STORIES FROM OUR COMMUNITIES: ISSUE 7, 2023
Custodians of our countryside
Meet author Hannah Foley
Uncovering Devon's Village Halls
Affordable food in for all in Bovey Tracey
COVER IMAGE: SUSIE GROOM, WINNER OF OUR 'HAPPINESS IN DEVON' PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Top tips for connecting with nature
Fika
Wellbeing at work
Exeter's competitive bodybuilder
Public health in the community and more ...
BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Welcome to the 7th annual edition of our LOVE Devon magazine. This year we've incorporated a wellbeing theme throughout the magazine. So much of what we do as a charity supports wellbeing in some way, whether it's tackling rural loneliness, addressing health inequalities, supporting people with new digital skills so they can connect with others, helping communities with wildlife and environmental schemes and much more. It's never been as important to look after our wellbeing and that of others in our communities.
You'll find ideas on connecting with nature from Devon Wildlife Trust (pg.18), tips for wellbeing at work (pg.22) and learn how to organise a fika (pg.4), which I can personally attest to being a lovely way to connect with colleagues (and a great excuse to drink coffee and eat cake!). We're also lucky enough to have some great interviewees, from local bodybuilder Karly Pearce (pg.20), to Donna Edmonds of Farms for City Children (pg.8) and Devon author Hannah Foley (pg.16), all of whom are contributing to the wellbeing of people in Devon and beyond. Enjoy the read!
The DCT team has put together a wellbeing reading list, playlists and app list - all of which may be accessed by scanning the QR code. Share your recommendations on social media or email marketing@devoncommunities. org.uk and we can add them to our page!
tinyurl.com/ yc8cm2pb
2 4 5 8 11 12 15
Welcome from our CEO
Fika is the answer! How the Swedes focus on their wellbeing
Affordable food for all We visit Bovey Tracey Affordable Food Hub
Field, farm, fork, future Interview with Farms for City Children
Surf's up! Connecting people with transport
Village Halls
Uncovering Devon's gems
Public health in the community Belle's Place, Ilfracombe
16 18 20 22 23
Read, write, live! Interview with Hannah Foley Let's go outside Connecting with nature, Devon Wildlife Trust
Keeping a sound mind and body with Karly Karly Pearce, trainer
Wellbeing at work Debbie Jeffery, OutPour Resilience role play Devon Community Resilience Forum
Affordable housing led by communities Devon Community Housing Hub
Thank you to winning photographer, Susie Groom and all the other entrants to our photo competition to depict 'Happiness in Devon'. You can view all the submitted photos here: https://tinyurl.com/2uydbxt3
"Dartmoor walks mean everything to me from the ever changing light to enchanting animals. Since surviving throat cancer I have walked everyday in Dartmoor, so pleased to be alive"
Devon Communities Together is the operating name of the Community Council of Devon.
If you would like to advertise in LOVE Devon please contact our marketing department Tel: 01392 248919
Email: marketing@ devoncommunities.org.uk
CONTRIBUTE:
We welcome all contributions to LOVE Devon but we regret we cannot guarantee a publication and we reserve the right to edit for reasons of space and style.
Email: marketing@ devoncommunities.org.uk
DEVON COMMUNITIES TOGETHER:
President: HM Lord Lieutenant of Devon, David Fursdon
Chair: Nicola Gurr
Chief Executive: Nora Corkery
CONTACT: 01392 248919
info@devoncommunities.org.uk www.devoncommunities.org.uk
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Around 10am and 3pm daily, Swedes join each other in the staff room. The kettle has boiled and the scent from the cinnamon buns fills the air together with laughter.
Fika, which roughly translates from Swedish as drinking coffee, munching sweet treats and chatting — is very much a part of the working day in Sweden. Fika are breaks that are a deeply established part of Swedish life and work culture. Fika is the law. Even the Swedish Working Hours Act states “the employer shall organise work so that employees are able to take pauses from work as necessary […] Pauses are included in the working time”.
The delightful custom of fika is at least 15 to 20 minutes long (but can go on for longer). Fika is a simple ritual - come as you are and leave as you are. Fika is to pause and to connect, connect with yourself, your family, or your colleagues. Fika is a way for us to connect with each other. Give yourself permission to pause, wherever and whenever, and create joyful and happy memories you can cherish and treasure.
As you are now interested in fika, the next question is; ‘How could you incorporate Fika into your weekly routine'? Here are some ideas ...
