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About
Across Devon, our communities are supported by individuals, charities and community groups. They are volunteers, fundraisers, great neighbours and local people who go the extra mile. Often they give up their time and talents for free to help others. They genuinely make a difference and this page celebrates their contribution to local life.
Here you will find stories of strength and generosity, of determination and kindness, and of courage and compassion. You’ll hear people sharing their passion for helping others. Their stories will take you across the county and into communities in our villages, towns and cities – places where all kinds of people are making a difference in Devon.
If you want to tell us about an inspiring person or project, please get in touch.
Email – radio.devon@bbc.co.uk (add Make A Difference to the title)
Phone – 0808 100 1034 or 01752-234511
Happy Heads Volunteering
Some of our partner organisations offer volunteering opportunities for you to help children and young people locally. We'll post those here.
Listen to volunteers making a difference now
The following charities are looking for volunteers. Could you give your time to help?
Bounce! is looking for volunteers in social media, event organisation, fundraising and more
Space Youth Services hope to find social action volunteers to work in young people’s centres and online
Jeremiah’s Journey has volunteer opportunities in administration, fundraising and group support
Young Devon welcomes volunteer mentors and counsellors
Lifeworks is looking for volunteers to support children and young people with learning disabilities
Balloons hopes you’ll volunteer to help children and young people through bereavement
Keyham Conversations: Resilience and Recovery
Jacqui Stedmon talks to local people about art, nature, faith and action restoring this community after the tragic events of August 2021.
Listen here on BBC Sounds
Devonport documentary
Hear the story of one community connecting through the Covid crisis.
Local people look back on the pandemic and share their experiences and learning of life under lockdown.Listen here on BBC Sounds
Making a difference in lockdown
The coronavirus lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 were times of stress, anxiety and restrictions that impacted people and communities across the country during the pandemic.
BBC Make A Difference was born as virtual notice board for those offering help and those needing support. These are some of the stories we shared at that time.- Lives in
lockdown inspire a new song and a new choir from the Exeter Northcott
Theatre.
Hear the song and a chat with some of the performers and Thomas Johnson, the composer and creator here. - "This is a remarkable story" Emma Barnett speaks to BBC Radio Devon Editor Mark Grinnell about the impact the #MakeADifference campaign had on one boy's life. Click here to hear the story.
- Epilepsy Action
makes a difference with online coffee and chat sessions in Torbay and
Exeter.
Hear Simon Privett on the support that's available. - The University
of Exeter’s Contemporary Choir has written a new song. It’s in memory of
the mums of two choir members, who died from cancer last year.
Hear how they're supporting each other. - Exmouth locals
work together to help transform Derek's home after an accident left him
with life changing injuries.
Hear the difference kindness will make for Derek. - A 9 year old
decided she wanted to raise money for Torbay hospital - so she started to
sell handmade cards outside her home. She sold them for around 20 pence
each. With donations she's raised more than £500 in a week!
Hear Ezme and her family - Imogen from
Young Devon has been learning about learning in lockdown.
Hear her story - Jasmine from
Young Devon reflects on how the crisis has changed her thoughts on the
future.
Hear her story - Tom from Young
Devon looks at the positives of life in lockdown.
Hear his story - Bea from Young
Devon shares her audio diary and thoughts on mental health support during
the crisis.
Hear her story - Sam from Young
Devon has been finding new places to explore during lockdown.
Hear his story - Kian from Young
Devon has changed his views on lockdown living.
Hear his story - The emotion of
a seaside town in lockdown, captured by a lifeboat volunteer.
See Kyle Baker's video. - All over the
country, poets are writing about the Make A Difference campaign
Here's Devon poet Matt Harvey with his poem, commissioned by us for you. - Yvonne from
Exeter thanks her lifeline: Exeter City Community Trust for delivering
food and medicine.
Hear the difference that it's made in her life. - Some nurses
have moved from the military frontline to lead the fight against
coronavirus in Devon.
Vanessa Crossey QN, is Head of Nursing and Quality for the Devon Clinical Commissioning Group, and is currently leading efforts to source Personal Protective Equipment.
Hear how she's been using the skills developed as an Army Major in Cyprus, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. - Retired Colonel
Tony Hare is finishing a 26 mile charity challenge on his 87th birthday.
Hear how he's been getting on - Local people
with sewing skills have been working hard under lockdown making easily
washable uniforms for NHS and care home staff. The Sewing Scrub Army
has taken off in such a huge way that they've smashed the target they set
for themselves.
