trust

A LARGE conservation charity in one of the UK’s most popular holiday spots has gone into liquidation – putting several tourist attractions at risk.

Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust (TCCT) is responsible for more than 1,700 acres of green spaces in and around the Devon seaside towns of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham.

That amounts to 80 per cent of the green space along the English Riviera including 40 miles of footpaths and bridleways.

The trust is also responsible for managing the entire 22-mile stretch of the South West Coast Path (SWCP) – made world famous in the recent Salt Path movie – that runs through the Torbay area.

Now these destinations known as the “crown jewels” of Torbay, are at risk.

One spot, Occombe Farm, which is an all-weather family farm attraction with indoor and outdoor play areas, animals, paddocks and walking trails – will close for good.

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The attraction opened nearly 20 years ago, and has been much loved by families since – including my own, as I grew up in the area and frequently visited as a child.

The attraction was the ideal spot for families to escape to, with something for all ages and interests.

Little kids could run around in the play areas, older kids could learn about the farm animals and even get up close to them, and families could gather over lunch in the cafe – it even hosted many events such as Halloween trails and beer festivals.

While Occombe Farm is the only attraction fully closing, the charity was responsible for many other spots and now locals are worried paths won’t be cleared, bins won’t be emptied and sites will become unmaintained.

This is because, Torbay Council (which owns the freehold for most of the land cared for by TCCT) has said that its “hands are completely tied” due to legal obstacles concerning the liquidation.

Essentially, this means that Torbay Council cannot enter and care for the sites TCCT cared for, until they speak to the appointed liquidator.

But this worry is part of a bigger fear.

If these sites aren’t cared for or maintained, they could be at risk of losing their prestigious titles.

This includes the UNESCO Global Geopark title, which destinations TCCT cared for helped to gain.

The English Riviera is one of just three UNESCO Global Geoparks in England and 10 in the UK.

TCCT said: “Many areas we manage form part of the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark, due to their unique natural heritage and we’ve worked alongside national, regional, and local associations to ensure Torbay’s green spaces receive the recognition and preservation they deserve.

“It is with great sadness that the incredible achievements of our passionate team, including our volunteers, is drawing to a close.

“Our priority now is to support them as we navigate this process.”

Berry Head National Nature Reserve – also run by the trust – is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) has the largest colony of guillemots on the South Coast and other threatened species like the Greater Horseshoe Bat.

Berry Head is also home to 400-million-year-old limestone, making it an internationally acclaimed geological site, as well as two well-preserved Napoleonic-era forts.

If all of these elements become uncared for, locals are worried that Berry Head won’t meet the requirements of the titles anymore, and consequently lose them.

Other destinations TCCT cared for include Anstey’s Cove, a small beach popular for kayaking, paddle boarding and snorkelling, and Elberry Cove – often compared to Mediterranean destination due to its crystal clear waters and romantic ruins.

Inland, Cockington Country Park is award-winning parkland that feels more like a hidden fairytale village spanning over 450 acres with pretty ornamental gardens, farmland and woodland – all within walking distance of Torquay seafront.

The park, which dates back to the Domesday Book, also forms part of the UNESCO Global Geopark and has been repeatedly awarded a Green Flag.

The liquidation means that events at this popular destination will be cancelled, such as the annual orchard apple picking.

The biggest jewel in the trust’s crown is the South West Coast Path though, which recently featured in Hollywood movie The Salt Path starring Gillian Anderson.

The trails are managed by TCCT, meaning over the years all the signage, walkways, handrails and so on, have been added by them.

Locals are concerned that the 22-mile stretch could become inaccessible without regular maintenance.

Whilst the future of each site isn’t clear, many have spoken out about the importance of saving English Riviera’s top places to visit.

Councillor David Thomas, leader of Torbay Council, said: “The closure of Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust will have a significant and deeply felt impact on the people who were employed at sites across the Bay.

“In the coming weeks, we will be taking time to understand the full implications of this news and what it means for the future of these important spaces and initiatives.”

MP Steve Darling said in a Facebook post: “This is a huge loss for our natural environment and for the dedicated staff who have worked so hard to protect it.

“Despite repeated calls for support, the Conservative administration has failed to help the Trust find a sustainable path.

“As its assets return to council ownership, we must ensure they are not sold off without public input.

