Friday 20 May 2022
In this issue:
- It's never too late to come forward for your vaccination, says Director of Public Health
- Autumn booster programme recommended by JCVI
- Open Up To Skills training provides post COVID-19 boost for popular hotel
- Study reveals floating offshore wind benefits for the South West
- Free one-day trial at our Devon Work Hubs
- Networking event for Devon farmers and landowners
It’s never too late to come forward for your vaccination, says Director of Public Health
Eighty two per cent of people eligible for their spring booster have received theirs, according to the latest government figures.
Spring boosters are offered to all over 75 year olds, people over the age of 12 who are immunosuppressed, and residents in care homes for elderly people.
UK Health Security Agency Chief Executive, Dr Jenny Harries, said:
"The spring booster offers additional protection to those most at risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
"Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent falling seriously ill, so these latest uptake figures are very encouraging."
Steve Brown, Devon's Director of Public Health, said:
"Living with coronavirus in our communities is the new norm, and with it there is an onus on us all to do everything we can to protect ourselves from becoming seriously ill should we catch it.
"As the government announces new booster programmes, it's important that those invited come forward. It is never too late for anyone to come forward for their vaccination, if you have missed any.”
Free school meal holiday vouchers for May half term
We've been allocated money from the government’s new Household Support Fund so we can provide supermarket vouchers to families whose children currently receive benefit-related free schools meals for one week at May half term and the full six weeks of the summer holiday.
Hundreds of schools across the county have helped to distribute the vouchers for the upcoming May half-term, and families are urged to check their email inbox and redeem them as soon as possible before they expire. Please get in touch with our free school meals team if you were expecting to receive a voucher but didn’t, by emailing freeschoolmeals@devon.gov.uk or calling 0345 155 1019.
If you didn’t previously qualify for free school meals but your income has recently reduced or stopped, please apply online through our website to check if you are eligible for this support as soon as possible. Alternatively, you can call our education helpline on 0345 155 1019.
Autumn 2022 booster programme recommended
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is recommending an autumn 2022 booster programme, to maintain protection against severe COVID-19 this winter.
Like the spring booster, the autumn booster is likely to be for vulnerable adults, as well as frontline social care and health workers.
The recommendation is interim for now, recognising the considerable uncertainty around likelihood, timing and severity of any potential future wave of COVID-19.
The committee recommends that the booster be offered to:
- residents in care homes for older adults and staff
- frontline health and social care workers
- all those 65 years of age and over
- adults aged 16 to 64 years old who are in a clinical risk group
The JCVI will announce its final plans for the autumn booster programme, including definitions of clinical risk groups, in due course.
Simon Adams, an employee at the hotel, attended the training course
The hospitality sector, a key part of Devon’s economy, has been one of the worst affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is reason for optimism as local businesses seek to get back on their feet.
One such business is the Lord Haldon Country Hotel in Exeter, part of the Best Western chain of hotels, which has been investing in training and upskilling its staff ahead of what promises to be a busy summer.
The hotel has taken part in our ‘Open Up to Skills’ initiative, which is supporting Devon’s catering, hospitality, leisure, retail, and tourism sectors to rebuild workforce skills following the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result, the hotel has been able to train up five of its staff from different areas of the business, including hospitality, front of house and reception. Investing in its employees in this way will help the hotel to ensure it meets the high quality associated with the Best Western brand.
Paco Bayona-Ruz, General Manager at Lord Haldon Country Hotel, said:
“The funded training available through the ‘Open Up To Skills’ initiative has been a fantastic opportunity for us as a business. Upskilling our staff and supporting them to achieve a recognised qualification means that we can provide better levels of service for our customers. Helping employees to progress in their career also ensures that they feel valued, and this helps with staff retention.”
The training was focused on building some of the key knowledge and skills needed within the hospitality industry, including food safety for catering, food allergen awareness and conflict management.
You can read more about this initiative on the news page of our website..
Study reveals floating offshore wind benefits for the South West
A new report, that we've co-funded, reveals how the opportunities from developing Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW) in the Celtic Sea can be maximised.
Previously, the Celtic Sea was overlooked for fixed offshore wind development due to the seabed depths.
But FLOW, which allows the deployment of wind turbines in locations with higher wind potential, has reignited the opportunity for large-scale offshore renewable energy generation in the South West.
Grace Millman, Energy Analyst at Regen, said:
"In order for the UK to transition to a net zero energy system, the deployment of large-scale renewable energy infrastructure, such as floating offshore wind, is critical. Floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea presents a significant economic opportunity for the South West, especially given our core strengths in marine technologies, engineering, research and innovation."
Find out more about the report on the news page of our website.
Anyone looking for a welcoming new place to get productive and enjoy a more inspiring work day will get that opportunity for free next month, as many of our Work Hubs open their doors to celebrate National Coworking Day.
We have a network of work hubs around Devon, providing work space - desks, offices and meeting rooms - and to mark the day, 14 of our work hubs are offering a free one-day trial to new clients.
Most of them will be providing free work space on Monday 6 June, and our work hub in Tavistock, the Tavistock Enterprise Hub, will be offering free work space on Thursday 9 June.
Spaces are limited, so please email your chosen work hub in advance in order to book a space.
One of those offering free work spaces is The Devon Office, in Modbury. Patsy Tucker, owner of Rest Assured Properties, uses the office space for her business.
"The internet, where we live, is shocking - always dropping off and things were taking two to three times the amount of time they should have been," she said.
"The work hub is a perfect location. Great WiFi. Friendly staff. Very fair pricing structure along with opportunity to meet other like-minded small business owners. We use the new office for all our administration - no more spinning wheels! No more flashing red WiFi hubs!"
To find out which work hubs are offering free working spaces for National Coworking Day, read the full story on the news page of our website. For more information, please visit their website.
The University of Plymouth is organising a networking event next week as part of our Devon Agri-Tech Accelerator (DATA) project.
The project is to provide support and research for farmers, growers, landowners and other agricultural and Agri-Tech businesses, to develop innovations that can help build a sustainable farming community in Devon.
The networking event will include discussions on soil and fertiliser efficiency, as well as a presentation on future farming resilience.
You can read more in our news story online, visit our DATA project website, or book your place at the event via Eventbrite.
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