By David Gledhill, Marketing & Communications Lead IT is hard to think of the pandemic providing opportunities, but that is exactly what happened for key organisations across the Bay. If nothing else, the lockdown gave people the opportunity to step back and to observe the effects of life slowing down – on individuals, on organisations, on companies and on the environment. It also offered organisations … Continue reading Community, council and charities all working together

By David Gledhill, Marketing & Communications Lead The coronavirus crisis continues to challenge us all and organisations, businesses, schools and individuals, struggle to keep up with the latest advice. Just when you thought it was safe to meet in larger numbers, the virus spiked and we have been sent back to the drawing board when it comes to organising social get togethers. Picking a country … Continue reading Making sense of the rule of six

By Matt Saunders, Marketing & Communications Assistant Since late March, we here at Torbay Community Development Trust have been doing what we can to help the community during the ongoing pandemic. We established the Torbay Community Helpline, as a means of providing swift assistance for those stuck self-isolating at home, who were in urgent need of food, shopping, prescription medication, social contact, advice and guidance…all … Continue reading Torbay Community Helpline seeking new volunteers

By David Gledhill, Marketing & Communications Lead IN this busy life, it is rare to get the chance to reflect on the effects of our actions and take the opportunity to blow our own trumpets. However, this is one of those occasions and having just read through some of the responses we received to our survey about what people thought about our hastily set up … Continue reading Reflecting on Torbay Community Helpline, and your responses

INTREPID fundraiser Ann Whitehouse has been back out on the road to raise more money for charity. Despite pouring rain and high winds Ann donned her rain mac and walking shoes and set out for Goodrington Sands from the centre of Torquay to raise cash for the Torbay Timebank and Ageing Well Torbay. She managed to raise just over £100 from family and friends despite … Continue reading Ann, 72, raises over £100 in trek from Torquay to Paignton for local charities

By David Gledhill, Marketing & Communications Lead It has been said many times in the few months that we live in interesting times and to achieve, what used to be ‘normal’ and commonplace, we have to get creative. For the last five months,  Ageing Well Torbay events have been in abeyance as we instead focused all our efforts on making sure no-one was isolated and … Continue reading Ageing Well Festival @Home

Parks and tourist attractions across the Bay are being used as safe spaces in a unique scheme to help vulnerable people emerge from shielding in a safe and controlled way. Government support for the most vulnerable people who have been self-isolating since the start of lockdown ended at the beginning of August, but some people are still reluctant to emerge. Callers to the Torbay Community … Continue reading Safe spaces and buddy scheme for Torbay’s shielding residents

By David Gledhill, Marketing & Communications Lead If you are one of the lucky ones who is no longer self-isolating, you could be forgiven for thinking that everyone else is out and about too. After all, Torbay is busy, particularly given the recent good weather, but what you can’t see are those that are choosing to continue to shield or are choosing to avoid crowds … Continue reading Buddy system and shielding hours for trips out

By David Gledhill, Marketing & Communications Lead Tricky this coronavirus – just when you think it is (relatively safe) to go out and about it comes up and bites you where it hurts the most. Last week saw the official lifting of shielding by the Government, which ironically coincided with a strengthening of the rules regarding socialising in as much as you are no longer … Continue reading A thank you to helpline rapid responders

By David Gledhill, Marketing & Communications Lead TORBAY is getting busy again with the streets thronged with shoppers and tourists – so much so you could be forgiven for thinking things were back to normal. But we should not be lulled into a false sense of security and it is important to remember that not everyone is back out and about shopping, visiting cafes, restaurants … Continue reading Shielding and socialising in Torbay