North Devon Council, in partnership with North Devon Voluntary Service, have announced that they will be supporting the Big Help Out; a national campaign that aims to encourage volunteering in communities across the country.
The campaign showcases how volunteering benefits both the communities and the people who take part and its long-term objective is to get more people involved in volunteering and to highlight the positive impact it has on society.
The initiative is being launched as part of the celebrations marking the Coronation of King Charles III, and the partnership is calling on individuals and groups to come forward to share details of their volunteering groups to get new members on board.
Chief Executive of North Devon Council, Ken Miles, says: “The Big Help Out campaign is an excellent opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds to give back to their communities, and we are thrilled to be part of it. We believe that volunteering is an essential part of community building, and we are encouraging everyone to get involved and make a difference.
“To support the campaign, which officially launches on 8 May, we as a partnership are encouraging individuals to visit the Devon Connect website and list their volunteering opportunities. We will then be promoting these opportunities on our social media channels (@North Devon Council & @North Devon Voluntary Services – NDVS).
“We hope that by doing this, we will be able to connect volunteers with groups and organisations that need their help and support.”
Chief Officer of Northern Devon Voluntary Service, Marie Gould, says: “Our community is exceptionally well served by our Voluntary and Community Groups and we are very pleased, in collaboration with North Devon Council, to celebrate all of this much-needed work as well as gain further and much-needed additional support, in the form of volunteering roles. Thriving, strong and healthy communities are derived through the work of our Voluntary and Community groups and those that volunteer. The Big Help Out will help us to further raise awareness of just how important and rewarding volunteering can be for all involved.”
If you would like your volunteering opportunities added to the Devon Connect website, please click ‘add a listing’ on it’s homepage.
If you’re looking to start volunteering but don’t know where to start, please visit Devon Connects website to find opportunities in your local area.
Please feel free to give us a call on 01271 388253 to discuss any projects before submitting your application.
Fund deadline fast approaching: Community Development Fund
The Recovery Devon 2023 Community Development Fund is open for applications – – although the deadline for applications is Sunday21st May 2023 at 9.00am.
Awards from £50 to £750 are available for projects by anyone who is passionate about creating opportunities for recovery, in interesting and ‘out of the box’ ways. They welcome any innovative, recovery-focused project ideas that would benefit from a small amount of financial support. Project leads can also make use of our community development expertise.
They encourage those with lived experience of mental health struggles to apply, especially if it’s something that will also help your own recovery. You do not need to have had any experience with running projects before, if this is your first venture in setting up something in your community then Recovery Devon can offer connections and resources to help.
Further information, along with how to apply, can be found on their website: recoverydevon.co.uk/2023
Wolfson Foundation’s Older People Grant programme
The Wolfson Foundation’s Older People Grant programme supports UK registered charities and local authorities which provide care and services for older people, particularly if they have a neurodegenerative condition, such as Parkinson’s Disease, spinal muscular atrophy or Alzheimer’s, or are socially isolated.
Projects should be for a new building, refurbishment work or equipment that leads to one or more of the following aims:
Improved financial stability of the organisation
Improved quality and range of services, and/or
Increased access to services for new and existing users
Applying organisations should:
Be a registered charity or a local authority,
and, if applicable have at least a ‘Good’ rating from a regulator such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The minimum grant available is £15,000. Grant awards are normally in the range of £20.000 and £75,000. Please note that there is a matched funding requirement for projects with a total cost of over £50,000.
The Foundation has a 2-stage application process with the following key dates:
Opened to Stage 1 applications on Sunday 14th May 2023. 2. Stage 1 application deadline: Saturday 1st July 2023 at 23:59. 3. Stage 2 application deadline: Friday 1st September 2023 at 23:59. 4. Funding decisions: December 2023.
Further information, guidance and details about how to apply is available on the Wolfson Foundation website.
Torridge launch Town Centre Beautification Scheme
Torridge District Council has announced a new scheme to support local independent businesses (within the TDC area) with grants of up to £1000 available to help improve or repair shop fronts or other potential “beautification projects” within town centres. The funding has been made available as part of the money allocated to Torridge under the UK Shared Prosperity fund, with a 50:50 match funding arrangement. Under the scheme the council will contribute up to 50% of a project’s total cost with the business at least matching the Torridge grant contribution.
