You don’t need to pay to have your council tax valuation band reviewed, Exeter City Council has pointed out. The local authority said that anyone could apply to the Valuation Office Agency if they felt the property they were living in was in the wrong council tax band. However, appeals to the government department may also see the banding go up rather than down! The advice from the City Council comes after an elderly resident was contacted by a company offering to appeal against their council tax banding in return for an £80 fee. Cllr Emma Morse, Lead Councillor for People, said: “Whilst...
South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) is urging people only to call 999 in a genuine emergency this Christmas. Demand for the service is likely to peak between Saturday 22 December and Boxing Day when staff are expecting to deal with more than 3,100 incidents a day. Managers warn that unnecessary calls over the busy festive period could delay emergency help for people in real need of an ambulance. SWASFT has released a montage of clips from 10 inappropriate calls it received from the public recently, as examples of people calling 999 for the wrong reasons. The 10...
While Christmas is an exciting and joyous occasion for many, it can also be a stressful and lonely time for people affected by dementia, their family and carers.
The stark reality is there are 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK, with more than 13,800 across Devon. With this in mind, tens of thousands of families will be preparing for a Christmas with someone affected by the condition and many will be living alone.
Alzheimer’s Society asked families living with dementia across the UK to share their experiences and advice for creating a dementia-friendly...
More than 200 of the South West’s leading employers – as well as keynote speakers of national importance – have attended a flagship Apprenticeship conference, hosted by Exeter College at Sandy Park.
The landmark Bringing Clarity to the Future of Apprenticeships 2018 Conference provided the latest updates in employer, education and government thinking around Apprenticeships, to organisations from across the South West.
High profile national speakers at the conference included Christine Ourmières-Widener, CEO of Flybe, Rob Nitsch, Chief Operating Officer Institute for...
It’s that time of year when children look forward to a stocking full of presents - but the first international academic “Santa survey” shows many adults also wish they still believed in Father Christmas and some had felt betrayed when they discovered the truth.
The study also shows the threat of being on Santa’s naughty list doesn’t work for many children, and many youngsters continue to pretend they believe in Father Christmas even when they know he doesn’t exist.
Errors by bumbling parents are also one of the main reasons children lose their faith in the magic of Father...
A spell has been cast over Killerton this Christmas as volunteers and staff at Killerton, near Exeter, have worked together to create magical photos to reflect the story of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Snow Queen. Each year, to sprinkle a little extra Christmas magic and celebrate the start of the festive season, Killerton staff and volunteers team up with photographer Steve Haywood to create magical images of the story to celebrate the start of Christmas. This year the stars of the photos were Freckle, a 12-year old Irish draught horse from Tiverton and Gabi a 6-year-old snowy owl. Both...
The company, which is one of the UK’s market leaders for software, online customer portals and real-time data solutions in the insurtech sector, is set for a 40 per cent increase in its workforce, with a range of new roles being introduced across the business.
The news comes after a successful 2018 for the firm, based at Cranmere Court in Exeter, which saw key new client acquisitions in sectors including insurance, retail, local government and energy.
Some 14 new roles are being created immediately, and the company is also seeking to expand its range of associates,...
Exminster residents were thrilled when Father Christmas took time out from his busy schedule to make a special visit to the village.
Santa delighted young and old alike as he toured the village with one of his elf’s on a specially decorated tractor donated by Berrybrook Garage.
The event, a popular annual tradition organised and run by Exminster Pre-school, was well supported by the whole community, with residents donating a total of £175.37.
The pre-school’s Christmas Bazaar was held the following day at Victory Hall, raising a further £1,660 (before expenses) for...
Your guide to What’s On in and around Exeter this weekend (14-16 December):
THEATRE
Jack and the Beanstalk Exeter Northcott Theatre Get ready for the climb of your life this Christmas, as Exeter Northcott Theatre presents a GIANT of a family pantomime. Expect plenty of audience participation, live music and laughs galore. Fee Fi Fo Fum…it’s panto fun for everyone! https://exeternorthcott.co.uk
Aladdin Exeter Corn Exchange Join a host of classic characters for songs, laughter and a perfect Christmas show! The most magical and adventurous of all pantomimes will be...
Last Thursday, the School Council from Exeter Deaf Academy presented at Devon County Hall Council Chambers. The deaf students aged between 15-16 years old stood up and delivered a confident presentation to the Chamber in British Sign Language (BSL), articulating the need for regional TV news programmes to be accessible for all, and explained their goal was for the Southwest’s regional TV broadcasters to lead the way for the rest of the UK.
Currently in the UK, live regional TV news programmes do not have live British Sign Language interpretation. Subtitles and closed captioning don...
