Firefighters responded to over 250 calls in Devon and Somerset yesterday as storm winds battered the South West. People were rescued from cars and unsafe buildings by the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS) often in the same area simultaneously. Area Manager Phil Martin said that people were gambling with their lives if they chose to drive through floodwater. He said: “Your car can float in as little as 30cm of water and it takes much less than that to knock someone off their feet. “People must ask themselves, is it worth gambling with your car and maybe even your life to...
Pupils from three church Primary Schools in Devon have been busy this christmas due to taking part in The Big Crib Project.
The Big Crib Project, organised by the education department of the Exeter Diocese, aims to strengthen links between church primary schools and parish churches.
To strengthen this link schools Lady Seaward's C of E Primary School, Offwell C of E Primary School and Brixton St Mary's C of E Primary School are enlivening their parish churches by creating life size models of the nativity scene.
As well as creating life size models of the navity...
Libraries have a role in helping new and small businesses grow, says Dr Stephen Fear, Entrepreneur in Residence and Ambassador at The British Library.
Dr Fear was speaking in Exeter to business leaders at a briefing by Devon County Council, hosted by Ashfords, about a new resource within Exeter's Central Library that will give businesses access to high quality business and 'Intellectual Property' (IP) information.
The multi-million pound redeveloped Central Library, on track to open next summer, will include a dedicated entreprise support service, funded...
Police are investigating the theft of over £1,000 of charity money stolen from a Hospice charity fundraiser in Ilfracombe last Wednesday (18th December).
The money- thought to total £1,130- was stolen sometime between 8:45pm and 9:30pm, during the interval of a well attended Charity Bingo event in Combe Martin Village hall.
The money was taken from a tin on the hall’s stage at an event attended by over 150 people.
Police are asking that any witnesses or anyone who knows anything about the crime contact 101 quoting police reference CI/13/1457 or alternatively call...
Exeter Chamber of Commerce helped eight local charities raise over £900 at their Christmas Charity Auction Lunch last week, held at the Mercure Exeter Southgate Hotel.
Paul Nero, chief executive of Radio Exe was the auctioneer on the day, taking bids from over 100 business people that were in attendance. Items for auction included an Exeter Chiefs Rugby weekend experience for two, in aid of St Loyes Foundation, and a beautiful framed print of the cover photo of the BBC Radio Devon Countryside Calendar from Devon Community Foundation.
Two former Exeter Chiefs players are urging people to help them row the distance to the Philippines to raise money for two charities.
Former Chiefs Captain Sam Blythe and teammate Shane Kingsland will start on January 1st and want to complete 11 million metres by the end of the month.
They are planning to row a million metres each - that’s around 32 kilometres (or 19 miles) every day.
Now they want members of the public to get on the rowing machine for the event - called Janurow - to help them reach their target.
The RSPCA is braced for a busy festive period after dealing with a bumper number of calls about cruelty over Christmas last year (2012).
Last year staff answered 833 calls about neglect and cruelty on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day – 53 per cent more than the same period in 2011.
Calls to help collect injured and abandoned animals were also up by about a third (32%) from 584 in 2011 to 769 last year.
Chief Inspector Dermot Murphy said: “We are ready for a busy time. Last year the number of calls about animals which needed our help was significantly...
Teignbridge businesses could be in line for an EU funding boost after parts of the district were included in a draft map for Assisted Area Status.
Five Teignbridge wards covering parts of Newton Abbot, Ipplepen, Coffinswell and Kingskerswell have been included in the Assisted Area Status Map (AAS) that will cover the next European Union funding period from 2014 to 2020.
Assisted Area Status permits the granting of additional financial support to small businesses and large enterprises in economically disadvantaged locations.
Having spent the past fortnight going toe-to-toe with reigning European champions RC Toulon in the Heineken Cup, it's back to the blood and thunder of the Aviva Premiership this weekend for the Exeter Chiefs, who tomorrow welcome Newcastle Falcons to Sandy Park (3pm).
After a punishing run of fixtures, both domestically and in Europe, the Chiefs will be looking not only to address a five-game losing streak, but at the same time deliver an early Christmas present to their supporters in the final home game of 2013.
Despite recent setbacks, assistant coach Ali Hepher insists...
Local MPs Oliver Colvile, Alison Seabeck and Ben Bradshaw joined the Devon Local Optical Committee and Devon Local Pharmaceutical Committee for a Roundtable Discussion on Tuesday 3rd December 2013 to discuss the management and treatment of minor health conditions in Community Optician Practices and Community Pharmacy.
Visual Impairment is one of the major health challenges facing the NHS, affecting a substantial proportion of the population. 2 million people in the UK are living with sight loss yet over 50% is avoidable. Fewer than 50% of the population visit their optician to have...