The funding is aimed at encouraging the creation of more attractive town centres and enhance the character of the towns across the district. Proposals will be marshalled under the umbrella of the councils “beautification project,” with the aim of making town centres more attractive and increasing footfall, whilst encouraging new businesses and projects to open up within the town centres.
The Council has set a deadline of 7th June 2023 for the receipt of applications and would like to hear from businesses in Bideford, Northam, Westward Ho!, Appledore, Great Torrington and Holsworthy. Any projects will need to fit in with the local aesthetics of the area and take into consideration other aspects such as conservation areas. All projects must be completed by October 2023 and as examples might include replacing shop fronts, windows doors and guttering, painting of existing shop fronts, replacement signage, or town centre art projects.
For more information on eligibility please contact Kirsty Defranceski (Town Centre Project Officer) at Torridge District Council on 01237 428919 or email economic.development@torridge.gov.uk if you would like to discuss the scheme further.
Community Fridges bring people together around good food. Across the UK they are reducing social isolation, increasing access to skills, sharing knowledge and repurposing fresh (surplus) food.
The funder knows that many groups want to do more, and so in partnership with Starbucks they are offering £7,000 (per group) in funding for up to 50 Community Fridge feel free to apply.
Exmoor Open Water Swim is offering 100 free charity places for this year’s swim but you need to be quick! The free charity tickets will only be available from 0800 on 20th May for 48 hours before tickets go on general release.
All you need to do is log on to exmoorswim.co.uk at 0800 on 20th May, sign up and pledge to raise £200 for local environmental charity Plastic Free North Devon – but you’ve only got 48 hours to do so! Fundraisers will receive a complimentary Exmoor Swim t-shirt as well as being entered into a prize draw to win a dryrobe®. General tickets will go on sale at 0800 on 22nd May.
The Exmoor Open Water Swim takes place at the beautiful Wimbleball Lake on Sunday 24 September and is said to be one of the friendliest and most inclusive open water swims around. Since its inception six years ago the event has become a firm fixture in the open water swim calendar. Its goal is to give everyone the opportunity to dive into nature’s wild embrace and swim in this incredible setting in the heart of Exmoor, no matter what your experience.
Swimmers can choose from four distances. Whether you’re taking part in your first open water swim or you’re a more experienced athlete looking for a real challenge, there’s a distance for you.
Distances include 6km, 4km and 2km where swimmers, in a wetsuit or skins. The 1km swimmers can enjoy the event’s non-competitive course which is a truly accessible swim distance for all ages, experiences and abilities.
In contrast, the 6km elite course is for those looking to really challenge themselves. They will swim one lap of the 4km course and one lap of the 2km course and must be able to swim at the faster pace of less than 28 minutes per mile equivalent in a pool to participate.
While there are medals for those who come in the top three for their age groups, and participation medals for all, the majority of swimmers will simply be challenging themselves to participate in a safe and friendly open-water swimming environment.
The Exmoor Open Water Swim, in association with dryrobe® and the event’s other sponsors, 79 Group and Ninety One, is also delighted to announce that 100% of the profits from the swim and the Croyde Ocean Triathlon will go to charity.
A new leadership has been announced at North Devon Council as members met for the first time since district elections earlier this month.
At an annual council meeting on Thursday, 16 May, Councillor Ian Roome was elected as the new Leader of the Council. Councillor David Worden was elected as Deputy Leader after serving as leader since 2019.
Both will stay in the posts until the next annual council meeting, which will be held on 27 March 2024.
The council also elected its Chair and Vice-Chair at Thursday’s meeting. Councillor Julie Hunt was re-elected as Chair for a third term while Councillor Helen Walker was elected as Vice-Chair.
Councillor Roome says: “I am delighted to be elected as the new leader of North Devon Council and am relishing the opportunity to be able to build on the work of our previous administration. We will continue to work hard to protect the environment, bring economic growth and achieve financial security as a council, and we will also endeavour to address housing needs in the area and work with our partners to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.
“While I’m under no illusion as to the challenges we face with cost of living pressures and a lack of funding from central Government, I am looking forward to us working together for the benefit of the whole community.”