1. Invite your community to your village hall for a Friday fika
2. Set up a face to face or an online fika with a colleague/s on a weekly basis,
3. Meet a friend at a café for a catch up
4. Establish protected fika time for your staff
5. Ask your neighbour around for a fika, offering a homemade cake
6. Start a monthly fika club at your organisation
7. Bake cakes and biscuits with your children and have a fika picnic with your family
8. Invite your grandparents to a fika at your home
9. Go on a fika date with your partner in your hometown or somewhere new
So, which of these ideas will you try? Remember, fika is the answer.
Victoria Grimberg, originally from Sweden, is a Project Manager at Devon Communities Together
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FIKA: visitsweden.com/what-to-do/food-drink/swedish-kitchen/all-about-swedish-fika/ bbc.com/reel/video/p0bmzygz/the-swedish-tradition-that-can-make-you-happier-at-work
Sarah and Josh from Devon Communities Together’s marketing team visited the Affordable Food Hub and Hub Café in Bovey Tracey …
Despitearriving at the Bovey Tracey Affordable Food Hub before it opened to the public, the Methodist Church Hall was already bustling with activity. Tables were being laid, stock was being displayed and soup was simmering in the kitchen. Outside the weather was grey and drizzly but inside was bright and warm, with volunteers confidently going about their jobs and Citizens Advice Devon setting up in an adjacent room for any Hub customers who might want advice.
Central to all the activity was Stella West-Harling MBE who helped to set up the Hub, along with others in Princetown, Tavistock, Horrabridge and Sherford. As CEO of Feeding Devon, founder of the Dartmoor
Community Kitchen Hub and Ashburton Cookery School, not to mention author of ‘A Cook’s Book’ recipe book, Stella has been sharing her passion for high quality, locally produced food for over 20 years. Recognising the inefficiencies of our food system and the incredible amount of waste it generates, she established the Affordable Food Hubs as an alternative way for people to shop for food.
“There is more food available at the moment than people realise,” said Stella. In fact, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature, 6.2 million tonnes of food is wasted by the food industry every year in the UK. “Instead of it being chucked out, it’s really good when it goes through us.”
The Hubs operate like pop up shops, opening once a week in each location to sell food that the team purchases from food redistribution charity FareShare. For just
£5 per bag (around 10kg), customers can choose from a wide range of food and drink, from fresh fruit and veg, to cupboard staples and lots of other items including seasonal treats (although certain items may be limited per customer to ensure fairness). Volunteers will pack and deliver bags for those who can’t access the Hub. They are looking at introducing a more formal ‘click and collect’ service at some of the Hubs where people who work during the day aren’t able to visit. There’s no referral system or vouchers – anyone can simply pop in.
“There’s no stigma attached,” added Stella, while enjoying a cup of hot chocolate at the Bovey Tracey Hub’s small seated area, where customers can enjoy a delicious soup, drink and a chat. “It’s an affordable food place, and that’s what we want to say, rather than ‘come in if you’re flat broke and desperate’.”
Indeed, on the morning we visited, there was a real mix of customers, from older people coming in from the rain to enjoy the soup and the company, to young families whose children scribbled away
at the children’s drawing table while their parents shopped. Many people were clearly regulars from the way they were personally greeted by the volunteers and other customers, and the atmosphere was friendly and upbeat.
“There’s also a misconception that we’re going to be offering reduced price food that’s gone past its sell by date and that’s not the case. It’s good quality food, the same as you would find in any other shop. We’re just able to offer it at more
Volunteer cook, Angie, serves delicious carrot and coriander soupaffordable prices. We are not funded so any tiny profit we do make is used to buy more food!”
The same warmth and enthusiasm extended to the Dartmoor Community Kitchen Hub Café, a community notfor-profit space only a short walk away. Decorated with colourful paintings and embroidered art, the busy café serves a range of sweet treats, meals and savoury snacks, from fruit crumble to pulled pork paninis, mostly sourced from local produce. It also runs a meal delivery scheme. Over 50s can become members of the café but anyone is welcome to enjoy the delicious food and barista coffee on offer each day. Plans are afoot for a community garden to the rear of the café, which will provide a host of opportunities for the community to not only grow their own produce but also come together to learn new skills, with an accessible area for outdoor workshops and courses.
“It’s important that our café customers have a nice space to enjoy," Stella said of the bright, welcoming building. “As well as serving food and drink, we also host lots of groups and get togethers and aim to be a community space here in the centre of town.”
When the Café was forced to close during the pandemic, Stella quickly adapted the model to provide affordable food packages for local people, which eventually turned into the Affordable Food Hubs we see today.
When asked whether the Cost of Living Crisis hitting just as we emerged from the pandemic had impacted the Hubs, Stella agreed that it had.
