Latest news with #Torbay
BBC News
15 hours 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.
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Devon children's mental health service rated 'good'
A children's health service in Devon which cares for young people with mental health needs has been rated as good following concerns about its Care Quality Commission (CQC) launched the inspection in response to concerns about the Inpatient Physical Health Services for children in Torbay and South inspection, in November 2024, focused on people who were receiving treatment for eating disorders associated with a mental health condition at Torbay Director at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust Shelly Machin said she was "proud" of the results but she added that she was aware that improvements were still needed. 'Dedicated and compassionate' The published report showed the service ranked as good in respect to how safe, effective, responsive, caring and well-led it was. However CQC said it must ensure staff have access to additional training in understanding "the needs of children with a learning disability and autistic children". The overall CQC rating for Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust remains as 'requires improvement'. Mrs Machin said: "Over recent years our paediatric inpatient ward has supported an increasing number of children and young people with eating disorders and mental health needs."She said she was proud the inspection found her "dedicated and compassionate colleagues" were doing their best to provide high-quality added: "We are aware of the improvements that are needed and an action plan is in place to help us drive these forward."She said the trust would support colleagues "with more training" and "doing what we can to improved the ward environment to maintain privacy, dignity and safety".
BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
English Riviera Airshow returns to Paignton at the weekend
Tens of thousands of visitors are expected in Torbay at the weekend as the English Riviera Airshow three-day event, on the seafront at Paignton Green between Friday 30 May and Sunday 1 June, was to feature flying displays, fireworks, live music and entertainment, organisers said. Some of the UK's most iconic aircraft were due to take to the skies, including the RAF's Red Arrows, who were due to open the show, they added. Devon and Cornwall Police said officers were to carry out extra patrols, and also warned the public to expect heavy traffic and road closures. What's on and when? The airshow, set against the backdrop of the Torbay coastline, has been held annually since 2016 and is the first event in the UK's airshow calendar. It is set to include performances from the RAF Red Arrows, the RAF Typhoon and British Army's Red Devils Parachute Display Team. Organisers said the event had been growing year-on-year, with a special opening night on Friday for the first time in its history. Here is the planned line-up of what spectators can 30 May - Opening night 18:00-22:00: Spitfire flypast at duskThe Fireflies pyrotechnic displayLive music headlined by The Funk City BandFireworks display at 22:00 Saturday 31 May - Flying will take place between:14:00 and 16:0016:30 and 18:00RAF Red Arrows to close the showSunday 1 June - Flying is scheduled between: 12:00 and 13:1513:50 and 14:5515:20 and 16:15Flying times were subject to change, said organisers. Meanwhile, visitors could enjoy live music, entertainment and a wide range of food and drink stalls at the event village on the green throughout the weekend. Road closures Organisers said road closures and safety measures would be in place between 11:00 BST and 19:00 on Saturday and Sunday, limiting vehicle access around Paignton seafront. Police and Torbay Council have advised visitors to use public transport, walk or cycle. Drivers should allow extra time for their journey, they and Cornwall Police said: "If you need to talk to us about something, or just want to meet your local officers, then please come up and say hello - that's what we are here for."Details of road closures and diversions are on the Torbay Council website. The airshow is free to attend and funded by various partners, including Torbay Council, the English Riviera BID Company, several corporate sponsors and individual donors.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Devon heart attack care trial pulled to review feedback
A proposal to trial changes to heart attack services in part of Devon has been withdrawn to allow time to consider feedback on the Devon's Integrated Care Board (ICB) was due to discuss a "test and learn" process for out-of-hours services in Torbay and Exeter during a meeting on part of the move, the trial could have seen patients driven to hospital in Exeter rather than Torbay to help cut costs and release resources to cut treatment following concerns raised locally, NHS Devon said it had decided to delay the proposal so comments can be reviewed before an updated plan is presented to the ICB in July. 'Deeply concerning' A report which formed part of the trial from NHS Devon said it believed consolidating centres might "provide increased value with minimal and clinically acceptable impact on safety and quality".However, the idea was criticised by Liberal Democrat MPs Steve Darling and Caroline Voaden who both raised the issue in the House of MP Darling said the proposal put patients at risk of not receiving treatment fast enough while South Devon MP Voaden said it would put people in critical Torbay Conservative MP Kevin Foster also raised concerns with the trial, which he described as "deeply concerning". In a statement on Wednesday, NHS Devon said its chair and chief executive had decided to pull the plans from the board meeting off the back of "wide-ranging" comments from politicians, health professionals and patients."This will enable the feedback to be fully considered and allow time to reflect on whether such a process will lead to clarity on future commissioning arrangements to ensure the long-term sustainability of this important service," NHS Devon added its key priority was to commission "safe, reliable and sustainable" services for the future of healthcare in the Devon said: "We will engage with our clinicians and partners to design this and find the most effective solutions for the whole population of Devon."An updated proposal will be presented to the board in July, taking into account the valuable feedback received."
