Tag: Spotlight

Last month, we spoke to the director of No Limits Community Café and explored the issue of accessibility in employment from young people diagnosed with complex needs. Today, we’d like to turn your attention to Sarah Field, the Devon-based entrepreneur behind Infinite Ability who received her diagnosis for autism, ADHD and dyslexia later in adulthood. Since her diagnosis, Sarah has made it her mission to support neurodiverse teens and women. Infinite Ability has plenty to offer people, from her maths tutoring service, one-to-one mentoring support, and her recent Find Your Tribe support group for neurodiverse women, whether or not they’ve had a formal diagnosis. Sarah shares her journey of how she formed Infinite Ability and how she’s been able to help women like her through Find Your Tribe. How did Infinite Ability start? I always thought I’d just be a teacher forever. I went straight from my A levels to university and taught maths in a secondary school in 2014, so once I achieved that, I thought I was set. I have always done unofficial mentoring even when I was working in mainstream schools. I was quite often that teacher young people could come and speak to if things were tricky, they needed a

No Limits Community Café is a pillar of Newton Abbot’s community. Sarah Thorp and Amanda Pugh opened its doors in 2020 to provide work experience and supported employment opportunities to those with additional needs. They then started the outreach programme in 2023, helping those with disabilities to gain long term paid employment, and helping employers across Devon to become more disability aware and confident. No Limits has also supported local organisations and businesses with catering such as Teignbridge District Council and Phoenix Sound. Read more from Sarah’s account to find out why they opened No Limits, what the impact of the community café has been on Devon, and what plans they have for the future. What led you to open No Limits? My background is in psychology and education, but the key is my lived experience of being a parent of a young person with complex needs. Looking at college and employment opportunities, I was concerned that there were narrow options for my son. The transition to adulthood is tricky anyway, but when that coincides with leaving education and childhood services, and going to adult services and starting work, it’s a huge change with significant challenges. Therefore, I wanted an

We’ve covered many curiosities around Teignbridge from cat cafes to charity-run rehearsal spaces, and one curiosity worth keeping an eye on is the Dartmoor Reach Alpaca & Glamping Farm. Run by husband-and-wife duo, Josh Hyson and Natalie Hyson, Dartmoor Reach offers people the chance to relax in nature and in style with sustainable glamping huts, including a converted double-decker bus. It also doubles as a mindfulness retreat as Natalie hosts yoga, meditation and reiki workshops in her studio on the land. All of it is within reach of the fluffy alpacas who come to nose around the farm. Since opening the farm for business, they have enjoyed such accolades as the Eco Friendly Business of the Year award from the 2023 Devon Women in Business Awards, and have also appeared on Channel 4’s Four in a Bed. They share their story of how the farm started and the work they do to maintain it and grow its presence. How did the business start? Josh: We both shared a vision opening a glamping site. We wanted to live on the land here, but if you want to live in the countryside, you need to prove to Teignbridge District Council that you

Marketing agencies provide essential services for businesses in any area, and Newton Abbot has many thriving industries that benefit from marketing. From community interest companies to manufacturers, there are plenty who need a team of specialists to get their names out there on a brand spanking new website. R50 Marketing and Website Design is one of Newton Abbot’s most prominent marketing agencies, led by director Mark Amphlett, his son Will, and his daughter Jazz, alongside his team of experts. But how does one balance their work life with their home life in a family business? Mark and Will tell all. Mark, what led you to start R50 Marketing? Mark: Up until five years ago, I ran a manufacturing company here in Newton Abbot, which started off with a very small turnover of about £650,000, but we got it up to £3 million within about three years. However, the website was designed by an engineer rather than anyone in marketing, so I changed that to represent what we could do for our potential customers by making it look attractive, pretty and functional. We implemented simple things like making sure people could contact us easily, having a button on the mobile version

October’s Spotlight on The Cave The Cave Music Project is a Teignmouth-based charity that serves as a community rehearsal space where musicians both old and new can book out the space to practice. The Cave has been a fixture of the area’s blossoming music scene for years, previously situated in the Eastcliff car park before re-opening post-pandemic in the historic Old Quay Warehouse. Director Robin Brown shares his experiences running The Cave, as well as his ambitions to champion Teignmouth’s up and coming artists. How did the idea for The Cave emerge? I used to be a street-based youth worker in 2004, something that’s sadly lacking a lot on our streets these days. I once met a group of young people who played together but weren’t in any bands and their needs for a space were not being met. They were more into metal and grunge, rather than their youth clubs filled with ‘townies’ who were into dance music and pop. I remember myself at their age where I wished there were more spaces to play music, so I thought about how we could engage this group. The basement in the Eastcliff Centre was only being used to store equipment,