One person then commented: “Please fight your hardest for these natural, public and beautiful spaces to be protected and kept in the best interest for the people of Torbay!

“These natural spaces should remain as they are, with additional funding if necessary — selling any single part of it off to foreign investment, developers or anybody other than local charities or Torbay Council would be absolutely devastating to the people of Torbay.”

A Torbay Council spokesperson told Sun Travel: “We understand that the closure of the Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust (TCCT) will have a wide-reaching impact on our communities, and that many residents will have questions and concerns.

“However, at this time, due to the complex process for liquidation, we are unable to provide any further information on the individual spaces or services that are managed or provided by TCCT.

“We await confirmation of the liquidators’ appointment to determine its next steps, recognising how important these green spaces are to our community.

“We would like to reassure residents and visitors that we will continue to work closely with partners and stakeholders to assess the impact of the Trust’s closure.

“This includes considering what it means for our cherished green spaces, as well as the important environmental designations, community initiatives, and long-term stewardship of our natural assets.”

A spokesperson for the South West Coast Path said: “We are working with Torbay Council and SWISCo (a local service provider) to ensure that current works to improve accessibility along the South West Coast Path and King Charles III England Coast Path National Trails are not impacted by the recent news.”

Sun Travel has contacted TCCT for comment.

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Meanwhile, if you are considering visiting the English Riviera, The Sun’s head of travel Lisa Minot visited and found delicious seafood festivals and hidden beaches.

Plus, the English Riviera is home to the UK’s best B&B – here’s whether it is really worth the hype.

The On The Beach worker shared five destinations he is convinced will go viral next year

With 2026 rapidly approaching, many families are already planning next year’s holiday. For those in need of inspiration, a travel blogger and On The Beach specialist has revealed five destinations he expects to explode in popularity next year – and which you could book now to avoid the rush.

Rob Brooks, a travel enthusiast and influencer with the travel company On The Beach. He is well-known online for providing budget-friendly travel advice, hotel reviews, and holiday tips, which has helped him amass a significant following on social media, especially on TikTok where he goes by the username @Robonthebeach.

In a new post, Rob shared a video titled: “Five destinations I think are about to go viral, my 2026 holiday destination predictions.” His caption said: “Trust me, these 5 holiday destinations will be all over your ‘for you’ page next year.” Rob told viewers: “There are five destinations that I think are about to go viral in 2026.

“I spent a lot of time recently looking through the holiday data from this year, and I think these places are gonna be huge next year. These are places rising fast in 2025 that I think are about to hit the next level next year.”

Sharing fifth place on his list, Rob said: “Porto in Portugal. Lisbon had its moment, and Porto’s next. It’s cheaper. People say it’s trendier, and it’s got that perfect mix of Old Town charm and ocean views.

“It’s becoming the new city break with sunshine favourite, and we’ve seen bookings here shoot up already this year. The fact that it still flies under the radar against Lisbon and the Algarve makes it feel like the next big thing for travellers, and I found three nights in Porto next year with flights from £213 per person. Not bad.”

Moving onto the fourth spot, he said: “Seville in Spain. Seville is the Spanish city that’s finally getting the love it deserves. It’s got the architecture of Madrid, the atmosphere of Barcelona, but it’s half the price and the food’s better. 2025 was its breakout year, and we can see that in the booking numbers. But 2026 is when it’ll go properly big time. And at these prices, I’m not surprised. I found three nights in Seville with flights for just £182 per person.”

In third, Rob said: “Bulgaria. This one’s a bit of a dark horse. Bulgaria is becoming the go-to for affordable beach holidays. But it’s not just about being cheap anymore. The hotels are improving, the beaches are spotless, and Sunny Beach is growing up a little bit. It’s still dead fun. There’s just less chaos. If value stays king next summer, which I think it will, Bulgaria will be massive.

“We’ve seen more bookings this year, and the data shows more searches for lower-cost Eastern European holidays. And when I did a search myself, I found seven nights in Sunny Beach with flights for a family of four for £214 per person, and that’s all-inclusive.”

Revealing second place, the blogger said: “Agadir in Morocco. It’s a four-hour flight from the UK, the weather is about 25 degrees all year, and the resorts have gone up a notch in the last few years. All-inclusive holidays here tend to be cheaper than the Canaries, and people are realising that it’s an exotic destination, but without a long-haul flight. In recent years, we’ve seen Agadir popping up as a real contender to the usual winter sun destinations. This year it’s gone up again. You can expect to see more deals like this one in 2026. Seven nights in Agadir, all-inclusive package with flights, just 370 quid per person. It’s a no-brainer.

