We will, once again, be sharing a stand with our partners at the Devon County Show this year which runs from Thursday 15 May to Saturday 17 May.
You can find our main stand at our usual place on Road 8, Stand 225. Visitors will have the opportunity to find out about some of the services we provide and the work we carry out such as road safety, fostering, adoption and flood resilience, and the stand will be packed with activities and information for all ages.
If you are interested in how we are improving bus services in Devon you can chat to the Devon Bus team. Find out more about the new electric buses which will be arriving in Exeter this summer and North Devon later this year.
Stagecoach will also be bringing along a single decker electric bus which will be on the stand over the three days.
Visitors will have the chance to speak to representatives from Vision Zero South West which includes the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, our Road Safety Team and other emergency services.
Vision Zero aims to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on roads in Devon and Cornwall by 50 per cent by 2030.
They’ll be bringing emergency response vehicles along and giving people the chance to take part in a range of activities such as testing your braking reactions in an electric Ford Mustang car, learning CPR on interactive mannequins or exploring a Devon Air Ambulance helicopter on a virtual reality headset.
The Devon Resilience Innovation Project is another vital area of work we carry out; they help communities be better prepared for flooding and their stand will focus on the different ways that residents, landowners and communities can improve flood resilience.
Adopt South West will be available to discuss adoption, who can adopt, and the support that they offer to adopters, children and families throughout the adoption process.
The Fostering Service will also be back on the stand to discuss the vital, positive role that foster carers play in the lives of children in care in Devon and they’ll be offering advice on how you can foster.
They will also be joined by Mood Bears, the brand partner of Fostering South West, who will be on the stand on Friday and Saturday to talk to visitors about how Mood Bears can help children understand, express and manage their emotions. Keep an eye out as they’ll also be running a competition to win a full set of Mood Bears each day!
Another returning service will be trading standards who will be promoting local businesses through the Buy With Confidence and Made in Devon schemes. Visitors can test their knowledge in their ‘spot the fake’ game and learn more about how to find trusted, reliable local businesses.
By way of refreshment, visitors will be able to sit down and enjoy freshly ground barista-made coffee alongside a variety of delicious locally made cakes and savouries from The Coffee Stop who will be on the stand for all three days. We’re also hoping to discourage thirsty show visitors from buying water in single-use plastic bottles, with South West Water’s FREE water refill station – just bring your reusable water bottle to our stand to fill up!
Other council-related services will also be available in other areas of the showground.
Throughout the show, you can enjoy live music performed by children and young people from across Devon on the bandstand (Avenue K), presented by Devon Music Education Hub. The Hub is led by Devon Education Services, part of Devon County Council.
On Road 9 you will find Farmwise with the usual array of animals such as sheep, goats, cows, pigs and even a pony.
There will be lots for children to see and do including a shopping game, vintage farm machinery, soil investigation, butter making, the lambing simulator and a tractor run.
Our Performance and Partnerships team will also have a stand Avenue R, stand 453 where they will be showcasing the skills and business support that we offer.
We’re excited to be giving away a family ticket (for up to five people) for entry to the show on one of the days! To be in with a chance to win all you need to do is give us your email address and agree to receive to our weekly Connect Me newsletter. (Don’t worry if you’re already signed up to the newsletter, you can still enter the competition. It won’t mean you receive the newsletter twice!)
To enter the competition, just complete this form by 1pm on Friday 9 May, after which the winner then chosen at random. Make sure you keep an eye out on your inbox to find out if you win. You can view the full terms and conditions via the link in the form.
For more information about the Devon County Show, please visit the Devon County Show website.