Getting ready for Text Santa
ITV1 is hosting its charity programme Text Santa tonight. It supports national charities which help people in the West Country region.
House prices rise by three times the average salary
The cost of buying a house in the South West has outstripped average earnings by nearly three times in a decade.
Fewer A-level students want to go to University
There's been a fall of more than 12% in the number of people from our region wanting to go to University.
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Demand for properties in south west is up
Demand for property in the South West rose over the last month according to the latest survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
It says the Government's 'Help to Buy' scheme announcement has had an impact on the market. The amount of houses to sell also increased.
South West's bathing water to be tested
Tests to show how clean bathing waters are in the South West start today.
The Environment Agency will be taking samples and telling people where is safe to swim. Last year 98 per cent of beaches in our region reached current standards.
The Agency will be taking samples from today until the end of September.
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Region's "struggling economy" means lowest prices for used cars
– Matthew Tumbridge, UsedCarExpert.co.uk editorThese regional price fluctuations are due to local economic conditions impacting on pricing.
The relative prosperity and wealth in the North East is keeping prices inflated while in the South West, the struggling economy has the lowest used car prices that we have ever seen.
Come to the South West - it's the cheapest place to buy a used car
The South West is the cheapest place to buy a second-hand car in the country. While buyers in the region are now paying an average of only £6,951 for a second-hand car, those in north east England are having to fork out as much as £10,805.
Used car prices are now at their lowest for 15 months. The average price for a used car is now £8,540 - the lowest figure since September 2011.
Prices of second-hand vehicles dipped by an average of 1.71% between November and December last year.
As motorists face rising prices in insurance and fuel, it certainly pays motorists to shop around to get the best used-car deal - which will probably be in the South West.
Getting ready for Text Santa
ITV1 is hosting its charity programme Text Santa tonight. It supports national charities which help people in the West Country region.
Read the full storyText Santa: Anthony Nolan helps Dorset girl
The countdown is on to Text Santa, our big, star-studded charity fundraiser, on ITV1 tomorrow night.
It aims to raise money for six chosen charities, including Anthony Nolan that helps people with blood cancer.
One of those it helps is 9 year old Issy Miller from Dorset. She will spend this Christmas in hospital, isolated from the rest of the world, after under-going a life-saving bone marrow transplant.
She was diagnosed with Leukaemia in September but working with Anthony Nolan, Bristol Children's Hospital quickly found a donor match to go ahead with the procedure.
Richard Payne has followed Issy's story before and after the transplant:
For more information on Anthony Nolan, visit their website here.
And if you'd like to know more about Text Santa go here.
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Text Santa: Marie Curie nurses care for terminally ill cancer patients and their families at home
Marie Curie Cancer Care is one of six charities to benefit from Text Santa - ITV's Christmas fundraiser. Marie Curie nurses help care for terminally ill patients in their homes, and offer emotional support to families. Catherine Le Roy is one such nurse.
For more information on Marie Curie Cancer Care click here
Text Santa: Family of 11 year old Ethan Jones receive support from Children's Hospice South West
11 year old Ethan Jones has a very rare condition called Ring Chromosone 14. There are just 40 to 60 cases worldwide. It causes epilepsy, respiratory problems and global delay. It means Ethan needs care around the clock.
Children's Hospice South West helps families like Ethan's. Its three hospices in the region offer care for children who have illnesses which mean they wil die before reaching adulthood. It is supported by the charity, Together for Short Lives.
For more information on Together for Short Lives click here
Employment Minister: "good signs for the South West"
Employment minister Mark Hoban says there are good signs for future jobs in the South West after new figures reveal unemployment has fallen.
Read more about unemployment figures
Nationally, around 50,000 more people were in work according to the official figures for July to September. The unemployment figure is 2.51 million. Average earnings are also up 1.8%.
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