Gef’s Daily Roundup

Upon accepting the giant cheque, a rather giddy and grinning Juan said: ‘We are very grateful for this donation … which will go to support people with ME and the work we do. The hockey club alone have made a major difference to the lives of people with ME through all their support, including those attending the protest in 2021.

‘So, a really sincere thank you.’

MCALS

The Manx Care Advice and Liaison Service (MCALS) is hosting a Collaboration Day on Friday February 16.

The event will be held at the NSC between 10am and 3pm and will give members of the public an opportunity to meet and learn about various services across the island.

Nearly 20 different charities have already committed to the event, along with teams from services across Manx Care and other government departments, with more to be confirmed. There will be a prize draw for those who fill out the Friends and Family Test Survey at the event, with opportunities to win vouchers from local businesses.

MCALS is a confidential service that aims to improve patient and service user experience by helping to sort problems out quickly, providing advice and pointing people in the right direction to get the help they need.

Rachel Douglas, MCALS Service Lead, said: ‘We’re very excited about this collaboration day. This is an open day for Manx Care, charities and other departments/services to provide information to the public all under one roof. It will be an opportunity to meet in person, allowing residents to learn a little more about what we all do, the services we offer, and how we can all help and support our community. We are always grateful to work in partnership with our Island’s businesses, charities and other organisations.’

MCALS is available via telephone on 642642 or email on MCALS@gov.im.

Rodd Ruled Out

Former Buchan pupil Bevan Rodd has been ruled out of the Six Nations after he had surgery on a toe injury that he picked up in November. The 23 year old was part of the England squad that finished third at the autumn’s World Cup in France, but has struggled for game time since after fracturing his toe.

Director of rugby at Rodd’s club Sale Sharks, Alex Sanderson, said at the time of the initial injury that the prop could face a lengthy spell out despite the break being only pea-sized: ‘We thought it was turf-toe two weeks ago.

‘That’s the common injury, turf-toe, a hyper-extended toe as a prop. Very common in the scrum. It was painful and it was bruised but wasn’t showing any of the real signs of tendinopathy in the foot and so we took him to get it scanned and he has got a really small fracture that was opening up with the amount of stress you put on it in games.

‘It was getting sorer and sorer and opening and closing during games. It’s obviously something you can play through because he did it twice, but it’s not something that we want to affect his toe by way of incurring arthritis down the line.’

The Six Nations begin on February 2.

Duff Duff Deal

The BBC has agreed a deal to sell the EastEnders set, amongst other studios, as part of a drive to raise cash. The TV soap will still be filmed on the site, however, after the BBC also agreed to lease back Albert Square from its new owner, insurance giant Axa.

It has only been two years since the Beeb finished the new set, which at a cost of £87m was £27m over budget and four years behind schedule.