South Devon College with campuses in Paignton, Newton Abbot and Torquay celebrated the achievements of its University Centre students at a joint ceremony held over two days at Torquay’s Grand Hotel. The event was hailed a double celebration as the college awarded its own degrees for the very first time. The two-day event (14th and 15th October) was held to ensure that both the classes of 2020, and 2021 were formally congratulated. Last year’s graduation ceremony was held virtually due to Coronavirus. This is the first year that students from University Centre South Devon have been able to graduate with a degree awarded by South Devon College using its new Foundation Degree Awarding Powers (FDAP) alongside degrees awarded in partnership with University of Plymouth. Laurence Frewin, Principal at South Devon College said: “I was so excited to welcome both the Graduating Class of 2020 and 2021 here today. I don’t think that any of us could have imagined the challenges of the last 18 months and I was so glad to be able to celebrate the success of both cohorts in person for the real 3D surround sound experience! “South Devon College was only awarded Foundation Degree Awarding Powers in 2019 and this year we proudly saw our first cohort of South Devon College Foundation Degree graduates. “These graduates are the first of many to take advantage of a natural progression within the College and University Centre, all whilst maintaining strong links with our partners. We are ambitious as a College of Further and Higher Education and ambitious for our local area. “By working with others, particularly the University of Plymouth, the vision aims to build even stronger Higher Education opportunities accessible across the South Devon region, contributing to it economically and socially.” Around 50 students who studied degree level courses in subjects that included Assistant Practitioner, Illustration with Graphics and Animation, Contemporary Arts Practice, and Fashion with Textiles graduated with a South Devon College foundation degree. Mr Frewin added: “The ceremonies, being held over two days were about recognising and celebrating the fantastic achievement of over 800 completing Higher Education students over two year groups, many of whom joined us in person for the first time.” Graduating student Luke Purchon (33) from Plymouth is a proud recipient of the Assistant Practitioner Foundation Degree awarded by South Devon College. Luke is an Assistant Practitioner at Derriford Hospital specialising in renal care. He left…

Exeter Junior School pupils and staff are delighted with their new playground. Work was carried out over the summer holidays, ready for the autumn term. Pupils in the co-educational school for 7-11-year-olds were shown plans in advance and enjoyed picking and choosing which play equipment they wanted. Devon-based company Outdoor Play UK manufactured and installed the bespoke wooden playground equipment using pressure treated redwood timber sourced from FSC certified forests. The governors of Exeter School invested a considerable amount of money to modernise the existing play area. A priority for the junior school community was a secure and safe playground with zoned play for different age groups as well as open play areas. Balancing, hanging, traversing and climbing are all encouraged on the new equipment which includes adventure trail equipment such as climbing trees, flower stepping pods, balance beams, and wobble boards. The open, bright and sensory playground includes game and puzzle play panels, dragon fly seating, and a superb Black Rock Castle, fit for a royal – and imaginary play! A tyre walk, trapeze swing, low pole climber and tunnel net are sited on soft safety surfacing for active play in a safe environment. A curved seating area with the play panels and ladybird has been designed as a quiet place for sensory play and outdoor classroom use. A bespoke Dartmouth gazebo is another site used for al fresco lessons and talks from visiting speakers. Year 3 pupil Aras said there were lots of things to climb on and so much to do. Miles said: “The fort is an amazing place to climb and hide and helps me to use my imagination.” Lizzie said the outside classroom was a great place to be together in the outdoor environment. Arthur said: “My favourite part is the ‘Exe Trail’ -it’s a really fun obstacle course that I enjoy using every day.” Marietta enjoys using the ropes and games such as ‘Four in a Row’ and ‘The Frog Puzzle’. Mabel said: “The equipment with green netting allows me to practice my gymnastics.” Benjy likes swinging on the monkey bars whereas Jiaqi said it was hard to decide what to go on as there is so much choice. Rosanna said: “It uses up all my energy! There are lots of different combinations and types of obstacle courses.”…

Browne Jacobson has won the Devon and Somerset Law Society’s (DASLS) Corporate Social Responsibility Award 2020. The firm was recognised for successfully instilling its corporate social responsibility ethos for the benefit of its people, local community and the environment. Key initiatives included promoting mental health and well-being with the successful introduction of a team of Mental Health First Aiders, introducing greater agile and flexible working opportunities for its people, developing mentoring initiatives with universities in the South West and reducing its carbon footprint by promoting a  range of green initiatives from recycling through to green transport use. In 2020 the firm was also recognised as one of the top five UK businesses by the Social Mobility Foundation for its work in promoting social mobility in the legal profession. The Corporate Social Responsibility Award recognises organisations that have conducted their business in a way that has had a positive impact on their community and environment.  Decided by an independent panel of nine judges, the annual awards seek to highlight excellence, innovation and best practice by the region’s legal community by recognising  the achievements of those who have gone the extra mile to serve their clients, their community and their profession Julia Green, Partner and Head of Browne Jacobson’s Exeter office, said : “We are delighted to have won an award for our strong corporate social responsibility ethos. It goes to the very heart of our values as a firm and we are delighted that our work in this area has been recognised by the legal community.” Browne Jacobson opened its Exeter office in 2012. In 2019 the firm moved to The Mount following a period of sustained growth which saw revenues grow by almost 50% between 2016-2019 and overall headcount by 60% since 2012.   The Exeter Daily …

