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Devon Connect
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Devon’s new online community hub
West Devon CVS as a partner in Devon Voluntary Action (DeVA) is delighted to announce the launch of Devon Connect – a new online hub for Devon communities at devonconnect.org Who’s behind it?
DeVA partners from across West Devon, Teignbridge, Torridge, South Hams, Mid and North Devon have joined forces to support the new platform which is free and accessible to everyone (regardless of where they live in Devon). The aim is to make it easier for people to find information, access volunteering opportunities and get involved in projects and campaigns that make a positive impact in their communities. Speaking on behalf of DeVA, Karen Nolan, chief executive of West Devon CVS, said: “Many of the communities we work with tell us they lack good access to up-to-date information about services and support in their local area. They also tell us that they want to be part of the conversations, opportunities, events and social groups in their neighbourhoods. This platform will help to address that, in particular for anyone living in rural or isolated environments.” What are the benefits?
Devon Connect invites anyone from the community to sign up, create a profile and contribute information. Community groups and organisations can add local listings, events or volunteering opportunities, whilst residents can use it to find information relevant to their interests, needs or where they live. With distinct landing pages for each area of Devon (West Devon shares its page with the South Hams), the platform is easy to navigate with local hubs that provide helpful information and opportunities for members to share skills and make connections. Working together as local charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises in West Devon, we can connect our residents to their community, helping to make communities more effective, efficient and safe for everyone. How to get started
If you represent an organisation, just go to devonconnect. org, and click on the register button (top right) to get started. Once you have done that and added your own listing, it will be checked and made live. You can add as many different listings as you like, describing your service, any events, campaigns or volunteering roles. If you are an individual looking for useful and interesting information, please go to devonconnect.org and browse around.
Devon County Council is developing plans for a new pedestrian and cycle route near the A386 between the Clearbrook Leat car park and Roborough. People are being asked to provide their views on the options by completing an online questionnaire at devon.cc/clearbrooktoroborough by Friday 6 May. For a paper copy email transportplanning@devon.gov.uk or write to Transportation Planning, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 2QD. The existing Drake’s Trail offers a high quality and well used multi-use route from Tavistock, through Yelverton to the Clearbrook Leat car park, before heading towards the east of Plymouth. However, there is currently no safe, accessible
route to the north of the city. Route A is 3.3km in length and heads to the A386, following Clearbrook Road southwest from Clearbrook Leat car park, before crossing the A386 at Clearbrook junction. It then heads south along the western verge of the A386 to reach Roborough Route B is off road and 3.5km. It follows Clearbrook Road southwest from Clearbrook Leat car park to the existing footpath adjacent to Plymouth Leat. It then heads south along Plymouth Leat and around the South West Water Treatment before crossing fields parallel to the A386 to reach Roborough.
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Serving Devon, Cornwall & Surrey
Improve your skills and grow your business with free training
SMART SKILLS has attracted £3.5 million of European Social Fund investment to help businesses in Devon to upskill their workforce and the unemployed to gain valuable new skills.
This means that the wide range of training provided by SMART SKILLS is free of charge. Many people fi nd it hard to believe this claim, but all the courses are free and do not attract a charge – it means that you can upskill yourself and/or your workforce at no cost. So why upskill?
Upskilling your workforce will impact your business in several ways. It will boost productivity in your employees and drive growth in your business which can aid turnover and higher profi ts. It will give you a clear competitive advantage over similar businesses. Investing in your employees will create a more able, fulfi lled and happier workforce, crucially it will aid staff retention. All the training on offer is also available to unemployed individuals, so you don’t have to be a business owner or an employee to take advantage of these great courses. Developing your skill set will open up employment opportunities and improve your job prospects which can lead to higher salary offers. What training courses are on offer?
There are so many courses available that it would be hard to list them all here, but here are a few of the most popular courses that businesses and individuals want to undertake. Digital Marketing courses which include - Digital Presence with Social Media, Email Marketing, Paid and Organic Search Engine Marketing and How to Measure Digital Marketing. Other in demand courses include Project Management, Coaching and Mentoring and Leadership and Management; all three courses are accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). There are a myriad of other courses to choose from, ranging from short courses through to full qualifi cations. Courses are taught either face-to-face or through live online sessions with experienced tutors, giving you the opportunity to learn in the comfort of your offi ce or home. Training is delivered through their quality delivery partners; City College Plymouth, Focus Training, Learn Devon, Petroc, South Devon College, On Course South West, and the University of Exeter. SMART SKILLS is led by Plymouth City Council and supported by Devon County Council.