Councillor Hunt says: “I am honoured to be re-elected to the position of Chair and be able to continue to represent North Devon. I am looking forward to all of our councillors – whether they are long-standing or new members – working together for the good of our district and our communities.”
The council’s Strategy and Resources Committee will meet for the first time on Monday, 5 June.
In today’s Clear Messages bulletin, we will be telling you all about the bathing season – what is it and how it’s monitored, and shining some light on which beaches you can and can’t walk your furry friends on during the warmer months. For more information, please keep on reading!Bathing season – what is it and how it’s monitored
This year, bathing season is running from the 15 May to the 30 September.For those of you who aren’t aware of what bathing season is, it’s a period of time when the Environment Agency monitor the water quality of over 400 designated bathing waters – this includes beaches, lakes and rivers.Weekly assessments measure the water quality, and at a number of sites, a daily pollution risk forecasts is issued.While the standard of bathing water quality in England is usually very high, the weather can have a temporary impact on the level of water quality. Knowing more about it can help you plan your trip to one of many beautiful blue spaces and get the most out of it!Annual ratings classify each site as excellent, good, sufficient or poor based on measurements taken over a period of up to four years. An interactive map and more information on specific locations can be found on the Environment Agency’s website.If we are alerted to a pollution risk, we would like to reassure you that we would pop something on our North Devon Council social media channels and have signage put up at the area affected.Dogs and beaches
Many of the beaches across North Devon are dog-friendly – some have open access all year round, whilst others offer different zones in peak seasons, but all are clearly marked.Most beaches in North Devon are privately owned and most also allow dogs between 1 October and 30 April, however, we would encourage you to please visit our webpage for a full list of which beaches allow dogs, whether they should be kept on a lead and which months they are and aren’t allowed.It’s useful to note that the following privately owned beaches have site-specific enforceable dog controls and do not allow dogs on their beaches between 1 May and 31 September:
Let’s make a difference together! Don’t forget the power of our local communities! We currently work with partners and community groups to combat issues in targeted areas. If you would like to get involved and keep North Devon beautiful, we welcome any approach for collaboration. Follow us on Twitter @NDCWardens and Facebook @northdevoncouncil and share our posts to help spread the word. Don’t forget, if you see us out and about, feel free to come and say hello.
Thanks for taking the time to read this bulletin, we hope you found it useful.
We have been busy preparing to launch this year’s Community Councillor Grant (CCG) scheme which has been agreed for 2023 to 2027.
… again giving each of our 42 Councillors £1000 to distribute to local projects!
We hope to launch the fund mid-May so keep checking our website and get your application submitted: Community Councillor Grants (CCG)
We hope to launch the fund mid-May so keep checking our website and get your application submitted: Community Councillor Grants (CCG)
Please feel free to give us a call on 01271 388253 to discuss any projects.
The Triangle Trust 1949 Fund
Grants are available to registered charities and organisations for proposals wanting to work with young people who have a criminal conviction or proposals focused on targeted work with high-risk young people on the edge of the criminal justice system.
The Trust’s funding opportunity for work with young people aged 11-25 with criminal convictions is currently open to application with a deadline of 23.59 on Sunday 21st May 2023. Projects supporting the following beneficiaries are likely to be prioritised:
Young people from Black or minorities / racialised communities
Young people who have experienced the care system, and/or
Young women and girls
Organisations wanting to make an application to work with high-risk young people on the edge of the criminal justice system can apply for a grant between Monday 18th September and Sunday 29th October 2023.
The Trust offers grants of up to £80,000 over a 2-year period. The maximum amount available per year is £40,000. Grants are for project costs rather than core funding.
The Trust is particularly interested in proposals that:
Demonstrate that they understand the wide range of challenges and issues that will need to be addressed to help a young person succeed after being released from a Young Offenders Institution or prison.
Have specific outcomes and targets related to individual development, health and well-being, employability, education, and social cohesion, and/or
Show existing work with young people who have been in the criminal justice system is already taking place and can evidence a track record of helping them to achieve positive outcomes.
The Trust usually visits more applicants than it awards grants to. The application process is:
Completion of the online application form on the Triangle Trust website.
The Trust’s representative(s) will visit shortlisted applicants.