“Food is becoming so expensive that more people are using our Hubs as a way of getting good quality food for a lot less than you’d pay in a supermarket. We’re not a crisis measure though. We’re a way of reducing food waste and giving people a more affordable way to shop.”
To find out more about the Affordable Food Hub and Café in Bovey Tracey, visit communitykitchenhub.org.uk
Volunteers set up the Affordable Food Hub
Plans are afoot for a community garden at the Dartmoor Community Kitchen Hub Cafe
If you can’t see it, you can’t be it,” says Donna Edmonds, “and for young people coming out of the pandemic and countless other tough experiences, to have an opportunity to learn together, build teamwork, understand reciprocity and connect with nature – it’s transformational.”
Donna is the CEO of Farms for City Children, which was established in Devon in 1976 by renowned author Sir Michael Morpurgo and his wife, Lady Clare Morpurgo, to enable children from large cities to experience farming life. The charity now encompasses three sites – Nethercott House in Iddesleigh, Devon, Lower Treginnis in Pembrokeshire, and Wick Court in Gloucestershire – and to date it has helped more than 120,000 young people discover the plentiful benefits of our natural world through immersive residential stays.
A typical visit for a school party is Monday to Friday, although Farms for City Children now provides activities for a wider range of young people aged 8-19 outside of term time, for example day visits for children who can’t stay overnight and those in the care system. Visitors to the farms (in Devon this is Nethercott Farm, owned by the charity, and the partner farmers’ business at Bridgetown Farm, owned by the Ward
"If you’re a young person navigating your life in poverty there’s absolutely no way you’ll be able to get out into the countryside..."
family) enjoy a holistic experience where they don’t just observe the farms; they are farmers. Working 12-14 hour days, they engage with a huge array of activities that connect them to the land; from livestock to horticultural tasks, they will grow, harvest, cook, and feed each other, experiencing the entire cycle of ‘field, farm, fork’ – refreshingly, with no digital devices allowed.
“When the charity first started there was a clear and obvious benefit for children living in inner cities to experience the Devon countryside,” says Donna. “Clare and Michael recognised a total disconnect between
the two environments and wanted to offer this amazing opportunity to children living in economic poverty. Sadly, the need has grown in the past 50 years.
“We now view it as ‘poverty of experience’ rather than purely economic poverty. If you’re a young person navigating your life in poverty there’s absolutely no way you’ll be able to get out into the countryside and enjoy it without an adult who has the money and willingness to facilitate it. And when that adult has themselves grown up without it, it simply isn’t a priority. This also extends to coastal and rural communities – despite being closer to nature there are still many children who don’t access it, which is why we now welcome groups from all sorts of different communities.”
The benefits of nature for our wellbeing are well documented, but Farms for City Children has a deep, transformative effect on those people who experience the farms, perfectly demonstrated by Donna herself, who, as a newly qualified teacher in South London, found herself on a bus to Devon six weeks into her career, after a colleague dropped out.
“I sulked all the way down on the coach – it just wasn’t what I wanted to be doing. I grew up in a high rise
flat on a council estate with high crime and extreme deprivation. I had no connection to the countryside whatsoever – I didn’t even have wellies or a waterproof. If it was raining, you didn’t go out! Many of the young people we welcome to the farms; they’re my tribe.
“When we pulled up at Nethercott House, overlooking Dartmoor, I had never seen anything like it in my life. I’d never breathed air like that before; never seen light like that. I’d never even seen a horizon. At first I didn’t want to go near the animals or get dirty and I thought I’d be rubbish at everything. But the experience of people continually feeding me this unbelievable, nutritious food; of people being loving, nurturing and encouraging, was so overwhelming I felt like I was one of the 11 year olds I was accompanying. The trip imprinted something on my DNA and changed my life.”
The visit truly did leave its mark. After staying connected with Farms for City Children for the next 20+ years, Donna eventually left her career in education to take up the position as the charity’s Chief Executive. It’s clear to see that the benefits of the farm experience are far reaching, way beyond the five days spent on the farm.
"I’d never breathed air like that before; never seen light like that."
“People take the link between nature and wellbeing away with them and our follow up contact with schools shows how profound the impact is. You can’t do anything well, with joy in your heart, if you’re unhappy. Being outside and engaged in purposeful activity has clear consequences. For example, if you don’t feed the animals, they won’t survive. It’s a powerful message about your importance in the world. Self-esteem and wellbeing rockets.”
Evidence shows that, at school, punctuality issues decrease while attendances increase. Young people are signposted to local charities to show them ways in which they can explore careers and stay connected with the countryside.
