Author: Alice Gregory

The Community Kit Room (CKR) initiative run by Aneurin Leisure Trust’s sports development team, has gone from strength to strength since its launch in February 2022 at Abertillery sports centre, with the key objective to ‘make sport accessible for all’. The CKR won the StreetGames South Wales Mental Health & Wellbeing Award in September 2023 and was runner-up in the Community Impact Award at the recent BASIS Sustainable Sports Awards held at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, on Thursday, 26th September. Building on this success, and with support from local organisations and partners, the sports development team has recently…

Hollywood actor Michael Sheen is among a host of celebrities who’ve got behind a charity  football match to help victims of domestic abuse in North Wales. Global star Sheen, who has turned himself into a “not-for-profit actor”, has got the ball rolling with a surprise £250 gift. He made the donation after hearing about the game being organised by the Wrexham Police FC football team in partnership with the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT). The police team are set to play Supporting Charities FC, a squad of all-stars from the world of sport and entertainment, at 4pm on…

Services offered to children at Nightingale House Hospice are being put in the spotlight by top comedian Paddy McGuinness. The TV and BBC Radio 2 presenter is taking on an Ultra Endurance Cycle Challenge– cycling almost 300 miles for Radio 2 to raise money for BBC Children in Need’s 2024 Appeal. Setting off from Wrexham on Monday, November 11th, Paddy will be cycling through Wales and England before finishing in Glasgow on Friday, November 15th. And he won’t be doing this challenge on just any bicycle… he will take on the route on an iconic modified Raleigh Chopper bike! Money…

Acuity Law has advised the shareholders of Do-It Solutions, a global market leader in neurodiverse screening and assessments, on its acquisition by Lexxic, a specialist in workplace neurodiversity assessment, training and accreditation services. This deal between Cardiff-based Do-It Solutions and Lexxic is the latest high-profile deal for the leading commercial law firm. Do-IT was founded by Professor Amanda Kirby and is an internationally recognised tech-for-good company that has created highly effective web-based tools, supported by training and consultancy services, to deliver market-leading solutions across a wide and expanding range of sectors including corporate, justice and education. The acquisition will enable Lexxic,…

Lush is inviting customers to enjoy a bear hug this World Kindness Day (Wednesday 13 November), with a FREE bear-shaped bath bomb with every purchase made in-store or via the Lush app while stocks last. This fizzy little friend is like a hug in a bath – treat yourself to a bear-y soothing soak, or pay it forward and gift to a loved one to spread a little kindness. No minimum price, a purchase of any value will qualify customers to receive a free Violet Bear or Candy Bear.* Both bath bombs are packed with moisturising Illipe Butter sourced from…

A transformative training and development programme providing career opportunities for college learners is building back from the pandemic. The Jobs Growth Wales+ scheme at Coleg Cambria was supporting hundreds of young people aged 16-19 before Covid-19 took hold in the UK. Now, under the leadership of Curriculum Directors David Garratt and Claire Howells, numbers are rising again, and new partnerships are being forged with employers in north east Wales and beyond. “We are now back up to 70 learners at Deeside and in Wrexham,” said David. “The programmes took something of a dip, understandably, during the pandemic, as we are…

A young woman who almost died after an epilepsy attack is championing a campaign to improve accessibility for disabled people at holiday and hospitality venues across Wales. Kamar El-Hozeil, from Porthmadog, has been appointed as an Access Ambassador by social enterprise PIWS (Welsh for purple) to “road test”  venues to make sure they’re up to scratch in meeting the needs of people with disabilities. The 23 year old, who also has Scoliosis or curvature of the spine, has bravely taken on the role even though she is prone to severe seizures due to the seriousness of her epilepsy. In one…

A teenager groomed by a vicious county lines gang to become a drugs supplier has been sentenced to 18 months in youth custody. Magistrates heard the 16-year-old called Connor was forced into selling them after he started taking drugs himself and fell into debt. He was caught when he was seen passing drugs to another person at a party and was arrested. Police officers found him to be in possession of Ketamine, a Class B controlled drug. He was charged with possessing drugs with intent to supply. When he appeared before the court he pleaded guilty to the charge. The…

While menopause is widely recognised for its disruptions, perimenopause – a period marked by fluctuating hormones – remains less understood. Symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and a significant decline in libido often leave women feeling unmoored. At 53, former champion triple jumper Michelle Griffith-Robinson revealed that her menopause journey forced her to tap into her “Olympic mindset,” a drive that helped her confront the emotional and physical strains that threatened to overshadow her identity and impact her marriage. She shared her experiences candidly with Active Iron, as part of the brand’s World Menopause Awareness Month campaign, discussing not only the…

A growing independent hospitality business, based in south east Wales, is reaping the rewards after successfully introducing a range of Welsh food and drink to its menus for the first time. Cardiff-based Croeso Pubs operates 8 businesses within the city and the surrounding areas. These are the Philharmonic, The Dock, Retro, Brewhouse, The Blue Bell, Daffodil, The Discovery and the Bear’s Head. Having decided to place a greater emphasis on Welsh produce at their establishments, they sought the support of the Welsh Government’s Food & Drink Wales Foodservice Programme. As a result, there has been an increase in the availability…