Author: Alice Gregory

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…

A near miss during childhood ignited Ben Jenkins’ long standing ambition to become a skilled electrician, which has now seen him launch his own business, Bull-Ectrics. The 24-year-old from Bridgend remembers a near fire at his childhood home where builders fitted a new shower despite a faulty fuse board, and the thought of what could have happened has always stayed with him. Ben said: “I became a little paranoid, while growing up, about the safety of electrical systems. The experience has always stayed with me and I am now always conscious that any sort of structure or appliance should be…

Cardiff’s waterfront destination, Mermaid Quay, has unveiled its plans for Christmas including a number of free family-friendly events. Alongside a full calendar of activities, the popular waterfront location in Cardiff Bay has a fantastic line-up of restaurants and bars offering special Christmas menus, ideal for sharing a meal with friends or family. At the heart of the festive celebrations is Mrs Claus’ Kitchen, an enchanting experience for families. Here, children will be warmly welcomed by Mrs Claus herself and her cheerful elves for cosy storytelling, festive games, and activities like gingerbread decorating and letter writing to Santa. Each child will…

St David’s Cardiff is marking Purple Tuesday, an annual event raising awareness of the value and needs of disabled customers, with an accessible jobs fayre as it continues to enhance guest experience for people of all abilities. Purple Tuesday aims to promote accessibility and inclusivity for disabled consumers. Held this year on November 12th, St David’s will celebrate the day by hosting a jobs fayre with Maximus to promote job opportunities for guests with disabilities. Disability Confident employers in attendance will include Maximus Recruitment, AP Cymru, Autistic Minds, The Guide Dogs, and Thrive. The fayre will be located on the…

Restructuring and insolvency specialist Leonard Curtis has appointed Sean Ward as Cardiff office lead and Siann Huntley to head up the Bristol office to support the growth of its South Wales region business operations. Sean Ward, a qualified Insolvency Practitioner with over 16 years in the restructuring industry, joined the Leonard Curtis business in 2020. Sean has experience working across the whole South West region as well as offshore in the British Virgin Islands and Guernsey. He plays a key role in the operation of the business with a focus on business development and advisory solutions. The Cardiff office based…

Cardiff-based fabricator Dudley’s Aluminium is supporting the redevelopment of Portfield School in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. Portfield School is a special educational needs school for students aged between three and nineteen in the county with a diverse range of complex and profound learning needs. Funded by Pembrokeshire County Council and the Welsh Government through its ‘Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme’, the redevelopment of the school includes replacing the current lower school building, refurbishing the sixth form centre and the creation of a new children’s residential centre. The new and updated facilities will feature specialist therapy rooms, breakout and sensory spaces and dedicated…

A small army of public-spirited litter pickers is keeping the streets of North East Wales tidy. Wrexham Litter Pickers, part of the national Keep Wales Tidy (KWT) organisation, has an impressive total of 2,300 members on its Facebook page and over 50 litter champions across the county borough, all dedicated to keeping its public spaces clean. They and Flintshire operate from a unit on Lock Stock Self Storage’s storage park in Ruabon Road, Wrexham, where they store the tools of their trade, litter pickers, hi-vis vests, rubbish bags, and hoops – essential for keeping bags open in breezy conditions –…

The growing worldwide appetite for all things Wrexham is feeding the demand for walking tours which reveal the city’s tasty foodie treats. With the city and its football club basking in the global limelight thanks to the Welcome to Wrexham TV documentary series, visitors are increasingly keen to get their teeth into the culinary delights of local food and drink venues. That’s according to Gareth Boyd, who launched the walking food tours in the city in August. He said interest in Wrexham had mushroomed quickly thanks to the success after the series showcased the turnaround in fortunes of Wrexham AFC and…