Local News

Members of the public are invited to join University of Exeter academics at a series of events that will demonstrate how our research is investigating the key issues in modern day life.

The events, part of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC’s) Festival of Social Science, take place in public venues in Devon and Cornwall between November 7 and 14. It will offer a fascinating insight into some of the country’s leading social science research and demonstrating how it influences our social, economic and political lives.

An event focused on men’s mental health will...

Evidence has been growing for a number of years pointing to the health and social benefits to be derived from contact with the natural world for all ages. However, results from a new YouGov poll, commissioned by The Wildlife Trusts, highlight the discrepancy between what parents think is best for children and what they actually experience.

The new poll shows that:

• 91% of parents of children aged 18 and under think that having access to nature and wildlife is important for children, yet
• 78% of parents are concerned that children don’t spend enough time
...

Dogs Trust Ilfracombe will be “chewning” into the airwaves on Bonfire Night to help petrified pooches conquer their fear of fireworks and are urging Devon dog owners and radio stations to do the same. A Dogs Trust survey of 3,750 pet owners shows that two-thirds of dogs are worried by fireworks and that 93% of their owners alter their routine during fireworks celebrations to try to minimise the trauma on their pets. Many dog owners are simply unaware of the effect that firework fear can have on their dogs and each year we receive calls from pet owners who simply don’t know how to calm...

Figures from the Department for Transport reveal that out of all the highways in the county, rural roads carry the highest number of fatalities - with 83 per cent of the 23 deaths in 2014 occurring on Devon's rural network.

Last year there were 1,668 casualties on Devon’s rural roads - 19 of who lost their lives.

A rural road could be any class of road away from main areas of population that may join towns and villages – but often not the road that runs through them.

Although rural roads include the county's extensive network of narrow country lanes, most rural road...