1. Gifts for Ukrainian Orphans
David Pond from Kingsand, Cornwall, is delivering new coats, shoes, and hooded jackets to orphaned children in Lviv, Ukraine, this Christmas. Pond, who helped set up a crisis response center when the war began in 2022, said the gifts will reach 80 children aged 2–19, giving them some comfort amid ongoing hardships.
2. Nancy Astor Trust Continues to Give
The legacy of Nancy Astor, the first woman MP to take her seat in the House of Commons in 1919, lives on through the Plymouth Astor Trust. Since 2006, the trust has awarded nearly £485,000 to local causes, including Children’s Wishes Plymouth, which recently received a £1,000 grant.
3. Celebrity Mental Health Advent Calendar
North Devon-based charity Spark UK has released its fifth and final advent calendar featuring messages from celebrities like Sir Stephen Fry, Henry Rowley, and Alfie Boe. Founder Conor Warren, who launched the charity in 2020, said the calendar’s theme—“a message to my younger self”—aims to encourage young people to talk about mental health.
4. Schools Crack Down on Phones
Some schools in Devon and Cornwall are restricting student mobile phone use to reduce distractions. At Brannel School near St Austell, phones must be locked away until the end of the day, while Chulmleigh College requires phones to be completely unseen and silent, with breaches risking extended confiscation.
5. Concerns Over Rural Bus Services
Residents in rural Cornwall have raised worries about the potential loss of a “life line” bus route after First Bus announced plans to withdraw from several depots. Go Cornwall will take over services by mid-February 2026, with managing director Richard Stevens assuring that no community will be left unserved.
6. Police Encourage CCTV Registration
Devon and Cornwall Police are asking residents and businesses to register CCTV and doorbell cameras with a new system, NiCE Investigate, to make evidence collection faster for criminal investigations. The system is already used by 24 police forces across the UK.
7. Footballer and Firefighter Bow Jackson
Exeter City captain Bow Jackson credits her seven years with Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service with preparing her for the pressures of football. Since joining the club in 2022, she has helped the team secure promotion, balancing the intensity of both firefighting and elite sports.