Author: Rhys Gregory

Leisure centres in the UK have been thrown a lifeline thanks to a carbon-cutting scheme which is predicted to save one ‘valued community asset’ £10,000 annually. Babergh District Council and Abbeycroft Leisure have benefitted from a decrease in energy consumption due to the installation of an innovative warm water recovery system at its swimming pool in Sudbury, significantly reducing its bills. Welsh water treatment firm Pwlltec has conserved 2,000 tonnes of water and 47MWh in energy at Kingfisher Leisure Centre during the year-long pilot scheme, the first of its kind worldwide. Instead of disposing of heated wastewater after it passes…

An appeal has been launched to find ex-strikers to invite them to the premiere of a documentary to mark the 20th anniversary of one of Britain’s longest industrial disputes. The hard-hitting film, Y Lein: Streic Friction Dynamics (The Line: Friction Dynamics Strike), has been made by  Dïon  Wyn, the grandson of one of the strikers, Raymond Roberts, who was determined the “historic injustice” should never be forgotten. The strike saw workers picketing the Friction Dynamics factory on the outskirts of Caernarfon for almost 1,000 days between April 2001 and December 2003 but, despite winning an industrial tribunal, they never received damages.…

Chart-topping UK singer/songwriter, James Arthur*, today announces that he’ll be bringing his UK summer show to Swansea next summer, when he comes to Singleton Park on 18 July, with special guests to be announced. Tickets on sale from 8 December. “A night singing my songs out in the open air of Singleton Park, what could be better,” smiles James Arthur, “For an artist, nothing compares to being able to connect with your audience, in the moonlight, it brings that pure festival vibe to the performance.  I can’t wait, Swansea, here I come.” With the magnificent backdrop of Singleton Park as…

ORGANIC growth at a leading farm estate is not limited to its award-winning products. Rhug Estate, based near Corwen in North Wales, is experiencing significant expansion in all aspects of its operations. Home and overseas sales have remained buoyant this year and over past weeks several new faces have joined the Rhug family. Among the recent recruits are Cutting Plant Manager Paulo Santos, and Richard Harris, who will be taking on the role of Procurement and Logistics Manager for the entire Rhug Estate group, including the renowned Wild Beauty range. Additionally, Emily Johnson has been appointed Head of Sales and Marketing,…

Hip hip hooray, three cheers for the staff at Cardiff’s PDSA Pet Hospital as it celebrates its 10thbirthday. The Pet Hospital on Nettlefold Road first opened in December 2013 – since then it has treated tens of thousands of pets. One of 48 PDSA Pet Hospitals in the UK, the talented team provide a vital lifeline for local owners who are struggling to afford vet care and ultimately help keep people and pets together. Student Veterinary Nurse Mike Connor said: “The whole team is absolutely delighted to be celebrating 10 wonderful years treating the pets of Cardiff from our site…

Company bosses are being urged to work together and be “more pirate” to keep the Welsh pound in Wales. Entrepreneur Geraint Hughes, who runs a leading artisan food company and a business consultancy, believes that creating local supply chains can kick-start an economic revolution. Mr Hughes was the keynote guest speaker at the annual Christmas dinner of Wrexham Business Professionals at Wrexham’s Ramada Plaza Hotel. The organisation is made up of successful businesses and highly skilled professionals working together to promote regional prosperity and enterprise and expertise that exist in the region. Mr Hughes established Bwydydd Madryn (Madryn Foods) just…

Schools from every corner of the UK are invited to test their tech skills for the chance to be crowned Cyber Explorer champions, Science and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan has announced. The Cyber Explorers Cup kicked off today (Wednesday 6 December) giving pupils between 11 and 14 years the opportunity to compete in cyber security challenges – boosting their learning in a vital technology, with the chance to win tech-related prizes which could include vouchers for schools to buy new learning materials and equipment, class trips, and opportunities for teachers and students to engage with other learning opportunities. More than…

It’s official, an important Welsh Marches tourist attraction has one of the tallest trees in Great Britain! Hergest Croft Gardens at Kington, one of the UK’s most important horticultural sites, has the third tallest tree in Great Britain, a Douglas Fir standing at 200 feet and more than 160 years old. That’s the verdict of The Tree Register of the British Isles (TROBI) registrar, Owen Johnson, who recently visited the gardens. The tree register is a charity which collates and records a database of notable trees throughout the UK and Ireland and has the largest database in the world. Currently…

Bridgend County Borough Council has published designs which set out its ambitions for how public open space could be used in the Porthcawl waterfront area, and what new community facilities it will seek to develop over the next few years as part of the town’s ongoing regeneration. The latest proposals are focused on the waterfront regeneration area, which encompasses 32 hectares of open space located around Salt Lake, Hillsboro, Griffin Park, Coney Beach, Sandy Bay, the Relic Dunes, Rhych Point and numerous links in between, including land that runs through the funfair and former Monster Park sites. The concept designs…

Renewable energy initiatives and a scheme to celebrate one of Europe’s oldest ceremonial burial sites are among those set to boost Swansea’s rural communities. Swansea Council has now awarded funding worth a combined £205,000 to 17 schemes as part of the rural anchor project being funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Schemes due to benefit include: A Red Lady visitor trail and exhibition, led by Tourism Swansea Bay. The Red Lady is the name given to the discovery in 1823 of ancient remains in Paviland Cave, South Gower. The project will help Gower residents and…