Living in Devon

 

This page is part of our Young Asylum Seeker Welcome Pack – if you are confused about anything you read in this page, talk to your social worker or personal advisor and they will go through it with you.

A little bit about Devon…

Devon is a county in the South West of England and a beautiful place to live. Exeter is the biggest city, it has lots of shops and businesses, a university, and an international airport. We are very lucky to have beautiful beaches and two national parks called Dartmoor and Exmoor.

The map below shows some of the important places that you might like to know about.

Please also refer to Devon County Council’s Directory for Ethnically Diverse Communities, which has details of organisations and agencies, from all sectors, that offer support services to ethnically diverse communities in Devon.

Transport links in Devon

There are many local bus services in Exeter and between the major towns in Devon. Smaller towns have less frequent services, and many villages have no bus service.

There are long-distance coach services between Exeter and all major cities in the UK.

There is one main railway line that links Devon to London and other major cities. There are two local railway lines that run from north to south within Devon.

If you are 16 years and older, you will need to buy an adult ticket for buses and trains but there are ways to travel at cheaper rates. This is something you can speak to your Social Worker or PA about if need to travel for school or college.

The best websites you can use to manage your transport are Travel Devon or Traveline, which provides information on how to get around Devon whether you use public transport or not – then Trainline (trains) and Stagecoach (busses) are also very popular to use.

 

Housing in Devon 

We know that where you live is very important to you and Devon County Council will support you to find a home. This might be with a foster carer, in a children’s home or supported accommodation. After you turn 18 and depending on your immigration status, you might want more independence, you can look at all the options available, with the support of your Personal Advisor, to make sure that you can live somewhere suitable and affordable when you are ready. This might be local authority housing, housing association property, living with friends or accommodation that is offered by a private landlord.

If you are at risk of homelessness, there are specific workers who can provide you with support around accommodation.

You can find more detail about housing options in this website.

 

Places of worship and practising your religion

Many people in Devon do not practise any religion but of those that do, Christianity is the most common belief. This is why there are Cristian churches in most towns and many villages and why many people celebrate Christmas and Easter. You are welcome to practise and celebrate your own religion, beliefs and identity in the UK.

It is against the law to incite hatred towards others on grounds of race, religion or belief in the UK. Here are some sources of information on practising different religions in Devon.

 

Catholic and Orthodox: 

If you are looking for a Roman Catholic church, the Diocese of Plymouth is the best website to look at.

We also have a few Russian Orthodox churches. Find out about these here: Orthodox Parish of the Holy Prophet Elias in Devon – Exeter (orthodoxdevon.org)

 

Islam: 

There are four mosques in Devon:

 

Buying Halal meat in Devon: 

Unfortunately, it is very unlikely that Halal Meat is sold in the major supermarkets in Devon. The best place to buy Halal meat is in Sidwell Street in Exeter as they have several halal shops including two butchers and a halal restaurant.

  • Brothers Butchers-halal Exeter
    • 119-122 Old Tiverton Road Exeter.
  • Heera International Food Supermarket
    • 5-6 Well St, Exeter EX4 6QR.
  • Yonk Asian Food
    • Summerland Street, Exeter, EX1 2AT.
  • Mashawi Restaurant Exeter
    • 44 Sidwell Street, Exeter EX4 6NS.
  • Embankment Halal Grocery
    • 94 Embankment Road, Plymouth PL4 9HY

 

Judaism: 

 

Sikhism: 

 

Hinduism:

 

Buddhism: 

 

Sidwell Street in Exeter is the best place to look if you want to buy foods and spices from around the world.

 

Activities and things to do in Devon

 

Youth groups 

There are many youth groups that run across Devon. These are safe inclusive spaces where you can meet and have fun with other young people your age. SPACE is a youth service provider, and they have 8 centres across Devon. You can find your local centre On SPACE’s website. You can attend the ‘senior session’ which is for ages 13 – 19 completely free! If there isn’t a SPACE centre near where you are living, there are many smaller local youth centres in many different towns and villages across Devon. To find these you can speak with your foster carer, social worker or PA.

 

Stand up Speak up.

This is the Devon County Council Participation team. They are youth workers who support children and young people to influence how local services are delivered. They run groups, events and activities throughout the year and can also offer additional support about lots of different issues. If you want to make changes to how the system that supports you works in Devon, the Stand up Speak up team can help you to do this.

 

National Citizen Service

If you’re 16 or 17 years old, you can take part in the National Citizen Service. The experience exists to engage, unite and empower young people, building your confidence so you can go out there and achieve your dreams, no matter where you’re from or what your background is. To find out more information, speak to your Social Worker or Foster carer or sign up to NCS.

 

Refugees Rock – Indoor climbing

Refugees Rock is a free indoor group climbing session hosted by the Climbing Hangar in Exeter. The climbing session takes place the first Friday of every month from 2 – 4pm. It is run through Refugee Support Devon and you can sign up to climb or become a volunteer by emailing esol@refugeesupportdevon.org.uk.

If you are under 18 you will need to attend with an over 18.

 

Push Bike

You may be able to have your own push bike. This really helps with getting around where you are living, and Devon have some lovely cycle paths. To be able to have your own bike, you would need to attend a Bikeability Training program which makes sure you have a sense of how the roads work and knowledge of safe cycling practices. Ask your Social Worker or PA for more details and how to sign up.

 

Sports in Devon

Devon is the home of several different sport teams including Exeter Chiefs who play in the top division of rugby and three competitive football teams – Plymouth Argyle, Exeter City Football Club, and Torquay United. There is also the Plymouth Raiders basketball club and the Devon Cricket Club.

There are many different sport clubs you can access when living in Devon, whether you want to play football or rugby or take up a new sport or hobby. Ask your social worker or PA for details of what is available in your area.

 

Gym Memberships

Depending on your age, you can be supported to get access to your local gym. Please note that Devon County Council do not fund memberships, although in some parts of Devon gym access is free if you are in the care of Devon County Council. If this is something you would like, ask your social worker/PA for more details.

Pure Gym has gyms in Barnstaple, Exeter, Torquay and Plymouth offer 50% for young Asylum Seekers and care experienced young people. To access this offer, you need to sign up to Connects on the Care Leavers covenant website, your social worker or PA can help with this.