Not only does the experience transform the lives of young people, it also aims to benefit us all by creating the future custodians of the British countryside.
“Just because you grow up in an urban area doesn’t mean you can’t love the countryside and see yourself as its future steward,” continues Donna. “We have to capture the energy and passion of this generation who will be responsible for protecting our natural environments.”
Farms for City Children wishes to connect with more local food and farming businesses in Devon, with Donna explaining that the future diversity of the rural economy depends on inviting different people to experience rural life.
“We are paving the way for thousands of diverse young people to come and fall in love with the countryside. In years to come they could come back to set up homes, take up vacant jobs and develop businesses, while contributing to the local economy and vibrancy of our communities. I would encourage any rural business that wants to support our mission to get in touch.”
HOW
Volunteers and donations make a huge difference to the charity. Visit farmsforcitychildren. org for more information.
"Just because you grow up in an urban area doesn’t mean you can’t love the countryside."
Public transportation is the network that bridges cultures together. Without the ability to take the bus to the city for work or see a friend over a long distance via train, those who cannot drive feel more isolated and disconnected, both physically and mentally.
There are lots of different factors that might stop people from using public transportation. It could flare up their anxiety, presenting many different unpredictable factors like late arrivals, breakdowns, and noise from other passengers. They might not have the confidence to ask the driver for a ticket. Their disability might deter them from using public transport.
The Connecting You project, funded by Devon County Council, aims to tackle all of this by recruiting travel training volunteers who can help those who experience travel insecurity, or providing grants to community groups that create public transport initiatives.
One way this has helped people is by allowing them to take part in activities that they would be otherwise unable to access. There are many areas in rural Devon that are affected by a lack of public transport connections, such as
Putsborough Beach in Croyde. It would take people like Maddie, a student at Petroc College, well over an hour to cycle from her home to the beach.
But with the help of Connecting You’s funding, Petroc has been able to arrange weekly trips to a surf school there. This has given Petroc’s students opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise get, learning new skills, spending time with friends, and going outside of their comfort zone. One day, despite the rough weather conditions at the beach, the students spent an hour surfing there, and were taken back in time for the end of the college day with a day of fun at sea behind them.
“This change is vital to a young person’s development and personal growth,” Debbie Keates, Safeguarding Officer at Petroc, says. “Taking part in the activity has positive impact upon many elements of a young person’s life such as self-esteem, body image and good mental health –these are an outcome from not just the activity itself but the friendships which will develop and grow.”
Find out more about how Connecting You has impacted the lives of people in rural Devon: devoncommunities.org.uk/ projects/connectingyou
Whenwe think of village halls, what is it that first springs to mind? A local yoga class on a Tuesday morning perhaps? A coffee morning for the WI? Or the venue for the monthly Parish Council meeting?
You’d be correct in many respects. However, village halls can also be the venue of choice for a diverse range of events and activities, and can sometimes be the only community space that people have access to in their area.
Across Devon there are around 450 inspiring and interesting village halls and community spaces, and a dedicated army of volunteers that run them. Devon Communities Together (DCT, in partnership with Devon Public Health and DEFRA), has been visiting hundreds of
their achievements and aspirations. We're creating the first ever Community Asset Map of Village Halls that celebrates what they mean to their communities, but also uncovers the potential they may have for diversifying. For example, could they provide space for important health and wellbeing services for the community that save people having to travel to their nearest town or city?
Some are already doing this. "We use our hall regularly as a mobility rehabilitation space, and we would love to do more of this," commented one committee member when we visited. Another identified that "communities need to get together more and talk. It would be good to have someone who could come in and offer a safe space, especially to talk about mental health."
There are lots of other things halls are doing - and could do more of, with the right support and funding. Hosting electric car charging points, helping local people to access online services like banking and medical appointments, and reaching further out into their communities to support vulnerable people were all discussed. One hall told us that after our visit "we would love to set up a village buddies Facebook page, so that people can help each other out with things like appointments and general errands."
Southpool Village HallConfidential and calm
... that Broadclyst Village Hall has turned what used to be a storage area into a beautiful and calming space that is used for local counselling and coaching sessions, offering a safe and confidential area for local residents to use?
It's a 10 from us!
...that Modbury Memorial Hall holds very successful ballroom dancing lessons, thanks to the superstar support of a member of the Strictly Come Dancing team?
Hitting the right spot ...that Lustleigh Village Hall has a shooting range and is home to ‘The Lustleigh (Home Guard 1944) Rifle Club’, which traces its origins back to 1944 and continues unbroken to this day?