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Calls for single-sex housing for vulnerable women in Devon
A charity working with victims of sexual violence is calling for action to stop vulnerable women being housed in emergency accommodation with Rape Crisis & Sexual Abuse Services said it was "deeply concerned" by reports women fleeing domestic and sexual violence in Torbay were not always housed in female-only executive Dr Davina Cull said: "Many of these women have experienced extreme trauma at the hands of men. Being placed in mixed-sex settings can feel unsafe, retraumatising."A government spokesman said: "It's clear local authorities should ensure sufficient, suitable support in safe accommodation is available to meet the needs of domestic abuse victims." Dr Cull said women needed access to trauma-informed, women-only spaces where they could begin to heal in safety and dignity. "Emergency housing must not add to the harm these women have already endured," she said. She urged the government to "commit proper, sustained funding to ensure safe, specialist accommodation is available across the country". Leigh, a survivor of domestic abuse, who works at Patchwork House Women's Centre in Torquay, said several women had spoken of their traumatic experiences while living in mixed-sex accommodation."We have had women in a shared house who won't leave their bedroom because they are fearful of coming out to men drunk or on drugs, or to inappropriate sexual innuendos," she said in some cases women had been placed in emergency accommodation with a large number of men."For women who have fled and need safety and support, being housed with multiple men is traumatising and really affects them mentally," she added that the women needed a safe space to recover from what they had been through but were being further traumatised. Psychiatrist Dr Karina Da Cunha said that, in her role as an independent practitioner in Torbay, she had worked with women fleeing abuse and had witnessed their deterioration after they were housed with men."In one case, the patient stopped eating, drinking, and was so afraid she started barricading her door. She even tried to take her own life," said Dr Da said she had urged Torbay Council to re-house the patient urgently but this did not happen. When she re-visited the patient 18 months later, she did not recognise the person she had been trying to help. "She was psychotic and confused and she had lost a lot of weight. She had even cut her hair to look like a man to protect herself." 'Dangerous and traumatising' Amanda Greenwood is chief executive of Trevi, a charity based in the South West of England which supports more than 1,000 women and children every said: "Placing women who have fled domestic abuse into mixed or male-only accommodation is not just unsuitable; it's dangerous and deeply retraumatising. "For many women, these environments mirror the unsafe and violent circumstances they have fled, compounding their trauma and undermining their chances of recovery."We need to ensure that every woman fleeing domestic violence has access to accommodation that truly meets her needs." A spokesperson for The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the reports of vulnerable women being housed with men were "extremely concerning". "We are clear that local authorities should ensure sufficient, suitable support in safe accommodation is available to meet the needs of domestic abuse victims who need to flee their homes, and that any shared safe accommodation should be single sex."The government said it has increased funding to local authorities to £160 million for 2025-26, an uplift of £30 million from the previous year, to provide further support in safe accommodation for domestic abuse survivors. 'High demand' Torbay Council said it was committed to providing safe accommodation for people who were homeless due to fleeing domestic abuse. A spokesperson said: "Where possible, we try to provide supported accommodation with Torbay Domestic Abuse Service (TDAS) or self-contained accommodation which is either owned or contracted by the council."Due to high levels of homelessness and demand placed on our temporary accommodation provision, we must sometimes secure additional accommodation units such as hotel accommodation, to meet our duties to homeless households. "In urgent cases, where there has been no opportunity to plan accommodation in advance, sometimes the only option available is to provide hotel accommodation. "The housing team review temporary accommodation placements daily to ensure those in hotel accommodation are moved to more suitable accommodation within our own provision as soon as possible."
