Five people were arrested and a stolen vehicle was recovered on Saturday night after a busy road safety operation across Teignbridge, South Hams and Torbay.
Police carried out the traffic operation on Saturday 7 March and officers taking part included Patrol, Neighbourhood and Special Constabulary teams focusing on the problem of drink and drug driving.
During the course of the evening officers identified the following offences:
Five people were stopped for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, three vehicles identified with no insurance, three positive drug wipes, as well as three negative drug wipes (this simple roadside saliva test indicates possible drug driving).
Officers tested five drivers for drink driving and results revealed two positive breath tests and three negative. A stolen vehicle was also recovered.
One vehicle was stopped after being wanted in connection with non-traffic crimes and police identified one offence of vehicle interference.
Four drivers who were found to have no insurance or driving licence had their vehicles seized and one driver was spoken to on suspicion of possession of cannabis. Officers found suspected illicit drugs in a vehicle that was involved in a collision.
In total five people were arrested – two for drink driving and three for drug driving (two of those three failed to stop for police).
Inspector Wes Watkins explained: “The majority of drivers checked this weekend were not committing any offences and we would like to thank the public for their co-operation as we carry out our checks. Road safety is a priority for Devon & Cornwall Police and we will continue to remind road users that consuming alcohol and drugs before you get behind the wheel is not acceptable.
“Your vehicle must be roadworthy and we will continue to crack down on any risky behaviour by drivers that puts them or other road users in danger. This may also include offences such as speeding or using a mobile phone behind the wheel.
“More days of action are planned this year and we work closely with partners to decrease the level of serious and fatal road incidents and save lives.”
Rail passenger numbers are climbing, trains are ageing, and on some services – particularly the morning run from Barnstaple into Exeter – demand has simply outgrown the available space.
Matt Barnes, head of strategic service at Great Western Railway, has spent much of his career watching that change unfold. Having previously worked at Devon County Council before moving to GWR, he has been closely involved in many of the region’s major rail upgrades.
“I’ve been around Devon for a long time,” Matt says. “I used to work for Devon County Council and done the vast majority of upgrade type projects that we’ve done in this area for example, leading the Dartmoor line a few years ago.”
The reopening of the Dartmoor Line in 2021 was widely hailed as a success story, restoring passenger trains between Exeter and Okehampton for the first time in nearly half a century. Yet its success is also part of a wider trend; rail travel across Devon is booming. According to Matt, the transformation over the past decade has been dramatic.
“Since I got involved in rail travel in Devon, there are twice as many people travelling on our services,” he says. “There are 40% more people on local trains around Exeter than there were pre-COVID.”
Matt Barnes
That surge in demand has brought new opportunities – but also new pressures. One of the most immediate challenges facing the network is the condition of the trains themselves. Much of the diesel fleet serving the west of England is now decades old.
“The average age of our DMU fleet across the west services is more than 30 years old,” Matt explains. “Some of the units will hit 40 this year.”
At the same time, previous efficiency measures reduced the number of trains available. GWR’s High Speed Train sets, which once helped support regional services, have now been withdrawn. The result is a system that is busier than ever but operating with limited rolling stock.
“Several years ago we realised that the situation couldn’t carry on like it was,” Matt says. “We needed to get some more units into the fleet.”
The solution emerged in the form of Class 175 trains-diesel multiple units built between 1999 and 2001 that had been operating in Wales before being replaced. For GWR, they represented the quickest realistic option for strengthening services.
“At the time, there was only one option really that appeared to be relatively quick to act,” Matt says. “These were the Class 175s. They’re much younger trains. They were in service in Wales, and they’ve just been replaced there, and they were available to take straight on.”
Transport For Wales Class 175 diesel multiple unit viewed in July 2021.
GWR is acquiring 26 of the units. Once fully introduced, they will operate on the main line between Exeter and Penzance, as well as on regional services, including routes to Okehampton and Barnstaple. A handful will also appear on trains on Cornwall’s Newquay branch.
The aim is not simply to replace older trains but to strengthen the resilience and capacity of the network.
