News in Dawlish

Donation pledges and messages of support have flooded into Dawlish Swimming Club in the six weeks since it launched a crowdfunding appeal to raise the £20,000 that will secure its future.

But with just a few days to go, the club is still slightly short of its fundraising target, and chairman Dom Kennedy-Bruyneels is asking anyone who can spare a bit of cash to help make up the shortfall.

Devon will move into the Tier 3 level of coronavirus restrictions from midnight tonight (Wednesday, December 30) as part of national measures to control the spread of coronavirus.

One of the main changes from the current lower level, Tier 2, is that bars, pubs and restaurants must close, offering only takeaway, drive-through or delivery services.

A Covid-secure community celebration of the New Year is being planned in Dawlish.

Local resident Janet Leiper has arranged for the community radio station Exmouth Air, which can be picked up in Dawlish, to play two specially chosen songs at 5.30pm on Friday, January 1: Happy New Year by Abba and Lean On Me by Bill Withers.

A socially distanced beach clean is being organised by Dawlish Against Plastic on Saturday, January 2.

The environmental group has adapted to Covid-19 by drawing up a new risk assessment, and anyone wanting to join the beach clean is being asked to register in advance.

The Love Dawlish website could be redesigned and resurrected if town councillors support a proposal going before them on Wednesday, January 6.

The website, and its Teignmouth counterpart, had been set up by the Teignmouth and Dawlish Community Interest Company, that was dissolved in March this year.

A joint New Year message from Steve Brown, director of public health, Devon County Council, and Dr Rob Dyer, NHS medical director for Devon.

It is customary at this time of year to reflect, to look at the last 12 months – and then to look ahead.

A kitesurfer has been rescued after getting into difficulties in the sea off Dawlish Warren this afternoon (Thursday, December 24).

Exmouth RNLI's inshore lifeboat was called out at 2.24pm after Exmouth's National Coastwatch Institution volunteers reported the kitesurfer in distress to HM Coastguard.

It was a grey, murky and drizzly December day – but for dozens of Dawlish and Teignmouth residents, it was the light at the end of the tunnel.

On Wednesday, December 23, a steady stream of cars was arriving at Dawlish Community Hospital, carrying patients over the age of 80 – the first group to receive the long-awaited Covid-19 vaccination.

More services are to be provided at Dawlish Community Hospital as part of a local NHS reorganisation that will see Teignmouth Hospital closing down.

The NHS has decided to move all services currently provided at Teignmouth Hospital to other locations, including the £8million new Health and Wellbeing Centre due to be built in Teignmouth town centre.

Following November's successful monthly meeting held on Zoom, Dawlish & District U3A members met again on Zoom to listen to a fascinating talk by one of their own members.

Toby Sherwin modestly describes himself as a marine physicist with an amateur interest in rocky shores. However, his presentation about 'Life Between the Tides at Dawlish' showed that he is clearly a considerable expert on all that is happening in front of us as we walk along the sea wall at Dawlish but of which most of us are completely oblivious.