EXETER Communities Together CIC is running a hardship relief project for those facing a tough time due to the Coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic. It is delivering free meals to the elderly, vulnerable, key workers or those struggling financially. Meal requests should be made between 11am and 3pm and volunteers will deliver the food, by arrangement, the next day. Full details including type of meals available and how to get in touch can be found on the website: exetercommunitiestogether.org.uk . Alternatively, telephone Sahar or Sonia Alnaas on 07596 144 351 or Mahi Ahmed on 07403 226 668 or...
A new range of free courses developed by Learn Devon in response to the coronavirus pandemic is launching today. Learn Devon, who provide adult and community learning courses on behalf of Devon County Council, is offering its full support to anyone looking to get back into work, or for those who want to improve their digital skills, and improve wellbeing. Enrolment is now underway for Learn Devon’s free online training which will start on Friday 1 May. Initially the programme will offer a range of digital courses, which will be delivered online. As it progresses, the programme will see...
Almost all accommodation providers in Devon, Somerset and Torbay have stayed shut over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
On March 23 the Government announced that, with very few exceptions, all hotels, bed and breakfasts, hostels, holiday rentals, campsites and boarding houses must stay closed until further notice.
Last week Trading Standards appealed to owners to follow the lockdown rules to stem the spread of coronavirus.
And despite the weekend being one of the warmest of the year so far, trading standards officers have confirmed that most accommodation...
There has been a big increase in the number of Devon families applying for a primary school place this September.
Figures published today (Thursday 16 April) reveal that 7,580 applications were made across the county. That's 310 more than last year.
Despite the big jump in numbers, 98.3 per cent of families have been offered a place at one of their three preferred schools.
The new figures show that 94.6 per cent of the families who applied to Devon County Council for a place in a county primary have got their first preference.
The experience of family carers during the COVID-19 pandemic will be explored in a series of weekly interviews conducted over the next 3 months.
The “Caring through Coronavirus” study will seek to understand how family carers are coping during the pandemic and explore whether changes in policy, legislation, and health and social care provision are impacting their wellbeing and caring responsibilities. Nearly nine million Britons provide unpaid care for family members and friends with long-term illnesses and disabilities, including those most vulnerable to the virus. Many carers...
As lots of businesses and services have come to a standstill, McClure Solicitors saw this coming and prepared for action. They would normally be seeing over 800 clients for face-to-face appointments per month but with the Government’s advice to stay at home that is exactly what their staff has done – gone home armed with laptops and mobile phones. Andrew Robertson, Managing Director of McClure says “We are worried like everyone else about the immediate future, but we still have clients who want to talk to us so we decided we would continue to operate as best as we could with the majority...
Leading housebuilder Persimmon Homes has today announced a “volunteer army” to help the NHS and local communities during the Covid-19 crisis.
The business has encouraged hundreds of staff to register for the Persimmon Voluntary Programme to help the country through the difficult weeks ahead.
In order to protect the health of its employees, Persimmon has taken the decision to undertake an orderly shut-down of work and temporarily close its sales offices across the country.
All Persimmon staff currently not working their usual pattern remain on full pay. It is...
NHS hospital teams across Devon are reassuring local people that emergency services are there for them if they are unwell and need help.
Doctors are concerned that some people who should be getting medical help for non-COVID-19 illnesses are staying away from hospital and not seeking help due to fears they might catch the virus.
Attendances have fallen by more than a third at emergency departments across Devon, in line with national trends. Some of this may be because people are acting responsibly and getting advice from other healthcare settings. However, at all...
A charity at the heart of a Devon community’s response to the Coronavirus crisis has launched an urgent fundraising appeal to help it continue its vital services.
The Estuary League of Friends - based in Topsham and a lifeline for many in the town and surrounding areas - needs £60,000 to continue its essential work.
In recent weeks Estuary’s staff and volunteers have been delivering groceries, medicines and essential supplies, cooking and delivering hot meals, taking people to urgent medical appointments and making telephone calls to vulnerable people who are self-...
