Win a £1,000 John Lewis Voucher this Christmas!
if you have a Teignbridge Lottery for Communities ticket or buy one before 11.59pm tonight (Friday) you will have a chance of winning a fantastic £1,000 John Lewis eGift Card on Saturday night (17 December).
This is in addition to any prizes you could win by matching lottery numbers in the normal Saturday night draw. The voucher winner will be drawn from all ticket holders across Gatherwell-run lotteries.
This £1,000 an extra incentive for you to buy a ticket and support one of the good causes that have signed up to the lottery. And don't forget if you match all the numbers there is a £25,000 top lottery prize!
Draws will be made throughout the festive period with draws taking place on Saturday 24 and 31 December.
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 A festive Recycline ReZine provides all the information and updates residents need on the festive waste and recycling collections timetable, Christmas Tree collections, recycling wrapping paper, Christmas cards and cardboard packaging and much more.
The festive collection timetable and other recycling information is also on our website.
Extended opening hours to support your local market
The countdown to Christmas is well and truly underway and the market in Newton Abbot has increased its opening hours to make sure that residents can get their fresh festive produce and last-minute Christmas presents.
Why not soak up the festive atmosphere by having a wander around the market, see lots of friendly faces and pick up some great bargains?
In addition to its normal Saturday and Wednesday openings, the outdoor market is open every day next week from 9am to 3pm and to 8pm on Wednesday 21 December.
The indoor market is opening on Sunday from 9am to 3pm and until 8pm on Wednesday 21 December, operating normal hours on other days leading up to Christmas and from Wednesday 28 to Saturday 31 December.
Support your local market by paying it a visit
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Funding to improve energy efficiency and save money
Residents who are vulnerable to the effects of cold houses or who cannot afford to heat their homes can apply for financial help to cut their energy bills and reduce carbon emissions.
The national funding – called ECO4 Flex - enables a range of energy saving measures to be installed including new heating systems, air source heat pumps, loft and cavity wall installation, solid wall insulation, high heat retention storage heaters, and other measures designed to increase energy efficiency.
Tenants or owner occupiers can benefit from this scheme and may qualify in a number of ways such as living in a property assessed for a D-G Energy Performance Certificate rating and having an income less than £31,000 (check website for qualifying criteria).
To get the energy saving work done, residents must use an approved registered ECO installers who will survey their home, identify the cost-effective energy-saving steps that could be taken and provide a price for the work that could be carried out.
Funding will be provided directly to the installer from energy suppliers involved in the national scheme.
Protecting the environment and saving money
 Up to £100,000 annual savings are expected from the multi-million-pound investment in our leisure centres and Forde House offices aimed at reducing our carbon footprint by using more renewable energy.
Over the past year, a combination of old heating and lighting systems have been removed from Newton Abbot and Broadmeadow Leisure Centre, The Lido and Forde House and replaced with low carbon greener energy systems.
Some £3 million of grant funding has been secured to help pay for the £7.5 million package of carbon reducing measures.
And in line with our Carbon Action Plan, we have bid for £310,000 more national grant funding to deliver a second phase of works at Broadmeadow by replacing its gas fired heating boilers with air source heat pumps.
 Vacancies: Customer Support Officer, Housing Caseworker, Revenue Data Verification Officer, Revenue & Benefit Assistant/Officer, Scrutiny Officer, Temporary Accommodation Coordinator
Leisure vacancies: Leisure Assistant (2 posts). Casual vacancies for Sports Coach Level 1 & Level 2
Waste vacancies: LGV Loader/Drivers
Full details of all vacancies and closing dates for applying are on our jobs portal.
Job of the week - Scrutiny Officer
Our Democratic Services team is looking for a talented individual to support the Council’s scrutiny function and to be involved in investigating some of the key challenges facing the district.
The Council’s two Scrutiny Committees contribute to the Council’s decision-making processes by representing the interests of citizens and stakeholders of the district and holding the Council’s Executive to account. They support the shaping of policy, ensuring that resources are used responsibly and enables the views of residents to be heard.
The role of the Scrutiny Officer is to provide effective support to the committees and to the Council’s Scrutiny process through undertaking in-depth enquires and investigations into strategic policy and service delivery issues.
 Opening times for Newton Abbot Leisure Centre, Broadmeadow Sports Centre, Dawlish Leisure Centre and Shaldon Approach Golf will change over the festive period.
