Friday 15 November 2024
From the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Monday 25 November right through to Tuesday 10 December, events will take place across Devon to mark 16 Days of Action and call for an end to violence against women and girls.
16 Days of Action is an annual campaign by the United Nation’s World Health Organisation and is supported in Devon by the Interpersonal and gender-based Violence and abuse Partnership Board, part of Safer Devon Partnership.
Domestic abuse, sexual violence and violence against women and girls are the most common forms of violence in Devon with the number of people affected every year estimated to be in the tens of thousands.
Throughout the 16 days, organisations and community groups across Devon are hosting a range of events and activities to help bring communities together, shine a light on the support available to victims and survivors and to campaign to end all violence against women and girls.
Events include a ‘Flashmob’ in Princesshay, Exeter, a Reclaim the Streets candlelit vigil in Bideford, a storytelling workshop in Barnstaple Library, a vigil and petal scattering outside the Museum, in Barnstaple and Active Devon’s Big Yoga event.
Other events include activities and displays at Positive Lights, Exeter, Reclaim the Night marches in Exeter and Barnstaple, and an online webinar on spotting the signs of domestic abuse in young people and children and how to support young people affected by trauma.
To find out more and to view the full calendar of events taking place in Devon, please visit the Safer Devon website.
A celebration has been held at Stover Country Park near Newton Abbot today to mark the completion of the first phase of improvements made through the Restoring Stover Park Project.
Invited guests attended the event to officially unveil a number of the Restoring Stover Park Project schemes which have been made possible thanks to a grant of £2,084,600 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, together with National Highways, Devon County Council, Devon Remembers, Teignbridge District Council, Bovey Tracey Town Council, Kingsteignton Town Council, and Friends of Stover Park.
The visitor centre, which has been extended and upgraded, was formally opened, along with a newly built community workshop, which will be available for use by Stover Country Park volunteers and community groups.
A photographic exhibition created by volunteers from Newton Abbot Photographic Club was also on display in the visitor centre to show the progress of the Restoring Stover Park Project to date. Read more in the story on our news page.
Guests explored the conservation work carried out on the historic Grade II listed gatehouse and learnt about the De-Silting Project at Stover Lake.
And tomorrow (Saturday 16 November) the public are invited to join the celebrations, between 9:30am and 4:30pm. Visitors will be able to follow a two-hour trail that takes in all the varied aspects of the Restoring Stover Park Project.
Numbers to the public opening event are limited but people can still book a two-hour slot from a choice of three, (9:30am, midday, and 2:30pm). Or you can just turn up. Booking a time slot is free, but there is a charge for parking. You can pre-book parking to guarantee a space, or telephone 01626 835236 or email stover@devon.gov.uk.
Our Cabinet has approved a scheme that will deliver up to 2,000 new electric vehicle (EV) chargers across Devon.
Cabinet approval of the scheme this week follows the Government awarding us more than £7m funding to deliver thousands of new publicly accessible EV charging points up to 2030.
The award, from the Department for Transport’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, was one of the largest of its kind in the country.
The funding announcement follows our adoption of the Devon Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy last year, which highlights that a key barrier to the uptake of EVs in Devon is the availability of suitable charging infrastructure.
The LEVI project is set to begin in 2025 and will significantly expand on an already growing network of on and off-street EV charging points in Devon.
Read the full story on our news page.
 Councillor Stuart Hughes (centre) with some of Devon’s Highways team
Devon prepared for winter
With the weather about to turn colder over the UK this weekend, our highway teams are prepared and ready to keep the county moving this winter.
Last winter’s biggest issue was the prolonged wet spell which caused extensive damage to Devon’s highway network. This led to a 31 per cent increase in pothole repairs between January and April, compared to 2023, and 94 per cent more than the same period in 2022.
However, in terms of dealing with icy conditions, last winter was relatively quiet, with our gritting teams only using around 6,200 tonnes of salt – which was less than half the amount used the previous winter. But more time was spent cleaning gullies and clearing debris from roads due to torrential rain and several named storms.
Read the full story on the news page of our website to find out more about how we prepare for winter, and what you can do to make sure you travel around Devon safely during the colder months.
With children across the country now back at school after the recent half term break, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is reminding parents of the simple steps they can take to reduce the spread of stomach bugs and winter illnesses to ensure that their family stays healthy.
Regularly washing your hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds or using hand sanitiser, is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of germs. The UKHSA’s e-bug resources can help you to explain and discuss hygiene habits and their importance, to your child or teenager.
Stomach bugs spread easily in schools and nurseries, so it’s important not to return to school, nursery or work until 48 hours after diarrhoea and vomiting symptoms have stopped. Visit the NHS website for more guidance about managing winter illness at home.
