Devon Diamond: Vic Ebdon

Our 26th Devon Diamond is Vic Ebdon, who is a trustee of Devon Communities Together, supported the development of the first PassivHaus primary school in the country and has been instrumental in giving opportunities to hundreds of construction learners through Constructing Futures Devon Ltd...

Construction professional Vic moved from Wiltshire to Devon in 1971 and converted a barn in Woodbury Salterton (in his own words, "before barn conversions were fashionable"!) where he lived for ten years. After a spell in Exeter came a move to Bradninch where he has been for 36 years. Building on a lifelong interest in architecture and a teenage period spent enjoying the many practical aspects of DIY and proper building, Vic fostered a career in construction and went on to be involved in the development and reorganisation of many schools in Devon, supporting the education of thousands of children. 

"After ten years working with an engineering company in Exeter I took to self-employment as a builder for twenty years. A failed attempt at early retirement was followed by nearly ten years with Devon County Council, initially supporting schools in Torridge and West Devon with their building developments but subsequently being part of the team that delivered the Exeter Schools Reorganisation in which Infant and Junior Schools became "Primary" and High Schools became "Secondary". As well as bringing the county into line with the rest of England, the reorganisation included rebuilding the five dated High Schools with new state-of-the-art Secondary Schools using the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). Shortly after this, in negotiating the Section 106 agreements for the educational infrastructure for the new towns of Cranbrook and Sherford, the foundations (literal and metaphorical) were laid for the schools and libraries in the new towns."

"In 2009, I became responsible for all Devon school's capital investment, including the 'Building Schools for the Future' rebuilding of Bideford College and the first PassivHaus primary school in the country, Montgomery in Exeter."

Given his extensive industry experience, in 2016, Vic was invited to join a Devon Communities Together steering group that was considering bidding for grant funding to establish a collaboration with South Devon College which would enable construction learners to get a real-life taste of on-site construction to supplement their workshop practice. The grant was awarded in 2018 and DCT established Constructing Futures Devon Ltd (CFDL), which purchases dilapidated properties and brings them back to life with the help of young construction learners, giving them real-life experience and bringing high quality housing to the local market. As well as being on the Board of CFDL, Vic has recently been going above and beyond to handle the operational management of the company, which is now working on its sixth project and has provided vital work experience for hundreds of young learners in Devon. As a consequence of his chairmanship of CFDL Vic was invited to become a Trustee of Devon Communities Together and continues to provide valuable guidance and direction to both organisations. 

Why I love Devon

"I love Devon because it has been good to me. Apart from its unmatched landscapes and coastal and market towns it is where I met my wife, had three children and three grandchildren. All the family live in rural settings and whilst easy very access to the M5 and Tiverton Parkway makes light work of getting to the rest of country we are most happy and at ease when we cross the county boundary back into Devon."

Thanks in part to Vic's contributions, thousands of Devon school children have enjoyed improved school facilities, a better learning environment and, most recently, young construction learners have benefitted from new opportunities to learn construction skills - a well deserved Devon Diamond! 

NOMINATE YOUR DEVON DIAMONDS

Each week during our 60th anniversary year (until March 2022) we will be sharing a story, profile or memory from one or more of our 'Devon Diamonds'. Devon Communities Together's Devon Diamonds are people who have played a part in our story since 1961. They could be ex (or current!) employees or trustees, people who have achieved amazing things in their own communities, representatives from partner organisations we've worked with over the years, village hall committee members, Councillors, and more ... the list is endless! 

We plan to create 60 Devon Diamonds throughout the year! If you know of somebody who would make a great Devon Diamond profile, please get in touch by calling 01392 248919 or emailing info@devoncommunities.org.uk.