A five-year-old boy from Exminster has come to the rescue after charity shop staff reported the theft of a giant toy giraffe from its shop window.
Little Theo heard how ‘Danny’ the giraffe was to be raffled off to raise funds at the Cancer Research UK shop in Exeter for Stand Up To Cancer, but thieves had stolen him one Saturday morning.
Theo, who attends Exminster Primary school, was so moved to help staff after his beloved grandmother Margaret died from cancer two years ago. He got in touch to donate his own special giraffe to the charity shop in Sidwell Street in...
A small, friendly preschool near Exeter that welcomed its first intake of young children last spring has already received a good grade.
In a recent Ofsted inspection, the Kidzone at Exminster - operated by local charity Westbank Community Health and Care - was described as a ‘Good Provider’.
The charity’s preschool for Over 2s opened its doors at the end of April 2022, with just three children attending over three days. Since then, it has quadrupled its numbers and extended its opening hours. The facility now looks after 12 young children over five days and has recently...
Exminster public house The Royal Oak provided a festive community lunch for up to fifty guests as part of its year-long commitment to Devon charity Westbank Community Health and Care.
The pub will be supporting Westbank throughout 2023 after choosing the local organisation as its Charity of the Year.
The pub closed its kitchen to the public to lay on a complimentary two-course lunch for some of Westbank’s regular users and volunteers - and the festive fare went down a treat.
Pauline Dinnis, who was driven to the venue by Westbank volunteer Mark, said: “I’m...
Westbank Community Health and Care, based in Exminster, has opened its doors to local people as part of a new initiative to provide a warm and welcoming space to those challenged by the continual rise in the cost of living.
Mindful that many members of the local community are struggling as a result of the recent hike in their household bills, the charity has launched its Warmwell at Westbank initiative at its premises near Exeter.
The former Seedlings Cafe has been transformed into a comfortable, cosy space with a lounge and dining area where people can drop in for...
At the start of this year, Chris Jebb from Exminster had never run more than 10K but on Sunday (October 2) he’ll be joining thousands of others pounding the streets of the capital in the London Marathon. It’s undoubtedly a challenge but one which Chris is determined to complete in order to raise funds for a charity very close to his heart, Children’s Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF).
“Back in 2017, my wife and I received the devastating news that our one week old son, Leo had an incredibly rare and complex liver condition,” explains Chris 33, an accountant for Exeter based Hi-Line...
Local health and wellbeing charity Westbank will soon be providing even more services and facilities for preschool and school-aged children near Exeter, overseen by a highly-experienced new Childcare Manager.
The expansion of Westbank’s Kidzone will give families in the Exminster area the option of wraparound childcare - a ‘one-stop’ facility for drop-off and pick-up - and a stimulating new indoor-outdoor environment where their children can play and explore.
Lucy Elliott recently joined the Westbank team as Kidzone Childcare Manager. Lucy has more than 12 years of...
Thousands of unpaid family carers across Devon, who were already experiencing financial hardship after having to give up paid work to perform their caring role, are being pushed deeper into debt and poverty, according to Devon Carers. Devon Carers is a service provided by local charity Westbank Community Health and Care, based at Exminster, near Exeter.
Even before the pandemic, a funding crisis in the social care system meant thousands of unpaid family carers in Devon and across the South West were under real pressure. Funding cuts and the closure of local care services have...
Local people of all ages have taken part in a community cookery event organised by the Devon-wide health and well-being charity Westbank Community Health and Care
Residents from Exeter care home Cumberland Grange joined local families in the kitchen at Westbank’s community hub in Exminster, where they prepared a healthy two-course meal together.
The idea behind the Ready, Steady, Cook-style event was to bring together people of different ages and backgrounds to share a fun experience and learn (or refresh) their skills in the kitchen. The three generations of cooks prepared...
Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw has been striding through Westminster - walking A Mile with a Smile - to help raise awareness of the everyday challenges faced by unpaid carers and the enormous contribution they make to families and communities throughout Devon.
It’s the first time Ben has taken part in the awareness raising event organised by Devon Carers, which was started during Carers Week two years ago. Devon Carers is a service delivered by Devon-based charity Westbank Community Health and Care that supports over 22,000 unpaid carers across the county. Carers Week is an annual national...
As UK Volunteers Week begins (1 - 7 June) , a local health and wellbeing charity is launching a campaign to swell the ranks of its existing army of award-winning helpers. Westbank Community Health and Care, based at Exminster near Exeter, relies on over 600 volunteers to help deliver a range of support services to individuals and communities across Devon.
Last year, Westbank’s Neighbourhood Friends volunteers received royal recognition for their service during the pandemic with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. This year, the charity hopes to take on even more volunteers...