Feedback from SMART SKILLS participants...
“My workshop aims were to achieve a better understanding of LinkedIn, how to create successful posts, and attract followers to help gain new business. The Digital Presence with Social Media workshop from SMART SKILLS helped me achieve all of those aims.” Alan, Not Just Travel
“Thanks to the free Digital Marketing Workshops from SMART SKILLS, I feel more positive about work and how I can increase the brand awareness of my business and the services available. I feel empowered and have lots of exciting new ideas to implement to help my business continue to grow.” Julia, Julia Woollacott Photography
If you are thinking of upskilling either for yourself or your company employees, then contact the SMART SKILLS Hub: 0800 97 55 111 (Select option 6) SMARTSKILLS.HUB@cswgroup.co.uk VHF www.smart-skills-hub.co.uk VHF
The expert Skills Advisers will help to identify skills gaps, complete an organisational needs analysis, and match you with the best training options to meet your business needs. The fully funded training is available until 2023.
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A Shore Thing
In June 2022, our crew of five rowers will set out on an epic adventure rowing 500 miles from London to Land’s End – we are Susan Douglass, Anya Anstey, Sian Davies, Kirsty Melin and skipper Jane Wild, the crew of A Shore Thing, and we’ll be taking part in the GB Row Challenge. We’ll cross the busiest shipping lane in the world, row against prevailing winds, cope with heat, rain, fog or whatever weather is thrown at us, rowing in shifts day and night until we reach our destination. In total it’s the equivalent of 19 consecutive marathons to raise money for Devon Mind, Cornwall Mind, and Action - Medical Research for Children. We’ve teamed up with Raring to Row, a crew taking on the Atlantic in December, to raise as much money as possible for Action and help fund important research into childhood diseases, cancers and birth complications - together we can save and change children’s lives. Our boat, Lady Jayne, is an amazing ocean rowing boat with two small cabins for sleeping and three rowing positions. We’ll sleep, cook and rest on board for approximately two weeks to complete this challenge which will be as much a mental challenge as a physical one. The idea of undertaking something adventurous came about at the end of 2019 when the world was a very different place. The situation with covid, lockdowns and rules has meant crew changes, event cancellations, training issues and lots of anxiety. Nevertheless, we’ve kept on pushing forward throughout, a real testament to our determination and endurance. We put on our first fundraiser in early March 2020 and were blown away by the generosity and support we received. Unfortunately, it was nearly two years later before we could safely hold another event. However, our next event will be hosted by Drake’s Cafe on 2 April, where brilliant Devon band Nightshift will be playing a fun set of well-loved covers - lots of fun to be had and a raffle too. We are also raising money for mental health charities Devon Mind and Cornwall Mind. We feel it’s more important than ever that these organisations are able to support people, and help them deal with added anxiety, fear and uncertainty. Whenever we feel overwhelmed by what we’re doing and how far we have to go, we remember why we are doing this, and how important the money we raise will be to people’s lives, providing training, counselling and support groups to those in need. The more we raise the more people they can help. Please see ashorething.uk or facebook. com/ashorethinguk for more information or you can sponsor us at gogetfunding. com/ashorething. For every £10 you donate, we will dedicate one mile to you, your business or a memorial.
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Est. 1989
CREATIVITY
From its inception in 1989 Landmarc has always paid the greatest respect to existing landscapes and conditions when satisfying clients requests. On several occasions this has meant employing innovative approaches to problem solving and construction. This ethos has given us the opportunity to work in excess of fifty National Trust and English Heritage properties as well as numerous projects in the private and public sector. The image on the right is a recent example of our expertise. What was originally just a field at the bottom of the garden has been transformed into a stunning natural swimming pool with a reed generation zone, jetty and waterfall and has the additional benefit of providing a haven for wildlife.
VERSATILITY
Having invested in a wide range of modern plant and equipment, this enables us to undertake the majority of works required. Our fabrication workshop gives the additional compliment of providing bespoke steel work, from traditional tree guards, estate railings, gates, pedestrian & vehicular bridges. We work in a variety of locations including AONB, SSSI and tidal/coastal areas. No two jobs are exactly alike, and each has its own particular problems. Our three decades of experience has given us a vast knowledge of how to overcome challenges.
