The Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has spoken to businesses across the South West about the challenges they have faced during the coronavirus pandemic and how the government can continue to support them through these unprecedented times.
The bosses of Cornwall-based Ocean Fish and Kepak, along with fishermen Julian Baker and Andy Giles and Devon farmer David Chugg, were among a raft of businesses to speak to George Eustice MP during a special business roundtable.
The virtual meeting is one of many similar being held by the Conservative...
A cheap and readily available steroid which was part of a nationwide COVID-19 trial that included patients in Exeter has been found to reduce the risk of dying in patients admitted to hospital with the virus.
The University of Exeter and the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust (RD&E) were collectively among 175 NHS hospitals signed up to the RECOVERY trial, coordinated nationally by Oxford University and delivered by the National Institute for Health Research, Clinical Research Network.
Established in March this year, the randomised clinical trial is...
Teamwork was the keyword for fundraising by The Family Law Company which has just presented a donation of £1,000 to charity of the year, Citizen’s Advice Exeter.
It took teamwork to organise the fundraising events with the main activities, including a quiz held at Exeter’s Historic Guildhall in late 2019. This was well supported by teams from the local business community, raising £650. Further donations were received from teams taking part in a table tennis and pizza night held at the company’s Balliol offices.
Teamwork was also needed to present the donation virtually!...
Due to Covid-19 our library buildings have been closed since the 23rd March 2020 and our mobile library and home library service have been suspended. It has been an extraordinary time and we have rapidly adjusted to the situation.
Our physical libraries may be closed but our staff have been working hard to adapt our service and deliver our library service online. Staff have supported our digital library, created online content, telephoned our most vulnerable customers, attended online training, developed ideas for our future services and welcomed over 4,000 new users to our...
The Dartmoor Pony Heritage Pony Trust (DPHT) has announced that photographer Malcolm Snelgrove has become the charity’s new patron.
The charity’s vision is to secure the future of the native Dartmoor pony and to inspire and connect people with Dartmoor’s wildlife, landscape and heritage. Developing its partnership with Malcolm, a respected, internationally published equine and environmental photographer based on the Moor, is a perfect fit.
The DPHT works with pony keepers on Dartmoor who own and breed Dartmoor ponies. It also promotes the Dartmoor pony for conservation...
The first £128,000 of a £1million charity giveaway has been distributed to groups supporting young people across Britain.
The funding – from the Persimmon Homes Building Futures scheme – was awarded to 128 different organisations, with applications received from Caithness to Cornwall.
The initiative aims to support community groups working with under-18s across three categories – education & arts, health and sport.
Robert Hart, director in charge of Persimmon Homes South West, said: “The quality of applications to Building Futures has been phenomenal – and...
Builders merchants across Exeter are gearing-up for a post-Covid-19 revival of the region’s construction sector.
The move comes as construction leaders set out a blueprint to secure the future of the multi-billion industry.
Under the ‘Roadmap to Recovery strategy,’ The Construction Leadership Council’s (CLC) Covid-19 Task Force lays out proposals to protect the future of construction businesses, while setting the industry on a sustainable path towards recovery.
The Task Force represents the entire construction supply chain from product manufacturers and...
Diversifying from their normal product ranges, long established family businesses Exeter based Aspect Windows and Stalite Signs are pooling skills and resources to meet a national demand for safety screens for use in office and leisure premises.
With a worldwide shortage of the clear Perspex used in safety screens, the two companies have come up with the Office Guardian range of Covid-19 protection screening to support social distancing and minimise transmission rates within the workplace.
From desk dividers to portable free standing screens, the Office Guardian product...
Hundreds of South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) staff have experienced violence and aggression while working during the coronavirus pandemic. Ambulance crews and control room staff reported 290 incidents during the first 10 weeks of lockdown from 23 March to 31 May. This figure compared with 199 during the same time period in 2019. The majority (84%) of the cases during lockdown were verbal abuse from patients, relatives and members of the public. There were also 46 physical assaults against SWASFT staff, up from 34 last year. The areas with the highest number of...
Recovery after lockdown is the topic of a live business summit launched for South West SMEs.
Business leaders will hear from a panel of experts, as they discuss the key actions to focus on now as part of your SME business recovery plan.
Experts from Timewade, Astley Media, Minerva Lifelong Learning, Insight 6, Commissioning HR, Stephens Scown LLP and Bishop Fleming form the panel.
The summit is part of the ‘Technology For Success’ programme run by Timewade that gives South West SMEs free business guidance on using technology across their business.
