Douglas Mayor Debbie Pitts has given her support to a scheme that uses decorated stones to encourage children to get outdoors.

IOM Rocks, which started in August, is a public game designed to help families get outdoors by hiding, seeking and painting decorated stones.

Miss Pitts was inspired by the idea and will invite children to take part in a special edition of the initiative at the Christmas lights switch-on in Douglas on November 23.

Nine hand-painted stones will be hidden in well-known areas of Douglas for children to find and return to the Douglas Town Centre Management’s office in Church Street, Douglas, in order to win a prize.

Once the children hand in the Nativity-themed rocks they will receive a selection box and a donation of £50 to the Manx charity of their choice sponsored by the mayoral charity appeal fund.

The rocks, painted by Miss Pitts with the help of Julia Minay who takes part in the IOM Rocks initiative, will later be used to create a Nativity scene in the Mayor’s parlour at the town hall.

IOM Rocks founder Nicola Evans set up a Facebook group where people can share images of the rocks they have found around the island. The group began with 40 members but it has now reached more than 4,000 after a Hop tu Naa campaign aimed to get children spending their half-term holiday out in the glens, beaches and parks around the island.

Nicola said: ’A friend of mine introduced me to ’Tyneside Rocks’ on Facebook, where people were sharing photos of painted rocks that they’d hidden and found around the area.

’I was really interested and thought it would be great to start something here,’ she said.

’After the IOM Rocks Facebook group was set up I had a lot of people wanting to know more about it.

’A couple of weeks later it suddenly took off.

’I’ve had visitors to the island contact me saying that they had found rocks, including a woman from Perth who’s taken a Hop tu Naa rock that she found back to Australia with her.

’We’ve had people come up with some great ideas for the rocks and there are a lot of poppies being painted at the moment,’ she said.

People behind the social media group; Jo Dalgleish, Tracey Toombs and Nicola are pleased with the support the initiative has received.

Nicola said: ’Arbory Commissioners and the Colby Parish Hall have approached us because they want people to be out and about too.’

To find out more and to get involved visit ’IOM Rocks’ on Facebook groups or send an email Nicola to [email protected]