WayMakers Devon

25/06/2026

This keyring makes me think of circles. And I love ⭕, since there's:

➡️ Completeness.
➡️ Containment.
➡️ An embrace.
Amongst other things...

Today felt like a circular moment holding a debrief with our outgoing university intern from . In recent months, after conducting an in-depth literature review, she produced a really robust research document about inclusivity in secondary schools. It's packed with:
⭕ Sound evidence,
⭕ Wide-ranging viewpoints,
⭕ And convincing arguments in support of something that WayMakers and RISE have been working on...

And what made this extra special is that this intern has her own lived experience. Kit knows all too well the issues she was dealing with and at one point, the idea of attending university might have felt a distant dream.

Kit made this keyring about 5 years ago. It was a handmade thank you gift when she first connected with us as a coaching client, and then as a founding member of our teen group.

To work with her in a different capacity was nothing short of a TREAT. A.good ⭕ moment.

Kit said, "I feel really confident that this work is going to have a long-lasting and widespread use. It felt particularly important for my secondary school self, and everyone who might relate to that, past and present."

"There’s a lot about schools these days that feels really sad — RISE feels like
a little bit of sunshine that gives me hope for the future." ☀️

24/06/2026

Today's Children and Young People's Wellbeing Network Annual Symposium was well worth tolerating the heat for! It offered:

⭐ Interesting lightning research talks on a wide range of subjects.

⭐ A chance to reconnect with familiar faces from my involvement with Kailo, the CUA Young Person's Delivery Group and other shared spaces.

⭐ A chance to reflect, learn and 'zoom out' to some big picture thinking about how we best join all the dots, voices, expertise and opportunities to really - and I mean really - make a difference.

⭐ Small group conversations about the partnerships and funding sources that might be available to make the above happen.

⭐ A chance to find another purpose to my trusty whiteboards — turns out they work fine as a fan! Glad to have them on hand.

Thank you to the University of Exeter for hosting this and giving me lots to think about!

21/06/2026

🐾 Join Our Animal Care Team 🐾

Every day at Little Valley Animal Shelter, our team helps animals recover, rebuild their confidence and find loving new homes.

We're looking for an Animal Care Assistant to join us on a full-time basis and help provide outstanding care for the dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds and other animals that rely on us.

This is a rewarding, hands-on role for someone with animal care experience, a strong work ethic and a genuine passion for animal welfare.

📍 Exeter
⏰ Full Time, 37.5 hours per week (rota basis)
💷 £13.23 per hour

If you'd like to be part of a dedicated team making a real difference to the lives of vulnerable animals, we'd love to hear from you.

Please visit our website for full details and how to apply.
https://rspca-littlevalley.org.uk/job/animal-care-assistant/

📅 Closing Date: Sunday 28 June 2026

Please share this post and help us find our newest team member. ❤️

20/06/2026

Woodworking Workshops - 7th and 14th July at the Youth House in Barnstaple, 3.30-6pm! 🪵🔨✏️
James from the Woodshed Project is facilitating two workshops to help us build a mocktail bar, as requested by the young people in Barnstaple!
⭐️11-17 year olds welcome
⭐️Sign up (email us or pop into the Youth House on a Tuesday 3.30-6pm) or drop in on the day
⭐️Feel free to share with friends and any young people you know

This will be a great addition to our outdoor space, in the summer we can learn to make mocktails and other food and drink preparation! 🌞

19/06/2026

June is the month, it seems!

RISE and WayMakers had to share the occasions and spread themselves around last week due to a clash of events on Thursday 11 June:

Audrey (a RISE Leader) and Bryony (newly joining us to support RISE work) attended the SEND Conference at Sandy Park, and came back with lots of notes and ideas to share. They enjoyed the day and met some great people.

Meanwhile, Amelia (also a RISE Leader) and Alex (director) spoke at a network meeting for fellow members of the Systems Change Action Alliance. We shared information about and about the Forum. It is always good to connect with colleagues in the sector and exchange ideas.

People often want to know the origin story of RISE:
Upskilling professionals who work with young people on autistic experiences in a solution-focused way was a clear priority expressed by the young people involved in 's work in North Devon.

WayMakers was tasked with making that priority a reality, continuing the codesign work, and taking it to the next level...

And here we are!

Available and eager to work with any professionals who get a glimpse of life through the eyes of young people and see what small changes might make a big difference to experiences and outcomes.

16/06/2026

15/06/2026

New opportunities coming soon for North Devon!

Thank you for your interest in North Devon Cove CIC. North Devon Cove is a new community-based provision in Barnstaple supporting adults with learning disabilities, learning differences and additional support needs to develop confidence, practical life skills and greater independence. We are current...

09/06/2026

A great opportunity from Parental Minds Support for parents, carers and other loved ones. 👇

Supporting a loved one through a meltdown or shutdown can be challenging and emotionally demanding. Understanding what is happening beneath the surface can help us respond with greater confidence and practical support. This online Skills Workshop will explore the reasons these experiences occur and provide strategies to help families navigate them more effectively.

📅 Monday 22nd June 2026
⏰ 7:15pm – 8:45pm
💻 Online via Zoom

Sign up here: https://bit.ly/PMSWMeltdownsJune26

08/06/2026

💫 Loving this available on the website for the newly opened Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration - what a great tool for improving and to support visit planning. 👏

It might seem like this lends itself especially well to a or other space, what's stopping us having sensory maps in workplaces, schools, transport terminals etc...?

Let us know if you already have a sensory map - we'd love to see.