In a typical month the Exeter, Mid and East Devon branch of the Samaritans charity receives 1,800 telephone calls from people in distress - and that figure increases in December and especially around Christmas time.
Those calls - along with SMS text messages, emails and face-to-face meetings - are dealt with by some 100 volunteers who work at the central Exeter base of the charity.
This Christmas and New Year - as always - they will be on duty around the clock.
“Many people love Christmas and New Year with their families and friends, but it’s not the same for...
Householders are being urged to think of the environment over the festive period and keep recycling to ensure that Devon has a ‘green’ Christmas.
Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for households and often recycling, and the reason it’s so important, falls to the bottom of the priority list.
But with many homes generating more waste over the period than they would usually, Recycle Devon, says it’s the ideal time to recycle everything you can.
For instance glass bottles and jars can be recycled again and again. If everyone in the UK recycled one more...
A trip to Newton Abbot’s markets turned into a Christmas surprise for one lucky Teignbridge resident.
Mr Roger Lloyd from Kingskerswell was drawn as the winner of a £100 Christmas hamper packed full of festive goodies supplied by Bakers the Butcher, The Market Deli and Home Bake - from Newton Abbot's Indoor Market. A popular annual event on the market calendar, the competition saw market shoppers completing an entry form for a chance to win the fantastic festive prize.
Earlier this year Teignbridge District Council, which is responsible for running Newton Abbot's range of...
Top 40 accountants Bishop Fleming and Top 200 lawyers Stephens Scown, both with head offices based in Exeter, joined forces last Friday (16 December) to bring Christmas cheer to the shoppers of Princesshay.
The firms' choirs, ABBA-cus (Bishop Fleming) and The Rolling Scowns (Stephens Scown) provided a joint performance of Christmas songs to help Exeter shoppers get into the festive spirit whilst also raising valuable funds for Age UK Exeter.
A total of £209.72 was raised for the charity during the hour-long carol recital.
A giant snow globe in the city has raised over £1,200 for Exeter Deaf Academy, Princesshay’s charity of the year. The snow globe allows passers-by to climb inside, play in the pretend snow and have a festive photo taken.
Princesshay’s Operations Manager, Andy Littlejohns said: “Exeter Deaf Academy is a local, dynamic charity which provides excellent support for the deaf community. The snow globe was so popular last year so we knew we wanted to bring it back, raising funds for the Academy in the process.”
Princesshay announced Exeter Deaf Academy as its charity partner for...
Staff in the restaurants, at Exeter’s new dining destination, were in the festive spirit on Friday when they wore their best Christmas jumpers to raise money for charity.
Queen St. Dining’s Comptoir Libanais, KuPP, The Stable, The Terrace and Absurd Bird all participated in Christmas Jumper Day on Friday 16th December to raise money for Save the Children. Staff dressed up in their seasonal gear to spread festive cheer among Exeter’s diners.
Each restaurant collected donations throughout the day and as a result, Queen St. Dining raised over £600 for the children’s charity...
Devon and Cornwall Police is urging the public to think carefully before they contact the police non-emergency 101 service this Christmas and to go online for their answers where possible, and also to remember that inappropriate calls increase waiting times for other callers.
Inappropriate calls and emails to 101 take up the valuable time of the staff in the contact centres when they could be helping those in need. It is vital that all members of the public with genuine enquiries, especially those who are vulnerable, can have their queries or concerns dealt with in a timely fashion...
Christmas jumpers, a flock of knitted sheep, festive lights and children in nativity costumes created a fun filled carol service at Isca Church.
The nativity story was told by Isca's children’s worker Jane Webber, helped by a flock of knitted sheep and a cast of children.
After the service everyone tucked into festive food cooked by a team led by Heather Knee, who used to run the celebrated Georgian Tea Rooms in Topsham.
Exeter Business Club celebrated their last meeting of the year with member Kevan Lush fulfilling his promise to turn up in his Christmas onesie if members pledged £100 to the Club's charity fund.
The £100 target was quickly met with many members entering in the spirit by turning up in Christmas jumpers.
Kevan, who runs Lush Electrics, is pictured in front of club members, wishing he was wearing something cooler.