“We’ve taken them on because they allow us to address resilience issues in the west DMU fleet,” Matt explains. “They also help address some capacity issues.”
One of the clearest examples of that demand is the 7.22am service from Barnstaple, where the daily rush includes hundreds of students travelling to Exeter.
“Specifically, the Barnstaple 7.22am challenge of over 400 students,” Matt says.
Longer trains are planned to ease that pressure. On the busiest services, the Class 175 units will run as five-car formations, significantly increasing the number of seats available.
Yet introducing new trains to an existing railway is rarely as simple as moving them from one place to another. When the Class 175s arrived from Wales, they were not ready to enter passenger service immediately.
“The challenge we faced is those trains effectively had gone into storage after they were taken out of use in Wales,” Matt says. “The condition of them was not basically suitable for immediately deploying into traffic.”
The 1613 Exeter Central to Barnstaple (2B81) formed of 158798 arriving into Barnstaple and will immediately form the 1733 Barnstaple to Exeter Central (2R91)
Before passengers could board them, the trains needed substantial engineering work. The first stage is an overhaul carried out at Wolverton Works, north of Milton Keynes, by the trains’ owners. Only after that process is complete can GWR carry out its own inspections.
“The second stage is we then do an exam to assure ourselves from an engineering perspective that they’re ready for use,” Matt explains.
That work has taken longer than originally anticipated.
“It’s been more of a challenge than perhaps we were expecting,” Matt says. “Frankly the units have degraded more than we expected.”
Even once the engineering work is complete, there are further hurdles. Drivers must be trained to operate the new trains, and the infrastructure across the network must be confirmed as compatible.
“When you introduce the train into the business, there’s two things you need to do apart from getting the train physically ready,” Matt says. “One is to train people and prepare our bit of the business. And the other piece is to modify and ensure the infrastructure is compatible.”
Driver training alone takes around two weeks for each driver.
“A week of classroom, if you like, and a week of driving them up and down, just getting used to how they handle,” Matt says.
The process is already underway. Several of the trains are now in the GWR system, with some used for training and others undergoing final checks. Passenger services using the trains have already begun in Cornwall.
“We have got trains in use in Cornwall,” Matt says. “We have one of them we use for passenger service in Cornwall and we have several more that we are using for driver training.”
At present, nine units are within the business, with more gradually joining as engineering work progresses.
However, geography adds another complication. The new trains are based at GWR’s depot in Plymouth, meaning driver training must begin there before expanding further across the network.
“We had to train our drivers at Plymouth and Par in Cornwall first before we can come to Exeter,” Matt explains. “Effectively Exeter is the latter part of the training.”
That sequence means that the lines serving North Devon – where extra capacity is urgently needed – must wait until later in the rollout.
“While we really, really want to deliver the extra capacity on the Barnstaple line to address the crowding… we physically can’t get there because we’ve got to train other people first,” Matt says.
Even so, progress is steadily being made. The expectation is that the first Class 175 services will appear in the Exeter area before the end of the year.
“We are working towards, by the end of the year, having the first trains in use in this area,” Matt says.
For passengers, the wait should ultimately be worthwhile. While Devon’s current Class 158 trains represented an improvement when they were introduced, the Class 175 units promise a noticeable step up in comfort.
“Interior-wise… these are very nice trains,” Matt says. “From a customer perspective, they will go down really well.”
The delays, however, have not been easy.
“The unfortunate thing is it’s been frustrating that we haven’t been able to make as much progress as we’d like as soon as we’d like,” he admits.
For Matt, the story of the new trains sits within a much bigger narrative about rail in Devon. Over the past decade, the region’s railway has shifted from a useful transport option into something far more central to everyday life.
“It is fair to say that the transformation that we have seen in that time is quite enormous,” he says.
Part of that change has been driven by new stations and reopened routes. The return of trains to Okehampton created new journeys and new opportunities. But it also demonstrated how rail can connect communities far beyond the immediate line.
“The Dartmoor line actually makes money,” Matt says. “And the reason it makes money is that there’s a huge amount of travel off it… that then uses Exeter as an interchange point to travel long distances.”
