Savvy shoppers are turning to charities this winter to beat the cost of living crisis and support their favourites good causes into the bargain. FORCE Cancer Charity’s shop in Fore Street, Heavitree, has plenty to tempt discerning buyers in the run-up to Christmas. Shop manager Anna Heard said: “Come and grab your Secret Santa gifts from us but don’t stop there when we have lovely items like cashmere scarves, designer handbags, crystal glasses, jewellery and so much more. You might even find your party outfits for Christmas” The FORCE shop is open Monday to Saturday 10:30am to 4:00pm. It is reporting increased footfall and improving sales figures as a growing basket of factors is encouraging shoppers through its doors. Bargain There is every incentive to bag a bargain as rising high street and supermarket prices are contributing to increased living costs. Charity shops are also a sustainable and ethical option for anyone mindful of climate change. An estimated £140 million worth of clothing is dumped in landfill each year. Reusing and recycling by donating and buying from charity shops means that more than 300,000 fewer tonnes of textiles end up at the tip, reducing greenhouse gasses. “It’s better for the environment and better for your pocket,” said Anna. “And by keeping it local and choosing FORCE, you are also supporting people in your community dealing with a cancer diagnosis. “Shoppers can come to us and find really good brands. Why hit the High Street when you might get a designer item, sometimes for under a fiver? Loyal “And you get to try things on, removing the hassle of returning an online purchase that doesn’t quite fit. “We put out new stock every day with items going on to the shop floor first to support regular shoppers from our loyal customer base before they are offered online. “Every time you come in there’ll be something different to discover. “There’s a real pride to be felt from getting things from a charity shop. And it’s a triple win – supporting a cause you care about, balancing your budget as the cost of living rises and caring for our planet. What’s not to love!” The FORCE shop will be open right up until 3:30pm on Christmas Eve. Regift You can make room for all the lovely new things you hope to receive at Christmas by donating to FORCE right now. And if Santa doesn’t…

FOLLOWING two months of fewer trains – and reduced speeds – services on the West of England line return to normal between Salisbury and Exeter St Davids today.  Speed restrictions of 40mph had been in place near Tisbury, Gillingham and Axminster, as the clay-based track bed shrank in the record-breaking hot and dry summer, leaving the rails uneven and too bumpy for trains to run at full speed.  Diligent work by engineers has restored track levels, helped by cooler temperatures and regular rain which has stopped the track bed shrinking, allowing the speed restrictions to be lifted today.  To welcome customers back to the full timetable, and to thank them for their patience as the line was repaired, SWR is offering free £5 vouchers to use at most catering establishments along the line, valid until Wednesday 23 November.   Opening hours for participating outlets vary, so customers wishing to use their free vouchers are urged to check the further details provided in the explanatory leaflet which will be available to collect with vouchers.   In addition, SWR has also secured 100 free taster minutes to use on Co-bikes’ electric bikes in the Exeter area. E-bikes are currently available to hire at Cranbrook, Pinhoe, Exeter Central and Exeter St Davids stations as well as Exeter St Thomas.   To claim the free taster minutes, customers should head to the Co-bikes website here, or they can scan the QR code in the leaflet. The offer ends on Wednesday 30 November.  Network Rail has kindly contributed some of the funding to this offer for customers.  SWR colleagues will be distributing the welcome back vouchers to access these offers, as well as free bottled water and juices, on selected trains between Salisbury and Exeter on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday this week.  They will be available at many of the stations between Tisbury and Honiton on these days to hand out the vouchers and answer any queries from customers.  Claire Mann, Managing Director, South Western Railway said: “We’re delighted to bring back a full timetable to the West of England today, providing the quality services that our customers deserve.  “I am sorry to all those customers whose journeys were affected as we waited for weather conditions to improve to enable Network Rail to safely remove the speed restrictions.   “As a token of our appreciation for our customers’ patience…

