We all have a daily routine. Many of us have a daily beauty regime we try to stick to.  For smokers, it’s much the same thing. Lighting up first thing in the morning or during their morning and afternoon coffee break is a part of their daily routine. What few of us think about is the impact smoking has on our skin, our hair, our teeth or our nails. Stop smoking with its unpleasant withdrawal symptoms and cravings is easier said than done. Sure, it’s not easy to stop smoking but if you value your daily beauty regime you really should be serious thinking about giving those ciggies the flick. Health Issues Linked With Smoking Devon has a smoking problem. According to our health statistics, the entire South West has an above average number of smokers on a per capita basis than the rest of the United Kingdom, at 14.2 per cent, according to official Public Health England figures. That’s well above the average for the rest of England. By now, we should all be aware of the health problems associated with smoking. They range from cancer, stroke, heart disease, emphysema, even peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a silent killer that can result in leg amputations if not detected. So, while you’ll experience physical improvements when you stop smoking, improved lung capacity and breathing, lowered blood pressure and reduced exposure to inflammation, you’ll also discover your efforts to quit impacting on what’s on the outside as well. Though quitting can be challenging and take time, it’s worthwhile. One that can start to improve your health just minutes after you’ve stubbed out your last cigarette. As you enjoy more and more smoke-free days, you’ll begin to see the positive effects on not just your health but on your overall appearance. Once you quit smoking, you can look forward to enjoying … 1. Brighter Tighter Skin If you’ve smoked for many years, you may have noticed your skin gradually becoming dry, dull and even taking on a yellowish tint. That’s due to smoking narrowing your blood vessels. This in turn decreases your blood flow through your skin, limiting the amount of oxygen and nutrients reaching your skin’s surface. Tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemicals which over time combine to devastate your skin’s levels ofcollagen and elastin. These are your skins natural…

An additional 250 learner places have been announced on the #Train4Tomorrow Digital bootcamps which are open to adults in Devon, Plymouth, Somerset, Torbay, Cornwall and Dorset. The #Train4Tomorrow programme is designed to help people enter highly paid growth industries in the region, such as cyber security, data science, software development, digital marketing and IT. The Bootcamps are being run by the Heart of the South West LEP (HotSW LEP) and the Digital Skills Partnership. Following the success of the oversubscribed Digital bootcamps in January 2021, #Train4Tomorrow has secured additional government funding for 250 learner places on Digital courses which will start in April 2021.  The free-to-access courses are separated into six key areas, including IT, cyber, data science, software, digital marketing and healthcare and courses are worth up to £3000.  The courses are delivered by industry professionals, and are tailored to match current job vacancies in the region. On completion of the training, participants are guaranteed a job interview in the sector in which they have trained. Charlotte Collyer, Digital Skills Partnership Manager at HotSW LEP, said: “The #Train4Tomorrow programme is designed to fast-track local people into highly paid, economically resilient sectors. In 2020, roles in the digital and tech sector outgrew every sector bar healthcare, and salaries for digital roles are around 36% higher than the average.  “We are delighted to be able to reopen applications for the Train4Tomorrow Digital bootcamps, which offer people a fantastic range of specialisms, and the chance to re-skill and gain employment by accessing training delivered by some of the best regional national training providers, as well as access to hundreds of employers and live vacancies.” Each programme consists of 12 weeks of intense training, covering skills and knowledge training as well as support with interview techniques. Heart of the South West LEP Chair, Karl Tucker, said: “To help the region recover from the impact of the pandemic it is vital that local people are provided with the skills they need to fill job opportunities in the region’s growing sectors; filling the skills gap for employers and getting people back in work.” To find out more about the #Train4Tomorrow Digital and Technical bootcamps, and to register, go to www.train4tomorrow.org.uk.  You can also follow the Skills Launchpad on social media: Twitter https://twitter.com/SkillsLaunchpad  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skillslaunchpad  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Skillslaunchpad/  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skills-launchpad    The Exeter Daily …