That network effect is key. A railway line is rarely just about the towns directly along its tracks; it connects to a much wider system of journeys.
“The benefit of the railway is it’s a network,” Matt explains. “It doesn’t just get you on a short segment. It allows you to access places all over.”
That idea sits at the heart of the next phase of planning for Devon’s railways. Earlier versions of the Devon Metro concept focused largely on adding stations and improving services on existing lines. Now, Matt says, the conversation is shifting.
“When I was involved, 16 years ago, the original Devon Metro iteration, it was all about new stations and service enhancements,” he says. “Now we need more infrastructure.”
The work now under discussion concerns shaping the railway to support the region’s future growth. That includes looking at how different lines fit together to support travel across Exeter, North Devon, East Devon and beyond.
“The work that we’re starting to think about is what’s next for Devon Metro,” Matt says.
That could involve further service improvements, new connections between lines, or increased frequencies. Among the aspirations is a half-hourly service on the North Devon line, as well as ideas linking places such as Axminster, Digby and the Exmouth branch.
Ultimately, the goal is to ensure the railway continues to support the region’s expanding economy and population.
“The important thing from a sub-regional perspective is that we have a vision,” Matt says, “for how the railway slots together to deliver growth in the Exeter, North Devon, East Devon, South Devon area rather than just any one route.”
The scale of Storm Chandra’s impact on the South West rail network was stark; for a time in late January, almost every line across Devon and Cornwall was closed.
When the storm swept across the UK between 26 and 27 January, it arrived with relentless rain, powerful winds and ground already saturated from weeks of wet weather. The result was widespread disruption across the region’s railways, leaving passengers stranded and operators scrambling to respond to a situation that rapidly escalated beyond anything usually encountered.
For Great Western Railway, the challenge was unprecedented in its recent experience. David Whiteway, Regional Growth Manager at GWR, says the storm exposed just how vulnerable the network can be when extreme weather hits multiple routes at once.
“When Storm Chandra hit, it wasn’t just the Barnstaple line that was out of action,” he explains. “The only line in the whole of Devon and Cornwall that had a partially normal service was the Exmouth branch and even then, a few days later, that itself had its own problems that caused closure.”
In practical terms, that meant an entire regional rail system struggling to function. “Every single line of Devon and Cornwall this winter has had such bad weather that for a period of time it has been shut,” David says. The Barnstaple and Okehampton routes were among the worst affected, suffering prolonged disruption that proved far more complex to resolve than typical weather-related incidents.
That distinction is crucial. Rail operators deal with disruption regularly, but usually on a much shorter timescale. “I’m being really honest with you,” David says. “We don’t normally get disruption that lasts days and days and days. Normally, we manage it on an hour-by-hour basis.”
Storm Chandra forced the railway into unfamiliar territory. “What we found is actually in our business there was nobody able to step in whose job it was to manage a long-term closure of the line,” he says. “So we’ve had to cobble things together. We’ve had to learn on a day-by-day basis.”
As conditions worsened, GWR had to take the rare step of declaring what is known as a “black service outage”. The rail industry operates a colour-coded system for disruption: green for normal service, amber for moderate issues, and red for significant disruption. Black is something else entirely.
“When we get to black, it is a stage that we only do as an absolute last resort,” David explains. “It means the weather is so bad we physically can’t get you to where you need to be. We can’t get road transport, we can’t run rail services.”
That was the reality facing the railway during the height of the storm. With so many routes closed simultaneously, even contingency plans struggled to keep pace.
One of the most visible aspects of any rail disruption is the appearance of rail replacement buses. But providing those services on a large scale, particularly at short notice, is far from simple.
“Because nearly every line in Devon and Cornwall was shut, that meant we were physically never going to be able to supply enough rail replacement buses to cover both counties,” David says. In those circumstances, difficult decisions had to be made about where limited resources should go.
The mainline was prioritised, particularly the route via Hele, with Network Rail focusing efforts on reopening it as quickly as possible to restore the highest number of services.
Even where buses could be arranged, the logistics were daunting. Rail operators do not maintain a reserve fleet of vehicles waiting for emergencies. Instead, they rely on specialist contractors to source them from across the transport industry.
