Community news and photos from across East Devon and Exeter – what’s on, school celebrations, events, awards – including Exmouth, Sidmouth, Beer, Honiton, East Budleigh, Cranbrook. Send your news to newsdesk@eastdevonnnews.co.uk
Exmouth
Exmouth Festival makes a welcome return from Friday, July 11 until Sunday, July 13, with a host of free entertainment and live music.
Music, theatre, dance, circus, fitness, craft and creativity are among the events planned, which organisers say will be the ‘greenest’ festival yet, aiming to run on a lower carbon footprint than last year.
Enjoying the 2022 Exmouth Festival.
Photo: with permission.
Headline acts announced include Samantics, Cable Street Collective, The Scribes, First Time Flyers, Ez Dickens, Negra Santa, 3 Days of Wonder.
This year’s theme, Stories from the Sea, will feature in festival activities, such as free workshops, art trails, singing sessions and family-friendly entertainment.
There are four sites across the town set to host an ‘eclectic mix ‘of performances of rap, soul, folk, indie, choirs, country, and more.
Sidmouth
A primary school in Sidmouth is gearing up for a facelift, set to start sometime this month and end in spring 2026.
Once the development work is finished, Sidmouth CE Primary School, in Manstone Avenue, will have a new building and redeveloped areas, indoors and out.
The school said the construction would ‘replace and renovate existing buildings, creating a modern new space’.
The work is expected to be completed by May 2026, and has been part funded by Devon County Council and the Department for Education.
East Devon and Exeter
Care homes in East Devon and Exeter have been recognised in new industry awards, to find the top 100 in the UK.
The Lottie Awards named Malden House care home, in Sidmouth, and Lucerne House in Exeter, among the UK’s top-performing care providers in the UK.
Malden House care home in Sidmouth.
Photo: with permission.
Lucerne House care home in Exeter.
Photo: with permission.
Will Donnelly, co-founder and CEO of the awards, said to be named among the top 100 from more than 14,000 care homes nationwide was ‘a huge achievement.’
Exeter
Tickets are free to a new West Country gay play, on stage at the Barnfield Theatre, in Exeter, on Saturday, July 19.
An image from rehearsals for the gay play performance of Who Knew?
Photo: Critical Moment Theatre.
The 3.30pm performance of Who Knew? tells the story of a man who on one dark February night in 1954 catches the Exeter to Bristol express train, but never completes his journey.
The hour-long play, by Critical Moment, followed by a 30-minute question-and-answer session, has references to suicide and homophobia, so children must be accompanied by an adult.
The play highlights the true story of a forgotten gay activist.
Photo: Critical Moment Theatre.
A spokesperson for the performance, who said the fight for gay rights began in Exeter, said the play was the true story of a forgotten gay activist.
They said: “What happens to him on the train changes the life of every queer person in the land.”
Tickets are free for the performance, but seating is limited.
Photo: Critical Moment Theatre.
Tickets are free. Seating is limited. Book here
East Devon
Environmental campaigners from East Devon joined forces with thousands of people across the UK to call on the Prime Minister to tackle climate change and protect nature.
An open letter signed by more than 170 residents living in Honiton and Sidmouth was one of 650 from each constituency across the UK delivered to Downing Street, urging ‘REAL Change’.
Celebrity chef and television presenter Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, known for the River Cottage in East Devon, helped deliver the campaign letters.
A letter signed by environmental campaigners from East Devon has been delivered to Downing Street.
Photo: with permission.
The campaign, led by Zero Hour environmental group, is pushing for the PM to improve the lives of ordinary people across the UK, by taking action on what it calls the ‘environmental crisis’.
The group said tackling the climate and nature crisis would deliver better insulated homes, cheaper bills to help with the cost of living crisis, cleaner air and water, thriving nature, better public transport, and proper food security.
Dr Brian Jones, who signed the Honiton and Sidmouth letter, said the Government was ‘dragging its heels’, resulting in benefits failing to filter down locally.
He said: “The Climate and Nature Bill is the landmark legislation that would unlock all these benefits for Honiton & Sidmouth. The Prime Minister needs to give the Bill time in Parliament for a proper debate.”
East Devon
An accountant from East Devon has closed the book on a career spanning almost 50 years with the same farming family.
After almost half a century working with Clinton Devon Estates (CDE), the most taxing decision Graham Vanstone now faces is to spend his time in the garden, ballroom dancing or watching sport.
Graham Vanstone has retired after almost half a century working with Clinton Devon Estates.
Photo: with permission.
And he plans to explore East Devon with his wife, Jo, who recently retired after many years as Budleigh Salterton Town Council clerk.
Graham, who praised Jo for her support throughout his career, said: “I have seen them named in the accounts – but still haven’t visited all of them.”
Keen cricketer Graham, aged 65, who retired in June 2025, joined the estate, then based at Syon House, East Budleigh, after he left school in Sidmouth in 1976.
His retirement celebrates him as one of its longest serving members of staff, which he credits to the principles which underpin the way the estate is run, its long-term view and a sense of responsibility to the community and the environment.