Grant awards are normally confirmed 5-6 months once the application deadline has passed.
Charles Hayward Foundation – Small Grants Fund (Older people)
Grants are available up to £7000 for charities with an annual income of less than £350,000.
This programme wishes to fund preventative and early intervention programmes being delivered at the community level which allow older people to stay in their own homes and remain independent.
They are particularly interested in seeking out programmes which show some creativity in improving the quality of life of older people which:
aim to alleviate isolation and depression in older people, including informal day care or social, physical and recreational activities
give practical help, assistance and support for older people living in their own homes
address the emotional and practical needs of older carers, or
meet the specific needs of people with dementia
Applications will be considered every three months (March, June, September and December). Visit their website Charles Hayward Foundation for further information.
That bit at the end!…
The Burton celebrates 40 years of Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse with a new family-friendly exhibition
The Burton at Bideford is delighted to be hosting a new exhibition celebrating 40 years since the publication of Michael Morpurgo’s beloved modern classic, War Horse. And what better place to celebrate than in the county where the author has lived since the 1970s.
The exhibition was curated to accompany a special 40th anniversary edition of the book published by Farshore in October 2022. The book features a new cover from fine arts photographer, Nine Francois, and is illustrated by the award-winning war and reportage artist, George Butler.
Michael Morpurgo will be in conversation with Collections and Exhibitions Manager, Warren Collum, at the Burton Art Gallery and Museum on Sunday 18 June at 2pm.
40 Years of War Horse will be on display at the Burton from 22 May until 3 July. The Burton is open daily and admission is free.
North Devon Council and Torridge District Council have jointly published a new report which will re-establish a five-year housing land supply for northern Devon.
The report, published on Friday, 28 April, shows northern Devon to have enough available land to meet the area’s housing requirements equivalent to 5.9 years.
Councils are required by national planning policy to show there are enough sites earmarked for development to deliver the amount needed to meet housing requirements for the next five years – a so-called five-year housing land supply.
If councils are unable to show a five-year land supply, they are required to look more favourably on housing proposals that would not usually be considered appropriate. In recent years, this has resulted in the granting of planning permission for housing on sites across northern Devon that were not envisaged for development through the area’s plan for the future.
Re-establishing a five-year housing land supply allows the councils to support only the proposals that contribute towards the long-term vision for northern Devon and the area’s local plan, whilst being able to better resist proposals that fail to do so.
The report comes after more than six months of intensive work by officers at both councils to establish in detail the amount of land available for housing over the coming years, and the number of homes it may deliver. The process has to be backed by robust and detailed evidence and has required officers to engage proactively with developers of individual housing sites to understand and document what their expectations are for delivery over the next few years.
Planning Manager at Torridge District Council, Helen Smith, says: “Torridge and North Devon district councils lost the ability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply back in 2020 following the approval of a particular housing development at appeal. The disruption caused by COVID, the associated lockdowns and impact on construction activity meant that it hasn’t been possible to re-establish the supply until now. We recognise the impact this has had on many communities and that this will be welcome news to many.”
Head of Place, Property and Regeneration at North Devon Council, Sarah-Jane Mackenzie-Shapland, says: “We are really pleased to be back to a position of being able to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, affording our respective councils much more control to manage the consideration of proposals for housing. We will still aim to support proposals for the delivery of much needed housing to meet the needs of our local communities but will be in a better position to resist development that doesn’t meet with northern Devon’s plan for the future of our area.”
North Devon Council is letting the grass grow wild in a number of its green spaces in support of the charity campaign ‘No Mow May’.
No Mow May was first launched in the UK in 2019 by conservation charity Plantlife, and has since spread to other countries, with the goal of creating a more wildlife-friendly environment. The campaign aims to encourage individuals and organisations to lock away their lawnmowers for the month of May in an effort to encourage wildflowers and support local wildlife.
Parks Officer at North Devon Council, Andrew Moulton, says: “By supporting No Mow May, we hope to inspire residents to take small actions that can make a big difference in creating a healthier and more vibrant ecosystem in our local area.”
The council will be leaving two sites to grow wild during May: the first being in Whiddon Valley and the second at Landkey. The council is also encouraging residents to learn more about other eco-friendly practices they can adopt in their daily lives, such as composting and reducing water wastage.