“We don’t sit with a bank of buses and drivers doing nothing ready for potential storm damage,” David says. “We use a company called First Travel Solutions, whose job it is to ring around pretty much every bus company you can think of.”
The scale of the requirement alone was a problem. Running a replacement service for the Barnstaple line requires around 24 buses at any given time just to maintain an hourly timetable. When multiplied across several closed branch lines, the demand quickly outstrips local availability.
“It did take us about three or four days before we were able to start providing road transport on the Barnstaple line,” David explains. “Simply because it did not exist. It wasn’t available for us to provide.”
Flooding around Hele (Credit : Weatherman Radmore)
And even when buses were secured, new complications emerged. The railway entered what became a 24-day possession of the line while Network Rail carried out repairs and waited for divers to assess damage. During that time, keeping the replacement service running proved an ongoing challenge.
“We were able to secure a bus company for three or four days,” David says. “But under EU driving regulation times that we still work to in this country, they have to have either a 24-hour or 45-hour break in between.”
The result was a constantly shifting operation. Bus companies would step in for a few days before needing to withdraw drivers for mandatory rest periods, forcing GWR and its contractors to search for new operators at short notice.
“We got as far as actually bringing in coach companies from as far away as Wales and Hampshire to secure the line towards the end of the possession,” David says. “That’s why every other day you would see different service buses operating this route.”
Local operators were approached as well, but they faced their own constraints. Bus companies still had to run school contracts and regular public services, leaving little spare capacity to support emergency rail replacements.
“We did go as far as possible around asking local bus companies if they could enhance some of their public timetable buses,” David says, particularly along the busy route five corridor. “Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible because they did not have enough buses and drivers to run extra services.”
For passengers already dealing with major disruption, another issue quickly became apparent: knowing where to go. Replacement buses do not always stop directly outside railway stations, and in some locations, there was confusion about pick-up points.
“We also found that getting that information out to the bus drivers – for them to understand where it is they need to stop – and informing customers where they need to go to catch that bus was a challenge,” David says.
The experience exposed gaps in the system that had previously gone unnoticed. “We did find problems we didn’t know existed out there,” he admits.
Those lessons are already shaping changes. Across the network, stations have begun receiving permanent rail replacement signage, clearly indicating where buses stop and how passengers should reach them.
“You may have already seen at all the stations, we’ve now put up fixed bus stop information,” David says. “Signs of rail replacement and signs at the station themselves to show you where to go if that is not directly outside of the station.”
Another priority is improving staff presence on the ground during disruptions. For upcoming engineering works later this month, GWR plans to deploy significantly more bus coordinators to guide passengers and manage boarding points.
“We are going to have a lot more bus coordinators on the ground informing customers where to go and greeting them,” David says.
Even that is not straightforward when disruption occurs without warning. Many of the people who normally perform those roles are booked years in advance for planned engineering work and often hold other jobs.
“A lot of the people that we normally employ for our planned engineering works are planned up to two years in advance,” David explains. “They have other jobs and do this as a part-time role.”
During Storm Chandra, that meant coordination on the ground was inconsistent simply because staff were not immediately available. The company is now examining ways to use local railway staff to step into those roles during unexpected closures.
“We are looking at ways within the company of how we can utilise local staff and teams to perhaps come and fulfil that role when we have unplanned disruption,” he says.
While the immediate crisis caused by Storm Chandra has passed, the region’s railways are not yet free from disruption. The Tarka Line is scheduled to close again at the end of the month, this time for planned engineering works.
Given the difficult winter, the decision raised obvious questions about whether those works should be postponed. But the rail industry ultimately concluded that delaying them would risk further problems.
“We did review whether it is best to postpone this work given how much disruption we’ve had on this line this winter,” David says. “But we’ve collectively taken as a rail industry the decision that it’s important to carry on.”
The reason is long-term improvement. Some of the planned work includes renewing sections of track to increase line speeds, part of a wider effort to deliver a more reliable and efficient service.
