OnTheWight

Work on Medina Healthcare’s new surgery at Riverway House in Newport is now complete, bringing modern new GP facilities a step closer to opening. What has changed at Riverway House The former NatWest building has been refurbished to provide new consultation and treatment rooms, dedicated facilities for services including blood tests, and improved working spaces for the island-based Medina Healthcare team.

RSPCA Isle of Wight and Cats Protection join forces for a Fire Walk Challenge at Robin Hill. Brave supporters from across the Isle of Wight are being invited to take on a fiery challenge this autumn – walking barefoot across red-hot embers to raise vital funds for animals in need. The RSPCA Isle of Wight Fire Walk Challenge 2026 takes place at Robin Hill Adventure Park on Friday 16 October, with participants and supporters able to enter the park free from 3pm.

A community-led project inspired by the Greening Campaign’s Spaces for Nature initiative has seen almost 75 young people from 1st Godshill Scouts build bird boxes to support wildlife across Godshill and the surrounding area. How the project began The project began after Central Rural Ward was selected as a pilot area for the Greening Campaign.

Island Roads will be carrying out major highway improvement work in Tennyson Road, Freshwater, this month. Road closure and weekend reopening The work will involve tackling the underlying ground conditions that have caused the surface to deteriorate over the years. This requires deeper-than-usual excavations, which means that the road will be closed as a through route throughout the project.

Island residents are being encouraged to have their say on the future of an important local service that helps people live independently, stay healthy and access support before challenges become more serious. The Isle of Wight Council’s Adult Social Care and Public Health teams, working alongside NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB), have launched a public engagement exercise to gather views on the future of the Island’s Living Well and Early Help Service.

Vectis Astronomical Society (VAS) holds its next monthly talk at Newchurch Pavilion on Friday 23rd October 2026. Professor Adam Amara, Chief Scientist at the UK Space Agency, will speak in person on “The latest from Euclid: The Dark Universe Explorer”. Euclid launched in July 2023 and now sits 1.5 million kilometres beyond Earth’s orbit at the L2 Lagrange Point.

New funding aimed at giving children and young people with disabilities and additional needs more opportunities to take part in activities across the Isle of Wight is now available. Grants of up to £10,000 are being offered to local organisations through the Isle of Wight Council’s Short Breaks programme, helping providers deliver inclusive clubs, groups and activities for young people aged up to 19.

John Dekhane, a British citizen based in France, often writes tribute articles dedicated to fallen World War II heroes. He does this work voluntarily, with the sole goal of keeping these often-forgotten stories alive. Our thanks to John for sharing the story of Squadron Leader Peter Edward Drew, a serviceman from the Isle of Wight.

This World Mental Health Day, Saturday 10th October 2026, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is highlighting how people with lived experience are helping to shape local mental health services, as part of this year’s theme “Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change”. The theme highlights the importance of using lived experience to co-design services and drive person-centred care.

Ten-year-old Oscar has been praised by Isle of Wight Ambulance Service after he called 999 and helped save his mum when she suddenly became seriously unwell at home. Now, Oscar and his mum Carmela are encouraging parents to make sure their children know what to do in an emergency, after his quick thinking helped get her the urgent care she needed. Carmela had been feeling unwell that day and thought it might be due to the hot weather and dehydration.