 In this issue...
- East Devon residents urged to, 'get boosted now'
- How you can help control the spread of Omicron
- Festive family events near you
- Explore East Devon this Christmas by walking in a winter wonderland
- Chance for people out of work in Devon to become keyworkers
 News and updates:
East Devon residents urged to, 'get boosted now'
East Devon’s residents are being urged to ‘get boosted now’ as part of an urgent national appeal to protect themselves from the Omicron Covid-19 variant; which is much more infectious.
It follows the Prime Minister’s announcement on Sunday, 12 December about the Omicron emergency booster mission.
NHS Devon are working hard to vaccinate more people than ever before, with more sites, longer opening hours, more pop-up clinics and more volunteers being recruited in order to offer every person aged 18 and above, who is three months or more since their second dose, a booster by the end of the year.
Book via the National Booking System here.
People can register as volunteers via a simple application form on the ‘Our Plymouth’ website.
How you can help stop the spread of Omicron
- In a crowded area, wear a face covering and help prevent Covid spreading, even if you’re outside.
- Even if you don’t have symptoms, do a lateral flow test before meeting people this winter. Taking a lateral flow test stops you spreading the virus without knowing it.
- If you have Covid symptoms, self-isolate and book a PCR test at your local centre or phone 119.
- Opening windows when you’re indoors with someone you don’t live with helps to get rid of Covid particles.
- Work from home, if you can.
Festive family events near you
Perfect for the last minute gift buying, head along to the Guildhall on Sunday, 19 December, 11am – 4.30pm. Featuring over 40 stalls and refreshments including mince pies and mulled wine.
Swimmers will be braving the chilly sea at Budleigh Salterton Beach on Christmas morning.
The swim will start at 10am on 25 December 2021. Members of the Budleigh Salterton Lions Club will be there serving mulled wine and collecting for Exmouth RNLI, who will be on hand to provide safety cover.
A brand new after dark Christmas illuminated trail is opening at Killerton National Trust, near Exeter, bringing festive sparkle to the garden until 2 January 2022. There are separate charges for the trail.
The house (which has been traditionally decorated) and gardens are open for members and non-members until 4pm each day and there is a Percy the Park Keeper’s children’s trail as well until 3 January.
Every 25th of December since 1970, hundreds of hardy people have descended upon our beach for the famous Exmouth Christmas Day Swim.
This is an event that grows in scale each and every year, with more and more people taking part. Why not join them? We’re told it’s the best way to build up an appetite for your seasonal dinner.
Everyone is welcome to have a dip, Why not wear fancy dress? Most people do!
The swim kicks off at 11am sharp on Saturday, 25 December 2021, on the beach opposite the clock tower. Don’t worry if you don’t fancy getting wet, you can join the hundreds of people who head down to watch the festivities!
Our tips:
- Don’t be shy about fancy dress! The more eye catching the better.
- Some kind of footwear is advisable.
- Don’t try and park on the seafront, it gets very busy. It’s best to park in the town and walk to the beach.
- Bring hot drinks to warm up after the swim, the water will be very cold.
- You’ll need spare clothes – something warm – unless you want to walk home in your mankini?
- Why not get sponsorship for doing the swim? A good charity to support is the RNLI.
- Make sure you join in with the traditional rendition of ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas’ and countdown that precedes the mad rush into the sea… 10, 9, 8, 7, 6… hold your nose… yikes that’s cold!
Join the magical star on a journey of discovery, shining a light on the stories of donkeys all around the world at The Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary this winter.
Find the nine boards located around the sanctuary and using the clues to help you, spot the Christmas items hidden on each board to complete the Christmas crossword. You’ll finish the trail in the ‘Glow Room’, where you’ll discover a fairy-tale ending for our three little donkeys, Gilly, Holly and Snowy. Once you’ve followed the star that glows in your eyes, head to the Gift Shop to collect your prize.
This magical activity combines festive family fun, exercise and brainpower and is just £5 per trail, including a Christmas gift on completion.
Don’t forget to make sure you also visit the lovely Kitchen Cafe as well for tasty lunches and sweet treats.
This event is running throughout the festive period, up until 6 January 2022.
Seaton Tramway is transformed as children and their families can be taken in a magical tram ride to Santa’s home. The special Polar Express trams run until 24 December 2021.
Meet Santa, sing Christmas carols, enjoy hot chocolate and a cookie. For those who believe, there’s a special gift for each and every passenger. Everyone is encouraged to wear their pyjamas! The whole experience takes about 2 1/2 hours making this a relaxed day out for the whole family.
Come and explore Seaton Wetlands and see how many wooden reindeer you can find hiding around the nature reserve. Running until 4 January 2022.
Pick up your trail handout from the Lookout and explore the route to find Rudolph, Blitzen, Prancer and their friends hiding high and low. The Christmas Trail is self-guided and costs £1.
Complete the challenge by finding all of the reindeer for your chance to win your very own wooden reindeer for your garden!
The challenge is suitable for all age children. The route at the wetlands is pushchair and wheelchair friendly. Please remember to bring a pencil!
If you'd rather download the trail online beforehand and pop £1 in the donation tin upon your arrival at the wetlands, you can download the trail here.
Get the BEST view of Exmouth’s Christmas Day Swim! One of Exmouth’s grandest Christmas traditions is the Christmas Day Swim and what better way to see it than from the warmth and comfort of our boats! With hundreds of people gathered on the beach, it’s sometimes hard to catch quite what an incredible spectacle this is – but the view from our boat is absolutely remarkable!
