Haines Watts wins for a second year at the annual FDs Excellence Awards

Accountancy firm, Haines Watts, is celebrating success, having won Auditor of the Year in the SME category for a second time at the annual FDs Excellence Awards.

The awards recognise the service providers that support Britain's finance community using the results of an annual survey, in which 1,380 FDs and financial decision-makers recorded their opinion.

The prestigious awards ceremony was held in Grosvenor Square, London and hosted by Real Business in association with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and supported by the Confederation of...

Pakistan: Imran Khan sends message to the people from his hospital bed

Pakistani politican Imran Khan has sent a message to his supporters and the people of Pakistan from his hospital bed in Lahore, urging the Electoral Commission of Pakistan and Supreme Court to take the rigging complaints seriously because the future of the country as well as democracy directly depended upon free and fair elections.

The message, posted on Facebook, shows Khan in his hospital bed where he is recovering after falling some 15 feet from a forklift during a campaign rally in Lahore, just days before historical elections in Pakistan. (NewsPoint)

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Secretary of State visits South Devon Link Road site

Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin today visited the South Devon Link Road site to see how work is progressing.

Mr McLoughlin was joined by Anne Marie Morris, MP for Newton Abbot, where they viewed construction activity on the long awaited South Devon Link Road.

The Minister was also accompanied by Gordon Oliver, Mayor of Torbay; Andrew Leadbetter, Cabinet Member for Economy at Devon County Council; Stuart Hughes, Cabinet Member for Highways; Cllr Jeremy Christophers, Leader of Teignbridge District Council; Liz Waugh, interim Chief Executive of the Heart of...

Department for Transport New Station Fund backs new railway station for Exeter

Devon County Council has today welcomed Government backing for a new railway station in Exeter.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin was in Devon today to announce that the Department for Transport’s New Station Fund would provide half the funding of the near £1.5 million scheme for a new station at Newcourt. The other half will be met by developer contributions.

Devon County Council will now work with Network Rail to finalise the Newcourt station plans which will deliver a new platform and shelter, ticket machine and passenger information system, secure cycle parking,...

Bank holiday fun fit for a superhero at Devon’s Crealy Great Adventure Park

Devon’s Crealy Great Adventure Park is welcoming some of the world’s favourite superheroes to the park on Monday 27 May. Superman, Batman and Captain America will meet and greet their fans throughout the day, as a way to celebrate the launch of the new Superman film ‘Man of Steel’.

When younger guests to Devon’s Crealy dress up as their favourite Superhero on the day, they will receive half price entry* to the South West’s No. 1 Family Attraction. And for the younger Annual Members who dress up on the day, they will receive a free fun gift when they arrive!

Crealy Great...

Personal Assistants lead the way for job satisfaction in the South West

Personal assistants in the South West have high levels of job satisfaction and commitment to the profession, according to a national survey of PAs by Hays PA & Secretarial, the leading recruiting expert, to mark the launch of the search for the UK’s top PA through the Executive PA Magazine/Hays Awards. The research shows that PAs in the South West enjoy their jobs and want to remain within the profession, with almost two thirds (63%) of respondents saying they are either happy in their current role or would apply for a senior PA position in the same organisation. Three quarters (74%)...

Devon Open Studios Bursary winners announced

Devon Artist Network with Chagford-based sponsor, Helpful Holidays , is delighted to announce the winners of the Devon Open Studios Emerging Artist Bursary Scheme.

The Bursary is running for the third year and aims to nurture and encourage new talent to take the next steps in their career by helping to fund their participation in this prestigious annual open studios event. We are grateful to our key sponsor, Helpful Holidays, which has grown to become one of the UK’s leading holiday home agencies, for funding this initiative that will support five emerging artists living and...

Really Big Quiz is Biggest Ever!

Exeter’s 10th annual Really Big Quiz really did turn out to be the biggest ever, raising an impressive £5,981.90 for the Lord Mayor of Exeter’s charity, SOCOPS – the most ever raised at the event.

Organised by chartered accountancy firm Simpkins Edwards, this year with support from Tozers Solicitors, the quiz took place at the Corn Exchange in Exeter on Wednesday 8 May. More teams from local businesses entered than ever before, with a reserve list having to be started after the venue’s capacity of 70 teams was reached.

Guests enjoyed a lighthearted evening of challenging...

Devon County Council’s new Cabinet team announced

The new Cabinet team for Devon County Council has been unveiled today.

The Conservatives took power again at County Hall this month with 38 seats of the 62 on the authority.

These are the Cabinet nominations for next week’s annual meeting of the authority (23 May).

Party leader John Hart, who represents Bickleigh and Wembury, will be leader of the Council and will chair the nine-member Cabinet and be responsible for policy and corporate affairs.

His deputy John Clatworthy, from Dawlish, will be deputy leader of the Council and will be responsible for finance...

Boost for Devon as Jobseekers fall in April

The number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) has fallen for the second consecutive month. The percentage of the working age population claiming JSA has now returned to the December 2008 level.

Claimants have dropped from 9,603 in March to 8,849 in April.

The Devon figures reflect the national trend, however the month on month decrease of 7.9% has occurred at a faster rate in Devon compared to the UK (2.9%).

The claimant count in Devon stands at 1.9% of the working age population - considerably lower than the national figure of 3.8%.

Year on year...

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