For more information about ‘No Mow May’ and to participate, please visit the Plantlife website.
Dogs are wonderful for people’s physical health and emotional well-being. We’re lucky to have plenty of beautiful open spaces to enjoy with our four-legged friends here in North Devon, however, while the majority of dog owners are responsible, there is unfortunately an irresponsible minority! In today’s bulletin, we will be reminding dog owners of their responsibilities…
Microchipping, collars and lost dogs
Collars
In 1992 it was made a legal requirement that any dog in a public place must wear a collar with the name and address (including postcode) of the owner engraved or written on it, or engraved on a tag. And although there is no legal requirement for a dog to have a collar and tag on private property, every year hundreds of dogs sadly go missing from homes and gardens! In April 2016, it became compulsory for every dog to have an up-to-date microchip.
Microchips
A microchip is a small electronic chip, around the size of a grain of rice, which is implanted under the dog’s skin and contains a unique number that can be read by a scanner. The dog owner’s contact details relating to each number are logged on a central database, so should the dog ever go missing or be stolen it can be scanned by the authorities and returned to his owner swiftly and safely. Dogs over eight weeks old must be microchipped and the details must be kept up to date. You can be fined up to £500 if your dog isn’t microchipped. Unfortunately microchips sometimes fail so it’s a good idea to ask your vet, during your pets annual checkups, if the chip is still in working order. Watch our video to find out more.
Lost dogs
If you have lost your dog, please phone us (during office hours on 01271 388870, or on 01271 388240 out of hours) – to see if the dog has been picked up by our dog warden. We post pictures of lost dogs on our Facebook page, so it’s worth checking there too. Please be aware, that once we have found the owner of a dog, the owner may be liable for fines, fees and charges – including: statutory fine – £25 administration charge – £6 plus VAT boarding (for each period of 24 hours or part there of) – £20 any required veterinary costs, for example if the dog is injured other relevant fee Please do the responsible thing and make sure you dog is microchipped and has a collar to avoid these fees. It will also make our lives easier when trying to reunite them with you!
As an authority, we recognise that the vast majority of dog owners are responsible and respectful to their local community. However, we do receive regular complaints from residents about dog fouling and the behaviour of some dogs, and we we are obliged to act upon these complaints. If you are in charge of a dog, whether you are the owner or not, you must by law clean up after the dog has fouled in any public access area. This includes car parks, grass verges, recreation and sports grounds, parks, river walks, pavements and footpaths, gutters and carriageways, beaches. Failure to do so can result in a fixed penalty of £80 or a maximum fine of £1,000. Call it out, call it in, clear it up Help us tackle dog fouling by following these three simple steps: Call it out – If you see someone fail to pick up after their dog, call them up on it. Do it politely, perhaps by offering them a spare bag. Don’t put yourself at risk. Call it in – Report dog fouling to us online or give us a call on 01271 388870. It can help us catch and prosecute the culprits and also builds up a picture of where the problem areas are, so we know where to patrol. Report a dog fouling incidentClear it up – If you aren’t willing or able to call it out or call it in, if you have a spare poo bag then helping to remove the problem is a really positive contribution, no one will step in it and it keeps standards high, which helps prevent further dog fouling.
Dog bins Although we as a council don’t have a statutory duty to provide dog litter bins or empty them, we do offer a number of dog bins across North Devon. These are emptied on a regular basis. If you’re looking for one, please visit our website: Find dog litter binsDid you know, as well as using dog poop bins, you can also use any public litter bin to dispose of your dogs waste? Help keep North Devon clean and tidy when out walking your canine companion! More information on dog fouling and bins
Dogs controls
Whilst the majority of dog owners are responsible, unfortunately a minority still fail to pick up dog waste and allow their pets to run out of control. Please see our ‘Dogs Public Space Protection Order’ page for full details. The order contains a number of measures to enable us to address this irresponsible behaviour – including requirements for: owners to pick up after their dog owners to place any out of control dog on a lead if requested dogs to be on a lead in a public cemetery dogs not to be present on any formal sports pitch or enclosed children’s play area between 1 October and 31 March, dogs not to be present on or near land used as a High Tide Roosting Sites for overwintering birds between 1 May and 30 September, dogs not to be present on Croyde or Combe Martin beaches dogs to be on a lead in certain locations in Braunton Burrows at certain times of year Dog owners who do not adhere to these controls could attract a Fixed Penalty Notice of £100, or prosecution. Watch our video of one of our Neighbourhood Officers talk about the dogs PSPO.More information on dog controls
Let’s make a difference together!