“Some of them utilise things like helping us improve the line speed by renewing the track,” David explains, “which are some of the long-term aims we’re all working towards to provide a better service.”
A new woodland has been planted at Stover Country Park as part of the Restoring Stover Park project, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The three-year project was recently completed, having restored historic features, improved Stover Lake, upgraded paths and trails, and delivered new and improved facilities. The biodiverse woodland, which has been established with the planting of mixed native trees, is another legacy of the initiative.
Children from Bearnes Voluntary Primary School and Stover Prep School helped gather tree seeds collected within the historic Stover Park grounds. They then worked with numerous Stover Country Park volunteers to help prepare, germinate and grow the tree seeds in the micro-tree nurseries.
The three-year old trees from these nurseries are among the trees to have been used to establish a new woodland between the Stover Centre and the lake.
Last month, 99 pupils from Bearnes Primary School helped plant some of the trees on the former de-silting site at the park, and 150 pupils from Stover Preparatory School planted a hedge along the fence line of the recently restored Serpentine Lake.
On Valentine’s Day, 100 people also turned out for the ‘Spread the love, plant a tree’ event. Those who took part commented that they loved planting the trees together as a family and they looked forward to seeing the trees flourish in years to come.
The final trees of the woodland were planted at last week’s celebration event which marked the end of the Restoring Stover Park project. Every guest who attended was invited to plant a tree – all supported by the dedicated volunteers at Stover.
Councillor Jacqi Hodgson, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Biodiversity, said: “This mixed broadleaved woodland is another wonderful legacy of the Restoring Stover Park project. Everyone involved in this inspiring initiative should be extremely proud of what’s been achieved over the past three years. The new woodland will create an important habitat for wildlife and significantly improve the biodiversity, and at the same time help mop up carbon from the atmosphere at Stover Country Park over the long term. It’s a great addition to this incredible green space and there’s no doubt it will be an important asset for future generations.”
Eve Malster, Restoring Stover Park Community Engagement Officer, said: “This three year project has been a wonderful example of partnership working, community involvement, and volunteer support. Hundreds of schoolchildren have learned how to grow trees from seed to sapling and then plant them out. Numerous volunteers have gained new skills in tree growing and conservation, helping to bring the project together. There are now community tree nurseries in Heathfield and Newton Abbot, and Stover Country Park has an amazing new broadleaved woodland. We couldn’t be prouder of this piece of work, and it has all been made possible thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and our other funders.”
Jasmine Atkinson from the Saving Devon’s Treescapes project said: “It’s been brilliant working with the team at Stover Country Park to deliver some great joined up projects. Schools, volunteers and community groups have all worked together to grow trees from seeds collected at Stover, which will then be planted back into the park. A great story of bringing people together to make a real difference to wildlife and communities, and a fantastic way to use the skills and resources of two National Lottery Heritage Fund projects to make an even bigger impact.”
Stuart McLeod, Director of England – London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “It’s wonderful to see schoolchildren, volunteers and the wider community come together to plant the trees that will shape Stover Park for generations to come. Restoring Stover Park’s legacy is not only through its fantastic transformation for nature but also through how its connected with the local community. Thanks to National Lottery players, Stover Park will continue to be a place people cherish long into the future.”
Sara Lom, Chief Executive at The Tree Council, said: “It’s uplifting to see Stover Park springing back to life – a reminder of what’s possible when a whole community comes together to get trees in the ground. We’re delighted to support the restoration through the National Highways Community Trees Programme, not just for the landscape it transforms but for the joy, pride and lifelong affection for trees that it will bring to the children and volunteers who’ve helped make it happen. We hope it will serve as an inspiration for others considering an application to the scheme in future.”
Ben Hewlett, National Highways Senior Environmental Adviser, said: “Our Community Trees Programme is delivering hundreds of thousands of trees to communities across England, helping local places thrive while strengthening nature. We’re working in partnership with both The Tree Council and Greenwood Plants to help charities, landowners and community groups source high-quality, UK-grown native species, and at Stover Country Park we’re delighted to have contributed to a project which will create benefits for the local community and wildlife for decades to come.”