Reading Rooms were set up in some villages during Victorian times for men to access newspapers and books, as an alternative leisure activity than going to the pub, and were generally set up by the wealthy or the church.
devoncommunities.org.uk/projects/village-halls-community-buildings-audit
Our village halls are hubs for community recreation but they can transform into local arts venues too!
We visited Exeter Drama Company, a charity-led theatre production company that has been performing plays in Exeter since 1955.
Its newest venue, Longdown Village Hall, is no stranger to hosting theatrical productions, previously holding pantomimes before lockdown. It has been particularly welcoming to the Exeter Drama Company, with people willing to help sell tickets for the shows, let them keep the sets for them to continue performing in, and modifying parts of the stage and backstage area based on their suggestions.
Ian Guy has been with the company since the 80s, firstly as an actor, now as the current Chairman. They have played in various village halls across the county such as Silverton, Upton Pyne, Thorverton, and Butterleigh,
attracting all sorts of audiences and frequently opening to sold-out shows, with some regulars snapping up tickets as soon as they’ve gone on sale.
“It gets people out of the house,” Ian says. “It gets them away from that box in the corner of your living room, gives them a live theatre experience and lifts the mood. Laughter is very different when you’re in an audience surrounded by 80-100 people.”
Exeter Drama Company also attracts a wide variety of actors of different age groups, from people who have been a part of the Company for a while to those who are young and just enjoy acting, who are all made to feel welcome.
“It’s one big family. If somebody is low, if somebody is struggling, if somebody has had a bereavement, or a birth, or a wedding, we're all affected by it.” Visit exeterdramacompany.co.uk.
With increasing rental costs for many performance spaces, it's wonderful to see Village Halls accommodating the Exeter Drama Company, among many other community groups, with more affordable rates to help encourage events and activities within their communities.
Agrowing
part of Devon Communities
Together's work is supporting people and communities to address health challenges and access important healthcare services.
During late 2022 and early 2023, we worked with the Devon County Council Public Health Outreach Team to collect and analyse insights about the ways in which Public Health is being delivered directly into communities to the people who need it.
Public Health is about helping people to stay healthy and protecting them from threats to their health. One insight we captured that demonstrates this mission was from Belle's Place in Ilfracombe, a community hub that was initially set up as a safe space for young people but has since developed to provide support to a range of people, particularly those experiencing homelessness, rough sleepers and those with problems arising from drug and alcohol misuse.
Initially, the Outreach Team’s work with Belle's Place aimed to increase the level of Covid vaccinations in people using the centre. They found people sceptical and distrusting about whether vaccinations or
any other health service would really help them. Over 12 months working alongside key community staff and voluntary and community health sector partners to build trust and confidence, the Outreach Team vaccinated 90% of the 250 people using Belle’s Place.
They also brokered relationships between Belle's Place and other health services, which are now providing important services like oral health and sexual health to people at Belle's Place. There's a fortnightly ‘drop in‘ for people to have blood pressure, blood glucose and blood tests carried out, and a paramedic or nurse from the local surgery attends on a fortnightly basis, with a GP coming once a month.
"The insights gained from listening to the Public Health Outreach Team and Belle's Place show the value of Public Health services reaching out into the communities, to places where people already know and trust," commented Devon Communities Together Project Manager Hannah Reynolds. "It shows the value of partnership working between health service providers and community organisations to make sure services reach the people who need them. And finally, it shows the value of ensuring organisations like Belle's Place are properly resourced and supported to contribute to the public health of their communities."
Find out more about the other insights we gathered from across Devon here: devoncommunities.org.uk/projects/devonpublic-health-insights
If you're interested in Public Health in Devon, visit www.devonhealthandwellbeing.org.uk
Devon has an impressive writing pedigree, from Michael Morpurgo to Ted Hughes, and Agatha Christie to name a few. LOVE Devon spoke to up and coming children's author, Hannah Foley, about finding adventure and inspiration in her home county ...
QHow long have you been an author?
My first children’s novel, The Spellbinding Secret of Avery Buckle, was published in 2021. But I’ve always enjoyed writing and being creative for as long as I can remember.
QWhich authors inspired you growing up?
I read everything I could get my hands on when I was growing up from my dad’s car mechanics manuals to my grandpa’s spy novels. Wherever there were words, there was me! But I especially loved the books of Joan Aiken. She is most famous for the children’s novel, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase.
QIf people reading this are new to your work, how would you describe your writing?
My latest book is called The Tiger Who Sleeps Under My Chair. I would describe it as a dual timeline mystery story set on the Jurassic Coast, exploring themes of mental illness. Mental illness is often portrayed as a gritty topic, but I hope
readers will find this a beautiful story of hope and friendship.
