Community news in-brief and photos from East Devon. Email your community, town and village news, what’s-on, to newsdesk@eastdevonnews.co.uk
Cranbrook
Cranbrook Education Campus youngsters with their garden project. Photo: with permission.
Young green-fingered pupils at Cranbrook Education Campus got stuck into their new garden project, after Tesco and Otter Garden Centres donated plants, bulbs, seeds and compost.
Stephen Farmer, Cranbrook Education Campus head, said: “It has been a joy to see our children so engaged in this project from the very beginning. The garden is already bringing learning to life in such a hands-on way, and we are excited to see it continue to grow.”
Sidmouth
A kayaker reported missing near Branscombe at the end of June was rescued near Beer by Sidmouth Independent Lifeboat volunteers.
The town’s lifeboat launched after two kayakers paddling together were separated as they returned to shore.
The Sidmouth lifeboat volunteers spotted the kayaker near Beer Head, brought them onboard and returned them to Branscombe beach.
A Sidmouth Independent Lifeboat spokeswoman said: “Two kayakers had been paddling together when they became separated on the return leg of their journey.
“The missing kayaker was located near Beer Head, brought safely aboard the lifeboat and returned to Branscombe Beach, where they were reunited with the other kayaker.”
Exmouth
Exmouth Community College students at the beach clean-up. Photo: with permission.
Exmouth students picked up five-and-a-half kilos of plastic and rubbish from the beach amid a clean-up.
Exmouth Community College students took part in an environmental action day, looking at pollution and ways of reducing waste to protect marine life.
The 29 school ‘beach heroes’ were helped throughout the day by Sea Swim Devon, Surfers Against Sewage and Charlie’s Beach School.
Tom Inman, Exmouth Community College headteacher, thanked the organisations for their support. He said: “The day was a fantastic example of young people taking action, working with community organisations and using their voices to make a positive difference.”
Sidmouth
Donkeys use the old road sweeping brushes as scratching posts. Photo: The Donkey Sanctuary
Old road sweeper brushes used to clean the streets of East Devon have been recycled and reused as donkey backscratchers.
The district council donated the plastic brushes to The Donkey Sanctuary, at Sidmouth, where they have been deep-cleaned and mounted at different heights as backscratchers, helping the herd shed their thick coats amid summer temperatures.
The brushes are normally used for around two months sweeping East Devon roads before they are thrown away.
Sid Miller, from The Donkey Sanctuary, said: “We are incredibly grateful to StreetScene for donating the brushes for our donkeys.
“It is not only lovely to see them already benefitting from this kind gesture, it is great to know we are recycling items that would have otherwise been destined for the waste – a double win.”
The old road brushes have been deep-cleaned and donated for donkey scratching posts. Photo: The Donkey Sanctuary.
Councillor Geoff Jung, responsible for environment operations at East Devon District Council, said the move to reuse and recycle had supported a local charity.
“It’s wonderful to see how the donkeys are benefitting from these old sweeper brushes, which would otherwise have gone to waste,” he said.
A district council road sweeper with similar brushes donated as donkey backscratchers. Photo: with permission.
Budleigh Salterton
Pictured here in Fore Street, Budleigh Salterton, L to R: is county councillor Nick Hookway, Budleigh councillor Penny Lewis, Alan Tilbury from Budleigh information centre, town council clerk Alice Gater-Wildgust, EDDC cllr Charlotte Fitzgerald, Bob Wiltshire, Emma Sampson, Helen Warren, Jen Mills, Sarah Coles. Photo: Melyn Moon Photography.
Resurfacing work has finished in Budleigh Salterton, repairing potholes and road surfaces in the town’s High Street and Fore Street.
The town council said the much-needed work was carried out after lobbying by community groups and organisations.
Budleigh Salterton Town Council said business and residents had been forced to suffer ‘deteriorating road surfaces and persistent potholes’ prior to the improvements.
Residents were thanked for reporting concerns about the state of town’s road. Also praised for raising awareness was Budleigh Information Centre, Shop Budleigh, and Budleigh Salterton Traffic and Transport Group.
A spokeswoman for the town council said: “While there will always be further improvements to consider, Budleigh Salterton has seen a significant enhancement to its road network in recent months.
“The completion of these works represents another positive step forward and demonstrates the benefits that can be achieved when residents, community organisations, elected representatives and highway officers work together to improve the town.”
Exmouth
Two people were taken to hospital after a three-vehicle crash in Exmouth where a car hit a house.
Officers were called to Elm Road, in Withycombe Raleigh, at the start of July, closing the road while the vehicles were recovered.
Devon and Cornwall Police said injuries were not life-threatening or life-changing.
A force spokesman said: “We were called at 11.20am on Wednesday 1 July following a report of a three-vehicle collision which resulted in one of the vehicles going into a house on Elm Road, Exmouth.”
Sidmouth
Sidmouth Independent Lifeboat was launched to help find a missing swimmer. Photo: Ian Fletcher.
Sidmouth Independent Lifeboat volunteers joined in a search for a missing swimmer after it was feared they failed to return to shore.
The town’s lifeboat launched at the end of June, joining a large-scale multi-agency search, after a swimmer spotted heading out beyond the rock islands at Sidmouth was not seen returning.
Sidmouth Independent Lifeboat joined Exmouth RNLI, the HM Coastguard Rescue Helicopter and Beer Coastguard Rescue Team in an extensive search of the area, but no one was found and the emergency services stood down in the early hours of the morning.
Community news in-brief from East Devon