Exeter German Doner Kebab has been nominated for ‘Most-Loved Chain’ in Deliveroo’s upcoming Restaurant Awards. The gourmet kebab chain has been recognised as one of the top contenders for the third annual Restaurant Awards celebrating the best restaurants and grocers available on Deliveroo.  The first round of online voting is now open to the public until midnight on September 27th with £500 customer credit up for grabs.* The shortlist and celebrity panel of judges will be revealed in October where Deliveroo will reveal the top six restaurants that have been shortlisted.  Thereafter, voting will re-open for one final chance to vote for the winners, which will be announced online on November 15th during the virtual Deliveroo Restaurant Awards 2021 held on Deliveroo’s Instagram and Twitter channels. German Doner Kebab is revolutionising the kebab in the UK, bringing a fresh, high-quality taste sensation that has made it the number one spot to enjoy a kebab. Freshly prepared in front of customers, the game-changing kebabs are made using premium, lean, succulent meats and fresh local vegetables, served in handmade toasted breads with unique signature sauces. The brand has recently confirmed its position as the UK’s fastest-growing restaurant chain after announcing that it will open 47 new restaurants in the UK during 2021. Daniel Bunce, GDK MD for UK and Europe, said: “We’re delighted to be nominated for Deliveroo’s ‘Most Loved Chain’.  It is a testament to the hard work of all the members of our GDK family and the great tasting food and quality service they provide every day to our customers. “The public’s appetite and love for our delicious gourmet kebabs and range of sides appears to be growing as fast as we are, as we continue to forge ahead with our growth plans and shape GDK into becoming one of the forefront brands of the future. The Awards Ceremony will be held virtually on Deliveroo’s  November 15th. The awards, first launched in 2019, were created to celebrate the best restaurants — and more recently, grocers such as Aldi, Co-op, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Morrisons — available on Deliveroo across the UK and Ireland. In 2020, over 100,000 food-lovers cast their vote online, and this year, volumes are expected to be even bigger. The British public have until Monday 27 September to vote for their favourites in the longlist via…

The University of Exeter Business School’s MBA community is set to continue its successful speaker series after announcing its exciting autumn line up. The Leading Edge speaker series sees world-renowned leaders and entrepreneurs come together with students, faculty and alumni, chief executives and senior leaders to discuss the most pressing global challenges facing business, and through their ideas they challenge us to reflect upon how business can shape a better and more sustainable world. This autumn’s series features influential business people, leading arts figures, authors and journalists, each displaying a unique and provocative approach to leadership within their particular field. They include high profile businesswoman Mary Portas, writer and broadcaster Mary-Ann Sieghart and Dr Darren Henley OBE, Chief Executive of Arts Council England. John Amaechi OBE returns to Leading Edge for this second series, following a sold-out session in 2020. Each speaker has recently written books on significant topics of interest to the Business School’s MBA community: the role of kindness in society and business; the importance of creativity and innovation; the continuing challenges of gender inequalities and developing leadership potential wherever it exists. Based within the Exeter Centre for Leadership at the University of Exeter Business School, The Exeter MBA has been recognised as one of the leading MBA programmes in the world. The programme seeks to prepare managers from around the world for the responsibility of leadership and provides the space and opportunity to engage with the cutting edge research that informs decisions, which bring social and environmental progress. Jackie Bagnall, Director of the Exeter MBA, said: “As an MBA focused on sustainability, innovation and responsible leadership we are committed to hosting events that bring high quality speakers with a fresh perspective to the most pressing challenges facing business. “The Leading Edge programme has been designed to spark debate, fuel the imagination and generate conversations among a vibrant leadership learning community. “An MBA provides leaders with the opportunity to hear directly from a range of voices on issues that are pivotal in leading responsible business. We encourage anyone who has an interest in big ideas and new perspectives to join us for the series. You can ask questions of our speakers and join us afterwards for optional lively breakout sessions, where you can discuss and debate the issues raised by the speakers.” In the first event in the new series on 27 September,…