At the 2017 Business Awards run by 373 Group, The Cricket Company were nominated in two categories - Best Retail and Best Customer Service.

Attending the Awards ceremony on Thursday, the team discovered they were named in the top three companies for Best Customer Service.

Owner Trevor Griffin said “I’m hugely proud of the team – customer service is at the heart of all we do and something we work really hard on, so to be named in top three companies is a great accolade.”

Later in the evening, TCC added to their achievement by being named as winners in the Best Retail...

Devon County Council leader John Hart has been re-elected as the voice of the South West.

He was voted in unopposed as the chairman of South West Councils for a third two-year term.

The organisation represents all 41 county, unitary and district councils stretching from Cornwall to Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.

It also includes the local police and fire authorities as well as the national parks.

Mr Hart said: “It’s a tremendous privilege to have been re-elected to chair South West Councils for the third time.

"This region has many issues in common...

Summer Nights are coming to Newton Abbot as street food will be served up with locally produced dishes and world cuisine and backed by live music from Drew Millin.

Taking place on selected Saturday’s through the summer, the cuisine fuelled nights are being produced by Born Hectic Events in partnership with Newton Abbot Town Council and Teignbridge District Council. The events are aiming to attract people of all ages, encouraging everyone to come and try a great selection of hot and cold food on sale, and stay around for entertainment through the evening.

Stalls will be...

The national chair of trustees of Samaritans has told volunteers in Exeter to prepare for a digital revolution as the charity embarks on a modernisation programme.

Jenni McCartney - a former business development consultant and a Samaritans volunteer for over 25 years - told volunteers of the Exeter Mid and East Devon branch that the charity must modernise to cope with growing demand for its services.

“We have 201 branches across the country with 20,000 volunteers. Somebody contacts Samaritans every six seconds, day and night, and someone dies by suicide every 90 minutes. We...

Kidney specialists at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital are putting on a series of public information events around Devon and Somerset about home dialysis treatments and the opportunities this can present for patients, including the ability to travel.

The events are being held in July in Torbay, Honiton, Barnstaple, Taunton and Exeter. Kidney patients, family members, carers and clinicians are invited to come along and meet the RD&E’s renal community team and current patients, including one person dialysing themself in a camper van with the transportable haemodialysis...

A Devon farm has beaten off stiff competition to win not one, but three, highly sought-after awards for its farm-reared pork products.

Taste of the West awarded Kenniford Farm a gold award for its cranberry and rosemary sausages and two silver awards for its scotch egg and Cumberland ring.

The awards celebrate quality, integrity, and provenance of food in the west, and seek to promote and give recognition to local produce that goes above and beyond in terms of quality and taste.

Kenniford Farm has been rearing pigs in Clyst St Mary for over 20 years. The farm is Red...

A crackdown on dog fouling and littering in Exeter could soon be brought in, the City Council has revealed. The City Council is looking at ramping up its enforcement of dog fouling and littering across Exeter as part of a 12-month pilot project. Offenders would be issued with fixed penalty fines. The initiative was given backing by the Council’s Executive last night and now goes before Full Council on Wednesday 19 July. Cllr Stephen Brimble, Lead Councillor for Place, said that dog fouling was one of the biggest issues brought to the attention of councillors in the city. “People are fed up...

Plymouth University academic and TV geologist Professor Iain Stewart MBE has been revealed as the new president of top local conservation charity Devon Wildlife Trust.

Prof Stewart is only the third person to take on the honorary role since the conservation charity was founded 55 years ago in 1962. His appointment was made after a unanimous decision by

Devon Wildlife Trust’s 15 strong Board of Trustees. He succeeds Prof Ian Mercer CBE, the eminent conservationist who had held the position from 1985 until his death in September 2016.

Prof Stewart spent a recent visit...

Work is underway on drainage improvements on the A373 between Honiton and Cullompton.

The scheme will address standing water issues at three locations along the road, with work at all three sites expected to be completed by the end of July. Work has started at Came Cross/Crammer Barton to install a new drainage system which will reduce surface water run-off in this area. Access is available from the Cullompton end of the A373 as far as Crammer Barton and from the Honiton end as far as Colliton. From Monday (17 July) work will also start on replacing a damaged culvert and kerbs at...

Naomi J Ryan is on the search for someone who deserves recognition this summer. Do you know someone who has made a significant contribution to improve the lives of those around them and who merit to be thanked for it? Then make sure to enter our ‘Nominate Your Local Hero’ summer award.

If your nominee is a winner, they will be invited to meet the Naomi J Ryan team and collect their bespoke gift from their office in Southernhay, Exeter.

If you would like to nominate someone, please visit our website , or our Facebook page . Alternatively pick up a nomination form from the...