Rob’s top spot goes to Egypt, reports the Express. He said: “I feel like I bang on about Egypt, but it’s had one of the biggest glow-ups in years. Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada genuinely have world-class hotels now, proper five-star resorts with stunning views of the Red Sea, and unbeatable weather all year round. The beaches and the diving and the all-inclusives are unmatched at its price. And I think 2026 is the year that Egypt becomes the luxury destination without the long-haul flight. And here’s why. Five-star all-inclusive in June 2026 for seven nights is just £412 per person.

“So that’s my five to watch for 2026. Porto, Seville, Bulgaria, Agadir and Egypt. Each one of them has seen a big surge already, and each one of them offers something different to people.”

The video racked up over 300k views and thousands of likes. One viewer replied: “Agadir in November was gorgeous! Just chilly on evenings.”

Another commenter thought: “Seville is so beautiful and underrated. Great food spots and amazing things to do. Just don’t go in June you will be cooked in the heat.”

In recent weeks, American politics have stopped resembling a democracy and started looking more like a Manson family group chat, with a flag emoji right next to the “pile of poo” emoji in our bio.

First it was the Young Republicans (you know, the nerds who used to wear ill-fitting sports jackets and drone on about budgets) who were caught on Telegram saying things such as “I love Hitler,” calling Black people “watermelon people,” and joking about gas chambers and rape. Hilarious, right?

Then came Paul Ingrassia, Trump’s now-aborted nominee to head the Office of Special Counsel, who texted that he has “a Nazi streak” and that Martin Luther King Jr. Day belongs in “the seventh circle of hell.”

But the moral rot isn’t exclusive to Republicans. Not to be outdone, Democrat Jay Jones (who is currently running for attorney general in Virginia) was caught with texts from 2022 saying another Virginia lawmaker should get “two bullets to the head,” and that he wished the man’s children would “die in their mother’s arms.”

Charming.

Meanwhile, in Maine’s race for the U.S. Senate, old posts on Reddit reveal that Democrat Graham Platner — oysterman, veteran and self-described communist — said that if people “expect to fight fascism without a good semi-automatic rifle, they ought to do some reading of history.”

Did I mention that he called police officers “bastards,” broadly criticized rural white folks and had a tattoo on his chest that resembled Nazi imagery?

What we are witnessing is a trend: Bipartisan moral collapse. Finally, something the two parties can agree on!

Keep in mind, these are not randos typing away in their parents’ basements. These are ambitious young politicos. Candidates. Operatives. The ones who are supposed to know better.

So what’s going on? I have a few theories.

One: Nothing has really changed. Political insiders have always done and said stupid, racist and cruel things — the difference is that privacy doesn’t exist anymore. Every joke is public, and every opinion is archived.

It might be hard for older generations to understand, but this theory says these people are merely guilty of using the kind of dark-web humor that’s supposed to stay on, well, the dark web. What happened to them is the equivalent of thinking you’re with friends at a karaoke bar, when you’re actually on C-SPAN.

For those of us trying to discern the difference, the problem is that the line between joking and confession has gotten so blurry that we can’t tell who’s trolling and who’s armed.

Two: Blame Trump. He destroyed norms and mainstreamed vulgarity and violent rhetoric. And since he’s been the dominant political force for a decade, it’s only logical that his style would trickle down and corrupt a whole generation of politically engaged Americans (Republicans who want to be like him and Democrats who want to fight fire with fire).

Three (and this is the scary one): Maybe the culture really has changed, and these violent and racist comments are revelatory of changing hearts and worldviews. Maybe younger generations have radicalized, and violence is increasingly viewed as a necessary tool for political change. Maybe their words are sincere.

Indeed, several recent surveys have demonstrated that members of Gen Z are more open to the use of political violence than previous generations.

According to a survey conducted by the group FIRE, only 1 in 3 college students now say it is unacceptable to use violence to stop a speaker. And according to the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, “53 percent of those aged 18-34 – approve of one or more forms of hostile activism to bring about change.” This includes “threatening or committing violence, and damaging public or private property.”

