Concerns about child abuse have soared since national lockdown measures were first introduced, the NSPCC has found – with the average monthly number of referrals from the charity’s helpline on the issue increasing by over 100% in the South West.
The NSPCC has analysed its data from April to November and has found that the level of concern about emotional abuse, neglect, and physical abuse remain well above the pre-pandemic average.
Since April, the helpline has received 31,359 contacts from adults across the UK anxious about child abuse or neglect, referring half (50%)...
Taylor Wimpey Exeter has helped to feed and house vulnerable people across Devon this Christmas by pledging £3,000 worth of support to three county charities.
Staff chose to give £1,000 each to foodbanks in Exeter and Plymouth, as well as to St Petrock’s, Exeter's charity for people who are homeless or vulnerably housed.
Members of the charity committee also created food collection points at their head office in Exeter and the Cranbrook and Sherford developments, on the outskirts of Exeter and Plymouth. Thanks to kind donations from staff, suppliers and customers, vital...
Exeter’s Tesco stores have joined a city-wide effort to contribute food and gifts to children and families in critical need of support this festive season.
It is estimated that more than 700 families in the city may go hungry this Christmas. Tesco has responded by donating to a local Christmas Hamper campaign to provide the vital support families need.
Ian Dyer, Store Manager at Tesco Exeter Vale, said: “In what has already been a challenging year, it’s important that we do whatever we can to make sure children and their families do not go hungry this Christmas. We are...
In a bid to keep the wheels turning this Christmas Stagecoach South West have announced extensive timetable information for the festive period seeing you into 2021.
The local bus operator has published service information for the holidays, including timetables for bus services on Christmas Eve through to the New Year, only taking a day off for Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Mike Watson, Managing Director for Stagecoach South West said, “We will be there when our passengers need us, offering a safe, reliable and hassle free alternative to driving the car or ordering a...
Public Health Devon is joining the call for caution, as families plan their Christmas breaks between the 23 and 27 December.
The government has said that the tier restrictions will be relaxed during that period to allow Christmas bubbles - up to three families - to meet indoors.
But public health experts are urging caution, because of the risk that meeting face to face with others will cause, especially to older and vulnerable people.
Steve Brown, the Director of Public Health Devon (Designate), said: "With more of the country now assigned to the highest level,...
As we wind up our Christmas shopping for this extremely turbulent 2020, brands are scrambling to recover their Christmas sales. With high street sales decreasing, online shopping is rising with great discounts for savvy shoppers, at some of the top brands on the internet. Taking advantage of these Christmas discounts is perfect if you're trying to save the pounds this Christmas. We've gone around the internet and curated the five best discounts for you to use when you're next shopping online. From Homeware to Fashion you'll find a range of discounts below from various brands, as of...
DEVONIANS are being encouraged by a care provider in the county to spread some festive cheer this Christmas among any elderly and vulnerable neighbours or relatives they might have (December 2020).
Christmas can be a bleak time for anyone living alone and Guardian Homecare, which provides care in south Devon, is asking people to check on relatives and neighbours.
Catherine Porter, Manager for the care provider, said: “Christmas is all about spending time with friends and family, but there are some people out there, our service users included, that do not have many, if any,...
Stagecoach, Britain's biggest bus and coach operator, has today announced that 5,600 extra socially-distanced seats are being made available on its megabus coaches over the Christmas period, and urges families and friends planning to be reunited to book ahead.
With support from the Department for Transport, Stagecoach can offer extra megabus seats from all the major cities and many regions across the country including the North East, Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Bristol, Cardiff and London. Additional seats will also be offered on services to and from...
New research by travel money experts, FairFX , has revealed Brits planning to travel across the UK during the relaxed five-day Christmas break could end up paying more than double compared to just a week earlier.
Analysing the cost of one-way tickets for popular flight, train, ferry and coach routes during the period of relaxed Covid-19 restrictions, FairFX found an average price increase of 105% compared to just one week earlier, with some routes as much as 215% more expensive.
The research comes following announcements from all four UK Governments confirming travel...
Budding astronomers will be given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness a truly special celestial event in the run-in to Christmas.
This month, the gas giants Saturn and Jupiter - the two largest planets in our Solar System - will be so close in the sky that they’ll both be visible through a telescope eyepiece at the same time.
The planets will reach their once-every-20-years conjunction on December 21 – which will be their closest alignment since 1623, almost 400 years ago.
To mark the occasion, experts from the University of Exeter are offering...
