It might only be a couple of miles as the crow flies, but news that one of the country’s best known wineries is moving from one side of a river to another is one of the biggest stories British viticulture has seen in years.
After nearly 40 years making wine at the Sharpham Estate on the west bank of the River Dart, the multi-award-winning Sharpham Winery is relocating to the east bank.
The big move, which will continue over the next year, has been underway for the past 12 months and this week the new season’s grapes were being crushed at the new winery at the Sandridge...
Twenty new state-of-the-art gritters will be patrolling the South West’s motorways and major A roads this winter as part of a multi-million-pound investment to help keep traffic moving in severe weather.
The new gritters will improve safety for drivers and workers due to the vehicles’ improved technology, set-up and enhanced visibility.
They also treat the roads at a maximum of 50mph – 10mph faster than earlier models.
The addition of 20 new gritters takes Highways England’s fleet of winter service vehicles to 60 in the South West.
The launch of the ambitious “Saving Devon’s Treescapes” project has been marked by the planting of its first trees.
Backed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Devon County Council and others, the initiative forms part of Devon’s efforts to address the huge loss of trees as a result of ash dieback. More than 90% of Devon’s native ash trees are expected to be lost due to ash dieback in the next five to 15 years.
Saving Devon’s Treescapes aims to support local communities to plant and nurture 250,000 trees across the county over the next five years - with a particular...
Charlie Bigham’s requires electricity 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week to produce wonderful food for the likes of Waitrose, Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
So, when the fine-food manufacturer got the opportunity to make its operations even more sustainable—by hugely reducing the amount of electricity it imports—it contacted Exeter company SunGift Energy to design a bespoke 318.58kWp solar PV system.
Carbon emissions reduced by 163 tonnes per year
The 318.58 kWp solar PV system will produce around 314,000 kWh of electricity per year—enough to power the equivalent of 101...
Talented young athletes will soon get advice and support on reducing the risk of injury from two projects jointly run by the University of Exeter and England Athletics.
The first project will create an evidence-based and practice-informed intervention to reduce the risk of injury in adolescent distance runners.
This intervention will be focused on runners in the Youth Talent Programme (YTP) – one of the first steps on England Athletics' "talent pathway" for English track and field athletes aged 16-18.
Robert Mann, a final year PhD student at the University of...
A fifth of people have reported experiencing mental health issues and a third of people are feeling isolated because of the coronavirus pandemic, a major new survey shows.
A total of 25 per cent of women who took part in the research reported mental health issues compared to 15 per cent of men.
The survey, run by the University of Exeter and ORB International among 5,000 people living in England, also shows coronavirus may be deepening some social inequalities.
A total of 8 per cent of those involved in the research said they were finding it more difficult to...
As the impacts of COVID-19 continue to be felt across the UK, charities everywhere are struggling to cope. But this might be hitting the smallest hardest - as the smaller, more specialist local charities and community groups are faced with providing ever greater local support to their local communities.
These groups, already operating hand-to-mouth pre-COVID-19, are now dealing with even more challenges, including raising money in a cash-strapped economy.
That’s why the UK’s number one gift-card exchange, Exeter-based, Cardyard, is targeting their national fundraising...
A seven-strong team of hospice staff will be taking part in a brand new virtual event in October.
‘Team Hospiscare’, who all work for the local charity, will be completing a Marathon in a Month as part of the charity’s new virtual challenge event.
Since the national lockdown in March, Hospiscare’s fundraising efforts have been drastically impacted due to the closure of its charity shops and cancellation of events. The charity faces a loss of over £1 million this financial year.
The seven members of ‘Team Hospiscare’ have seen first-hand the impact COVID-19 has had...
Devon residents have until the end of Monday 5 October to join more than 2,500 others and register their interest in Devon Climate Emergency’s (DCE) solar-panel group buying scheme.
Devon Solar Together is the latest in a series of similar schemes across the country which aims to boost the county’s renewable energy capacity.
It offers homeowners the chance to buy high quality solar PV more cheaply than if they were buying alone and to help reduce Devon carbon emissions.
The DCE, which includes Devon Country Council, the county’s eight district council’s and two...
A new campaign has been launched to encourage local people to support the South West’s leisure and tourism industry during the quieter autumn and winter months.
The accommodation and food service sector employs 271,000 people across the region, but many businesses have been hit hard by the devastating impact of lockdown, followed by the need to operate at reduced capacity and, more recently, limited opening hours.
Now the Share a Smile campaign aims to inspire locals to discover great places on their doorstep to visit, stay or eat out while following the rules and...