Setting sail at 10.45am we head off to see the seafront show. On board you will be kept warm and toasty with a glass of our hot home-made, secret recipe mulled wine and a tasty mince pie from one of our favourite local bakeries! We then take a leisurely cruise up the river before returning back just in time to pop the turkey in the oven! We would love for you to join the Stuart Line family this Christmas – please make sure you book in advance!
10:45am-12:15pm on Saturday, 25 December 2021.
All events are subject to change, please check before travelling.
Explore East Devon this Christmas by walking in a winter wonderland
 Winter is the perfect time to wrap up warm, throw on some wellies and go for an invigorating walk. Blow away the cobwebs along blustery coastal paths for a Christmas walk, or take a frosty New Year's Day stroll. It’s a great way to burn off that Christmas dinner and have fun doing it together with your loved ones.
There are lots of places where you can feel refreshed on crisp winter walks in your local area.
If you’re looking for winter walks along coastal scenery of the Jurassic Coast of East Devon, then click this link Winter Walks in East Devon & Dorset - South West Coast Path
If you're an experienced hiker and after a long walk, visit Long walks Archives - Explore Devon
Or perhaps you're after a shorter walk? Short walks Archives - Explore Devon
To find accessible walking routes with flat paths perfect for toddlers, pushchairs and wheelchairs, then visit Accessible walks Archives - Explore Devon
Chance for people out of work in Devon to become keyworkers
 Proud to Care Devon has launched a campaign to recruit 2,000 more care workers urgently in the county, particularly in domiciliary care and care homes.
There are free and flexible training offers available to support people to find the right role, or to take a step up, in health and social care. The short courses and workshops are being offered by partners across Devon including Learn Devon, City College Plymouth, South Devon College, Exeter College and Petroc.
Proud to Care is also offering free one-to-one telephone support to find out if a job in care is right for you. You don’t necessarily need qualifications or previous experience. What’s important are your core skills, values and your attitudes towards working with people who need care.
Register your interest here.
Consultants invited to tender for new East Devon culture strategy
'to be continued' artwork
East Devon District Council (EDDC) and Arts & Culture East Devon (ACED) are commissioning a new culture strategy for the district.
It is an exciting time for culture in East Devon. EDDC and ACED now wish to consolidate significant recent achievements and maximise culture’s contribution to East Devon’s future wellbeing, wealth and sustainability, by creating a collaborative 10-year strategy across multiple public, community, statutory and non-statutory partners.
Business update
Shop Local Christmas campaign: #EastDevonly
Not Just for Summer
We know how diversely different East Devon is and it’s certainly Not Just for Summer. To maximise the potential of our European Regional Development Funding through our #EastDevonly campaign, with your help we want to incentivise visits to East Devon as a sustainable 365 destination and become the staycation choice during the shoulder months of 2022. All we need is for you share with us any events and activities that we can include in our PR activity, from the coast to the rural hinterlands of our district we want to showcase the out of season hidden gems and events, from the age-old tradition of Tar Barrelling in Ottery St. Mary, finding open water swimming spots, enjoying wine tasting experiences, walking and cycling the undiscovered trails, staying in unique accommodation and taking culinary food journeys around the district.
Our aim is:
- To highlight key events
- Showcase any new attractions
- Feature the wealth of accommodation on offer
- Adopt key regional Ambassadors to promote our district’s unique selling points, through selected themes of the district’s beauty and tranquillity, activity and excitement, events, food and drink, cultural experiences and sustainable tourism.
- Promote visits during the shoulder months.
It’s over to you, please let us know at communications@eastdevon.gov.uk what’s on offer with the times and dates during the low seasons, the more we can feature the more appealing our #EastDevonly offer will become.
If you want to stay up to date with the latest news about grants for East Devon businesses, or other news about business opportunities, funding and training, you must subscribe to East Devon Business news
Latest news and newsletters
East Devon District Council also produce regular newsletters and news on different topics, in the last week we have issued the following which may be of interest:
 Recycling news
Cardboard collections
 We are expecting lots of internet shopping as we all prepare for Christmas. This produces a huge amount of cardboard packaging which we want to recover and recycle, however, if you have large quantities of cardboard, it will help our crews if you can spread the load by putting it out for collection over a number of weeks.
There are times when we may have to leave behind some cardboard for another collection if our vehicles are filling quickly. If you do have large quantities of material which you would rather not keep until the next collection, then there will be the option for you to visit your local recycling centre.
Also, please remember to take out any polystyrene, bubble wrap or polythene bags from your cardboard packaging before putting it out for collection.
Find out more here.
Thank you for helping our crews at a peak time and for recycling as much as possible.
The Recycling Team
#EDDCrecycling
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
Funky Wreath Workshop
 Book yourself on to build your own funky wreath making kit. Join artist and maker Laurel Coxon to create some unique wreath kits, using a whole host of jazzy materials.
Reserve your time slot to pick yours up, Laurel can give you a demo. Cherry pick some extra materials, then settle down in our gallery spaces with your bubble to create your wreath or take it home to do in your own space and time.
Saturday 18 December, 11am to 3pm, £10 per wreath making kit (+Eventbrite fee)
Timeslots every 20 mins from 11am, follow the link to book your time slot, up to four kits available per timeslot.
Last minute Christmas shopping sorted
Present Makers 2021
Anna Wiscombe
If you are looking for something special this Christmas, Present Makers 2021 features handcrafted, one-off gifts from local designers and makers including textiles, prints, ceramics, homewares and jewellery, as well as Christmas cards and exquisite tree decorations. Browse our extensive range of gifts in a calm gallery space, away from busy streets. Find out more here.
Thelma Hulbert Gallery (THG), Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LX
Open 22 - 24 December, 10 - 5.
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Next edition
We plan to send out our next bulletin on Friday, 24 December 2021.
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