'We're determined to ensure Devon is a great place for children to get the best possible start in life'

By John Hart, leader of Devon County Council

It's one of the weeks of the year in Devon that many of us look forward to with great anticipation.

I've been visiting the Devon County Show for as long as I can remember. It's a great occasion to celebrate one of Devon's key industries, learn more about our wonderful county and meet up with people we may not have seen since the previous year.

And since I became leader of Devon County Council, it is an even more important event in my calendar.

Each year the county council has a theme for its stand and this year we've chosen children and families. So, while we're always delighted to see any Devon residents, this year we’re particularly keen to welcome schools, youth organisations and groups and, obviously, young people and their families to stand 325 on Road 8.

As a county council we're responsible for children's social care and for the oversight of schools and education. And we're determined to ensure Devon is a great place for children to get the best possible start in life and achieve to their best potential.

We want them to get a good education and have access to high-quality training and skills with good opportunities. Many of our children will want to move away to university and to experience different aspects of life but I've been keen as the leader of the county council for us to do all we can to ensure there are high-quality job opportunities for those of our young people who want to stay in Devon or return here once they've done their degree or got other qualifications.

That means having a growing economy and welcoming businesses who can provide good, well-paid jobs - not only for our young people but all our citizens. So having a county council presence at the Devon County Show is a great opportunity to hear from the tens of thousands of visitors how they see the future and what their aims and aspirations are.

We’ve got a wide selection of exhibitors on our stand this year, with activities, competitions, support and advice for young people and their families and carers.

One of my previous responsibilities in Devon was for education and I was always amazed by the range and quality of music-making that goes on in our schools and in the county orchestras and ensembles.

On Avenue K this year there will be a Music Hub stage where you can listen to live musical performances from Devon schools and youth groups across the three show days. And if your child is interested in making music,  have a look at the website which details opportunities across Devon at www.musiceducationhub.org/site

We'll also have a ‘Boom Bus’ on the stand which will be using music, radio and creative media production to demonstrate and teach visitors new skills.

Our public health nursing team will be on the stand offering health advice and information, our fostering service will be there to talk to potential foster parents and Recycle Devon will be providing everyone with information on how to reduce, reuse, recycle and compost more of their waste.

On Road 9 we will also have our Farmwise stand with goats, sheep, cows, rabbits and pigs. Farmwise is about connecting children with the sources of their food so the stand will feature lots of activities in which children - and their parents – can get involved.

If you’re going to the show, do look in on us.

And finally, I’d like to send my heartiest congratulations to King Charles and Queen Camilla for a long, happy and successful reign.