Family Life

Coping Strategies for Families of Alcoholics

It’s fair to say that alcoholism doesn’t just affect the person that is living with it. While they are, of course, the primary concern and they’re the one that needs help to get their life back on track, it can be a challenging period of time for friends, colleagues and family alike.

For family members in particular seeing a loved one go through addiction can be tough, and it’s important to ensure they get the alcohol help they need. For you, as a family member, it’s also valuable to find methods and strategies to look after yourself and the rest of the family too. So here are...

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How to Help Your Parents Prepare for Old Age

In a perfect world, all members of a family would come together to support their aging parents. However, this is an unrealistic scenario for many people, not least those who have careers and children to take care of, and it’s not uncommon to hear stories about siblings fighting over who is going to take care of mum or dad and when.

Realistically, it’s never too early to help your parents prepare for old age, and in doing so, you may alleviate a lot of the stress further down the line. Below are a few of the things you can discuss now in order to make better decisions for the...

Action packed summer for East Devon

Fun-filled summer holidays for local residents and tourists to the East Devon countryside

The East Devon District Council Countryside team offer a range of exciting events throughout the summer holidays to entertain and educate local children, tourists and parents!

Events include Bug hunts at Seaton Wetlands, Wildlife safari at Fire Beacon Hill, Family adventure day at Holyford Woods and much much more!

Countryside Team Leader, Tim Dafforn said: "Whether you are an experienced bird-watcher or new to enjoying the outdoors, pre-school age or retired there is something...

Avoid getting a red card during Euro 16

Devon and Cornwall Police’s latest domestic abuse campaign warns potential offenders of the consequences of letting their emotions get the better of them during the Euro 16 football tournament.

Statistics show that domestic abuse increases during the summer, especially when a large sporting event taking place.

Police ask people to be aware of their behaviour and mood when watching the football. Emotions run high and frustration and competitiveness can cause tempers to flare. Police warn people that they could face a one month ban from seeing their families if they use or...

Baby and toddler safety campaign relaunches

A Trading Standards campaign to help prevent babies and toddlers from being injured at home is being relaunched on 6 June.

Every year in England 60 children are killed, 450,000 attend A&E and 40,000 are admitted to hospital as a result of accidents in the home.

The Buy Wise Be Safe campaign aims to prevent injuries by providing clear advice on ways to make the home safer and what to look out for when buying safety equipment.

Originally developed by Trading Standards South West in 2005, the initiative was delivered across the region using a video pack through...

Family fun at farm open day

Live music, great food and...piglet racing - just a few of the elements making up a Devon farm’s open day next weekend.

Kenniford Farm, which is just a few miles from Exeter at Clyst St Mary, is opening its gates to the public as part of Open Farm Sunday, which takes place on June 5.

As well as stalls, local beer, a bouncy castle and entertainment for all ages, there will be a chance to look behind the scenes at the farm, from the tiny newborn piglets to the fully-grown sows rolling in the sandy fields.

Open Farm Sunday is a national event which is in its 10th year...

Half term fun at The Donkey Sanctuary

Summer is just around the corner and there’s plenty of fun and adventure to keep the whole family entertained at The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth this May half term.

Open from 9am every day, an array of family-friendly activities will be on offer, such as face painting, making a donkey out of modelling clay and creating a bat finger puppet. Furthermore, to celebrate the imminent arrival of The Donkey Sanctuary’s new Bat Beacon this summer, there will be a bat holiday hunt for wildlife explorers young and old.

Get the whole family outdoors and meet some of the 500 donkeys...

Crealy welcomes tortoises and reptiles this Half Term

Devon’s Crealy Great Adventure Park welcomes 21 new animals in two new areas set to open at the start of May half term. From Saturday 28th May guests to Crealy will be able to see, learn about and handle some of the new animal inhabitants of Tortoise Town and Snake Pit.

In recent weeks, Crealy has taken in three Corn Snakes, one Royal Python, one Milk Snake, one Boa Constrictor, six Bearded Dragons, four Crested Geckos, one Berber Skink, two Carpet Pythons and two Sulcata Tortoises. The animals will be housed in brand new, purpose built enclosures providing the animals with exactly...

The beginner’s guide to wedding flowers

Wedding flowers can be tricky. You might find yourself pinning stunning designs on Pinterest, presenting them to a florist and discovering it will cost ten times the price you had in your head. Or, every flower you want is unavailable at that time of year – good luck getting Peonies in winter for a reasonable price.

If you’re a newbie to wedding flowers, like most brides and grooms, here’s a quick guide on what to look out for and perhaps how to save a little money:

Stick to seasonal plants Not only will you get stunning, fresh blooms that don’t need to travel too far to...

Discover the world of farming

Visiting a farm on Open Farm Sunday, Sunday 5th June, is a wonderful way to discover the world of farming.

Modern farming is incredibly diverse and impacts on all of us - from the food we eat, to clothing, medicine, fuel and manufacturing. Agriculture is vital to our future too – so come along and find out more!

Hundreds of farms across Britain will be opening their gates for LEAF’s (Linking Environment And Farming) Open Farm Sunday. It is a great day out for the whole family and a unique opportunity to discover what farmers do and the vital role they have in protecting and...

Families contribute to mental health information portal

For Julia Ogden, raising her beloved autistic son can be like bridging the gap to an alien world, one that can be difficult to navigate and interpret.

She has had to work hard over a number of years to identify and access networks for information and support for parents and carers. Now, Julia has worked with academics at the University of Exeter Medical School, to contribute to the MindEd consortium creating an “invaluable” online portal to help families with children affected by mental health issues.

Launched on Thursday 21 April, MindEd for Families , funded by the...

Family Life

Coping Strategies for Families of Alcoholics

How to Help Your Parents Prepare for Old Age

Action packed summer for East Devon

Avoid getting a red card during Euro 16

Baby and toddler safety campaign relaunches

Family fun at farm open day

Half term fun at The Donkey Sanctuary

Crealy welcomes tortoises and reptiles this Half Term

The beginner’s guide to wedding flowers

Discover the world of farming

Families contribute to mental health information portal

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