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The latest news and information for you and your community
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Water-related problems at two of our leisure attractions have meant we've had to close them over the Bank Holiday weekend, and unfortunately they're likely to remain closed for the remainder of the summer season.
Teignmouth Lido was forced to shut yesterday afternoon (24 August) due to a major water leak, which resulted in levels falling over a foot in 24 hours. Staff are working with contractors to identify the source of the leak and make the necessary repairs, before refilling and reheating the pool. Whilst this work is being progressed as quickly as possible, there is a significant risk the pool will not be able to reopen before its scheduled seasonal closure next Sunday (3 September).
And at Decoy Park, routine water testing identified a failed sample from the water play feature, the source of which is being investigated. As a precautionary measure the feature has been closed, to maintain public safety at the park, while we carry out further investigation and await the result of further tests. Because of the length of time this is likely to take, it will mean the feature cannot be reopened before the facility is scheduled to close for the season on 8 September.
Our Head of Leisure Services James Teed is apologising to residents for the unfortunate timing, ahead of the August Bank Holiday:
“We have been absolutely thrilled to have the Lido open with the new refurbishments this year, which have showcased to residents and visitors the investment we have made to improve the facility, and to reduce the running costs and its impact on the environment,” he said.
“The timing couldn’t have been worse for these two leisure facilities to be forced to close. I know this will cause disappointment for so many families across the district and for visitors, and naturally we are exploring every option available, but ultimately, we have to make decisions based on public safety, which is, of course, our absolute priority.”
Families can still swim at our other Teignbridge Leisure Swimming pools located at Dawlish Leisure Centre and Newton Abbot Leisure Centre, which host a variety of swimming sessions, including lane swims, fun swims and inflatable sessions. The Den at Teignmouth also offers a water play feature.
You can also support your local community run outdoor pools around the district.
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Bank holiday collections
 Collection days will change next week due to the bank holiday. You can find out when collections are due at your address on our website or you can download a calendar for the year.
Meet the green spaces team at Decoy
Decoy Country Park in Newton Abbot is the next venue for our green spaces pop up roadshow.
The team will be at the park from 10-11.30am on Tuesday (29 August) and will include our community environmental warden, our recycling officer and representative of our Garden Communities Team as well as a representative from Devon County Council's recycling team.
Staff from the teams will be on hand to answer questions, provide information and encourage park users to complete our green spaces survey.
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£33,000 for grants fund to provide cost of living support
Voluntary sector groups taking part in the Teignbridge Lottery for Communities now have the chance to benefit from the small grants fund announced when the lottery was launched.
More than £13,000 is available for distribution as a result of 10p of every £1 ticket sold going into the grants fund. And this sum will be increased further in the coming months as more lottery tickets are sold.
And because the fund will meet the criteria of the nationally awarded Economic Vulnerability Fund, allocated by Devon County Council and distributed by districts, an additional £20,000 from it will be added to the small grants pot bringing the total to over £33,000.
Teignbridge Executive agreed this week that the 80 voluntary sector groups registered with the Lottery will be able to apply for a grant of up to £2,500 to support initiatives to help local people through the current cost of living crisis. These voluntary sector groups have until 20 October to apply for a small grant with the winning projects announced in early November.
The Lottery is on track to raise around £55,000 for good causes in its first year. You can boost this number by supporting a good cause and buying a Teignbridge Lottery for Communities ticket.
From every £1 Teignbridge Lottery for Communities ticket sold, 50p goes directly to local charities and good causes, 10p goes to the small grants fund with the remaining 40p spent on prizes, running costs and VAT.
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Win an Apple MacBook Air
Don't miss out on the chance to win an Apple MacBook Air by buying a ticket in the Teignbridge Lottery for Communities.
Everyone who takes part in the lottery before the draw on Saturday (26 August) has the chance of winning this fantastic prize on top of the normal monthly lottery prizes.
The winner of the MacBook Air will be drawn from all tickets entered in lotteries run by our operator Gatherwell.
To buy a ticket just go to the Teignbridge Lottery for Communities website. Pick a cause to support, and play now.
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New homes secured for people fleeing war and conflict
We're in the final stages of purchasing 18 homes for Ukrainian refugees who cannot remain in sponsorship and are at risk of homelessness, and for Afghan families who are currently in bridging hotels.
The Government’s Local Authority Housing Fund provides support to local authorities to help them provide accommodation to families who cannot remain in sponsorship and are at risk of becoming homeless.
It will reduce extra pressures on local housing and homelessness services so they can continue to provide for domestic households with housing needs.
