The Government has announced plans to double free childcare for hard working families – which will benefit up to 50,000 parents in the South West to the tune of £5,000 per year.
The offer of 30 hours of free childcare per week during term time means parents will be able to get on while bringing up a family.
All three- and four-year-olds in working families will be eligible for 1,140 hours of free childcare per year - twice the current entitlement.
The £5,000 extra in savings is on top of the £2,500 they can already save from existing free childcare offers. The new...
Teatime is dangerous for children in the South West. That’s when serious accidents peak, according to findings released today by the Child Accident Prevention Trust.
The charity reveals how the end of the day spells the start of danger for children in the South West, with nearly half of all serious road accidents occurring between 3pm and 7pm. And the danger doesn’t stop there – children are also more than twice as likely to suffer a serious burn between 3pm and 6pm as they are during the morning.
The peak in child road deaths and injuries is linked to the after-school rush...
RICS to launch ‘Quality’ scheme to encourage diversity & best practice amongst South West firms
The RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) is launching a new initiative to help property firms across the South West create a more inclusive and competitive workforce.
The land, property and construction sector is not known for its diversity but RICS have been working across the industry and learning from other professions to find out what is not working and what can be done differently. Findings from the organisation’s research have led to it launching a scheme...
The company which runs one of Ilfracombe’s largest employers has been bought by an American giant for $13.8billion.
Pall Corporation has been acquired by Danaher Corporation but will continue to operate under the Pall brand, making filtration, separation and purification technologies.
The Pall factory in Station Road employs several hundred people but it is not known if the deal will have any effect on the North Devon workforce.
It is understood the board of directors at both American-based companies unanimously agreed to the deal, which must now be ratified by Pall...
The Down's Syndrome Association (DSA) is launching an exciting project called 'Having a Voice' in the South West.
This proactive scheme enables people with Down's syndrome to contribute to both local and national policy, to directly influence the national charity and to share their life experiences. Not only does this give people with Down's syndrome a united voice, it is the perfect place to develop new friendships and build stronger links within the community.
The first meeting is on May 17th in Newton Abbot and there are already people signed up from across the region...
Local PR consultancy, Glen King PR/Marketing Limited, established in 2005, is celebrating 10 years in business with the launch of a new website designed by City-firm Reactor 15. A small, professional and friendly PR consultancy based in Exeter with clients in the South West, the company works with a diverse portfolio of clients both large and small, across a number of diverse market sectors throughout the region.
A former media spokesperson for Camelot, founder Director Glen King was actively involved in the exciting and historical launch of the National Lottery in 1994. Over a 20...
With a growing number of professionals working outside the main office at least some of the time, use of remote working tools has radically increased.
In fact, 73% of Exeter workers have used at least one tool enabling remote working in the previous month, according to a survey of over 4,000 senior business people across the UK by global workplace provider Regus.
Respondents also highlight that remote workers are strongly driving take up of ‘cloud’ applications that provide them with cost-effective access to office tools wherever they are (92%).
BBC South West is to screen a special election debate featuring local voters putting questions to a panel of the region’s most prominent politicians.
The debate will be shown on BBC One at 10:50pm tonight (Wednesday 29 April). It will be an opportunity for voters to quiz candidates from the major political parties on their policies and priorities for the South West.
The panel will feature; Ben Bradshaw - Labour; Sarah Newton - Conservative, Steve Crowther – UKIP, Dan Rogerson - Liberal Democrat, Emily McIvor - Green Party. The debate will be chaired by Justin Leigh from BBC...
One in five (21 per cent) SMEs in the South West say they do not understand the commercial benefits of being environmentally responsible according to a new study from Lloyds Bank.
One in ten (8 per cent) admit that they are not doing enough to make their businesses environmentally responsible.
Despite this, a third (35 per cent) of small businesses say better environmental practices are a top three priority for 2015.
Lloyds Banking Group’s 2015 SME Charter commits to help 10,000 businesses become more sustainable by 2020, with new planning tool.
A Devon-based insurance and financial services company is celebrating its Exeter 10th anniversary.
Pavey Group opened its Exeter office at Pynes Hill Business Park in 2005, with just one employee and one client, expanding from its Torquay base.
Today the firm has a team of 31 people in the city and more than 2500 clients, having moved to offices at Peninsula Park on Rydon Lane in 2012.
Geoff Gale, Pavey Group Director, is Head of the Exeter office. He said: “That very first client – and still a significant and valued client today – was the National Trust. From there...
