Devon Communities Together

Free Webinar: Building Thriving High Streets & Town Centres

How can we ensure Devon's town centres remain vibrant destinations and thriving hubs of community life?

Join Devon County Council, Power to Change, businesses and stakeholders for this inspiring webinar taking place on 6th October, 10am to 12pm.

You'll hear real-life examples of how businesses, communities and local partners are bringing new life to town centres across the region. Through a series of case studies, you'll discover practical ideas, innovative approaches and successful projects that are making a difference.

You'll also hear from Vicki Bidwell, High Streets Policy Lead at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and learn about emerging opportunities including High Street Rental Auctions and new approaches to bringing vacant town centre properties back into use.

Whether you're a business owner, community group or local authority representative, you'll gain fresh inspiration, practical insights and explore new opportunities, support and resources to help turn local ideas into action.

Book your free place today: https://f.mtr.cool/k6n9gjlahi

💡 What could you make happen in Princetown?

The new Princetown Community Grants Fund from the Duchy of Cornwall has £250,000 available to support local projects that strengthen community life and create lasting benefits.

Perhaps you've got an idea to...

🤝 Bring people together
🏡 Make better use of a community space
📜 Celebrate Princetown's unique heritage
🌿 Help more people connect with Dartmoor and each other
🎉 Create new activities for local people
🌱 Do something that will benefit the village for years to come

If you've been thinking "someone should do something about that..." maybe this is your chance to make it happen!

Grants are available from £500 to £40,000 and you don't have to have everything figured out before you get in touch. Our team at Devon Communities Together is here to help you explore your idea and understand whether the fund could be right for you.

👉 Find out more: https://f.mtr.cool/fi7telkrt8

🚨 Still time to book one of our Community Emergency Hubs Workshops this week! 🚨

Community Emergency Hubs are community-run spaces where local people can come together to support one another and take swift, safe and effective action in those crucial early moments before emergency services arrive.

Devon Communities Together is providing a FREE Community Emergency Hub kit to 100 communities across the county (first come first served). To be eligible for a kit you need to do three things:
1️⃣ Interested community members should attend an online workshop (details below)
2️⃣ A suitable location within the community must be agreed and identified
3️⃣ The community should be notified about the hub

Join one of the following FREE sessions to find out more:

📅 Wednesday 23rd September, 6pm - 7pm https://f.mtr.cool/fbhuw97uyx
📅 Thursday 24th September, 1pm - 2pm https://f.mtr.cool/kk42cbnago

Devon County Council Environment Agency - South and South West

⚡ Our Energy Outreach Project is back! 🏠

We are really excited to be working with communities across Devon again this autumn and winter, helping people navigate energy bills, find out what support they may be entitled to and discover practical ways to save energy at home and in their organisation.

And the timing couldn’t be more important. From 1 October, the energy price cap is increasing by 4%, meaning a typical household paying by Direct Debit could see the annualised cost rise from £1,663 to £1,723.

That’s why our trained Energy Champions will be out and about in our communities, offering FREE energy advice drop-in sessions over the coming months.

📅 Our first free drop-in session is tomorrow at Sid Valley Food Bank in Sidmouth! Come along for friendly, practical advice on things like:

💡 Understanding your energy bill
💷 The energy price cap and standing charges
🏠 Ways to save energy at home
📋 Checking what support you may be entitled to
🔌 Smart meters
🔄 Switching energy suppliers
…and much more.

There are also a small number of warm packs available for people who attend on of our sessions, including: fleece blanket, thermal socks, gloves, hat and a flask 💚

🔎🦋 What can you discover in a day at the farm? Quite a lot, as it turns out!

The Connecting People and Landscapes Bioblitz at Ramsland Farm on Saturday brought together 25 families, nature enthusiasts and curious beginners to explore Devon’s amazing landscape.