Of course, it’s possible (and probably likely) that some combination of these theories has conspired to create this trend. And it comes on the heels of other trends, too, including the loss of trust in institutions that began somewhere around the Nixon administration and never reversed.

Put it all together, and we’ve arrived at a point where we don’t believe in democracy, we don’t believe in leaders, and we barely believe in each other. And once you lose trust, all that’s left is anger, memes and a primal will to power.

Worse, we’ve become numb. Every new scandal shocks us for approximately 15 minutes. Then we scroll to another cat video and get used to it.

Remember the Charlie Kirk assassination? You know, the gruesome murder that freaked us all out and led to a national discussion about political violence and violent rhetoric? Yeah, that was just last month. Feels like it was back in the Eisenhower administration.

We’re basically frogs in a pot of boiling political sewage. And the scariest part? We’re starting to call it room temperature.

Matt K. Lewis is the author of “Filthy Rich Politicians” and “Too Dumb to Fail.”

Trust Co disclosed the purchase of 209,679 additional shares of Vanguard Bond Index Funds – Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF, estimated at $15.44 million (rounded from $15,439,353), in its SEC filing for the period ended September 30, 2025, submitted on October 6, 2025.

What happened

According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission dated October 06, 2025, Trust Co increased its stake in Vanguard Bond Index Funds – Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF(BND 0.40%) by 209,679 shares during the quarter. The estimated value of shares acquired is $15.44 million, based on the average price for the period.

What else to know

The fund added to its BND position, which now represents 7.0660% of reportable assets under management.

Top holdings following the filing:

• SHV: $84,464,498 (8.6% of AUM)
• BND: $69.08 million (7.1% of AUM)
• AGG: $66.39 million (6.8% of AUM)
• VUG: $62,950,365 (6.4% of AUM)
• VTV: $59,005,900 (6.0% of AUM)

BND’s trailing twelve-month dividend yield was 3.79% as of October 6, 2025.

Company overview

Company snapshot

Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) tracks the performance of the broad U.S. investment-grade taxable bond market through a passively managed, index-sampling strategy.

Its portfolio includes U.S. government, corporate, mortgage-backed, and asset-backed securities with maturities over one year, providing diversified fixed income exposure.

The fund serves institutional and retail investors seeking broad, low-cost exposure to the U.S. bond market.

Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) is one of the largest fixed income ETFs, offering investors comprehensive access to the U.S. investment-grade bond universe.

Foolish take

Trust Co added $15.4 million worth of Vanguard Bond Index Funds – Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF. This addition increased it position to roughly 7% of total AUM, showing meaningful exposure.

As one of the largest bond ETFS, BND gives investors a one-stop exposure to the U.S bond market, spanning Treasuries, corporate bonds and mortgage backed securities. It is often used as a foundation for income-oriented portfolios that value stability and diversification.

The renewed demand for broad funds like BND reflects a shift from several years of stock-heavy market leadership. With interest rates still elevated, investors are finding value in locking in higher bond yields while they last. That makes funds like BND appealing again to both institutional and individual investors looking for steady returns.

For long term investors, adding BND can steady a portfolio while still collecting a reliable income stream. Its stability and diversification make it a solid foundation for any balanced portfolio.

Glossary

13F reportable assets:Assets that institutional investment managers must disclose quarterly to the SEC if they exceed $100 million.

AUM (Assets Under Management):The total market value of assets an investment manager handles on behalf of clients.

ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund):A fund that trades on stock exchanges and holds a diversified portfolio of securities.

Dividend yield:Annual dividends paid by an investment, expressed as a percentage of its current price.

Trailing twelve-month (TTM) dividend yield:Dividend yield calculated using dividends paid over the last twelve months.

Index-sampling strategy:A method where a fund holds a representative sample of securities from an index, not every component.

Investment-grade:Bonds rated as relatively low risk of default by credit rating agencies.

Fixed income:Investment securities that pay regular interest, such as bonds, providing predictable income streams.

Mortgage-backed securities:Bonds secured by a pool of mortgages, with payments passed through to investors.

Asset-backed securities:Bonds backed by pools of assets like loans, leases, or receivables, rather than mortgages.

Passively managed:An investment approach aiming to replicate the performance of a market index, with minimal trading.

Stake:The total ownership or holding an investor has in a particular security or fund.