Family Life

Don’t miss out on up to £2,000 towards childcare costs

Thousands of working families in the South West could be missing out on an opportunity to get up to £2,000 a year to help with the cost of childcare, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding parents, ahead of February half term.

Tax-Free Childcare – the 20% childcare top-up – provides eligible working families with up to £500 every three months (or £1,000 if their child is disabled) towards the cost of holiday clubs, before and after-school clubs, childminders and nurseries, and other accredited childcare schemes.

More than 26,600 working families used the scheme in...

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Helping local, family-run businesses thrive

A young, female entrepreneur, who recently took over the family business from her Mum, has launched a programme to help other youngsters prepare for running their family business.

The South West is home to thousands of family-run businesses. In fact 92.1% of ALL private firms here are family-owned - the highest concentration in the country. Chances are, most people reading this article are part of a family business or work with one on a regular basis.

When you say ‘family business’ it conjures up images of personal service, quality and trustworthiness. Cider makers, farm...

My New Year's resolution? A divorce!

It’s not surprising that solicitor divorce enquiries surge following the stressful festive period every January. According to statistics, around 42% of marriages end in divorce and in 2019 there were 108, 421 in the UK.

Divorcing can be one of the most stressful and turbulent periods of your life, often with families, living arrangements and finances to worry about. If you are considering a divorce, then it’s always worth finding out the legal facts and procedures from a reputable family lawyer, if you are looking for advice or information, this page lists the best divorce...

Foster carers needed across Exeter as England gears up for nation-wide career change

With more than half of Britons intending to make changes to their careers because of the coronavirus pandemic, a national social enterprise is calling on people across Exeter to consider ‘a rewarding career in fostering’.

The UK is currently undergoing a substantial career assessment following the coronavirus pandemic, in what many economists are calling ‘The Great Resignation’. A recent report has found 60% of people intend to make changes to their career as a result of the pandemic and a quarter of respondents plan to move jobs within three to six months.

With over 35...

Easy to train dog breeds for new owners

Are you planning on getting your first ever puppy but want something that will be easy to train, as a new owner? Are you nervous about adopting a dog that might be difficult to train so want to know which dogs will be the easiest to train?

Many people have considered getting a dog, but they do not know how much work is involved. Some dogs are easy to train and require minimal attention. If you want a pet that requires less time and energy, consider a dog that is easy to train.

There are many benefits of having such a dog. They can be fun, loving companions if you give...

What do I get for Dad?

Dads can be hard to buy Christmas presents for, often it’s not quite as simple as a spa day and a bottle of wine. And there are only so many times that you can get something that’s branded with his favourite football team logo.

Obviously, everyone’s dad is different so that may not be the case for you, but generally, it can be hard to figure out a thoughtful Christmas present.

There’s also that problem of ‘what do you get for the man who has everything?’, especially when all the unique gift ideas are selling out at an alarming rate.

It’s not impossible though....

5 Reasons Not to Post Pictures of Your Child on Social Media

With the age of social media, more and more people are sharing their lives with the Internet through any means necessary. Some people want to show off the marvelous lives they have with their kids, but this could end up being a very big mistake.

Here are five big reasons why you shouldn’t post pictures of your children online for the whole world to see.

Your Posts Could Attract Dangerous People

Photos and videos of children can sometimes end up on very disturbing websites, more than likely child pornography. Tracking down the source or owners of these websites...

Devon home movers benefit from festive demand

Christmas is fast approaching and most of us are busy hunting for gifts and decorations. A savvy few Devon residents, however have learned that demand for property for sale is set to peak and are getting their homes ready to be put on the market.

Rightmove, the UK’s most popular property portal, experiences its busiest time all year between Boxing Day and the New Year, with a massive 51 million visitors to their website during this period last year.

This huge spike in home hunters, beginning immediately after Christmas, is set to continue through to the New Year. With so many...

New free parenting guide offered to separating families in the South West

The Family Law Company is offering the new guide for free to local families who are divorcing or separating. The ‘Parenting Through Separation Guide’ is written by family professionals and advises parents of how to put their children first during a separation.

It is being launched during ‘Good Divorce Week’ which runs from 29 Nov - 3 Dec. The campaign is organised annually by national family justice organisation Resolution and this year the focus is on parenting through separation.

As specialist family lawyers, The Family Law Company is offering parents in the South West a...

Free school meals holiday vouchers doubled for Christmas

Families in Devon on low-incomes, whose children receive free school meals, will get extra support this Christmas to help them buy food during the holidays.

Over the past Devon County Council has provided supermarket vouchers worth £15 per child per week of the school holidays to families who qualify for free school meals, so their children don’t go hungry.

We’re doubling that for Christmas, with an extra one-off £30 supermarket voucher, so families will receive a £60 voucher per child for the two-weeks to help with the additional financial pressure the festive period...

A golden retriever lays outside on a wooden bench with his head on the armrest, looking at camera.

Research from Guide Dogs reveals fireworks are biggest cause of dog anxiety

As we get ready to celebrate Bonfire Night and Diwali this year, 42% of dog owners have voted fireworks night as the worst night of their year. The research for charity Guide Dogs revealed that fireworks were the biggest cause of dog anxiety (42%) coming in ahead of sudden noises (35%), thunder (33%), being at the vet (28%), other dogs (25%) and being alone (20%).

Almost a fifth of UK dog owners say fireworks night has a detrimental effect on their pets’ mental health. It is important to look out for warning signs in your dog such as barking or howling, shivering, digging and...

Family Life

Don’t miss out on up to £2,000 towards childcare costs

Helping local, family-run businesses thrive

My New Year's resolution? A divorce!

Foster carers needed across Exeter as England gears up for nation-wide career change

Easy to train dog breeds for new owners

What do I get for Dad?

5 Reasons Not to Post Pictures of Your Child on Social Media

Devon home movers benefit from festive demand

New free parenting guide offered to separating families in the South West

Free school meals holiday vouchers doubled for Christmas

Research from Guide Dogs reveals fireworks are biggest cause of dog anxiety

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