For the second year running Higher Wiscombe is a Finalist in the DEBI (Devon Environmental Business Initiative) Awards. The Final is at the Met Office in Exeter on Thursday 22nd November. We will be presenting a cheque to the Devon Wildlife Trust on the same evening from our collecting boxes in the cottages. The amount will be revealed on Friday 23rd November.
	Higher Wiscombe has made the regional final of the CLA's Centenary Buildings Award Scheme. No date has been set for the final as yet so we will post details here as they become available.
	The River Cottage Canteen, shop and HQ have now opened on our doorstep in Axminster. Highly recommended but booking essential, see local restaurants section on website for full details.
	We have won the Silver Medal in the South West Tourism Excellence Awards. This time in the sustainability section. The sustainability section received more entries than any other this year highlighting the growing importance of sustainability in tourism generally
	We are supporting World Responsible Tourism Day and will be providing further options this year to make holidays at Higher Wiscombe more sustainable. We have just introduced providing full picnic equipment for guests, including wheel barrows to get it to the picnic area.
	Higher Wiscombe has won the Self Catering Holiday of the Year Award for 2007/8 in the Enjoy England Excellence Awards in April 2007, the highest accolade for Self Catering in British Tourism, (known as the Tourism Oscars) and were put forward as the finalists after winning the South West Tourism Excellence Award for Self Catering in 2006/7, in our first year of trading.
	Each year Higher Wiscombe is inspected by the NQAS scheme, the National Quality Assurance Scheme. We were awarded 5 stars for each property and this year we have also been accredited as a Walkers and Cyclists approved accommodation.

Higher Wiscombe is now a Corporate Sponsor of the Devon Wildlife Trust. We collect for the trust in our barns and will be revealing how much we have raised at the end of August 2007.

The Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS) has awarded Higher Wiscombe a Gold grading in April 2007 after seeing the range of measures we have undertaken. Silver grading had been achieved last April, within eight months of opening, reflecting our commitment to the environment and to ensuring the sustainability of our business.

Higher Wiscombe was a runner up in the DEBI (Devon Environmental Business Initiative) 2006 Awards for Sustainable Tourism.

Our ancient pollarded oak has been listed on the Great Trees of East Devon scheme. The Wiscombe Oak, which is around 500 years old, is extremely unusual in that the boughs come down to ground level, and one has rooted, this means that our oak is a Phoenix Tree. Acorns from this tree are being planted at Bicton College so that sapling "Wiscombe Oaks" can be planted around East Devon. It has also been listed on the Ancient Tree Register.

Higher Wiscombe now provides guests with all necessary environmental cleaning agents, washing up liquid, surface cleaner, dishwasher tablets, laundry liquid, loo cleaner and kitchen and cloakroom hand soap all manufactured by Ecover.

The Games room is now fully open with full sized Jaques Table-Tennis and Jaques Table Football. The games room is open all year. Due to the good weather the pool was opened at Easter this year, six weeks early.