Welcome to the new Beacon LIfe blog where we share stories of what happens at our community centre in Beacon Heath.

Three miles for two bags of food

She walked into The Beacon Community Centre, anxiously looked at the groups of chatting people, turned on her heels and ran out the door clearly distressed.

I ran after her and asked if she was OK. “I’ve just walked from Exwick for the food bank, is it here?” she asked.

I reassured her that it was, made her a cuppa and introduced her to our friends from the Exeter Foodbank team who run a Friday session at our...

This November, teams from law firms, chambers, advice services and universities will be joining forces for the 2016 Great Legal Quiz, which takes place during National Bro Bono Week (7-11 November 2016).

The Great Legal Quiz is a national event being held on Wednesday 9th November across England and Wales to raise funds for free legal advice charities. All registered teams compete for the title of ‘Great Legal Quiz Team’ and whichever team scores the highest will claim the title! All funds raised will go to support the work of South West Legal Support Trust (SWLST) who are running...

Exeter Deaf Academy and Rolle Exmouth Ltd (REL) have agreed to explore ways they could potentially work together.

The move follows the announcement that the academy is planning a move from its current Exeter base to the former Rolle College campus site in Exmouth.

REL has been running a fundraising campaign to preserve the site as a vital community, education and business resource for future generations.

A workhub (pictured) is already up and running.

And board members say that the announcement this week by Plymouth University (which owned the site) that...

The Government has announced plans to ban microbeads used in cosmetics and cleaning products by 2017.

Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom has announced that a consultation on how a ban would work will start later this year.

Tamara Galloway, Professor of Ecotoxicology at the University of Exeter, is one of the UK’s leading experts in marine pollution and her team studies the health effects of microplastics pollution.

She said: “This is a fantastic example of the Government responding swiftly to the overwhelming scientific evidence that microbeads are bad for the...

Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom has announced plans to ban the sale and manufacture of cosmetics and personal care products containing tiny pieces of plastic, commonly known as ‘microbeads’.

Each year billions of tiny beads end up in our seas from a range of products such as face scrubs, toothpastes and shower gels. These beads build up in the marine environment and can be swallowed by sea life, including fish and crustaceans.

The ban follows the successful introduction of the 5p plastic bag charge – which has led to six billion fewer bags issued this year – and is the...

East Devon District Council says news that Exeter Deaf Academy is in the frame to take over the Rolle College site in Exmouth came as a surprise to many at the authority, including some who learnt of the deal through the media first.

EDDC has issued this statement:

Exmouth is a priority for the Council and we are keen to hear more about the proposals that would bring the Deaf Academy to Exmouth. This is an important opportunity for the site and the town, so we are concerned and disappointed that Plymouth University has only made known this change of plans through the media...

Exeter could see a revolution in the way it keeps its streets clean if a new strategy gets the go-ahead.

Changing shift patterns, installing smart litter bins that compact waste and replacing traditional litter pickers with street vacuums are just some of the ideas behind the Clean Streets Strategy, which goes before Exeter City Council's Executive on 13 September.

The Strategy also looks at changing the behaviour of residents and visitors and increasing enforcement for things like littering, dog fouling and graffiti.

Cllr Rob Hannaford, Lead Councillor for Place,...

On 29th May 2016 almost seventy riders from Devon & Cornwall Police cycled from Exeter to Lands End to raise money for the charity Little Bleeders.

The journey involved over 130 miles of road, with 10,000 feet of climbing.

Organiser for Devon & Cornwall Police, Sergeant Owen Messenger said: “The ride was organised as part of a charity event to raise vital funds for the charity Little Bleeders. We aimed to raise over £5000 and exceeded this massively with a grand total of £8838.02 which was incredible”.

The ride saw cyclists from Team DCP (Devon &...

Thousands of cycling fans are expected to descend on Teignbridge on Friday 9 September as the district plays host to a spectacular Haytor finish for the Devon Stage of the Tour of Britain.

With the likes of Sir Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish and other Olympic medallists among the racers, supporters lining the route and arriving at the finish area on Haytor will also be kept entertained throughout the day by a variety of cycling activities and community events.

A carnival atmosphere is expected on Haytor, with the iconic Dartmoor location sure to draw some of the biggest...

Cardiff’s popular ‘street-food warehouse’ venue, The DEPOT, has announced it is bringing one of its most unusual events over to Exeter.

Bingo Lingo, is an event in which guests play a chaotic and ironic version of the game, complete with rave intervals and competitive dance-offs. Players have the chance to win a range of cash prizes, life-changing prizes, and rubbish-but-hilarious prizes.

The strictly adults-only event has been a smash success in Cardiff since its introduction in April 2016, attracting a varied crowd of students and young professionals alike. Prizes in the...