Hear Becky Viner from Teignmouth who’s behind the project. - After a series of modifications for the coronavirus Devon Air Ambulance is back in the air. Hear Ian Payne the Flight Operations Director on the work they've been doing.
- Community
benefit society Nudge is working for Plymouth people during coronavirus.
Hear Wendy Hart explain how. - If you were
given three random words, could you include them in a poem?That's the task
that's been set in North Devon where there's a plan to create a
"Plantation of Poems" in a small wood in the Taw
Valley. Katy Lee owns the copse and works at Bideford Library.
Hear about the challenge you can be a part of - After a lovely
email about a long distance love, Laura and Gordon invited Maria
to surprise someone special who she couldn’t see on his birthday.
Hear how the birthday surprise turned out. - Two six hour
shifts posting letters and parcels dressed up as a T-Rex.
Hear why Postman Adam Prowse from East Devon is doing his rounds dressed as a dinosaur. - A Teignbridge
Councillor - who also happens to be a top chef - is cooking meals for
vulnerable people in Newton Abbot. Chris Jenks has cooked for
celebrities around the world but is now working with Teignbridge Community
and Voluntary Services, the HITS Foodbank and the Avenue Church, to
provide hot meals for people who are stuck at home.
Hear what's on the menu - Villagers came
out of their homes to celebrate a neighbour's 100th birthday.George
Hamilton’s celebrations may not have been quite what he would have
expected, but his neighbours in Witheridge, led the singing from a safe
distance.
See George's surprise! - When Exeter
Harpist Anna Tanvir's 81 year old mother caught coronavirus she was stuck
in India. Thankfully her mum is on the mend and Anna is entertaining
people with her music from lockdown.
Hear how music is bringing them together across separate continents. - A Benedictine monk says coronavirus restrictions mean many of us are now living lives comparable to nuns and monks. Hear Abbot Christopher Jamison, the President of the English Benedictine Congregation, which Buckfast Abbey belongs to.
- Tayyib and Yahya Mubashar - Meet the father and son doctors at Torbay hospital fighting coronavirus.
- This year's
Ramadan is unlike any other. Questions have been being asked about whether
it is sensible to fast if you are a key worker and if there are other ways
that Muslims can mark the festival.
Hear the views of Syed Jusef, a Barnstaple Town Councillor and a member of North Devon's Muslim community. - We all know
what to do when life gives you lemons... make lemonade, right? When Ikes
Green from Newton Abbot set up a fundraiser challenge for the Exeter Deaf
Academy she didn't have lemons to but she did have 26 limes instead.
Hear how she set about eating them one after the other. - A young
American Plymouth Argyle fan has posted his pocket money to them.
Hear Kasra and his dad chatting to Michael Chequer and Charlie Price - Former Royal
Marine Mark Ormrod from Plymouth is now a motivational speaker but
has his experience prepared him for homeschooling?
Hear how things are on the home front. - A 13 year old
girl from Kingsbridge has made it her mission to bring a smile to people's
faces painting messages of support on pebbles and placing them around the
local area.
Hear Erin and mum Nikita telling Laura James all about it. - Staff at a care
home in Teignmouth have left loved ones behind to move in and look after
vulnerable residents.
Hear about their sacrifice to care. - Finding big
shoes for key worker Bob who's worn his out walking miles to his job.
Hear how listener Chris came to his aid. - Twelve year old
Liam is saying thank you, and spreading some happiness.
Hear why he's dressed as a massive Pikachu - If you're
missing a good pasty in lockdown, you're not alone!
Bastille drummer Woody turns to listeners for top tips to bake for his family.
Hear what goes in and stays out of a Devon pasty - More than 1,300
people have answered a call from Devon's healthcare providers and councils
to help support our most vulnerable residents. Since an urgent appeal was
launched earlier in April people of all ages and backgrounds including
lawyers, students, hairdressers, engineers and retired soldiers have
registered to become Healthcare Assistants
Hear from Nineteen-year old student Millie Doodson. - A Radio Devon
listener steps forward after an NHS surgeon is told to leave a friend's
empty flat because of residents fears he was a coronavirus risk.
Hear the surgeon's reaction and from the man who heard and helped.
- Lives in
lockdown inspire a new song and a new choir from the Exeter Northcott
Theatre.
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