ORGANISERS of the annual Dartmoor Folk Festival have announced that this year's event, which was due to take place over three days at South Zeal in August, has been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a statement issued on April 29, the Dartmoor Folk Festival Association said: “It is with much sadness that we have made the difficult decision to postpone this year's Dartmoor Folk Festival.
“We have been working hard to try to find a way to run the event as planned, but the ongoing developments surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic will not allow us to do so safely....
CoronaUnity, a non-profit organisation helping those in need during the Covid-19 pandemic, has launched a telephone service in the UK connecting those experiencing loneliness through isolation with volunteers who are available for a friendly chat. Their PhoneAFriend venture comes as a result of the challenging isolation guidelines released by the UK government to tackle Covid-19. The service is expected to help alleviate and prevent this increased loneliness, and instead, foster a sense of calm and normality amongst the surrounding uncertainty.
The operational challenges currently facing Air Ambulances have kept the teams at Devon Air Ambulance (DAA) focussed on finding sustainable solutions to protect our patients and our staff and help our communities. “We are involved in an industry-wide effort and collaboration to tackle various aviation factors that will enable the organisation to resume its air operations", explained Ian Payne, Flight Operations Director of Devon Air Ambulance "and are very grateful to the businesses and regulators who are all working together on three key initiatives.” A prototype separation barrier has...
An Exeter food wholesaler, which usually services the South West food service industry, has secured a six-figure finance facility from HSBC UK to extend its service to members of the public amidst the coronavirus outbreak.
Family-owned J&R Food Service, which supplies frozen, chilled and ambient food predominantly to pubs, cafes and restaurants across the South West, is using the funding to facilitate its new home delivery service, set up to provide essential food deliveries during lockdown.
Since lockdown began in March, the business has seen more than 9,000...
A leading scientist from the University of Exeter has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Professor Gordon Brown , Director of the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology , is among 51 new Fellows, 10 Foreign Members and one Honorary Fellow selected for their “outstanding contributions to scientific understanding”.
Professor Brown’s primary research interests are C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) and their role in homeostasis and immunity, with a particular focus on antifungal immunity.
“I am honoured and delighted to have been elected to the Royal Society, an...
A housing association charity has increased practical support for rough sleepers and the homeless in and around Exeter because of the national emergency.
In close collaboration with multi-agency partners, BCHA secured them local accommodation and essential support services during lockdown.
Westminster informed local authorities that everyone sleeping rough must be supported into appropriate accommodation, with £3.2m earmarked nationally to help secure accommodation for people sleeping rough to self-isolate.
Following social distancing measures by the Government...
Researchers from the University of Exeter and the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula (PenARC), in partnership with the NHS, have developed a crucial new tool to ensure health trusts maintain sufficient levels of life-saving equipment and bed spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The research team, led by Professor Gavin Shaddick from the University of Exeter, has developed a new data modelling tool to help forecast demand on crucial NHS resources in the region.
The forecasts have been used to help predict the demand for in-patient beds, intensive...
As a child, I grew up with a family member who was diagnosed with a mental health illness. I witnessed many times them being sectioned and quite often would visit them in hospital. From that time I remember saying “I want to work there one day”; referring to the hospital that my mother was in.
Since leaving school, I have always wanted to work in healthcare. I started as a health care assistant in a nursing home before working in an acute psychiatric unit. I have always wanted to become a nurse as I have the compassion and empathy for the people I look after. However, it was not as...
Households across Devon are being thanked for their ongoing support and efforts to keep on top of waste and recycling during the coronavirus pandemic.
Collection crews across Devon say they have been delighted with the level of public support shown to them in recent weeks, including pictures and thank you notes left on bins and outbreaks of spontaneous doorstep applause from appreciative residents.
Devon County Council for its part says it is looking to reopen Household Waste Recycling Centres as soon as it is safe to do so and Government guidance permits.
A SOUTH Devon care provider has welcomed a new national Government-driven adult social care recruitment campaign launched to boost the workforce and attract more staff into the sector (April 2020).
The initiative ‘Care for others. Make a difference’ was launched last week (April 23) to help attract more people into social care and to highlight their vital role during the pandemic.
Catherine Porter, Manager at Guardian Homecare, which has teams operating in Exeter and surrounding areas, says: “We heartily welcome this industry-wide campaign to inspire the public to consider...