Double Olympic champion Helen Glover OBE will visit the University of Exeter Business School today as the latest guest in its Leading Edge speaker series – a programme of events that explores leadership, resilience and purpose through the experiences of influential figures.
Glover, one of Britain’s most successful rowers, will share the story behind a sporting career that has spanned more than a decade at the highest level, from her unlikely entry into rowing through a talent identification programme to Olympic gold medals, retirement, motherhood and an unexpected return to elite competition.
Her talk will take audience members on a journey through the defining moments of her career, reflecting on the role of teachers, coaches and teammates in shaping her leadership style and approach to performance.
Born and raised in Cornwall, Glover was not a rower growing up and only discovered the sport after being selected for the Sporting Giants talent programme in 2008, an initiative designed to identify athletes with the potential to succeed in Olympic sports ahead of the London 2012 Games.
Four years later, she and rowing partner Heather Stanning delivered one of the defining moments of the Games, winning Team GB’s first gold medal of London 2012 in the women’s coxless pair.
The pair remained unbeaten for five years, collecting world and European titles before defending their Olympic crown at Rio 2016.
Glover retired after Rio and in the years that followed married the television presenter and naturalist Steve Backshall and had three children.
For many athletes that would mark the end of an elite sporting career, but for Glover it was the beginning of a new chapter.
In 2021 she made history by returning to the British rowing team after the birth of her children, competing at the delayed Tokyo Olympics.
The comeback, conceived during lockdown training sessions at home, challenged long-held assumptions about motherhood and elite sport.
“I want to be an elite athlete and a mum, not an elite athlete despite being a mum,” Glover said in an interview reflecting on her return to competition. “I want to be able to do the two absolutely to the same ability as everybody else, without my being a mum being seen as a negative or leaving an asterisk beside my name.”
Glover returned to Olympic competition once again at Paris 2024, winning silver as part of the women’s four, a moment made more meaningful by competing in front of her children.
For those attending the Leading Edge event, Glover’s story offers insights that extend beyond sport. Her experiences navigating pressure, managing expectations and balancing ambition with family life mirror the leadership challenges faced in many professional environments.
The Leading Edge series at the University of Exeter Business School brings together students, apprentices, alumni and business leaders to explore what it means to lead with purpose in complex and rapidly changing environments.
Glover’s appearance continues that conversation through the lens of elite sport, where marginal gains, teamwork and mental resilience often determine the difference between success and failure.
Find out more about the Leading Edge speaker series here.
A South West education trust aiming to become the region’s best place to work has been recognised nationally for the way it develops and supports its staff.
The Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust has been shortlisted for the Staff Development Award for trusts with 13 or more schools at the MAT Excellence Awards.
The award recognises academy trusts that demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting professional development for staff across their schools.
The Ted Wragg Trust says investing in people is central to its mission to transform lives, strengthen communities and improve outcomes for young people. One of its strategic priorities is “growing great people”, with professional development opportunities offered to staff at every stage of their careers.
Teachers across the trust benefit from fortnightly instructional coaching sessions, while more than 50 professional networks allow staff to collaborate and share expertise. Training programmes also include the SEND Level 5 teaching assistant apprenticeship delivered in partnership with Exeter College.
According to the trust, eight in ten staff members say they would recommend it as a place to work – a figure it says is significantly higher than national benchmarks.
Last year the trust also launched its festival of learning, known as tEdFest, designed to bring more choice and collaboration to staff training. The event saw more than 1,300 members of staff take part, with more than 200 courses available and around 5,000 hours of continuing professional development completed during the day.
The MAT Excellence Awards celebrate the work of academy trusts across the country and recognise their impact on pupils, staff and the wider community. Winners will be announced later this year.
Moira Marder, chief executive of the Ted Wragg Trust, said: “We are proud that our commitment to staff development has been recognised at a national level.
“Our colleagues are at the heart of everything we do, and investing in their growth and wellbeing is central to providing the best possible outcomes for our young people.
“Our flagship festival of learning – tEdFest – was a truly memorable day and this nomination is a testament to the dedication, enthusiasm and professionalism of staff members across our trust.”