Multi award-winning Cofton Holidays, near Dawlish Warren, has experienced an incredible surge in online bookings as Britons rush to book their staycations now that details of the Covid-19 roadmap have been revealed. After Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that self-catering accommodation is targeted to open from 12th April 2021 in England, Cofton Holidays has been inundated with booking enquiries. Comparing Cofton’s website activity on Monday 22nd February 2021 with Sunday 21st February 2021, the family-run holiday park reported a staggering 182% increase in online transactions. Revenue also increased by 136% with the bulk of online activity happening at 6:00pm on Monday 22nd February, just hours after the Prime Minister made his announcement to the House of Commons. The surge in bookings had been anticipated by Cofton, which spotted the early signs of holidaymaker’s rushing to book their staycation ahead of Boris Johnson’s official announcement. Comparing figures from 15th to 21st February 2021 to those from the same period in 2020, revenue was already up by an impressive 78%. Self-catering accommodation at Cofton Holidays is now selling out fast, but the biggest surge has come from guests with caravans or RVs. Demand for hard standing Super Pitches at the Devon holiday park has sky-rocketed with revenue from bookings comparing Sunday to Monday up 619%, while demand for hard-standing 8m pitches has ballooned by 563%. Expecting the rush, the team at Cofton Holidays prepared for a leap in demand, but not to levels they’ve seen. Helen Scott, Director at Cofton Holidays commented: “After the Prime Minister began to reveal the details of the Covid-19 roadmap in the House of Commons yesterday, we quickly became inundated with bookings and enquiries. Our website traffic trebled compared with the same time the day before, and the phones started ringing off the hook. “It’s fantastic to receive such a high volume of bookings now that people feel confident enough to book a staycation. Our self-catering accommodation is booking up fast with our luxury lodges pretty much fully booked and just the odd dates available for other accommodation throughout the peak summer season. That’s leading to growing interest in our off-peak accommodation for those that don’t have to go away during the school holidays. “It’s a huge relief that the travel and tourism industry finally has a date to work towards. The pandemic has been devastating for the hospitality industry, particularly across the South West, which is one…

Deciding what birthday party theme to go for is probably the most difficult and confusing task. It is the birthday party theme that can make or break a special day. If you still can’t decide what would be the best birthday party theme for the upcoming birthday, you are at the best place. We have chosen the top 15 best birthday party theme ideas that will help you decide to choose the one for your birthday party. Party Themes The one thing essential for all of these themes is a birthday song, don’t forget that. 1.  Sports Party No matter if it is a girl’s or a boy’s birthday, a sports party theme will do wonders on your birthday. It will be healthy and entertaining for sure. 2.  Superhero if you want to make your birthday party awesome, go with the Superhero party theme. Invite friends and ask them to wear their favorite superhero costumes. 3.  Princess Party Why wouldn’t someone want to join a princess party? Keep the cake and the decorations all pink for an astonishing birthday party. 4.  Winter Party Make sure the decorations and cake go all blue and white to have an outstanding birthday party. 5.  Minecraft Theme Minecraft has not lost its popularity till now, so why not theme our birthday party based on Minecraft. Kids and elders both love to play such games. 6.  Pet Party Look out for sharing the love on your birthday with pets in your area. Take your friends with you and arrange a volunteer party for pets. 7.  Camp it Up This could be the greatest birthday party theme. Arrange a big tent and manage to get your birthday celebrated in it. 8.  Pool party You must have already thought about a pool party this birthday. It is an evergreen idea that you can theme accordingly. 9.  Space Theme Stuff up with galactic style, space-themed activities with decoration and vast treats and cake to praise the enormous day. 10.  Pokemon Party Be ready with different characters for return gifts. Kids will have lots of fun with Pokeballs and treat bags for sure. 11.  Bouncee Probably better than a sports-themed party. Give your friends an unforgettable experience with a big bounce house. 12.  Karaoke…

A Devon education “listening” event will take place on Wednesday 24th February, organised by Cllr Su Aves (St Sidwells and St James) of Devon’s Children’s Scrutiny Committee with Hannah Packham, the National Education Union (NEU)’s Regional Secretary. The discussion will bring together Devon teachers, school staff, parents, students and everyone with an interest in education to focus on priorities and aspirations for the county, both during and after the COVID pandemic. After brief introductions from the panel, participants will be asked to break out into smaller groups by area of interest to focus on their biggest concerns, and the questions they would like answered from Westminster policymakers. Topics will include primary, secondary, further education and universities, as well as Special Education Needs, and protecting the pre-school sector. Cllr Su Aves says “We really want as many parents, teachers, governors and other residents to come so we can make sure the whole diversity of Devon educational experiences and ideas form part of our policy understanding. As well hoping to create opportunities for positive changes in Devon, we will be communicating the key findings to Shadow Secretary for Education, Kate Green, at a public event we are putting together for Wednesday 17th March.” Event panellist Cllr Rob Hannaford (Exwick and St Thomas), who is Chair of the Children’s Scrutiny Committee, added, “COVID has flagged all kinds of issues for Devon, including major inequalities between different families’ home experiences, between schools, social development, and exam results. Teachers, parents and students have dealt heroically with home-schooling, in some cases under unimaginable strain. Our job in Children’s Scrutiny is to build awareness, shine a light on what’s working well and sort out what’s going wrong, and this is an opportunity for us to do more, in more parts of Devon.” “Equal access to education, the broken assessment and accountability system, cuts and escalating workloads are ongoing priorities for the NEU,” says Hannah Packham, “After COVID-19 we also need reform of our assessment and exams systems to make them fit for the future.” Devon residents are invited to register at the following link https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/138193964869 for the event, which will be hosted by Devon Labour.   The Exeter Daily …