QWhat has been your favourite book to create so far?
My favourite book is always the one I’m working on at the moment. I think it has to be or I’d never finish it! But my current project is top secret. I can’t tell you anything about it, other than it will be published by Zephyr Books, who published my latest book.
QYou mention on your website that you had lots of adventures during your childhood, what has been your favourite?
We used to go all over the county in Dad’s clapped-out old cars to vintage tractor shows and ploughing matches. We were always exploring the countryside and the coast. I have such happy memories. I travelled a lot as a young adult and quickly became disillusioned with how voyeuristic travel is and steeped in colonialist attitudes, even now. One of the brilliant things about living in Devon is that adventure is right on our doorstep.
QWhat would you say is the best thing about reading to help or boost wellbeing?
Reading has so many positives. It can entertain, lift us out of where we are and make us laugh. It can teach us new things, which is really important for mental flexibility, which in turn is beneficial for wellbeing. It can change our perspective and teach us empathy. It can also be really cathartic. It sounds funny to say but sometimes I just need a good cry and I’m not sure why. I read a moving story, weeping away, and it’s just what I need!
QWhat, or who, in Devon inspires your writing?
Devon is a rural county and I’m very inspired by stories in the earth. It might be the shape of a hill or an old standing stone and I wonder what happened there. We’re so lucky to live in such an ancient landscape, which has been allowed to evolve slowly and gently for many generations. It sounds romantic to say it, but sometimes I feel I can almost hear the ground humming with the stories and songs that have been spoken and sung here over thousands of years.
QWhat do you love about living in Devon?
Most of all, it’s my home. It’s where my family are from and where I grew up. It’s shaped me. Every view I’ve ever seen, the world over, has failed in comparison with the view of a deep wooded Devon combe leading down to a glistening dimple of blue sea.
QIf anyone, young or old, has dreams of becoming an author, do you have any advice for them?
I’d say be realistic to start with. If you’re an ordinary person without lots of connections or money, it’s not something you can earn a living from. But if you love to write and would do it anyway, there is enormous pleasure to be had from having your book published and read by real readers. One of my favourite parts of being an author is meeting children at school visits or events and talking with them about books and writing. It’s such an honour to write for them and they deserve the best books we can give them, so the other thing is to keep honing your craft. Read, so you can understand how stories are put together. And live, so you have something to write about!
hannah-foley.co.uk
@Han_Foley_
@Han_Foley
Herein Devon, we’re lucky to have a huge variety of habitats and wildlife on our doorsteps, yet finding the time to get outside and experience nature can be a struggle. Spending time in ‘green spaces’, whether that’s your garden, local park or getting out into the wider countryside or nearby forests, can be hugely beneficial for both your physical and mental wellbeing. Though our lives may be busy, it’s important to make time for nature in a way that works for you. Here are my top tips for connecting with nature…
Perhaps the most obvious way to get out into nature is to put on your walking shoes and go outside. Wherever you’re based in
Devon, there’s bound to be places to go to get closer to wildlife. Walk through your local park and see how many bird species you can spot, visit a nearby woodland and listen to the sounds of nature or walk through fields of wildflowers and admire the work of our pollinators. If you’re stuck for ideas of where to go, why not check out some of our nature reserves?
One of the best ways to bring more nature into your life is to welcome it into your garden! Whether you have a large garden or a small balcony, you can create a space where nature thrives – and help yourself thrive too! Start by providing shelter to a range of different species, by adding bird boxes, bug hotels or native shrubs. Make a mini wildflower meadow, dig a pond, or provide a bird bath, the possibilities are endless! Whatever you choose to do with your space, you’ll be making a big difference to your local wildlife.
Finding a local charity or group to volunteer with is a great way to get out into nature! Volunteering has many benefits, both for yourself and local wildlife. Through volunteering, you can build confidence and develop or share skills and it’s a great way of staying healthy and connecting with others. As a volunteer with Devon Wildlife Trust, you could help support our work through practical conservation work, helping at events, surveying, fundraising or administration. There’s something for everyone to get involved with!
Sitting in front of a TV might not seem like a great way to connect with nature, but for days when the weather’s keeping you inside or if you struggle to get out for health reasons, finding a good nature documentary or settling in with a wildlife book can be a great way to relax. Nowadays we’re lucky to have a huge selection of films, TV shows, books, magazines and even games that allow you to experience the natural world from the comfort of your home.