Julie Fossey, director of the Ted Wragg Institute, added: “We’re thrilled to be shortlisted for this national staff development award which recognises our commitment to growing great people.
“Through our Ted Wragg Institute we offer rich opportunities for professional growth for colleagues at every stage of life and across every specialism, and tEdFest was the culmination of our ambition to bring more choice and joy to staff development.
“The professional learning completed through tEdFest is already having a tangible impact across our family of schools and we’re excited to make it even better this year.”
A housebuilder has smashed its fundraising target after a year of community challenges, charity events and staff initiatives helped generate more than £17,000 for a local hospice.
Baker Estates organised the programme of fundraising activities throughout its tenth anniversary year in 2025, bringing together staff, partners and residents to support the work of Rowcroft Hospice. The company initially aimed to raise £10,000 but ultimately exceeded that target by more than £7,000.
The anniversary campaign featured a range of events including community gatherings, a workplace bake-off, charity running challenges and site-based fundraising organised by employees.
One of the standout events was the Baker Estates Anniversary Golf Day, which brought together staff, subcontractors and supporters. A Donald Trump impersonator hosted the charity auction during the event, encouraging competitive bidding and helping to boost the fundraising total.
Rowcroft Hospice provides specialist end-of-life care and support for patients and families across South Devon, with the funds raised helping the charity continue delivering its services.
Graham Hutton, deputy managing director of Baker Estates, said: “Reaching our tenth anniversary was a milestone we wanted to celebrate in a meaningful way. Rowcroft does incredible work for individuals and families across our region, and we are immensely proud to have raised over £17,000 to support their vital services.
“This achievement reflects the generosity and enthusiasm of our team, our partners and the wider community, and we would like to thank everyone who took part or donated throughout the year.”
Mark Hawkins, chief executive officer of Rowcroft Hospice, added: “What an amazing effort and our thanks goes to everyone who helped with this incredible fundraising challenge.
“Support from local businesses like Baker Estates makes a huge difference to the patients and families we care for. Their year-long commitment and the fantastic total raised will help us continue providing compassionate end-of-life care to people across South Devon.
“We are incredibly grateful to everyone involved for their generosity and support.”
Baker Estates said supporting charities and community initiatives remains an important part of the company’s work alongside delivering new housing across the South West.
The business has sold more than 800 homes to date and currently has over 1,000 homes in its planning pipeline. It is selling properties on nine developments while a further eight schemes are in construction or planning.
We are sorry for the inconvenience caused by the ongoing temporary closure of the main building at Tothill Community Centre as critical fire safety survey work is carried out.
The majority of the activities and events that usually take place in main building are being accommodated in the large hall, which is in a separate building, or at an alternative site.
Unfortunately, the café in the main building remains closed and we continue to work with the proprietor to explore potential alternative options.
The main building was closed last month after a routine inspection raised a number of fire safety issues that need to be resolved. Further detailed assessments are now being carried out and this means the main building is likely to remain closed until at least the end of April.
We are grateful for the patience and understanding of the centre’s users and will provide further updates when we have them.
Families are being urged to have an often difficult but important conversation before it becomes unavoidable — talking about future care for loved ones.
A home care provider is encouraging people to use Mother’s Day as an opportunity to check in with older relatives and start discussing support earlier, rather than waiting until circumstances force urgent decisions.
Helping Hands Home Care, which operates four branches across Devon in Exeter, Plymouth, Topsham and Torquay, provides in-home care to more than 15,000 people across England and Wales. The organisation says families frequently delay discussions about care until support becomes urgently needed.
To coincide with Mother’s Day on Sunday, March 15, the provider has produced a practical guide titled “Starting the care conversation”. The guide aims to help families feel more confident about raising the topic of additional support and encourages people to begin thinking about care earlier, rather than waiting until a crisis point.
With many families gathering to celebrate Mother’s Day, the occasion can also offer an opportunity to notice how relatives are coping at home.
Common signs that someone may benefit from extra help include struggling with everyday tasks such as cooking meals, keeping the house tidy or attending appointments. Other indicators may include missed medication, increasing isolation, or changes in appetite, mood or confidence.
