Friday 13 September 2024
 Artificial Intelligence training launched in Devon and Somerset
We are launching a new training programme exploring the benefits of adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.
It's training for people and organisations across Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay, and is part of the Digital Skills Series initiative, funded by the Heart of the Southwest Growth Deal.
AI can be a catalyst for enhancing productivity, automating repetitive tasks such as data entry, scheduling meetings, co-creating documents and summarising content. Learning how to use these AI tools can free up time to undertake more complex, non-routine tasks.
The programme will provide 80 training places for those looking to gain knowledge and confidence in using this rapidly growing technology.
You can find out more, including who is eligible to receive training, in the full story on the news page of our website.
 Cross-party support for Barnstaple Railway Station ‘transport interchange’
Councillors approved a new scheme at Barnstaple Railway Station this week, which will make it easier for passengers to transfer between bus services and trains and access the town centre.
The enhancements will improve bus-rail integration which is used by over 500,000 passengers every year.
The changes include a simplified road layout and new bus stops located directly outside the main entrance, that will serve all buses at the rail station.
The bus stops will include shelters, real-time information screens and cycle parking; and a zebra crossing next to the station entrance will make it easier and safer for pedestrians to access the station and bus stops.
The plans, which received cross-party support from Councillors, have been developed in conjunction with Network Rail, which owns the station, and Great Western Railway, which operates trains serving the station.
Read more in the full story on the news page of our website.
 Former SAS leader, TV Presenter, and author, Billy Billingham
Earlier this year, we had a great opportunity to work with the BBC and Billy Billingham to highlight the important work that our Trading Standards team carry out to tackle and disrupt the supply of illicit tobacco and vape products. This week the programme has been released on BBC iPlayer as part of the SAS: Catching the Criminals series. Watch episode 6.
 What are you doing on Sunday 22 September?
Sunday 22 September is World Car Free Day, and bus travel on most routes across Devon and Torbay will be free!
The offer is being delivered through the DevonBus Partnership, in conjunction with our bus operators - Stagecoach, Tally Ho, Dartline, Torbay Buses, and Filers Travel.
We're supporting the day, with Torbay Council, using Bus Service Improvement Plan funding, provided by the Department for Transport.
It’s also an ideal way to take part in Active Devon’s Outdoor September campaign as this free travel offer is designed to encourage more people to use the bus to explore their local area, visit family and friends and enjoy the stunning coast and countryside across Devon without the worry of transport costs.
Read more in the story on the news page of our website.
September heralds the start of the bird migration, and at our Stover Country Park near Newton Abbot, migrant birds are starting to put on weight in preparation for their long journey south. They'll be eating sugar-rich foods, such as rowan berries, elderberries and blackberries.
Visitors to Stover over the coming weeks may see Whitethroats on bramble patches, Garden Warblers eating elderberries, and Blackcaps pecking at rosehips.
Adult Swifts are already leaving Britain for the south, while young birds remain for an extra couple of weeks before navigating their way south, unaided. And Swallows and House Martins will start to group en masse this month.
There's a lot to see, and September is a great time to see it all at Stover.
For those travelling by bus, there are regular bus services that link the Park to all major towns and villages including Exeter, Plymouth and beyond. Refer to our park map for bus stop locations, and to view up-to-date bus timetables, visit Traveline South West.
The Government is encouraging pensioners to check if they qualify for pension credit, and if so, to apply for it in order to receive the winter fuel payment.
If you get Pension Credit, you can also get other help, including:
Pension Credit tops up your weekly income to £218.15 if you're single; or your joint weekly income to £332.95 if you have a partner.
You could get additional benefits depending on your circumstances.
You can apply for Pension Credit up to four months before you reach State Pension age. You can apply any time after you reach State Pension age but your application can only be backdated by three months.
You can apply online, over the telephone, or by post.
Currently, only 63 per cent of people who are eligible nationwide for Pension Credit are receiving it. That's nearly four in every 10 pensioners who are entitled to Pension Credit, because of their low income, aren't claiming it.
To find out if you are eligible for Pension Credit, visit the Government's website.
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