Don’t forget the power of our local communities! We currently work with partners and community groups to combat issues in targeted areas. If you would like to get involved and keep North Devon beautiful, we welcome any approach for collaboration. Follow us on Twitter @NDCWardens and Facebook @northdevoncouncil and share our posts to help spread the word. Don’t forget, if you see us out and about, feel free to come and say hello.
Thanks for taking the time to read this bulletin, we hope you found it interesting. If you’re looking for more information dogs in North Devon, please don’t hesitate to visit our website.
Recognising the King’s and the Royal Family’s support for the environment and green causes, North Devon and Torridge Councils have teamed up with local charity Plastic Free North Devon to produce some ‘top tips’ to help event organisers ensure a celebration that doesn’t damage the earth. Suitable for any size of gathering, from afternoon tea with the neighbours to a party for the whole community, the tips offer a handy guide to reducing and eliminating single-use plastic, preventing litter, increasing recycling, and supporting local shops.
The tips are aimed at jogging people’s memory into thinking about such things as how they might collect any food waste or providing recycle collection points at an event and how the disposal of any materials collected might be handled. Purchasing drinks in cans as opposed to plastic, or getting people to bring their own cups, and using alternatives to plastic straws are further examples of easy ways to help the environment without affecting people’s fun and enjoyment.
CEO of Plastic Free North Devon, Claire Moodie, says: “We know that people in North Devon are concerned about their local environment, and keen to take action to protect it and the planet. These top tips offer a simple way to host a celebration for the King and keep it green with just a little preparation and planning. We’re delighted to be working again with North Devon and Torridge Councils to help residents and businesses be more sustainable.”
Sustainability and Climate Officer at North Devon and Torridge Councils, Donna Sibley, says: “Both North Devon and Torridge Councils are justifiably proud of our recycling rates through our kerbside collection schemes, and work with residents to keep black bin waste as low as possible. We’re hoping our communities will rise to the challenge of making different choices and showing the rest of the country what a green Coronation looks like. The tips will help people with ideas on how they can cut the amount of plastic and general waste that might otherwise be generated and suggest ways of managing and promoting recycling.”
Easter Waste and Recycling CollectionsWith the Easter bank holiday weekend fast approaching, we are reminding residents to check when their waste and recycling is due for collection by visiting our website.There will be no waste or recycling collections on Good Friday (7 April). Collections due that day will be made on Saturday 8 April instead.All waste and recycling collections in the week commencing Monday 10 April will take place one day later that week, (running from Tuesday 11 to Saturday 15 April) and return to normal on Monday 17 April.Lots of homes will have more cardboard and foil than usual, thanks to a visit from the Easter bunny. Please continue recycling by disposing of your additional waste in the correct containers.Cardboard and brown paper needs to go in your brown bags, and plastics (except black) and scrunched up foil can be placed in your green or black recycling box.
If you’re unsure on what goes in your bins, boxes and bags, please visit our website.Please remember to display your waste and recycling by 6am on the day or night before your collection. To stay with our news, please follow our social media channels.
Easter Waste and Recycling CollectionsWith the Easter bank holiday weekend fast approaching, we are reminding residents to check when their waste and recycling is due for collection by visiting our 
There will be no waste or recycling collections on Good Friday (7 April). Collections due that day will be made on Saturday 8 April instead.All waste and recycling collections in the week commencing Monday 10 April will take place one day later that week, (running from Tuesday 11 to Saturday 15 April) and return to normal on Monday 17 April.
Lots of homes will have more cardboard and foil than usual, thanks to a visit from the Easter bunny. Please continue recycling by disposing of your additional waste in the correct containers.Cardboard and brown paper needs to go in your brown bags, and plastics (except black) and scrunched up foil can be placed in your green or black recycling box.