The guide also includes advice from the organisation’s care team on how families can approach the subject. Recommendations include choosing a calm and private moment to talk, keeping discussions open and collaborative, and focusing on maintaining independence.
Cheryl Douglas, head of quality at Helping Hands Home Care, said:
“Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate the important role mums, grandmothers, and guardians play in our lives, but it can also be an opportunity to pause and check in on how they are really doing day to day.
“Conversations about support are rarely easy, particularly when someone has always been independent.
“However, starting those discussions early can help families feel more prepared and ensure loved ones remain living well at home for longer.”
Cheryl added that many families later say they wished they had raised the subject sooner.
“We often speak to families who say they wish they had talked about care sooner.
“Planning ahead allows everyone to explore options calmly, understand what support might look like, and make decisions together rather than during a stressful situation.
“Our guide provides clear advice on how to go about doing that, and we would encourage people this Mother’s Day to think about starting that conversation in plenty of time so that everyone is prepared when any important decisions need to be made.”
The full guide is available at Difficult Conversations: Talking About Care | Helping Hands Home Care.
Helping Hands Home Care supports families in more than 150 communities across the UK, offering services ranging from assistance with daily routines and medication to companionship and live-in care.
Music fans heading to one of Devon’s biggest summer concert events are being offered more ways to get in and out, as organisers unveil extra trains, coach links and taxi shuttle plans ahead of four major shows.
TK Maxx presents Live At Powderham will run from Thursday, June 25 to Sunday, June 28 at the Powderham Castle estate, with Teddy Swims, Alanis Morissette and Lewis Capaldi topping the bill. Organisers have now announced further audience experience measures, including additional public transport options and new camping and VIP updates.
Among the latest changes, Big Green Coach will run return services from towns including Torquay, Okehampton, Newton Abbot and Plymouth, with multiple pick-up and drop-off points. Great Western Railway will also run additional services before and after the shows to Starcross station, which is around a 15-minute walk from the arena.
Dedicated drop-off and pick-up locations for private cars, along with the event’s official taxi partner Apple Taxis, will operate from Exeter Racecourse and Winslade Manor. Eventgoers will be able to pre-purchase tickets for shuttle buses travelling to and from the site. A free bike lock-up will also be available just outside the arena.
These measures add to previously announced shuttle buses from Exeter city centre and the official park-and-ride service from Exeter Racecourse.
Organisers said the aim is for most concertgoers to travel by public transport. More information is available at liveatpowderham.com, while fans are also being advised to follow the event’s social media channels for transport and travel updates.
Also new for 2026 is a Live At Powderham campsite, where visitors can bring their own tent or campervan, or book pre-pitched glamping. Organisers said only a limited number of spots remain across the weekend.
VIP ticket upgrades have also been released for the opening night headlined by Teddy Swims on Thursday, June 25, and for Alanis Morissette’s show on Friday, June 26. They are available only to people who have already bought general admission tickets.
Organisers said VIP tickets for both Lewis Capaldi shows on Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28 have almost sold out. They added that only a limited number of general admission tickets remain for the Saturday night performance.
The latest announcement follows a search launched by organisers for charities across Devon to benefit from the event. One charity will be selected for each show and will be given the chance to have fundraisers on site collecting donations and raising awareness.
The event at Powderham Castle estate is being organised by Live Nation promoters Cuffe and Taylor.
Cuffe and Taylor co-founder Peter Taylor said: “We are seriously counting down to TK Maxx presents Live At Powderham now – and have been working very hard to make it the best experience for fans.
“The new added travel and transport arrangements, with special coaches from across the South West and added train journeys taking you within a short walk of the arena, mean there are options to suit everyone to make their trip to Powderham even better.
“It’s exciting to see so many ticket options sold or selling out now – with just limited camping spots available, and new VIP options added.
“We cannot wait to bring Teddy Swims, Alanis Morissette and Lewis Capaldi to the beautiful Devon countryside – and to see so many huge music fans at this stunning venue. Don’t miss out!”
Tickets and further information are available from liveatpowderham.com.