The properties range from one-bedroomed flats to four-bedroomed houses located within Newton Abbot and surrounding areas and either newly built or purchased through the open market.
After initial use, the housing will create a lasting legacy for local communities by providing a new and permanent supply of accommodation to help address local housing and homelessness pressures across the Teignbridge district.
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Supporting parents and carers
If you have pre-teen or teenage children, don't miss out on this opportunity to hear about how you can best support them through these challenging years.
Our popular, free Let’s Talk Teenagers and Let’s Talk Pre-Teens support sessions are back!
The Pre-Teen sessions will be held on Thursday 21 September, Thursday 28 September and Thursday 5 October.
The Teenager sessions will be held on Tuesday 19 September, Tuesday 26 September and Tuesday 3 October.
All sessions will start at 7pm.
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A chance to visit Old Forde House
Across the country, historical buildings not normally open to the public will welcome visitors during Heritage Open Days 2023.
From 8 to 17 September, many buildings steeped in history will be open, providing residents and visitors with the chance to look at places they perhaps have never seen inside before.
We’ll be opening the historic Old Forde House in Newton Abbot on Friday 8 September giving you the chance to follow in the footsteps of historical characters who stayed there - King Charles 1 who stayed in 1625, Oliver Cromwell in 1645 and William, Prince of Orange in 1688.
The building will be open from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm and refreshments will be on sale.
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 Council vacancies
Accountants, Administration Assistant, Area Building Control Surveyor, Business and Systems Support Officer (Planning), Financial Systems Accountant, Housing Collections Officer, Housing Caseworker, Local Plan Programme Officer, Porter, Solicitor – Commercial Property, Solicitor – Planning, Technical Support Officer
Leisure vacancies
Casual Leisure Opportunities – Swimming Teachers, Class Instructors, Sports Coaches Level 1 & 2.
Waste and Recycling
HGV Vehicle Mechanic, Waste Project Officer
Full details of all vacancies and closing dates for applying are on our jobs portal.
Ukraine Independence Day thank you
To mark yesterday's Ukrainian Independence Day, we've shared this video which was kindly sent to us by Teignbridge CVS, who took the video of clips from some of Teignbridge's Ukrainian guests at a Host Evening held in Dawlish in July.
The video contains messages of thanks from some of the Ukrainian families who have been hosted by Dawlish residents, and what it has meant to them.
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Have you nominated a volunteer?
Nominations for Active Devon’s 2023 Volunteer Awards close on 10 September
The awards recognise people who go the extra mile, giving up their time and energy to make a big difference to the health and wellbeing of others in their local community, helping them to be more active.
In addition to main award categories there are also three special awards to be chosen at the judge’s discretion from all the entries received:
- The Outstanding Contribution to Inclusion Award
- The Outstanding Young Volunteer of the Year Award (for those aged 14-25 years)
- The Volunteering Team of the Year Award
You can find out more and nominate by going to Active Devon’s website.
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Could you benefit from September's Skills Bootcamps?
Train4Tomorrow Skills Bootcamps offer a wide range of free, flexible courses for adults in Devon and Cornwall.
Courses starting in September cover the region’s most in-demand sectors: digital, green, health and social care, construction, technical and professional.
The training is free and open to adults aged 19 or over, who are unemployed, self-employed, employed full-time or part-time or returning to work. Learners are also guaranteed an interview with a local employer upon completion of the course!
Check out the full course list here and applications are now open for courses starting in September and beyond.
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Workshop for young people
 Young Devon is holding a free workshop focusing on tackling the culture of misogyny.
It’s on Saturday 9 September, 10am-1pm at The Change Academy in Newton Abbot and more details are on this poster.
The workshop is aimed at young people interested in gender-based attitudes. It will provide an opportunity to understand gender-based attitudes and views, the effect it can have on others and to explore safe and positive ways to challenge gender.
The fun interactive session will also include a continental breakfast.
Industrial disputes to cause disruption
A reminder that industrial action is being taken tomorrow (26 August) by members of the RMT union which will result in service disruption
GWR says that journey planners have been updated and that large parts of its network will have no service whatsoever. Where services run they will start later in the day and finish much earlier. GWR says there is also likely to be disruption on Sunday 27 August.
ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, have announced strike action on Friday 1 September which is the day after the RMT’s strike on Saturday 2 September. GWR says the majority of its network will have no service and that disruption is expected to continue into Sunday 3 September.
More information on all of the strike dates is available on GWR’s website.
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