In this issue...
- New £2million fund calls for pioneering projects from East Devon businesses
- Sat-nav cattle to roam East Devon reserves
- Last places available for THG’s Art History talk series
- New group exercise classes launched by LED
- Great British Beach Clean - come along to Exmouth and play your part
 News and updates:
New £2million fund launched to help East Devon businesses recover
A new £2million fund designed to help East Devon businesses grow and recover has been launched this week.
The Innovation and Resilience Fund (formerly known as Adaptation, Innovation and Resilience (AIR) Fund) has more than £2m available to support local projects that:
- support business diversification and the development of new and innovative products
- enable carbon reductions and biodiversity enhancements
- enable and safeguard high value jobs
- offer inclusive opportunities to disadvantaged individuals
Applicants must propose a specific project which will transform their business with a projection of the amount of grant funding they need; up to £50,000 per business or up to £150,000 for a collaborative bid.
The fund is made up of £1.14m Government funding and £1m match-funded by EDDC from its business rates retention scheme pilot.
Great British Beach Clean - come along to Exmouth and play your part
 Beach stretch: Orcombe point
Date and time: Sunday, 19 September 2021. Meeting at the top of the slipway at Orcombe Point at 8:30am and litter picking until 10.30pm.
What to bring: We always recommend you pack a rucksack with a few essentials like sunscreen, waterproofs, hand sanitiser, a bag to collect your rubbish in, gloves (gardening gloves will do) and a litter picker if you wish to use one.
A member of our team is a first aider and we do have public liability insurance. But please note that litter picking is done at your own risk so please listen to any safety instructions before the clean starts.
Organisers will be collecting the rubbish at the end to record their findings so they can send them to The Marine Conservation Society for their data.
Exe Valley by-election to be held
 Due the resignation of Fabian King, a vacancy has arisen in the Exe Valley Ward of East Devon District Council.
A by-election will be held on Thursday, 23 September 2021, for the vacant seat.
A statement of persons nominated has now been published on the EDDC website.
Car park tidied up at Exmouth's Phear Park
The new parking area in Phear Park has now been swept, the cells infilled with soil and bays delineated with white stone in the cells.
It will soon be opened for use by the general public.
Coronavirus Vaccination statistics in Devon
 • More than 1.77m doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been given in Devon
• 4 in 5 18-24 year olds have had their first vaccination dose and over half have had their second.
• Between 8 December and 5 September 926,555 first doses have been given while 843,930 second doses have been given; a total of 1,770,485 doses.
• Check out where the nearest walk-in clinics are by you. You can find your nearest walk-in clinic on NHS England’s site finder here.
• You can book an appointment online or by calling 119
Government publishes 'COVID-19 Response - Autumn and Winter Plan 2021'
New group exercise classes launched by LED
 On Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 September, LED Community Leisure launched new group exercise class timetables across all leisure centres.
LED offer a fantastic range of group exercise classes for anyone looking to have fun, get fit, learn new skills or meet new friends. From fan favourites Les Mill Body Pump TM, studio cycling and Pilates to specialist classes for beginners and senior members. For more information and to book please click here.
Find out about the amazing benefits of group exercise classes by reading our blog here.
 Sat-nav cattle to roam East Devon reserves
 A new system to keep cattle on our reserves without having to build fences is being set up. Instead of fences we are using a GPS signal and training the cattle to respond to an audio prompt!
The new collar system is particularly useful on our Trinity Hill nature reserve near to Axminster where often any permanent fencing must be authorised by the Secretary of State and go through rigorous public consultation.
The collars emit a loud beep when the animal walks toward an invisible line. If the beep is ignored, the animal gets a small electric shock as it would from a traditional electric fence, and the bullock will turn away and soon remembers to not ignore the beep!
This means we can create grazing enclosures on sites as intricate and complex as necessary. From whole site, extensive grazing, to mob grazing or to carefully protect ground features such as birds’ nests or reptile felts from trampling, this system is sophisticated as it needs to be.
Please keep your dogs under control
The one pressing need for this technology to work safely is for the cattle to remain calm and un-harassed by visitors and dogs. If grazing animals are chased and in a state of agitation they could ignore the beep, ignore the shock and be on the wrong side of the virtual fence. Worse still, animals could be chased all the way into the road! So, we are asking all visitors to our reserves to keep their dogs under close control, preferably on a lead.
And for anyone concerned what happens to cattle which do find themselves on the ‘wrong’ side of the boundary; their instinct to re-join the herd will bring them back to the correct location, and the system gives no beep and no shock to animals walking in the opposite direction.
East Devon nature reserves thriving after summer season
East Devon's local nature reserves have enjoyed a particularly fruitful summer, with some new additions previously never seen before!
The star of the summer was possibly the least showy species, but one of the most scarce butterflies in England.
A single Wood White butterfly (pictured) was spotted at Seaton Wetlands paying particular attention to the Meadow Vetchling - the caterpillar food plant - this August.
Known from only a handful of sites in East Devon, with a population nearby on the Undercliffs National Nature Reserve, these butterflies have a notoriously small distribution capacity being wafty, weak fliers.
The wildflower strip which attracted its interest was planted a few years ago, and we will leave it messy and uncut for a few more weeks now in case the insect laid eggs!
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Latest news and newsletters
Here is some of the latest newsletters we have released this week
 Council meetings dates
Over the next week the following East Devon District Council meetings are taking place. Any public meetings will be streamed live to the Council’s YouTube channel, and in the event of difficulties these will be streamed on our Facebook page instead.
Monday, 20 September
Thursday, 23 September
 Recycling news
Are you looking for a job? Drivers and loaders are urgently needed
 Our Recycling and Waste contractors Suez, are looking for experienced LGV Drivers and Loaders to join their team.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact James Gatter or speak to a supervisor at Suez on: 01395 234500
Driver / Loader
- Contract type - Permanent
- Working Pattern - Full-time
- Location - based East Devon, Exeter
- Hours per week - 41.25
- Salary - Drivers £11.52 per hour + bonus. Loaders £9.01 per hour + bonus.
Have you downloaded our free East Devon App yet?
Join over 30,000 people using our smartphone app and get simple personalised collection reminders, the latest collection updates and tell us about a missed collection.
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 Thelma Hulbert Gallery
Last places available for THG’s Art History talk series
THG’s art history talks have all sold out so far, so don’t forget to book the last few spaces for their upcoming talks in Honiton:
22 September, 10.30 – 12.00: Expressionism * SOLD OUT *
6 October, 10.30 – 12.00: The Art of Protest To many artists 'Art is rebellion'. Explore how artists assume the role of activist and critic in the context of bringing about political change including contemporary protest artists such as Ai Weiwei, Grayson Perry, Kara Walker, Keith Haring and Judy Chicago.
13 October, 10.30-12.00: John Francis in conversation with Tim Craven and Deborah Smith - art historian John Francis will delve into the hidden elements of the current exhibition: In Plain Sight: The London Group & Thelma Hulbert and her London Group Friends and the new light it shines on artist Thelma Hulbert and her famous contemporaries.
Deadline approaching to exhibit in Present Makers 2021
 Just 2 weeks left to submit your application for THG’s Christmas exhibition of contemporary craft!
THG is calling SW makers who produce high quality work to feature in Present Makers 2021 (13 Nov - 24 Dec) showcasing creative innovation across craft and design including glass, wood, paper, textiles, prints, ceramics, furniture, jewellery - also including Christmas gifts, decorations and cards.
Deadline: 30 Sept
Next edition
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