Over 600 parents and carers attended the pre-teens sessions. 99% said they would recommend them to others and 89% said they felt better able to support their child.

Becca Hewitt, Teignbridge’s Safeguarding Officer and lead in the South Devon Community Safety Partnership, which set up the Let’s Talk programme, said: “What is unique about this programme is that it’s not a parenting course, and it’s not something that parents are referred to.   

“Through our community safety partnership, we’ve noticed there has been a significant change in youth culture.  It’s changed the focus for young people from the traditional family model to one where young people are influenced more by external sources. 

“We know that this can be challenging for parents, so we wanted to help any parent of teenage or pre-teen young people to open up conversations with their child; to spot signs early when something might not be quite right; and to understand the issues that young people are facing.

“At the heart of these sessions is the voice of the parents and carers.  They are part of the solution, not the problem, and we want to support parents to enable their children to take risks, and to become happy and resilient young people.  Our sessions are built on raising awareness, not fear, and are focused on building trusted and positive relationships.” 

Since 16 parents and carers attended the first sessions which were pre Covid and in-person, the courses have moved online and have attracted over 3,100 attendees, with 30,000 page views on its Eventbrite site.   

Plans to extend the courses are underway, with a series of bite-size sessions on specific subjects, recorded sessions in the pipeline and ideas being explored including a bespoke course for dads and male carers, and for parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities. 

For more information on the Lets Talk programme please visit the website.  

Decarbonising funding snapped up by businesses

Applications for Green Business Grants have been closed following the successful allocation of this financial year’s £164,000 funding.

The grants - the first of five projects to be launched with funding from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) - were launched in February with funding needing to be spent by the end of this month (31 March).

Despite the challenging short timescale, businesses came up with some really positive projects that will increase their contribution to tackling climate change.  Projects include for example solar panels for electricity generation, low-carbon heat pumps and other innovative heating solutions.

The £165,000 funding was part of the £1.6m UKSPF funding allocated to Teignbridge to be spent before March 2025.  Round 2 of Green Business grants is expected to launch early in the new financial year.

Last couple of days for Local Plan comments

This weekend is the last opportunity for people to comment on the draft local plan before the seven-week consultation closes at noon on Monday (13 March).

The Plan identifies land for homes and jobs for local people, protects valued environments and creates more public open spaces. It tackles climate change and promotes low carbon energy to help secure future needs. It also sets out the infrastructure needed to support developments - such as roads, schools and healthcare.

After Monday, the draft Plan and all comments received from residents, businesses and other organisations will be sent to the Planning Inspectorate for review and public examination. Anyone who objects in writing can ask to appear before the inspector at the Local Plan examination hearing.

Visit our YouTube site for a short video on how to comment on the Teignbridge Local Plan.  

Copies of the Draft Local Plan and documents, including a short ‘Need to Know’ guide, are on our website. Paper copies are also available to view in libraries, town and parish council offices and at Forde House

How has Teignbridge changed over the past decade

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has produced change over time articles for every council in England and Wales.  Here is the link to the article on Teignbridge which provides a range of data  about the district and its people and how it changed between the 2011 and 2021 Censuses.

Devon Loves Dogs is asking dog owners and walkers to keep their dogs' paws on paths to protect ground-nesting birds.

Some of the UK’s most endangered birds make their nests on the ground during spring and summer so it’s important not to disturb them when you’re out enjoying walks.  Birds such as the Dartford warbler and nightjar make their nests on or near the ground which means parent birds can be frightened off their nests and eggs can easily be damaged by dogs.

Julie Owen from Devon Loves Dogs, said: "It’s really important and easy to follow our Four Paws Code so as to protect wildlife and make sure dogs have a happy walk."

• Protect nesting and feeding birds on heaths, dunes and wetlands
• Keep your dog in sight and think of other visitors
• Prevent your dog from chasing wildlife or grazing animals
• Bag it and bin it – wherever you are
• Read and follow signs and notice boards
• Limit the number of dogs that you walk 

You can join Devon Loves Dogs for free. It aims to help dog owners find great places to enjoy with their dogs and learn more about how to protect nature.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation this week advised that a booster vaccine against COVID-19 will be offered to people at most risk of serious illness this spring.

The NHS will begin offering spring boosters to eligible members of the public from 17 April with vaccination in care homes beginning slightly earlier, planned for 3 April.

COVID-19 continues to infect thousands of people every week and those at highest risk of severe illness are advised to top up their immunity ahead of the planned autumn booster programme. 

The NHS will let those eligible know when they can be offered the vaccine and people are asked to wait to be contacted by the NHS.  The spring booster can be booked until 30 June 2023.