News

Sylvia Brownlee has been involved in the life of the Sid Valley for many years now.  Whether it’s been her active involvement to save “the exquisitely renovated Sidholme Music Room” or her work for The Sampson Society, she has always taken a strong interest in many different aspects. The instances of her involvement are too numerous to tell,… Continue reading Sidmouth Citizen of the Year: congratulations Sylvia Brownlee!

The Love Sidmouth project has had its Love Sidmouth soft launch! See what it’s all about in the outline of Love Sidmouth. Follow its progress on the Love Sidmouth 💚 | Facebook pages. And look out in particular for the accounts of what’s going on with the pilot project on Tyrrell Mead – which meets… Continue reading Love Sidmouth: a message from Denise Bickley!

The Sustainable Sidmouth Champions Awards 2026 will be happening at the end of the year – with an awards evening recognising all those who have contributed something to the Love Sidmouth 💚 project. Denise Bickley has put together a ‘soft launch’ of the project with a new social media page – and has already had… Continue reading Love Sidmouth soft launch! Join in!

When it comes to sustainable groups: Sidmouth Brownies & Guides and Sidmouth Scouts have a lot to show.  And, indeed, recently the Sidmouth Scouts lent another helping hand at Sidmouth Cemetery when they cleared large areas to increase biodiversity. These local groups have been winning accolades. Firstly, the Girlguiding leaders are to take part in the Sidmouth Swimathon on 14th March:… Continue reading Guide and scout leaders doing great things in the Sid Valley

Civic Sidmouth is pretty active – and for a handy overview, there’s a new reference page of volunteer groups in the Sid Valley. Added to this, we have an excellent guide to the environment groups of the Sid Valley with the publication of a leaflet devoted to “SIDMOUTH – Powered by volunteers”. Conceived and put… Continue reading “SIDMOUTH – Powered by volunteers”

At the end of last year, we were celebrating the Devon Tourism Awards. And indeed, East Devon tourism triumphed at the 2025 Devon Tourism Awards! As covered by the Herald: East Devon businesses recognised at Devon Tourism Awards – with a focus on the Sid Valley and its neighbours: Winners from the district included the Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth,… Continue reading Devon Tourism Awards champions!

These pages have praised the work of the East Devon Countryside Team and of the Sid Valley Biodiversity Group.  As for other key champions of local wildlife, we can recall when The Devon Wildlife Trust visited “the wonderful Glen Goyle” back in the summer of 2024 – when the Wilder Communities Team Leader at the DWT was very helpful in terms… Continue reading Devon Wildlife Trust: wildlife champions!

The District Council has just announced the winners: £254,000 has been awarded to help 15 organisations cut carbon emissions through the Carbon Action Fund: Supporting projects to reduce carbon emissions and energy use, the Carbon Action Fund is a decarbonisation grant scheme delivered through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund programme. For example: Stovesonline Ltd received a… Continue reading East Devon Carbon Action Fund champions!

Fungi is seen as a late autumn thing – but the social media pages of the Sid Valley Biodiversity Group have been relaying sights these last days and weeks.  Lichens are not a fungi, but today it was reported: Looking closely at some crust lichens and I noticed this little mite, about 0.5mm across. And from earlier… Continue reading Championing citizen science

We have an elderly population in these parts – and if we are to future-proof Sidmouth, we need to be looking ahead to how we can ensure care and provision for this important part of our community. We can help by championing those who actively look after those in need – and so in the new… Continue reading Future-proofing Sidmouth: championing our dementia carers