Author: Molly Mayfield
We had Chloe for a week of work experience from Axe Valley school, she was full of energy and ideas and once again I learnt more from her than I could have anticipated.
She got right into a real mix of day to day charity work, sending emails, creating posters and making badges with our new badge making machine. She created an activity for pupils at our school visit to Woodroffe and even did some cold calls to businesses for our Big Give Campaign 2026.
On the Thursday Chloe and I pounded the streets of Honiton with posters, business cards and leaflets about our new Headlight service opening in September, it was baking hot but our visit generated some really interesting conversations with local businesses and shopkeepers.
Chloe is now in Italy for a super residential now and we hope she is having the best time and wanted to say thank you for her enthusiasm and confidence.
We’ve had some wonderful funding news to share. The Culverwell Trust has generously funded our Headlight peer support service in Seaton and Sidmouth, while our Tesco Groundworks blue token collections in Honiton, Axminster, Sidmouth and Seaton have secured funding for each of those Headlight groups, thank you to everyone who took part.
We’re also very grateful to the Alfred Darlington Charitable Trust for their generous donation supporting Headlight services, and delighted to have once again been awarded funding towards Headlight by East Devon District Council’s Places to Go, Things to Do fund, which is decided by their youth committee.
Action East Devon is seeking Group Facilitators and Mental Health Wellbeing Workers for our new Headlight groups being launched early summer in Honiton and Sidmouth. We are also now recruiting a Group Facilitator for our existing Headlight group in Axminster & Seaton. Finally and for applicants with a flare for marketing & social media, we have additional hours to offer anyone in one of these posts to manage our Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn online platforms.
The Roles
Position: Group Facilitators for Axminster, Seaton, Honiton & Sidmouth
Hours: 5 hours per week per location/group, evening hours required
Salary: £14.15 per hour (£27,225 per annum pro rata)
Location: remote working from home, with group delivery in Axminster, Seaton, Honiton &/or Sidmouth
Link to Group Facilitator Job Description
What’s involved
To facilitate fortnightly, evening (6pm-8pm) peer to peer support sessions enabling young people to develop skills to cope with current and possible future mental health challenges.
Position: Mental Health Wellbeing Worker for Honiton & Sidmouth
Hours: 7 hours per week per location/group, evening hours required
Salary: £14.15 per hour (£27,225 per annum pro rata)
Location: remote working from home, with group delivery in Honiton &/or Sidmouth
Link to Mental Health Wellbeing Worker Job Description
What’s involved
To support young people attending Headlight through timely one to one mental health support sessions, whilst supporting the Group Facilitator at each of our fortnightly Headlight sessions.
Position: Marketing & Social Media
For any applicants with a flare for Marketing & Social Media we can offer additional hours to manage our Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn profile, please state on your application if you are interested in this role.
The Process
Application Deadline: Sunday 26th April 2026
Interview date: Tuesday 5th May 2026
Apply now
To apply, please complete the Application Form specifically stating which Headlight locations you are applying for and return, with a copy of your CV and a covering letter to: [email protected] on or before the 26th April 2026.
For an informal discussion regarding either of the roles, please contact Molly Mayfield, Charity Manager on 01404 549045
To challenge the automatic “head-in-hands” image so often associated with poor mental health — and to show the real, diverse, and human stories behind the experiences. With the incredible creativity and guidance of Theo Moye, these young people brought their visions to life in the most honest and impactful way. Their work is brave, beautiful, and deeply personal.
Hannah at Seaton Library said:
“The feedback I have to pass on is unanimously positive – we had so many people stop and give your photographs their full attention. A couple of people made sure to tell us how unusual the pictures were and how it had made them stop and think about mental health.
All in all we’d say that the exhibition was a success and thank you so much for thinking of us as a location to host it.”
We would also like to thank the wonderful centres that host our groups and provide that safe space for us.
On display for the next 2 weeks
A brilliant but wet morning walking the 3 legged challenge with Caroline Densley and BBC Devon on the waterfront in Exmouth. She and her team are wonderfully warm and welcoming and it was absolutely awsome to be flying the flag for BBC Children in Need with them and the many other deserving charities that joined them on the walk.
Thank you BBC Children in Need for your support to us and the young people of East Devon.
This November marks a special milestone as we celebrate Marion Saunde’s incredible 10 years of volunteering with Action East Devon!
Marion’s journey began when she spotted our advertisement in the local newspaper. As a qualified Learning Disability Nurse since 1986, she was drawn to working with young people once her own three children were older. Marion started volunteering with Headlight in Axminster in 2015, and then moved to Ottery St Mary in 2017 and has been the heart of the Ottery St Mary Olders group ever since.
What drives Marion is the incredible transformation she witnesses in our young people who join the service. From watching them step out of their comfort zones during new experiences such as the Sound Bath sessions and working with animals at the Donkey Sanctuary, Marion finds immense joy in helping build their confidence and watching them flourish.
Semi-retirement has brought new adventures for Marion and her husband – they’ve invested in a camper van and explored Ireland and destinations across the UK, with Scotland next on their travel wishlist! Yet she always returns to her volunteer commitment. Marion truly believes in the vital need for Action East Devon in our community, and her decade of service proves that belief every day.
Thank you, Marion, for ten amazing years of nurturing, supporting, and inspiring our young people! 🎉
#VolunteerAppreciation #CommunityHeroes #ActionEastDevon
Theo was busy again moving his exhibition to Sidmouth Library, Theo was down there to capture the moment with the library staff, Chris Botham and Judith O’Neill Trustees of the charity.
Theo said you can’t miss it, as the exhibition is in a great spot right in the entrance. Please pop down to see the power images of how the young people of East Devon depicted their own personal experience of mental health issues.
Next stop, Seaton Library on November 17th.
Action East Devon received some awsome news from the Postcode Local Trust last week when they decided to fund us some of our core services for 3 years!
The stakes were high for the Postcode Local Trust so we were extremely surprised and grateful to have been selected.
Now we have our work cut out to deliver the service which we truly believe can make a difference to young people’s lives.
Thank you Postcode Local Trust!
