Latest News

Ermington Parish Council - Dementia Friendly Signage

Ermington Parish Council in conjunction with the Four Rivers Dementia alliance have been working together towards making Ermington Parish a dementia friendly community. Part of this initiative has been to install dementia friendly signage in Ermington village. these have been designed in conjunction with Devon Highways to ensure that the signage is legal.

Margaret Grafton, Vice Chair and Dementia Lead for Ermington Parish Council has written this message about the new signage:

Ermington Parish Council is pleased to share the good news that our Dementia friendly signs are in place around the village. A huge thank you to Claire Puckey for her support, to Nick Colton for designing signs and where they should go and finally to Andrew Savery for sorting out the making of signs and Andrew also along with Ian Creese for putting them up around the village. A joint effort by all, to help Ermington on its journey to becoming a Dementia friendly village.

This is a lovely example of the Four Rivers Dementia Alliance creed:

Small steps make a big difference for people living with dementia, their families, carers and communities

Thank you to Ermington Parish Council and all involved in this project

Ermington - Dementia Friendly Signage (pdf)

Ermington Parish Council

28th September 2026

Woolwell Centre - Unpaid Carers Support Group

The Woolwell Centre in Bickleigh Parish are starting a new support group for unpaid carers. Attached is their flyer advertising the new support group, which has been financed with a donation from the Newham Solar fund.

Being a carer for someone is both a demanding and emotionally draining role, especially if you are a spouse, child or sibling to the person being cared for. Due to the demands of the role, it can take over your life, even if you are sharing the care with another.

Carer Support groups gives the carer a chance to meet other people in the same situation, to exchange thoughts and ideas and to have a space try and unwind and relax in the company of other people going through what you as a carer are going through. It gives as stated in the word 'Support', advice and help and lets you know that you are not alone.

As the Woolwell Centre says 'This is a warm, welcoming space where we listen, learn, and lift each other up. We can’t wait to meet you and enjoy a cuppa together!'

Woolwell Centre - Carer Support Group Flyer (pdf)

Woolwell Centre

1st September 2026

Chinese Nursing Students Share Rural Healthcare Experience With The Devon Community

Six student nurses and two lecturers from Nanfang University in China visited Devon this summer as part of a two-week international Nurses’ Summer School at the University of Plymouth.

The visit took place from 19 July to 1 August 2026 and the programme was designed and coordinated by Ian Sherriff BEM, Faculty of Health at the University of Plymouth.

The Summer School gave the Chinese delegation an opportunity to experience nursing and healthcare in England, while also sharing their own knowledge and experiences with healthcare professionals, academics and community leaders in Devon.

A key part of the visit was time spent in rural Devon, centred around Brixton Parish. The students visited a rural GP practice and explore how nurses, GPs, community services and voluntary organisations work together to support people living in rural communities.

The exchange also provided an opportunity for the Chinese students to share their own experiences of nursing and healthcare in China. They gave a presentation and took part in discussions with the Vice President of Nanfang University, Ian Sherriff BEM and Liz Hitchins, Chair of Brixton Parish Council and Chair of both the Four Rivers Dementia Alliance and Dementia Friendly Parishes around the Yealm. Assisting their visit around the Brixton Parish was Claire Puckey, the Community Liaison and Support Lead for the Four Rivers Dementia Alliance.

The discussion explored the similarities and differences between rural healthcare in China and Devon, including nursing, community support, prevention and dementia care. The delegation also gained an insight into how local democracy and public services operate.

Alongside the formal programme, the visitors experienced Devon life through an evening meal at the Foxhound in Brixton, a boat trip on the Tamar and a visit to The Box Museum.

The Summer School is intended to be a genuine two-way exchange. The Chinese students had the opportunity to take ideas back to China around community nursing, prevention, multidisciplinary working and the links between rural communities, primary care and hospitals, while their Devon hosts gained a valuable insight into nursing and rural healthcare in China.

Ian Sherriff BEM said the programme represented the beginning of an exciting relationship between Nanfang University, the University of Plymouth and the communities of Plymouth and rural Devon.

The Summer School provided an opportunity to celebrate the strengths of rural healthcare in Devon while learning from international colleagues and developing new ideas for the future.

20th August 2026