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Launch party for the CHAT Bus

A 17-year dream came true for Age Concern Isle of Man on Friday April 30 with the launch of the CHAT (Community, Health, Advice and Training) bus.
 
The bus took centre stage at the Hilton Hotel’s upper car park when it was officially launched by the Lieutenant Governor Sir Paul Haddacks KCB in the presence of sponsors, supporters, members of Tynwald, representatives from the Island’s local authorities, voluntary organisations and staff and volunteers of Age Concern Isle of Man.
 
In his welcome address chairman of the board of trustees Malcolm Kelly expressed his gratitude for the ‘incredible munificence’ of the sponsors and the people of the Isle of Man and he paid tribute to Age Concern Isle of Man’s staff and volunteers for daily ‘going beyond the call of duty’, before handing over to the ‘irrepressible’ Penny Creighton MBE, chief executive.
 
Mrs Creighton said the CHAT bus was born out of ‘a little seed of a thought’ some 17 years ago, developed in more recent years with the support of Isle of Man Newspapers into the concept of a ‘tea pot’ bus that would reach out to local communities.  She went on to explain how, with an initial fundraising campaign driven by the newspaper, the tea pot bus developed into a ‘gold standard’ bus harnessing the best of 21st century technology – the CHAT bus – a vehicle that would offer ‘endless possibilities for social alchemy’.  
 
Mrs Creighton thanked everyone who had supported the project for demonstrating ‘a leap of faith’, including Microgaming Health and Care Trust which donated £60,000 towards the conversation of the bus, generously provided at a heavily discounted price by Protours Isle of Man who have agreed to garage and maintain the vehicle at cost. She concluded by saying that with the CHAT officially launched, ‘the sky’s the limit.’
 
In his reply the Lieutenant Governor said the CHAT bus was ‘one of the finest demonstrations of the brilliance of vision and inspiration that distinguishes the work of Age Concern Isle of Man’. He echoed Mrs Creighton’s sentiments that ‘getting older should be an exciting journey’ and concluded: ‘I am confident the CHAT bus will make that journey all the more exciting and I wish it and Age Concern Isle of Man every success.’
 
The bus was blessed by the Bishop Robert Paterson, following which Lady Haddacks, patron of Age Concern Isle of Man, cut the ribbon and officially launched the CHAT bus.  
 
The CHAT (Community, Health, Advice and Training) bus is sponsored and supported by:  
 
 Age Concern Isle of Man
 Barclays Wealth
 Gough Ritchie Trust
 Isle of Man Newspapers
 Isle of Man Steam Packet Company
 King William’s College
 Manx National Heritage
 Manx Telecom
 Microgaming Health and Care Trust
 PokerStars
 Protours  
 …and the people of the Isle of Man
 
Conversion was by South East Coachworks of Faversham, Kent.
 
The CHAT bus is available for hire. Contact Age Concern Isle of Man, 19 Drinkwater Street, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 1AT. Telephone 613044. Facsimile 672951.
 
chatbus@ageconcerniom.com