Live At Home Patron, Tracey Leahy. There’s no need to enter the event in advance, just turn up before 2pm on the day near the War Memorial and register, or ring Onchan Live At Home Scheme Manager Anni Pearsall on 459226. It’s free to enter, but the charity is hoping participants will raise funds via sponsorship.
There are five Isle of Man Live At Home Schemes – Western, Northern, Onchan, Douglas, Laxey and Lonan – and the charity also runs the Northern Men in Sheds group. All funds raised from the walk will go to help support the charity’s work across the Island.
Anni Pearsall said: “This is the second year we have organised a sponsored walk. As with the first event last, we’re again hoping to see many of our scheme members taking part, but anyone aged 60 or over is more than welcome whether they can walk independently, need assistance, or are wheelchair users. It will be a lot of fun, but our sponsored walk has a very serious purpose too – it’s an important event to raise funds which will help us make an even bigger difference to the lives of older people, and an ideal opportunity to introduce more people to our schemes and all of the services we offer.”
Anni thanked Douglas Borough Council and St John Ambulance, MannVend for providing refreshments on the day, and MM&C for providing publicity.
The Isle of Man Live at Home schemes are run by a team of 12 staff and around 500 volunteers, and offer a range of services, including regular social groups, lunch clubs, film clubs, shopping clubs, men’s groups all with transport provided. They also offer guidance on how older people can access other support services, and run befriending initiatives in which volunteers make regular visits to an older person to have a chat and a cup of tea, providing friendship and company.
For more information about Isle of Man Live At Home Schemes email onchan.liveathome@mha.org.uk or find the charity on Facebook.
Photo - A scene from last year’s Isle of Man Live At Home Schemes sponsored walk – this year’s event is being held on May 12th on Central Promenade, Douglas.
