Lifestyle

From teddy bears to singing penguins: Jack’s Patch raises thousands for Rowcroft Hospice

Otter Garden Centres Jack’s Patch branch has announced the amount raised for Rowcroft Hospice during 2025.

While the fundraising was initially totalled at £4,531 for the cheque presentation, there was more to add from the collection tins, so the final figure was closer to £4,700....

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How to Add Kerb Appeal to your Property

One of the best ways to really show off your property and make it the best it can be is to revamp and improve the look of the property in regards to the place that most people are going to see; the front.

Adding kerb appeal to the property is also really important to make the house the best it can be when you are planning on selling it, people are going to be less likely to buy a...

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Mental health support charity to receive funding boost

A mental health charity based in Exmouth in Devon is receiving a £1,000 funding boost thanks to regional housebuilder Persimmon Homes South West.

Heads Up Mental Health Awareness CIC applied for the donation from the Persimmon Homes Community Champions scheme, which was created to financially assist regional charities, organisations and good causes.

Paula Baker from Heads Up...

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Devon-based group leads the way in supporting autistic learners

World Autism Acceptance Week runs this year from 28 March to 3 April. Revealingly, numbers of diagnosed children are on the increase, with most recent statistics saying that around one in 57 (1.76%) children in the UK is on the autistic spectrum.

One of the most problematic issues that parents face is to do with education; depending on where they are on the spectrum, autistic children...

Step into spring with the National Trust in Devon

Across Devon, National Trust gardens are filling with colourful spring blooms, and houses are looking tip-top after their intensive winter cleans. There’s loads going on this season with guided tours, exhibitions, and Easter egg hunts. What’s more, every time you experience a National Trust day out, you help care for these special places for future generations.

Buckland Abbey

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Council’s community testing service ending but outreach team will continue to support vaccinations

Devon County Council's community testing team, which has been delivering a mobile lateral flow testing service, as well as COVID-19 vaccinations, to local communities across Devon since January 2021, will change its operations from 1 April .

The government’s ‘Living with COVID-19’ plan will see the end to universal access to free lateral flow and PCR tests for most people at the end...

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5 tips for making mealtimes more exciting

If you’ve watched one too many cooking shows, you may feel your own cooking leaves a lot to be desired.

After all, it’s way too easy to fall into a food rut, going through the same rotation of meals week after week, especially if you don’t have the time or money to plan something more interesting.

Thankfully, you don’t need to spend a fortune on ingredients and kitchen...

What is umbilical cord blood, and why are celebrities choosing Plymouth-based Biovault Family to bank it?

Stem cells are extraordinary. Those left in your baby's cord blood after the birth are especially powerful, able to regenerate every kind of damaged blood cell. So far cord blood stem cells are being used to treat more than 80 diseases including cancers like leukaemia and lymphoma, inherited immune system and immune-cell disorders, sickle cell disease and anaemia, and Gaucher disease. But...

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The Best Places in the World to Experience Spring

Spring is an optimistic time of year. The worst of the cold weather is behind us for another year; the frost has thawed, flowers have started to blossom, and trees have begun to take on a healthier shade of green again. It’s a great time of year to head out on a break – whether it’s a short city experience or a more active walking holiday .

But exactly where are the best destinations...

Devon writer releases debut novel

Devon writer Anna Valencia releases debut novel set in the little known Montaltissimo, in Garfagnana, Northern Tuscany and inspired by the local history of the area.

Two women, separated by two generations and continents, both trapped in their grief and unable to move forwards. Upon inheriting Stazzana, a crumbling farmhouse in the wilderness of northern Tuscany, Emma flies out to...

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Sandridge Barton Unveils New Visitor Centre and Winery

Sandridge Barton, the home of Sharpham Wine, is proud to unveil its brand new visitor centre, winery and restaurant nestled in the South Devon countryside on the east bank of the River Dart. Perfect for a weekend away to the South West of England or a summer's day out, Sandridge Barton will open its doors in early June 2022, in time for English Wine Week (18th - 26th June 2022).

The...

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