The number of people in Devon claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA) in November fell by 85 compared to the previous month.

And 65 of those people were aged under 24.

At the end of November the total number of claimants stood at 3,693.

Overall the claimant rate for Devon – the percentage of Devon’s working age population claiming JSA – is 0.8%, far below the UK average of 1.6%.

At a district level, the greatest falls were found in Exeter and Mid Devon, each falling by 61 and 50 claimants respectively.

The district with the largest increase was North...

South West law firm makes top 100 companies to work for in the UK for the second year running

A leading local law firm has been named for the second year running amongst the top 100 companies to work for in the UK, according to the influential Sunday Times list.

Stephens Scown LLP, which made it into the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For survey at its first attempt last year, has featured again in the 2016 list – as well as increasing its accreditation for outstanding employee engagement from two stars to three stars.

The firm was ranked at number 39 last...

Michelmores is proud to announce a fundraising total of £65,273 for its Charity of the Year, Macmillan Cancer Support.

Over its two year partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, Michelmores hosted a variety of events across its Exeter, Bristol and London offices.

The majority of funds raised came from the firm’s popular 5K run, that takes place in Exeter's City Centre and attracts around 1,000 runners each year.

Events also included a Charity Art Auction, Christmas Bazaar and Macmillan Coffee Morning along with several sweepstakes, raffles and office dress down...

Australian international Greg Holmes says he is relishing the challenge that lies ahead after he today sealed his move to Aviva Premiership side Exeter Chiefs.

The 32-year-old tight-head prop, who joins from Super Rugby outfit Queensland Reds, will move to Sandy Park at the start of next season on a two-year deal.

A product of the Reds Academy, Holmes made his debut for the Aussie franchise back in 2005 against the Blues and has since gone on to win 132 Super Rugby caps, seven eight tries in the process.

With 24 caps for the Wallabies also in his locker, the...

Dates for next year’s MTV Crashes Plymouth have been confirmed and music fans can get their hands on tickets from Monday 21 December.

The spectacular live music event, organised by MTV in collaboration with Plymouth City Council, will be returning for its third year on Plymouth Hoe on the evenings of Thursday 28 and Friday 29 July 2016.

MTV Crashes Plymouth has grown year-on-year and has seen thousands of people enjoy chart-topping headline acts for a fraction of the cost of other UK festivals. The 2016 two-day event will be even bigger and better, bringing a number of top...

Devon and Cornwall’s Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Hogg has welcomed calls for an independent panel to advise the Government on future proposals for police funding. A report published by the Home Affairs Select Committee says accounting firms, financial experts and the College of Policing should be appointed to assist the Home Office in formulating revised proposals. Last month the Home Office paused its review process after Mr Hogg’s office highlighted serious errors in calculating the funding allocations for police force areas. These errors resulted in forces who had been advised...

The ever-growing importance of online channels to businesses and the recognition of the value of intangible assets has led to the continued expansion of the intellectual property (IP) team of a leading South West law firm.

Stephens Scown’s intellectual property practice, established just three years ago, has grown rapidly to now include eight specialists - the largest IP team of any law firm in the region. Most recently, the firm recruited Neil Eagleton as a senior associate from London-based firm Sheridans.

According to Ben Travers, partner and head of intellectual...

Exeter Community Centre on St David’s Hill is proud to announce the launch of an exciting community project called Sense of Space, to create a new sensory garden at the centre and to bring its Pottery back into use.

A grant from The People’s Health Trust has enabled the project to go ahead.

The project will create opportunities for local people to meet and learn new skills together, at FREE workshops running from January 2016.

The workshops will focus on garden design and planting, and on designing and making pottery tiles that will be used to decorate the new...

In the entire 130-year history of the Royal College of Music (RCM), there has only been one single-handed pianist to graduate. That person is the exceptionally talented Nicholas McCarthy, whose name now resonates throughout the frequently haughty world of classical music, as not just a one-handed wonder, but a musical talent of considerable standing. Since his graduation from RCM in 2012, Nicholas has wowed audiences around the world with his mesmerising performances in top class venues ranging from The Royal Albert Hall and St Martin-in-the-Fields to The Kennedy Centre, Washington DC and...

Record numbers of older people worried about being alone over Christmas have already contacted older people’s housing and care charity The Abbeyfield Society as its Coping at Christmas campaign gets into full swing.

Since the campaign launch in November, Abbeyfield has handled hundreds of calls from isolated older people who face being alone over the extended Christmas period. As a result, over 400 older people who would otherwise have spent the Christmas period without company are being welcomed into Abbeyfield houses the breadth of the country to enjoy festive events ranging from...