There are many areas in Devon that don’t get talked about as much as others, especially the further afield you go. Moretonhampstead is one such small town with a great sense of togetherness that can be seen through its thriving arts and crafts scene and the efforts of its residents to connect each other through community initiatives. That’s why we’d like to shine the spotlight on Wellmoor. Wellmoor is the Health and Wellbeing strand of the Moretonhampstead Development Trust, and has aided the town by working closely with the community and making its strengths even stronger. From its community allotment project that encourages volunteers to get out and about and spread the knowledge of growing food, to offering free strength and balance classes to its older residents, Wellmoor has a lot to offer. Camilla Rooney, the Wellmoor Coordinator, was kind enough to speak to us about the various projects she has managed since her time overseeing the charity and its team, and how they have positively impacted Moretonhampstead’s community. What led you to become the Wellmoor Coordinator? I had just finished a Masters in Historic Building Conservation in Bristol and my dissertation about community-led regeneration projects in rural Transylvania. My

Last time, you might’ve read our scoop on Phoenix Sounds, Newton Abbot’s community interest record store that unites music fans and local businesses through its dedicated staff and live events. Just above the shop, however, is Marsha Miles Consultancy Limited (MMC Ltd), a company founded by Marsha Cox. MMC Ltd has helped businesses, charities and social enterprises to grow over the course of the last ten years, operating in Devon and beyond to help them secure funding or create business plans. Marsha Cox is joined by fellow staff members Lisa Cox, Business Development & Strategic Services Lead, Rosie Gitsham, Fundraising Services Lead, and Sean McDonald, Fundraising Consultant & Digital Lead. How have you been able to help charities and businesses? Marsha: Our fundraising work supports organisations like Age UK Plymouth & Devon to write applications so they can secure funding for services that make a big impact in their communities. Our strategic work helps clients to write business plans, with CICs like No Limits Community Café which Roger Cox also supports. I’m also an executive coach so I support senior leaders of charities who struggle with setting goals and managing stress. We’re always trying to improve our free resources for

Nestled in the middle of Teignmouth’s vibrant Arts Quarter is Laura Wall’s equally vibrant gallery. Laura has been a fixture of Teignmouth’s community, attracting all walks of life who come to watch her paint Devon’s landscapes, and contributing to local events such as creating the front cover for the programme of the Teignmouth Air Show. With an impressive body of work as an illustrator, an author of sixteen children’s picture books available all around the world, and a gallery owner, Laura Wall has a lot of experience that has successfully turned her art into a business. But everyone has to start somewhere, and Laura Wall started her career as a television editor after graduating from the University of Wales with a degree in fine art, illustration and media. How did you take the leap from television editor to full-time artist? When I left university, I landed a job straight away as a runner at a television company. Although I should have been delighted, I was a bit disappointed because I had wanted to take a year out to try and get a career as an artist. However, I worked hard making lots of cups of tea for different editors, then

The Cool for Cats Café is one of Devon’s best kept secrets. Taking inspiration from animal cafes popularised in Japan, the Cool for Cats Café is a non-profit where customers can enjoy cake and coffee along with the company of cats. Cool for Cats initially opened in Totnes in 2013 as the UK’s first ever cat café before re-opening in Newton Abbot in 2018. Since then, it has been a huge asset to the community, and all profits go towards maintaining a cattery and rehoming service that benefits owners who need a place for their feline friends to stay. Much has been said about the purr-fect experience that the Cool for Cats Café provides, but it also has a rich history as Elizabeth Dyas, Owner and Founder of the Cool for Cats Café, has had a long career working as a nurse, midwife, and a female entrepreneur. For those that don’t know, what does Cool for Cats do? “I run a boarding and rescue business and I also run a cat café, which is very special. I started the very first one in England in 2013. Other cat cafes have opened since then; they don’t all follow my idea. I