Latest news with #CarolynCusterson
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
English Riviera Airshow 'brings £5m boost' to Torbay trade
Business leaders believe this year's English Riviera Airshow has brought in millions of pounds of trade to the third and final day of the event took place on Sunday, with aircraft including the Red Arrows and RAF Typhoon Display Team taking to the skies above Paignton of people have attended the free event during the three days it has been on, which has helped bring at least £5m of trade to Torbay, according to English Riviera Business Improvement District chief executive Carolyn said the financial boost the event had given the area meant it was in a "good position" for the future. Ms Custerson said: "The airshow is going to be worth at least £5m to Torbay's visitor economy and we see a great return on investment."For every pound we invest, we see £15 returned."So we've got now in a good position to take the event forward." Traders who set up stalls at the airshow said it had been a "phenomenal" weekend with the large crowds Guthrie, from Torbay Gin, said: "We did strong sales on Saturday and the crowds were just wooed by the Red Arrows and the Typhoon that came in."It was a great day for business."Councillor Jackie Thomas, cabinet member for tourism, culture and events at Torbay Council, said holding such an event when other airshows, such as Bournemouth and Teignmouth, were either not happening or unlikely to happen this year due to funding issues was a big boost."We have managed to keep going and you can see what a spectacular event that we have produced," she added.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Airshow weekend 'brings £5m boost' to Torbay trade
Business leaders believe this year's English Riviera Airshow has brought in millions of pounds of trade to the area. The third and final day of the event took place on Sunday, with aircraft including the Red Arrows and RAF Typhoon Display Team taking to the skies above Paignton Green. Thousands of people have attended the free event during the three days it has been on, which has helped bring at least £5m of trade to Torbay, according to English Riviera Business Improvement District chief executive Carolyn Custerson. She said the financial boost the event had given the area meant it was in a "good position" for the future. Ms Custerson said: "The airshow is going to be worth at least £5m to Torbay's visitor economy and we see a great return on investment. "For every pound we invest, we see £15 returned. "So we've got now in a good position to take the event forward." More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon Traders who set up stalls at the airshow said it had been a "phenomenal" weekend with the large crowds attending. James Guthrie, from Torbay Gin, said: "We did strong sales on Saturday and the crowds were just wooed by the Red Arrows and the Typhoon that came in. "It was a great day for business." Councillor Jackie Thomas, cabinet member for tourism, culture and events at Torbay Council, said holding such an event when other airshows, such as Bournemouth and Teignmouth, were either not happening or unlikely to happen this year due to funding issues was a big boost. "We have managed to keep going and you can see what a spectacular event that we have produced," she added. Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Thousands flock to action-packed day at airshow Airshow pilots looking to 'give something back' Devon's English Riviera Airshow set for take off English Riviera Airshow English Riviera BID Torbay Council
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
How firms are coping one year after Devon parasite outbreak
People in the south Devon fishing town of Brixham remember 15 May 2024 for all the wrong was date the UK Health Security Agency confirmed the parasite cryptosporidium was present in tap water in the area, with South West Water (SWW) confirming the contamination of the water supply in the town the next day.A boil notice was issued for thousands of properties, with bottled water handed to stricken residents. More than 100 confirmed cases of the diarrhoea-type illness were ultimately linked to the Brixham ripple effects of the outbreak continue but some firms in the town said there was hope. Josy Byrne, Post Office manager at nearby Kingswear, fell ill from the cryptosporidium bug on 10 May."I've never been so sick in my entire life," she said."I lost 15lb (6.8kg) in three days and was sick for the whole summer." She said she continued to suffer from irritable bowel syndrome as a result of the outbreak had a significant impact on local tourism, with holiday homes remaining empty as visitors cancelled their plans, she said."It did hurt the businesses in the area because nobody wanted to come anymore," she said. In November 2024 SWW pledged £1.2m to help boost tourism and repair what business leaders described as "reputational damage" following the Custerson, chief executive of the English Riviera BID Company, which aims to increase business in the area, said the strategy to reflect Brixham and the English Riviera in a positive light appeared to be having an impact, with an "increase in family booking numbers" over had "given us the support that has enabled us to run campaigns aimed at encouraging people to come to Brixham and the surrounding Torbay area this summer," she said."We are looking forward to welcoming past and new visitors to our beautiful region." 'Got to keep positive' Andrew Stockman, who runs a picture gallery and amusement arcade in Brixham, said business had been rocked by the outbreak."We have seen a lot of regulars who were put off for a year find somewhere else," he said."It's been really significant, the streets are quieter and it will probably be two or three years before it recovers."These things really do affect small towns like ours."SWW had offered him £500 compensation for both businesses, a fraction of what he reckoned he "older crowd" that were regular visitors had also been put off by higher costs of living, he said. John Ingram, owner of the Bay Coffee Company, said the outbreak turned Brixham into a "ghost town"."It had a really devastating effect for about nine to 12 weeks," he said, adding the ripple effects continued throughout the year with slower bookings and harder estimated that his business lost about 25-30% of its revenue during the crisis. Despite the challenges, he said: "We've got to keep positive and keep working at this."He said he was confident about the upcoming summer, with several festivals planned."Big smiles, great sunshine. Come and visit us here in Devon," he said. 'Improvements made' SWW said in a statement it was "sorry for what happened in Brixham last year"."While we can't undo what happened, we have made already made improvements to make sure it cannot happen here again," it said."Our focus is firmly on the future for customers and communities and we are working to support local tourism in the area. "We are prioritising long-term improvements so that every community we serve can continue to rely on us."
BBC News
10-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Devon to host the Stand Up Paddling World Cup 2026
Devon has been chosen to host an international paddleboard competition in 2026. The Stand Up Paddling (SUP) World Cup is set to take place in Torbay from 24 to 28 June. About 200 SUP athletes from across the world are expected to compete, as well as up to 1,000 other paddlers who will take part in a festival of Metcalfe, chief executive of Paddle UK which will host the event, said he was "delighted" the competition would be hosted in the English Riviera. 'Incredible opportunity' The SUP World Cup event will be supported by the English Riviera Business Improvement District (BID) Company and Torbay Thomas, Torbay Council's cabinet member for tourism, culture and events, said she looked forward to "offering a warm welcome to the many competitors, support teams and vistors".Carolyn Custerson, chief executive of English Riviera BID Company, added: "This is an incredible opportunity to showcase our stunning coastline to a global audience and reinforce our reputation as a premier water sports destination in the UK."