Children aged two and three years old and all primary school and secondary school aged children up to Year 11 are eligible for the flu vaccine. It’s also important to ensure your children are up to date with their routine vaccinations, which protect against diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria and polio.
Don't forget to download the HANDi app for up-to-date advice about common childhood illnesses and how to treat them. Parents answer a series of questions about the symptoms their child is experiencing. The app then advises on the best course of action, whether that’s to treat at home, to make a GP appointment, or to head to A&E.
 Staying up to date with vaccinations helps reduce risk of becoming unwell
The UK Health Security Agency isn't the only one reminding us about the importance of hand washing to keep ourselves well. The World Health Organisation launches its World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week next week!
The campaign aims to raise awareness about the importance of using antibiotics correctly. While antibiotics are essential for treating bacterial infections, overusing them or using them incorrectly can make them less effective. This can lead to difficulties in curing even simple infections, affecting people of all ages and health conditions.
The week-long campaign aims to improve awareness and highlight the things you can do to help, such as:
- wash hands regularly
- stay updated on vaccinations
- consult pharmacists for minor infections instead of demanding antibiotics
- only use antibiotics when and as prescribed, and never share them
- return unused drugs to pharmacies
 Are you looking after somebody else’s child or do you know someone who is?
Private fostering is when a child or young person under 16 years old (or 18 years old if they have a disability) is looked after for a period of 28 days or more by someone who is not a close relative, guardian or person with parental responsibility. Close relatives include parents, step-parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents.
People become private foster carers for all sorts of reasons. They can be a friend of the child’s family or someone who is willing to care for the child of a family they do not know. By law, people involved in private fostering arrangements must let us know. This is because any child separated from their parents is potentially vulnerable and we have a responsibility to make sure the alternative care they receive is suitable.
We will work in partnership with parents and carers to make sure the child is safe and well cared for in the arrangement by, for example, making sure the carers are trustworthy, finance, consent and contact needs are considered, and the child’s physical, emotional, educational and cultural needs are met. We will also visit the child and carers regularly, providing advice and support and be a listening ear for the child, parents and carers any concerns or difficulties there might be.
If you think you are involved in a private fostering arrangement call 0345 155 1071 or email privatefostering@devon.gov.uk to discuss it.
The online application portal for new Reception admissions in September 2025 at Primary/Infant schools and Year Three admissions at Junior School, is open from today! The closing date for applications is 15 January 2025
That means that you can apply for your child’s school place from today if they are born between the 1/9/2020 and he 31/08/2021.
Please visit www.devon.gov.uk/admissionsonline to make your application and for more information.
Please note we no longer write out to families to invite them to apply, so please tell your friends and colleagues, if they have children for which this applies.
It's Carer's Rights Day next Thursday, 21 November. If you provide unpaid care to someone who is unable to manage without help, then you may have rights as a carer.
In Devon, there are over 74,500 carers, including at least 2,400 young carers (under 18 years old). That's an estimation, because many people providing unpaid care don't recognise themselves as being a carer.
As a carer, you're entitled to a range of support.
For adult carers of other adults, support is available from Devon Carers. For information, advice, and support, visit the Devon Carers website, email info@devoncarers.org.uk or contact the Helpline on 03456 434 435. The Helpline is available Monday to Fridays from 8am to 6pm (except Bank Holidays) and on Saturday from 9am to 1pm.
For young carers, aged up to 18 years old, support is available from Devon Young Carers. For information, advice, and support, visit the Devon Young Carers website, email youngcarers@devoncarers.org.uk or contact the Helpline on 03456 434 435.
Torridge District Council has announced plans to plant 1,000 trees at Gatefield Amenity Grassland on Londonderry Estate in Bideford, following public consultation and a vote by the authority’s Community and Resources Committee.
The plans, which are fully funded as part of our Local Authority Treescapes Project, are being delivered in partnership with local not-for-profit social enterprise Parklife South West. They have been designed to extend wildlife corridors and join up fragmented habitats to make these more resilient in face of threats to the environment.
The tree planting will be carried out this winter at a couple of community tree planting events. These will be advertised as part of the rangers volunteer programme, so please check Torridge District Council’s Facebook page and website for dates.
Read the full story on the news page of our website.
 Did you know that there’s interactive map showing details of current and planned roadworks across Devon?
It’s called One Network, and it includes details of everything from large scale road improvements to routine maintenance and emergency repairs.
It’s not just our roadworks, it’s also got information from other organisations, such as utility companies and developers.
While every effort is made to limit the disruption caused by roadworks, some inconvenience is inevitable, but if you know about it in advance you can plan your journey accordingly.
So visit One Network and check what is going on along your route.
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