Friday 20 June 2025
It's Windrush Day on Sunday (22 June), the anniversary marking the arrival in 1948 of the Empire Windrush, and its 492 passengers, to Tilbury Dock, London.
Yesterday, we raised the Devon Windrush Flag again at County Hall, Exeter. Former and current Councillors, the Lord Mayor of Exeter, our Chair, Caroline Leaver, and members of our leadership team, all met with members of the Celebrating Windrush in Devon group to mark the occasion.
It was a chance to pay tribute to the UK’s Caribbean community for their immense contribution, and to acknowledge that the Windrush generation encountered hardship, prejudice and abuse – but also kindness.
One of those attending, Dave Samuels, spoke to us about his dad who emigrated from Jamaica, and who was part of the Bristol Bus Boycott of 1963, which directly influenced the passing of the Race Relations Act 1965 and made 'racial discrimination in public places' illegal.
“It’s really important on days like this to see this flag raised and to celebrate the contribution of people like my dad, and his struggles in him becoming the first black bus driver in Bristol," he said.
“This is the 60th year since the Race Relations Act was passed and it is important that the contribution made by those who came to rebuild Great Britain are recognised and remembered.”
 Amber heat-alert issued for this weekend
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office issued an amber heat-alert for all regions of England, yesterday, running to Monday 23 June.
The Met Office says temperatures may exceed 30 degrees in some places.
An amber alert is a higher level to the yellow heat-alert already issued earlier this week. It means that the heat poses increased risk to the wider population, and specifically people aged over 65 years or those with pre-existing health conditions, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
Dr Argostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said yesterday:
"Our findings show that heat can result in serious health outcomes across the population, especially for older adults or those with pre-existing health conditions. It is therefore important to check on friends, family and neighbours who are more vulnerable and to take sensible precautions while enjoying the sun."
Steve Brown, Director of Public Health Devon, gave some heat-related advice earlier this week. Listen to what he said, on our YouTube channel.
We also published a special edition of this newsletter earlier in the week, and with the heat-alert now raised to amber, the advice about risks during hot weather is even more relevant. If you missed it in your inbox, you can read it online.
 Reaching For Independence helps over 100 people with learning disabilities into employment or work experience
It's Learning Disability Week this week and we're marking it by highlighting the work of our Reaching for Independence service, which supports people with social care needs to develop life skills and promote independence.
The service offers short-term enabling support to people aged 17 and upwards with eligible social care needs, or likely to have them.
Among the many people that the team have supported is James, who is now starting his second season at Haven's Devon Cliffs holiday park in Exmouth.
 We’ve retained our Disability Confident Employer registration
We heard this week that we’ve retained our Disability Confident Employer registration, in employing and supporting disabled people to fulfil their potential at work.
The registration recognises the work that we do as an employer to recruit and support disabled people in our employment.
Carolyne Hague, our Principal Occupational Therapist, has been awarded the MBE for services to occupational therapy in adult social care.
She has been instrumental in promoting the vital contribution of occupational therapy in adult social care at a local, regional and national level.
As Principal Occupational Therapist (OT), and Chair of the National Principal OT Network, Carolyne supports the development and delivery of the first OT degree level apprenticeships for occupational therapists in adult social care.
The Grade II Listed Iron Bridge in Exeter has re-opened on schedule this week following major refurbishment.
Extensive work has been carried out in order to prevent water damage to the structure, which was built in 1834.
Over the past five months, the old road surface has been removed and a new waterproof layer has been added. Drainage has been improved, and signs and lighting have been upgraded. Some areas of the bridge have also been painted where immediate attention was needed, but a more comprehensive scheme of paint work will be undertaken in future.
The 2025 SEND Conference, held last week (Thursday 12th June) at Sandy Park, Exeter, was a resounding success—bringing together over 300 delegates, exhibitors, and speakers for a day of inspiration, collaboration, and learning.
The record-breaking attendance is a testament to the unwavering commitment of Devon schools to inclusive education and the shared vision of empowering all learners.
 Left to right: Mehdi Bagheri-Gavkosh (University of Exeter), Gale Alexander (DRIP project manager), Annabel Beasley (DRIP project officer), Vivian Pham (Environment Agency) next to the host who presented the Flood & Coast Excellence Awards
A project working to improve resilience to flooding in 26 communities across Devon has received a prestigious national award.
The Devon Resilience Innovation Project (DRIP), which helps neighbourhoods to be better prepared for flooding and to recover more quickly from flood events, was among the winners at the Environment Agency’s Flood & Coast Excellence Awards.
The project is led by Devon County Council with support from a number of partners.
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