Devon

New People Development Director appointed at employee-owned law firm

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Thu, 12/16/2021 - 10:16pm

Following the arrival of Alex Mackie as Stephens Scown LLP’s first Chief Operating Officer in September 2021, the employee-owned law firm has made another inspired strategic appointment with the announcement that Mark Shepherd has joined as the Firm’s first People Development Director.

Having previously held a range of senior leadership roles across the John Lewis Partnership – including Regional Branch Manager and Integration Lead for John Lewis and Partners – Mark brings with him vast experience and expertise, inspiring and empowering people withinthe largest employee-owned...

Freemasons help foodbanks feed 65,000 people over Christmas

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Wed, 12/15/2021 - 8:39pm

More than 65,000 people will be able to put food on the table this Christmas, thanks to grants to 135 foodbanks across England and Wales from the Freemasons. The grants totalling £343,000 are an important boost to foodbanks, which are expecting a surge in demand, following the upheavals of the pandemic, continuing supply chain problems and rising fuel bills. Freemasons also made significant additional contributions to foodbanks during the lockdown period when there was also a very significant increase in demand from service users. In addition to money, many local Freemasons have given...

Children's bereavement charity to receive £1,000 donation

Post bereavement children’s charity Balloons Devon is set to receive a £1,000 donation from an initiative operated by a leading regional housebuilder.

The Exeter based charity applied to the Persimmon Homes South West Community Champions scheme, which was set up to provide financial support to charities, organisations and good causes in the region.

Sara Bennett from Balloons Devon explains: “We provide pre and post-bereavement support to children and young people who are struggling with behavioural and psychological difficulties due to grief and the impact of loss. The...

Hospiscare signs up to The Charity Shop Gift Card

Hospiscare, which provides specialist care to patients and their families living with life-limiting illnesses across Exeter, Mid and East Devon, is the latest charity nationwide to sign up to the first multi-retailer gift card that can be used exclusively in charity shops.

The Charity Shop Gift Card will be sold and accepted in Hospiscare’s 18 shops which help raise money to support more than 2,000 adults every year, across Exeter, Mid and East Devon

The Charity Shop Gift Card has been developed by Gift Card CIC, a social enterprise, and backed by the Charity Retail...

Research finds careful Christmas is on the cards and shoppers are stocking up early

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Tue, 12/14/2021 - 12:49pm

A careful Christmas is on the cards for nearly half the UK as people worry about possible COVID rule changes and shortages in the shops, new research* from financial services insight experts Consumer Intelligence shows.

Its nationwide study found around one in three (31%) adults say they are still being cautious while another 14% are not planning too much in case COVID rules change again in the run-up to December 25th.

The careful approach extends to buying presents and provisions early this year with nearly two out of five (37%) saying they have already stocked up. Most...

Christmas comes early for local veterans as charity concert rocks Exeter Racecourse

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Tue, 12/14/2021 - 12:18pm

Exeter veterans enjoyed a Christmas party with a difference at The Not Forgotten Jingle Bell Rock drive-in concert at Exeter Racecourse on Thursday 9th December.

The Not Forgotten, a British Armed Forces charity which supports serving and ex-service men and women performed in Exeter during their Christmas concert tour which aims to entertain, boost morale and lift lockdown spirits by reaching veterans across the UK.

Over 100 local veterans and their guests enjoyed a feast of festivities in their social bubble at the Jingle Bell Rock concert, providing a real boost to...

Construction underway on DHL’s new Exeter service centre 

Authored by Barques
Posted: Tue, 12/14/2021 - 10:41am

Stoford is making progress on a new DHL parcel distribution service centre as part of the next phase of a job-creating logistics park in East Devon. Construction is underway on two new buildings that will deliver a combined 83,500 sq ft of industrial/logistics accommodation at Exeter Logistics Park, on the former Hayes Farm, Clyst Honiton. They include a modern, bespoke facility of 55,000 sq ft on behalf of DHL that has been designed to reduce the logistics firm’s environmental footprint by minimising the number of vehicles required on site. Stoford is targeting BREEAM ‘very good’ and an...

Most in need communities will have their 20mph requests 'considered first'

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Mon, 12/13/2021 - 5:36pm

A new way of considering 20mph speed limit requests has been approved by Cabinet, and it will help ensure that the communities that would most benefit from lower vehicle speeds are considered first.

Devon County Council’s (DCC) Cabinet (Wednesday December 8) also identified a budget of £100,000 to process the requests for the upcoming financial year.

Currently, all requests by communities and councillors for 20mph speed limits are put onto a long waiting list.

But because of the high number of requests Devon County Council is receiving a ‘prioritisation system’...

Devon residents urged, “Get Boosted Now”

Devon’s residents are being urged to “Get Boosted Now” as part of an urgent national appeal to give themselves better protection from the Omicron Covid-19 variant; which is much more transmissible than previous variants.

The NHS in Devon is working to increase the number of vaccine clinics and extend opening hours following the Prime Minister’s announcement last night (12 December) of the Omicron emergency booster mission. People in Devon are being thanked for their patience while those arrangements to increase capacity are being put in place.

Vaccination sites are...

Get NHS advice quickly ahead of ‘winter like no other’

The NHS in Devon is encouraging local people to use NHS 111 online to get urgent medical advice quickly as we enter what England’s top doctor says will be a ‘winter like no other’.

Patients should continue to come forward for care and are still being encouraged to speak to a pharmacist, GP or call 111 if they need urgent advice.

NHS 111 online can direct patients to urgent treatment centres and walk in clinics, GP surgeries, pharmacies and emergency dental services and, if needed, a call from a healthcare professional.

Dafydd Jones, NHS Devon’s Strategic...

Pages