News in Axminster

Restart Grants are now available for businesses as the economy starts to re-open in line with government's roadmap out of lockdown.

The new Restart Grant is a sector-based grant, which is different from the Local Restrictions Support Grants (LRSG), and could pay between £2,667 to £18,000 to eligible businesses. 

At a time when major supermarkets are still dipping their toes into the concept of product refill stations to cut plastic waste, a small family-owned Axminster store has boldly taken a big jump into the future.

The Axe News newsagents and general store in West Street has invested in a bank of zero waste self-serve stations where customers can load their own containers (or supplied paper bags) with products like pasta, pulses, nuts, seeds, flour and sugar. And what's more, Gurjeet Kaur Bains and her family have plans to stock hand washes, shampoo, conditioners, a baby product range and even oat chocolate.

To celebrate Bluebell Week, which starts today (Monday), East Devon District Council has launched a photo competition to find the best spring photographs of 2021.

It could be photos of landscapes, wild flowers or wildlife you have spotted this spring.

There was a small rise in the number of new coronavirus cases confirmed across Devon and Cornwall last week, with an average of six more cases a day across the two counties.

A total of 214 new cases were confirmed across the two counties last week, compared to 163 the previous week. This is the highest for three weeks and the total case numbers since the start of the pandemic now stands at 47,674.

A local cancer charity has reported how it has provided support and assistance during the last year of lockdowns.

Axminster and Lyme Cancer Support has produced a colourful chart to show how it has supported nearly 200 people during the last year.

A new campaign, 'Naturally Healthy May', will encourage Devon residents to enjoy the great outdoors and improve their wellbeing.

Active Devon, a community-focused non-profit organisation, will be working with Devon County Council on behalf of the Devon Local Nature Partnership (DLNP) to share ideas on social media of new ways for people to stay healthy and have fun outside.

Four candidates have put themselves forward for the upcoming Police and Crime Commissioner election in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

The vote for a four-year term of office for the £86,700-a-year job was postponed from 2020 due to the pandemic and will take place alongside Devon County Council elections on Thursday, May 6.

Looking a new job or career path? Take a look at the Axminster Nub News Jobs section which lists current vacancies in and around the area.

Each week, we will be highlighting a local vacancy and featuring them on our website and social media.

After shops and other businesses across East Devon reopened last week, it became clear that many traders still have questions about the measures they need to take to be COVID-secure.

The district council's COVID compliance officers have been visiting high streets to help businesses keep themselves, and their customers, safe.

Nub News editor Philip Evans continues his series looking back over his 55-year career in journalism, many years of which have been spent covering East Devon.

Whilst I was working in South Africa I heard a rumour from a colleague back home that Pulman's Weekly News, one of the first newspapers I had worked for, was up for sale.