If you’re looking for a great way to get the whole family more connected to nature, why not try some nature-based crafts? From leaf painting and creating art out of flowers to crafting animals out of whatever you can find on the forest floor, there are so many ways to get creative with what nature offers us. Why not try drawing your favourite British animal, or a plant you come across on a walk?
By connecting to nature in our day-to-day lives, we can support our mental wellbeing, find relief from our often fast-paced lives, and find new (and fun!) ways to support our physical health. To find out more about how you can bring more nature into your life, head to our website: devonwildlifetrust.org
Evidence of the link between physical activity and mental wellbeing is well documented. So, for our wellbeing issue, LOVE Devon was delighted to meet Exeter personal trainer Karly Pearce who, throughout her 18 years in the fitness industry, has empowered people both physically and mentally, helped many during the pandemic to keep fit and - as a competitive bodybuilder - almost rubbed shoulders with Arnold Schwarzenegger at the IFBB Arnold Sports Festival, one of the most prestigious bodybuilding events...
When I first became a bodybuilder, I used to work at the Riverside Leisure Centre in Exeter alongside a young man who used to do bodybuilding and I used to train with men all the time because it pushed me harder. He said to me ‘have you ever thought about bodybuilding? You should try it’, so I just tried it and I fell in love with it. Since then, I’ve done about 15 shows in the last six years, and got really good to the point I was in the best shape of my life.
QWhat do you enjoy most about personal training?
Karly competes at the Arnolds
I just love to see people progress and become their best, because not only are you personally training someone to get fitter and stronger and achieve their goals, it’s also rewarding to see people thrive in their confidence. And it’s great to see women just achieve and be stronger and fitter and more confident in life; they feel empowered by being able to come into a gym and deadlift 100 kilos.
did your training have to change during the pandemic?
Pre-Covid I was working at the Riverside teaching classes, then we went into the pandemic and I had so many ladies and men that were at home with nothing to do. I just thought ‘I need to start doing classes. I need to get these people moving again and keep the spirit going, keep their mental health in a good place’ because obviously, we
were all shut in our houses 24/7, which was really hard to cope with.
I started Zoom classes online. I charged a very small amount but people were happy to pay for it, and every day, I made a little timetable and created a hip class, core class, stretching class, and it ran from 9:30-10:30 in the morning and then in the evening, five days a week.
A lot of people had nominated me for the NFU Mutual Exeter 2021 award, for helping them and keeping their mental health in a good place during the pandemic, so that was quite emotional!
would you say is the link between regular exercise and wellbeing?
When you come to the gym [Karly works at Unit 7 in Exeter], you’re not only setting yourself a time schedule to do it, but for that hour, you need to be quite disciplined in your routine. If it's a part of your life, not only do you develop skills of being disciplined, the dopamine hit you get in the brain makes you feel good, therefore you have this reward system in place.
Because Unit 7 is a small, privately run gym, you haven't got hundreds of people dipping in and out all day. You've got a set amount of members and everyone knows each other’s names. Every time there’s someone new, everyone makes them feel welcome. You know when people aren't here and their presence is missed.
You probably think that people are judging you, but I'm sure they think everyone else is judging them as well. There's always that kind of ‘I don't know what I'm doing’ thoughts, and that's what personal trainers are for, to help new people come in and teach you those skills to be able to use the gym confidently.
would you recommend to those reading LOVE Devon?
A really good exercise is the basic squat, which you can use a chair for. It’s basically a sit and stand up, and you can do that just with your body weight, but if you can get up and down without using your hands on the chair, that’s a life skill you can take with you daily.
There are some great online resources for people who want to build more movement into their lives to support physical and mental health and wellbeing. Try these to get started: nhs.uk/better-health/get-active/ sportengland.org/jointhemovement
"...it's great to see women just achieve and be stronger and fitter and more confident..."
Debbie Jeffery is one of many local small businesses and social enterprises that has received support from Devon Communities Together's New Start Devon* enterprise coaching programme. Her wellbeing enterprise, OutPour, is based on creativity coaching for self-expression through stories, poems, and songs. Guiding and inspiring with gentle prompts, word association, free writing and music, the concept is about inclusion and unlocking potential.
We asked Debbie about how she makes time for wellbeing and self care while she's busy developing and growing her business.
How, if at all, has your wellbeing been affected since starting your enterprise?
It’s been massively boosted by the positive way people are responding to OutPour and saying how much it’s helped them, which was always my main goal. After a lifetime as a deskbound journalist, I’m revelling in being creative and having fun with people from all walks of life.
What, if anything, do you do to practice self care?
Daily meditation and creating with words - whether poetry, song lyrics, or fiction writing - are essential to my self-care, and one of the reasons OutPour was born.