A series of improvements have opened at Pinhoe rail station to better integrate rail with other sustainable transport options. The station now has a new northern car park with 14 parking spaces, with some electric vehicle charging points (which should go live by the end of this month) and two additional designated disabled bays. It also has 12 secure cycle lockers which can be rented (see more details on the Travel Devon webpages). The southern car park features an electric Co Bikes station, enabling people to make the most of the cycle links through quiet residential roads and via the E4 segregated cycle route, which serves the key employment areas east of the motorway. There is also a taxi bay and a bus bay for a new peak time bus link – Service 43 – between Pinhoe Station, Exeter Science Park, Clyst Honiton (for Lidl/Amazon), SkyPark and Exeter Airport. Special bus fares are available from Pinhoe Station to holders of valid rail tickets. The bus timetable can be viewed via the Stagecoach website or here. The upgrade of facilities at the station aims to make the most of trains arriving from both London Waterloo and Exeter directions. It provides a range of travel options for people making their onward journeys. Councillor Andrea Davis, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, said: “These improvements will make the train much more convenient for anyone travelling to work, college or school and will help to reduce carbon emissions. Pinhoe station is within a mile of thousands of new homes as well as major employment sites such as Exeter Business Park, Exeter Science Park and the Met Office, so these new facilities will be a huge help to thousands of people.” Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member with responsibility for cycling, said: “These new facilities at Pinhoe Station will help increase the attractiveness of rail for commuters. It’s great to see the improved options to switch to cycle or bus which should encourage people to use sustainable travel for the first or last leg of their journey, either using the Co-Bikes or their personal bikes stored in the secure lockers. With the County Council having expanded its cycle network in recent years with safer, higher quality routes connecting to jobs in East Devon, it should be a really attractive option for commuters.” Councillor Tracy Adams, County Councillor…

With the head of Ofgem, the UK’s energy regulator, warning that the annual household energy bills are likely to rise by a…

Devon Air Ambulance has been shortlisted as a finalist in three categories in the upcoming Awards of Excellence organised by Air Ambulances UK   Sponsored by Airbus, Air Ambulance UK is pleased to announce the shortlist of nominees for the 2022 Awards of Excellence. The annual awards celebrate and recognise the specialist lifesaving skills and commitment of those working tirelessly within and in support of the air ambulance community.   The annual awards ceremony, which returns after a break due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is being held at Edgbaston Stadium, Birmingham on 14 November and will include a wide range of speakers covering various areas and topics.  The Independent Awards Judging Panel consists of trauma specialist Professor Karim Brohi, Debra Alcock-Tyler, CEO the Directory of Social Change, Tim Fauchon, British Helicopter Association Chief Executive and Mark Doherty, West Midlands Ambulance Service Director of Clinical Commissioning and Strategic Development.  The judges deliberated long and hard over some very difficult decisions due to the excellent quality of nominations submitted by Air Ambulance charities across the UK.  Devon Air Ambulance nominations are as follows:  Campaign of the year – for the charity’s ‘Help with all your Heart’ campaign which included the launch of a series of free training sessions that took place in 5 locations across Devon earlier this year. These were presented by Devon Air Ambulance’s Enhanced & Specialist Paramedics and were very popular with over 240 people attending.  The sessions were designed to raise awareness of Cardiac Arrest and to demonstrate how a bystander who is willing to step in and help could save a life. During the sessions, those who attended had a hands-on opportunity to practice effective CPR and using defibrillators as well as a Q&A session with the crew.  The charity has just announced that following the success of this year’s CPR & defib training, more dates and locations for 2023 are now being planned. You can register your interest to attend a ‘Help with all your Heart’ session here.  Charity Team of the Year – for the work of the ‘Community Landing Site Team’. Community landing sites (CLS) are invaluable to Devon Air Ambulance. They are often located in rural communities, which may be difficult to reach swiftly by land crews in an emergency. They can range from a Village green or school playing field to a cricket ground to private land and each one is surveyed to…