About Us

West of the River is a community magazine delivered free of charge to households in Exeter in St Thomas and parts of Alphington, Cowick Hill and Haven Banks. The first issue was delivered in April 2025.

A paper-based magazine offers residents a convenient way to stay informed about local events and projects without relying on social media or the Internet. Each issue features:

• Local Features and Articles: covering community news and initiatives.

• What’s On: a guide to regular activities, meet-ups, performances, and festivals.

• Community Directory: highlighting volunteering opportunities with local clubs, charities, and social enterprises.

The magazine is partly funded by grants, but most income is through advertising sales. All contributions—whether articles, photos, design, editing, or distribution—are be on a voluntary basis. If you want to get involved please email editor@westoftheriver.org.

The magazine project is spearheaded by local resident Benji Goehl and is owned by Love St Thomas CIC, see love-st-thomas.org.

Alphington

West of the River magazine doesn’t currently include articles about Alphington village or distribute copies there — even though Alphington is, of course, west of the river.

When we began planning this magazine in October 2024, we discovered Alphington Life, an existing local newsletter. Out of respect for that publication, we made a conscious decision not to overlap, for two main reasons:

1. Both West of the River and Alphington Life rely on advertising revenue to cover printing costs. Having two publications in the same area could create unnecessary competition for those funds.

2. Alphington Life already has a well-established team of delivery volunteers. Since volunteer support is a limited resource, we wanted to avoid competing for it.

That said, we’ve been working with St Michael’s Church to share What’s On listings, and you’ll find a selection of Alphington events featured in West of the River. Alphington residents can pick up a paper copy of West of the River at Witches Brew (43 Cowick Street) or The Thatched House pub (Exwick Road).

Exwick News

This publication took a pause in 2025, and will be produced again in 2026. West of the River Magazine will therefore not be distributed in this area, but residents can pick up a copy at The Thatch from Easter 2026.