The Exeter Spitfires are now past the half way point in their first season in the South West Baseball League. It has been an excellent inaugural season so far for the club in a number of ways.
The Spitfires have already gained their first ever win, something that was not necessarily expected against more experienced teams and, although they have suffered 18-15 and 19-9 losses to the Bristol Bats and a 9-0 loss to the Plymouth Mariners in their last three games, improvement was shown in a couple of those games as the players gain more experience.
The Labour Party was born out of the trades union movement. As the industrial working class organised to protect itself against exploitation they needed a political party to fight for them in Parliament.
Despite the decline in mass membership of unions over the years, that relationship is as important today as it was in the past. With the scandal of zero hours contracts and a Government intent on tearing up health and safety protection and other employee rights, it is vital that the voices of ordinary working people are heard in our political debate.
Samantha Peace has been appointed as the new Divisional Director for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the, South West, Wales and Midlands.
She has taken over the top job after almost four years as Head of Operations for the East Midlands, replacing Rosi Edwards who retired last month.
Mrs Peace first joined HSE in 1995 having previously worked in the Fire Service and Probation Service. She has worked in a variety of areas within the organisation including the national Paper and Printing and Agricultural and Food sectors. She has also been a Principal Inspector in...
Devon’s churches are getting greener. Eighty churches from all over the South West took part in a pioneering conference to look at heating their buildings more effectively. Churches are encouraged to carry out energy audits or benchmarking to determine both the use of their buildings and also energy demands, with a view to making more efficiencies in the future. The new national energy- measuring scheme aims to grade our churches like fridges and to improve each year from F towards A ratings. The conference was held at the recently re-ordered St. Stephen’s church in Exeter High Street,...
Devon County Council is asking people across the county to help them identify children living under private fostering arrangements, so can they offer support and advice.
The call to action is part of Private Fostering Week starting on Monday 8 July. Run by the British Association for Adoption and Fostering , the week aims to raise awareness of private fostering. Children living with someone who isn't their parent or close relative for more than four weeks are classed as being privately fostered. Although this is a private arrangement, legally the parent and the carer must notify...
Teams from as far afield as France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Australia and Mexico came to Exeter last month to compete in the first ever One Planet Sustainability Challenge. 15 teams in total participated in the competition.
In the United Nations designated Year of Water Cooperation, the event was partnered by three companies all of whom face real challenges in their water management strategies, Coca Cola Enterprises (CCE), SABMiller and South West Water. They were joined by two supporting partners, WWF and Water Aid. In 2012, CCE used a total of 8.8 billion litres of water,...
Civil engineering contractors in the South West are calling for early industry engagement in the infrastructure projects unveiled by government to enable local companies to invest in appropriate skills and innovation. Alan Taylor, Executive Director of Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) for the South West, welcomed the recent announcements, but highlighted the role of industry in bringing the plans to fruition and ensuring cost-effective project delivery. Mr Taylor commented: “Our members have been pushing for greater certainty around infrastructure investment for many years...
Devon County Council has today (Wednesday, 3 July) won an award for excellence for a pilot project to tackle smoking and protect children from harm.
The award from the CLeaR Partnership, which works with local authorities across England to assess progress in reducing smoking, was given for Devon’s pioneering work with children’s centres.
At the seven pilot sites across the county, the Council has installed specially designed signage to advise people not to smoke on site and provided bespoke training for staff to raise the issue with parents and offer support to parents who...
Are you a Devon-based singer, musician or part of a band?
Do you fancy being part of a music festival in October featuring up to 120 acts, all in aid of raising funds for Oxfam?
If so we would love to hear from you!
Oxjam Exeter 2013 is part of a national music festival taking place in up to 60 towns and cities across the UK.
The main event during the festival will be the Oxjam Exeter Takeover 2013, featuring up to 120 acts performing at multi-venues across Exeter on 19 and 20 October.
If you fancy taking part then please drop Josh, Production...
Mark Noyes, 46, has on Wednesday 26 June, been sentenced to five years in prison (with an extended licence of eight years) at Exeter Crown Court after being convicted of numerous sexual offences against children.
The court had heard that Noyes had deliberately accessed a social networking site in order to befriend and groom two vulnerable American girls from his home in Beaworthy.
The two victims involved were aged around 12 years at the time of the incidents.
Following the case, DC Glenn Boniface from Devon and Cornwall Police’s Public Protection Unit commented: “...