What would your top tip be for a new entrepreneur to help them find a work life balance?
Make a list and stick to it! Keeping to a schedule, with set times blocked out for self-care and doing absolutely nothing, prevents burn out. Keep a journal of work achievements and successes too, to spur you on.
Why not try Debbie's tips, or explore your own ways to make time for yourself during the working day? Perhaps you could organise a fika (pg.4)?
You could also try mentalhealthatwork. org.uk which contains lots of resources and tools to support wellbeing and mental health in the workplace.
To contact Debbie about support from OutPour, call 07792 406650.
Building a resilient community takes time, patience and a great deal of community spirit. A lot of preparation goes into putting together a detailed Community Emergency Plan (CEP), which helps the community and emergency services respond in an effective, joined up way in the event of an emergency. But how do you know what it will be like in a real emergency? Until it happens, the answer is - you don't. However, you can test your plan hypothetically, like Ivybridge Town Council, which took the opportunity to test its CEP against a realistic mystery scenario, presented to them by the Environment Agency.
The Emergency Planning Team came together with a local Police Officer to run through the surprise scenario, which in this instance was a flood - something all too familiar to many Devon communities. They went step-by-step through their entire CEP, identifying where challenges might arise and coming up with solutions. They also identified some gaps in the plan and have since amended it. All in all, it was an interactive, collaborative session which will result in a more resilient Ivybridge in the event of an emergency!
Does your community need support in creating or updating your CEP? Would you like to run a similar test event like Ivybridge? Visit devoncommunities.org.uk/projects/devoncommunity-resilience-forum to find out how Devon Community Resilience Forum can help.
Every community deserves a route to affordable housing. That's why Devon Community Housing Hub (DCHH) supports local people and organisations to identify and meet the needs for affordable homes in their area.
Take Thorverton, for example. The Parish Council of this village of around 500 homes just outside Exeter, set up a working group to look at whether the small amount of existing affordable homes was really enough for the community. With the help of DCHH, they gave all households the opportunity to contribute to a Housing Needs Survey, which identified that 15 more homes were needed. Armed with this evidence, the local community is looking into whether a Community Land Trust (a democratic non-profit that would own and develop land for the benefit of the community) might be an exciting way to develop these new homes.
There are many different ways to achieve new affordable housing for local people. Visit devonhousinghub.org.uk for inspiration, information and support!
Did you know that nearly 30% of the waste that is thrown away in Devon is food waste?
If you are using your food waste collection THANK YOU! The majority of councils in Devon offer a weekly Food Waste Collection or are rolling out a new food waste collection service.
If you’re not using your food waste collection, here’s the low down on why it is so important:
Why is food waste a problem?
Waste Analysis carried out last year in Devon has identified that nearly 30% of black bin waste is food waste. 79% of that food waste is avoidable and 35% of all discarded food is still packaged.
What is a food waste collection service?
Food waste is collected weekly in a food waste caddy alongside your other waste and recycling services. It is then processed in anaerobic digestion facilities in the South West. The material is broken down in a series of sealed, oxygen free tanks to produce methane, a gas used to generate electricity and digestate, a nutrient rich fertiliser used by local farmers.
What can you put into your food waste caddy?
All cooked and uncooked food waste
Bread and pastries
Dairy produce
Egg shells
Fish and bones
Fruit and vegetables, incl. peelings
Meat and bones
Top tips
Use a kitchen caddy to store your food waste in your kitchen then transfer the food to your outside food waste collection
Pasta and rice
Tea bags and coffee grounds
Uneaten pet food and cut flowers
Compostable packaging
Garden waste
Anything other than food waste, uneaten pet food or cut flowers
You can use ANY bag to line your caddy e.g. an old bread bag, empty salad bag, frozen food bag, old carrier bag, compostable bag or newspaper to keep it clean
What happens to the bags used as caddy liners?
If you put the handle forward on your outside caddy the lid will lock to help keep the contents secure
They are all removed from the food waste at the start of the anaerobic digestion process and sent to an Energy from Waste plant. The anaerobic digestion facility cannot distinguish between normal plastic and compostable or biodegradable bags. In fact, it is better to reuse a normal plastic bag to line your caddy because compostable or biodegradable bags do not break down within the digestion process and can clog up the digester causing extra expense for it to be cleaned out.
Why can’t you put compostable packaging in your food waste collection?
The anaerobic digestion process requires uncontaminated food waste to work efficiently and effectively. Although a caddy liner is acceptable as a practicality there should be no other packaging in the caddy.
Want to cut down on food waste and save money? Visit recycledevon.org for handy tips and advice.