CAPABILITY
A wealth of knowledge and our welltrained team means we can see any project through from design to completion, including project management contracts involving other trades. Working alongside machine technology & ongoing investment enables us to offer services & solutions beyond what others may be able to offer. As environmental engineers we are aware of our carbon footprint, so all machinery runs on bio-oil and we are constantly striving for more sustainable alternatives. A small family run business with a lot to offer, at Landmarc we are big enough to cope, yet small enough to care.
DSRT Tavistock Rescue Centre Appeal 2022
Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team Tavistock would like to say a huge THANK YOU once more to each and every one of you who helped us to reach our £50,000 target for our Rescue50 Appeal. Because of your wonderful generosity, our new control vehicle is on order.
What else we need to do: We need to raise money for an additional building for our rescue centre to house our rescue vehicles, as well as vital redevelopments which need to be made to the current building to improve our facilities and help us to continue to engage with our local community. Our rescue centre appeal aims to raise £65,000 in 2022.
Why we need to do it: The additional building for our rescue centre will guarantee our viability as an effective search & rescue resource because it will be used to house all three of our rescue vehicles. One of the improvements required is to enlarge our kit drying rooms. As our remit of rescue scenarios increases, including both technical rope rescues and swift water rescues, so does the need for more equipment and the ability to dry it in appropriate spaces; this demand has increased dramatically over the last 25 years since our initial kit storage rooms were created!
Why we need your help: DSRT Tavistock receives no government funding and relies solely on donations to remain operational. Clearly, raising an additional £65,000 represents an enormous challenge, which is why we have launched the rescue centre appeal. We cannot raise this money on our own and need your help. How can you help? There are many ways to donate, from shopping online through Amazon Smile and Easyfundraising, taking a punt with the SeaMoor Lotto, to just sending us a cheque (with Gift Aid). You can also visit dsrt-tavistock.org.uk/donate. html or you can donate straight to this appeal at justgiving.com/campaign/ RescueCentreRebuild
For further information visit dsrttavistock.org.uk, or please contact our fundraising officer on fundraising@ dsrt-tavistock.org.uk
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Spring plans for Tavistock
There’s a spring in our step as the sun comes out and the town starts to bloom. We are blessed to have lots of green, open space for everyone to enjoy when they visit – whether that’s for business or pleasure. We are kicking off spring in Tavistock with the annual ‘Paint the Town’ event beginning on 2 April, as local school children and other community groups reveal their garlands in the windows around town. Alongside the traditional theme of spring, designs will also incorporate ideas to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. Over the Easter holidays you can expect another egg-citing town trail, running from Saturday 9 to Saturday 23 April. See Visit Tavistock on Facebook for more details.
Work is underway for a relaunch of the Tavistock town app ‘Tavistock Local’, and we are really excited about the new look and upgraded content. If you haven’t downloaded it already, you can easily do so from Google Play and the Apple App Store. In the coming weeks we will also be shooting a couple of short family-friendly films about the town. The idea is that these will be educational and entertaining, bringing our history to life in words, music and pictures – a great way to tell our story to the next generation so they learn more about where they live. We are thrilled to see more businesses coming into the town, from surfing fashion to a refill shop. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, there is confidence in Tavistock as a good place to do business, which gives us great optimism for the months ahead.
Plans are coming together for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year, and we are thrilled to be arranging a Jubilee Gala Day in Tavistock on 2 June, which promises to be a wonderful day, kicking off with a pageant featuring local school children, as well as a tea dance, children’s zone, music and nostalgia. For more details on upcoming events see What’s On and visit www.visit-tavistock. co.uk/whats-on
Tavistock BID
BID UPCOMING EVENTS
09 April – 23 April
TAVISTOCK EASTER TRAIL
02 April
PAINT THE TOWN & BIRD BOX MAKING, TAVISTOCK
02 April
TAVISTOCK PLATINUM JUBILEE GALA DAY
Visit
DEVON’S WORLD HERITAGE TOWN
• Historic Stannary & Market Town • A UNESCO World Heritage Site • Gateway to Dartmoor & Cornwall • Home of the Cream Tea • Shop, Eat & Enjoy Come and celebrate the Platinum Jubilee with us in
2nd June:
5th June: Jubilee Gala Day and Pageant Steam Fair and Picnic in the Park
The beautifully restored Tavistock Guildhall is now open as a Gateway Centre to the Cornwall & West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site. Entry is free, so do get down there to learn more about Tavistock’s role in a vibrant history. for more info
