children

A team of volunteers are preparing to leave their own families on Christmas day to answer Childline calls from children who have nowhere else to turn.

The NSPCC’s Helpline and Childline services operate 365 days a year, with trained counsellors poised to take calls from children, and adults who are concerned about a child’s welfare.

Both helplines are free and confidential to call – and demand can often increase over the festive period, when emotions can be magnified.

Almost 2,000 Childline counselling sessions were delivered over Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and...

Patients and staff at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital had a special visitor in the form of Exeter Chiefs yesterday, as members of the team put on their festive jumpers and spread some Christmas cheer around the hospital.

Leading the way was Don Armand, who was joined by team-mates Henry Slade, Moray Low, Matt Kvesic, Ben Moon, Sam Skinner, Elvis Taione, Pete Laverick, Tom O’Flaherty, Ollie Devoto and James McRae.

Armed with gifts and presents for the children and young people on Bramble Ward, the team took on the role of Santa as they spent time handing out the goodies...

On 4th October, the finalists from the Devon Schools Choir Competition, run by La La Choirs, took centre stage at Southernhay URC and competed for a chance to perform in Exeter Cathedral at the annual sell out concert, CLIC for Christmas. Three choirs had been shortlisted and the choirs at the final sang two songs each. Yet again, the standard was incredibly high, giving the judging panel a really hard time deciding between them. Congratulations go to Mount Kelly ​from Tavistock,​ who just edged it on the day and were named the winners. The...

Your essential guide to What’s on in and around Exeter this weekend (21-23 September)

THEATRE

Company Wayne McGregor – Autobiography Friday, Exeter Northcott For 25 years, British choreographer and director Wayne McGregor has made choreography that interrogates life through the experience of the body. Now McGregor turns his attention to the body as archive, with a dance portrait illuminated by the sequencing of his own genome. https://exeternorthcott.co.uk

Jane Austen’s Persuasion: A Musical Drama Saturday, 7.30pm, The Palace Theatre, Paignton Following...

Teignbridge District Council’ childcare play scheme Teignstars is celebrating a ‘Good’ Ofsted rating.

Newton Abbot Leisure Centre has been working hard to achieve good grades with the help of the childcare team led by Childcare Officers Karen Bush and Lindsey Thorne.

Teignstars achieved a ‘good’ rating across the board for effectiveness of the leadership and management, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, personal development, and behaviour and welfare.

The Ofsted report commented that ‘children are happy and settle quickly. They benefit from enjoyable...

Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline, is delighted to welcome the much-loved Super Wings on board through a collaboration secured with Alpha Animation and Toys UK. Over 30,000 colourful activity sheets featuring preschoolers favourite Super Wings characters have been designed to keep little ones entertained on board and give families the opportunity to enjoy some shared fun when flying this summer with the airline. In welcoming Super Wings on board for the first time, Flybe’s Chief Commercial Officer, Roy Kinnear, said that the brand’s core values reflected the airline’s own. “Our...

The county of Devon is providing a chance to start life afresh free from fear for children who have arrived on their own in the UK having fled conflict in their native countries.

Devon has welcomed unaccompanied children seeking asylum since 2015 when under a Home Office programme up to 70 children, displaced from refugee camps outside Calais, were transferred to Devon.

Most moved quickly through the county to be reunited with relatives across the UK. A few remained and have since settled well to life in Devon.

Since then a further 41 children have arrived as part...

For most children the school holidays are a time they look forward to, with weeks off school playing with friends, outings with parents and time to make memories together.

Unfortunately for others it is a time when they are at their most vulnerable to abuse or neglect, particularly as they are away from school for six weeks without the support network of teachers and other staff around them.

With the first week of the school summer holidays underway, residents are being urged to help protect children and young people by being more alert to spot signs of child abuse and...

Boo to a Goose Theatre returns to libraries and venues across Devon this summer with their interactive family show, ’The Magic Garden’. With fairies, animals and teddy bears, the performance was created specifically to meet Early Years developmental needs, and is accessible for babies and toddlers, allowing them to enter the captivating story of The Magic Garden with puppets and beautiful music.

Ranked as one of the Top 10 family days out in the UK (National Lottery Days 2017), Boo to a Goose’s unique, relaxed and multi-sensory performance style is sure to delight the whole family...