There will be programme changes for each centre - you can check these on our app or on your local centre timetable:
Newton Abbot Leisure Centre
Broadmeadow Sports Centre
Dawlish Leisure Centre
Want to improve your fitness in the new year?
From next Friday (23 December) until midnight on Sunday 8 January, you can take advantage of a great all-inclusive 60 days for £60 offer without any contract or joining fees!
This will give you access to our three leisure centres and their facilities and include a gym induction, programme and two review appointments; exercise classes, swimming sauna and steam room, racket sports, advance booking and much more. Check it out!
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Need a warm space and a chat?
To help people struggling to stay warm in the current cost of living crisis, Teignbridge Community and Voluntary Services (CVS) has put together a list of free local warm hubs and community services available to local residents over this winter which is on the Devon Connect website.
It highlights places in Ashburton, Buckfastleigh, Chudleigh, Dawlish, Exminster, Newton Abbot, Moretonhampstead, Starcross, Teignmouth.
It also provides a guide to local financial support available to Teignbridge residents.
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Cosy bags to help those in need
Not for profit community enhancement group Roots is giving out 40 Cosy Bags to help people in Dawlish who are struggling to keep warm in their homes this winter, and advising them on organisations that can offer help and support.
The project has been funded by Cllrs Martin Wrigley and Linda Goodman-Bradbury from their councillor community funds and is supported by Morrisons of Teignmouth which donated the bags.
Each cosy bag contains a flask, hot water bottle, two boxes of cuppa soups, a jar of hot chocolate, a thinsulate hat, snood and gloves as well as leaflets for places such as food larders/banks and cost of living support.
One of the first bags was given to a 90-year-old living alone, who told one of Roots’ volunteers she was cold and trying to reduce the amount of time she has the heating on at home.
To receive a bag, people must live in the parish of Dawlish, be struggling with bills and not able to heat their home adequately and be referred for help from their GP surgery, a local library, or a Roots partner organization. You can refer someone who would benefit from a Cosy Bag by emailing Roots.
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Weather delays opening of Dawlish link bridge
Network Rail says its teams will be working around the clock from 10pm on Christmas Eve to 7am on Tuesday 27 December to install foundations for the new accessible footbridge with lifts for Dawlish station, which is due for completion next summer.
This work can only be done when trains are not running, as some of the piled foundations to be installed are very close to the track.
The piling rig is due to be lifted over the railway by crane between 5.30pm tomorrow (Saturday 17 December) and 7am on Sunday (18 December). Dawlish station car park will be closed during this time.
Work on the new link bridge that will join up the two sections of public, accessible promenade at Colonnade is progressing well, says Network Rail. However, due to the recent weather conditions, it will not open this month as originally planned. A wet October and November, followed by freezing conditions, has caused delays in laying the granite paving and concrete.
Network Rail says there is approximately six weeks of work left to carry out on the surfaces and finishes around the new stilling basin and this will be completed as soon as the weather allows.
Access to the King’s Walk promenade and beach via Colonnade underpass will remain closed for now, says Network Rail, to keep everyone safe.
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New reporting system for dead wild birds
 The government has launched a new online system for reporting dead wild birds and published guidance on when and how to report them.
This follows last month’s introduction of mandatory restrictions to stop the spread of bird flu and which require all bird keepers to keep their birds indoors and follow strict biosecurity measures to help protect their flocks from the disease, regardless of type or size.
The government's advice is that you should not touch dead birds but report them via the online system or by calling 03459 33 55 77.
Previously frozen poultry sold as chilled
The Food Standards Agency is advising consumers buying turkey, duck, capon or goose products in the run-up to Christmas, that they may have been previously frozen and defrosted before being placed on sale as chilled.
The products should be clearly labelled as ‘defrosted’ and are only suitable for home freezing if it says so on the label.
This temporary change will apply to some turkey, duck, capon and goose products on sale from 28 November to 31 December and does not apply to chicken.
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Get your Self Assessment wrapped up in time for Christmas
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is encouraging Self Assessment customers to put their tax return at the top of their to-do list.
Last year more than 2,800 customers chose to file their tax return on Christmas Day. But those who get their 2021 to 2022 Self Assessment wrapped up before Christmas can tick it off and enjoy the festivities.
Self Assessment customers need to complete their tax return and pay any tax owed by the 31 January 2023 deadline or risk having to pay a penalty. Those who file their return before 30 December may also have the option of paying any tax owed through their PAYE tax code.
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