With support from Devon Wildlife Consultants, the group surveyed lichens, birds and pollinators – and uncovered some brilliant finds along the way:

🦋 Feathered Gothic moth – just 11 records in Devon in 2025!
🌿 Golden eye lichen
…and plenty more besides!

There was also lots of learning and sharing, with Dave Pakes from Devon Moth Group sharing discoveries from the previous night’s moth trapping, and Juliette Jackson from Seadream Education getting everyone stuck into some fantastic minibeast sessions.

A brilliant day of exploring, discovering and learning from each other. 💚



These events are being run as part of the Connecting People and Landscapes in a Changing Climate project, which brings together farmers, landowners and communities across the South-West and beyond to create a more resilient landscape in the face of a changing climate.

A big thank you to The The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the players for making this possible!

Bat Conservation Trust South Devon National Landscape East Devon National Landscape Devon Wildlife Trust

🏡 Rural housing matters – but what can communities actually do about it?

Did you know Devon Communities Together has a dedicated Rural Housing team?

Our Rural Housing Enabler, Mandy Goddard, works with the Devon Community Housing Hub, partners and communities to help make affordable rural housing a reality for local people – supporting thriving, diverse communities across Devon.

🎙️ Mandy recently joined the Moore Than Talk podcast to chat all things rural housing.

If rural housing is on your community’s radar – or you’re simply curious to find out more – have a listen! 👇

🎧 https://f.mtr.cool/rtnwnc472m

Action with Communities in Rural England - ACRE

📅 Closing date: 12 noon, Monday 21 September

Could you help communities across Devon thrive?

What if your next project could help a rural community become more connected, a coastal community become more resilient, or local people turn a great idea into lasting change?

We are looking for an enthusiastic Project Manager to join Devon Communities Together and help make that happen! 💚

This role is a great fit if you:
✨ enjoy working with communities and helping people make things happen
✨ can confidently take projects from idea to delivery and beyond
✨ love bringing people together and building strong partnerships
✨ want your work to have a genuine, lasting impact across Devon

This is an opportunity to use your project management skills for something that really matters by supporting stronger, more vibrant and connected communities across our rural and coastal county.

👉 Find out more and apply: https://f.mtr.cool/1cdxhwhe73

📅 Interviews: Thursday 1 October

Could this be the role for you or someone you know? Please share! 💚

👓

Since launching our Rural Lens campaign, we’ve seen rural Devon through some brilliant perspectives — from police officers and councillors to summer show visitors… and even a pair of sheep! 🐑

Different views, shared experiences and plenty to discover. What would YOU see through the Rural Lens?

Take a look 👇
https://f.mtr.cool/x1e6rl5vh6

🦋 Devon Local Nature Partnership (LNP) is seeking an inspirational and forward-thinking Chair,
driven by a passion for uniting organisations to address the nature and climate emergencies.

As Devon moves into the delivery phase of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), The Devon LNP is looking for a Chair who can provide strong strategic leadership, bring partners together around a shared vision and help ensure that nature recovery remains at the heart of decision-making across the county.

For anyone interested in applying, an online open-call event will be held on Thursday 17 September at 4pm, providing an opportunity to learn more about the role and ask questions of the current co-vice chairs Nick Bruce-White (Devon Wildlife Trust) and Carloyn Cadman (South West Water) and the LNP Secretariat and management team.
Register to attend here: https://f.mtr.cool/utl021i5yb

For more about the role and further information please email [email protected]

📅 Closing date for applications: 13th October 2026

Please share with your networks and help find the right person to lead this important work for Devon's nature, communities and future generations 💚

Select tickets – LNP Chair - Open call with Nick Bruce-White & Carolyn Cadman – Microsoft Teams LNP Chair - Open call with Nick Bruce-White & Carolyn Cadman – Microsoft Teams, Thu 17 Sep 2026 - This event is to provide prospective candidates with an opportunity to explore the role and understand more about the Devon Local Nature Partnership before potentially applying, we will be holding an ...