Graham said: “It’s one of the reasons that I have stayed here. I believe in the ethos of the estates, providing local people with housing and local people with commercial property so they can live and work in the area.”
When he joined, book-keeping involved heavy, large, ledgers – recording the accounts by hand.
His management of the insurance aspects of the estates resulted in him being invited to join the Insurance Council of Exeter, where he went on to represent the South West at the Chartered Institute of Insurance.
During his career with the estate, Graham has seen the development of new homes on its land, the success of the Lower Otter Restoration Project, including the relocation of Budleigh Salterton Cricket Club to a flood-free area, and the building of new Rolle office estate headquarters at Bicton arena.
As a keen cricketer in his younger days and an enthusiastic spectator today, he has been particularly pleased to see the creation of the new ground and clubhouse for Budleigh Salterton Cricket Club – part of the Lower Otter Restoration Project.
John Varley, CDE CEO, said: “Graham has combined a strong sense of the traditions of the estates with a readiness to adapt to changing times.
“We are grateful for his careful management of the accounts over such a long period and wish him the very best in retirement.”
East Devon
An East Devon fishing village narrowly missed out on being named the UK’s best seaside destination, coming in second.
Beer was named as one of the top coastal spots in a seaside survey complied by consumer champion Which?
The East Devon village, last year ranked 18th in the survey, was beaten by Bamburgh, in Northumberland, who retained its crown in the Which? rankings for the fifth year in a row.
Also flying the flag for East Devon was Sidmouth, which was ‘highly-rated’ in the findings.
Some 3,800 people were canvassed about their experiences of UK seaside destinations in the last year, asking views on a host of criteria including the quality of the beaches, scenery, food and drink offerings, accommodation, tourist attractions and value for money.
The table of Which? results.
Image: with permission.
East Devon and Exeter
Students from East Devon and Exeter swapped uniforms for walking boots to tackle the 2025 Jurassic Coast Challenge.
Year 8 pupils from Isca Academy, Honiton Community College, St James School and West Exe School, both in Exeter, set off from Lyme Regis, walking to locations in East Devon.
Photo: with permission.
Year 8 pupils from Isca Academy, Honiton Community College, St James School and West Exe School, set off from Lyme Regis, walking a number of different routes, ending at Branscombe, Sidmouth or Budleigh Salterton, all in East Devon.
Th schools said the pupils used teamwork, resilience, and perseverance to cross the finish line.
Cranbrook
A ‘lifeline’ community hub in Cranbrook, celebrating a ‘transformational year’, helping families and individuals with a host of services and support, is appealing for businesses and organisations to help fund the project into the future.
Pictured here are Cranbrook Education Campus students at the EX5-Alive Community Hub, based at the school.
Photo: with permission.
The EX5-Alive Community Hub, based at Cranbrook Education Campus, over the last year has stepped in more than 13,000 times to help those in need, delivering emergency food support, arranging mental health referrals and counselling sessions, offering housing guidance, plus provided emergency baby packs, organised toddler groups, teen drop-ins, adult social clubs and bingo nights.
The hub, backed by the National Lottery Community Fund, recently secured more than £200,000 in funding for the town after teaming up with Inspiring Connections Southwest.
The EX5-Alive Community Hub, based at Cranbrook Education Campus.
Photo: with permission.
Now the hunt is on to find further backing, to secure the hub’s future and boost its group of volunteers.
Stephen Farmer, Cranbrook Education Campus head, said: “We are incredibly grateful for the unwavering support of EX5-Alive and their commitment to helping our most vulnerable families.
“Whether through attendance support, food security, or simply being there to listen, they are creating real change. Together, we are breaking down barriers and building a stronger, more compassionate Cranbrook.”
The hub has helped thousands of people through a host of community events and services.
Photo: with permission.
Exmouth
Crew suffering with seasickness onboard a stricken yacht with engine problems were rescued by Exmouth RNLI.
The inshore lifeboat crew launched on Saturday, July 5, to the mouth of the River Exe where they found a yacht with three men onboard, close to Straight Point.
The men had been unable to start the vessel’s engine, and feeling sea sick, dropped anchor which they had to cut free after it got caught up.
The all-weather lifeboat was launched at around 4.30pm to tow the stricken vessel to its mooring.
The all-weather lifeboat launched to tow the stricken vessel to its mooring.
Photo: Exmouth RNLI.
A spokesperson for the town’s RNLI said: “The Exmouth RNLI crew discovered that the casualties had been unable to restart the engine following its failure.
“The yacht’s crew had continued to attempt a self-rescue by sailing back to their mooring, but with the effects of seasickness hampering their abilities, they deployed their anchor.
“Unfortunately, their situation worsened when the anchor became snagged and they had to cut it free. “
They added: “The Exmouth RNLI volunteer D-class crew of three made a full assessment of the situation and requested the launch of the Exmouth RNLI relief all-weather Shannon class lifeboat to execute a tow of the yacht back to its mooring, as the safest way to assist the casualties.”
