Author: Rhys Gregory

Success! RSPCA Cymru has welcomed news that two additional councils in Wales have banned the giving out of pets as prizes on their land. Bans by Swansea Council and Carmarthenshire County Council have taken the total number of local authorities in Wales who have taken action to 14 out of 22. As part of its #NoFunAtTheFair campaign, the animal welfare charity is calling on the outdated practice to be banned – and has been campaigning for all councils in Wales to introduce their own local bans on their land. So far since its 2023 June launch – 11,351 people have…

An ambitious plan to deliver 10,000 new sustainable homes across South Wales in a decade by the country’s largest social housing provider, Pobl Group, has been boosted by a £100 million sustainability linked loan from Lloyds Bank. Development is planned all along the South Wales M4 corridor, from Newport and Monmouthshire in the east to Swansea and Pembrokeshire in the West. The not-for-profit organisation aims for 95% of the new homes it develops over the next four years to have an EPC B rating or above, while delivering close to 1,000 homes which meet EPC A standards. Pobl Group is…

Work on the redevelopment of Wales’ oldest golf club is nearing completion with new four star guest accommodation and a restaurant due to open at the end of September. Part-funded by a loan of £995,400 from the Development Bank of Wales and a grant of £248,850 from Visit Wales alongside private funding, the £1.7 million investment is set to transform Tenby Golf Club with the creation of a state-of-the-art clubhouse, an extra five dormy style bedrooms for groups of golfers, new ten-bedroom boutique guest accommodation named ‘The Dunes’ and ‘The Links’, a fine dining restaurant that will be headed-up by…

The scheme which provides free school meals for children in Ceredigion has been extended to include Year 5 and 6 pupils from September 2023 onwards. Now, all Foundation Stage Learning and KS2 pupils can take advantage of this scheme, ensuring that Ceredigion are far ahead of the Welsh Government’s timetable to offer free school meals to all primary school pupils by September 2024. Following funding by Welsh Government, Ceredigion County Council introduced the first phase of Free School Meals for pupils in Reception Class, Year 1 and 2 in September 2022, and Year 3 and 4 in April 2023. Councillor…

Two big hitters in the creative industries have joined forces to champion a campaign for an £80 million investment zone to be set up in North East Wales. Liam Evans-Ford, the executive director and chief executive of Theatr Clwyd in Mold and prolific Wrexham-born TV producer Ben Smith, who’s set up Tŷ’r Ddraig (Dragon House), in his home city, say it would “supercharge” the local economy. The drive to create an Investment Zone in Wrexham and Flintshire  is being spearheaded by a new consortium. The  group includes the North Wales Business Council, Wrexham and Flintshire councils, Wrexham University and the…

Thousands of countryside lovers will be flocking to North Wales for a flagship festival of rural pursuits next weekend. The second annual Welsh Game Fair will be taking place on Saturday and Sunday, September 9 and 10, with the Faenol Estate on the outskirts of Bangor providing a spectacular backdrop overlooking the Menai Strait. Last year’s inaugural event attracted 10,000 people from North Wales and all over the UK and the organisers are hoping to double that number this time. As well as celebrating country life, it’s expected it will create a major boost for the North Wales economy with…

A CONSTRUCTION boss turned storyteller is building a career in ‘lyrical marketing’ after turning to poetry in lockdown. Originally from Crewe, Gareth Williams launched Rhymeology in the pandemic and has already written for a host of private and public sector clients, including the NHS, the BBC, Avanti West Coast, Cheshire East Council and even the Jamaican Tourist Board. Now based in Conwy, Gareth’s unique and emotive narrative has also won heart and minds via his work with dementia and ADHD charities, live events, and memory capture workshops, attracting the readers and listeners far and wide. His individual, creative approach is…

A Swansea beach has been named one of the world’s most beautiful alongside beaches in Thailand, the Caribbean and the Philippines. Rhossili Bay on Gower is one of only two UK beaches to feature in a Big 7 Travel list of the planet’s 50 must-see beaches. Factors like popularity and how often the beaches feature in rankings of the prettiest coastal spots in the world were among those considered by the team at the travel website. Other famous world beaches to have made the cut include Cabo San Juan Beach in Colombia, Whitehaven Beach in Australia, and Navagio Beach in…

A young photographer’s freelancing future is in full focus after spending a season capturing Wrexham FC’s most successful year under the reign of Hollywood superstars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. 23-year-old photographer Cody Froggatt from Connah’s Quay, who graduated with an MA in photography from Nottingham Trent University in August last year, has spent the last eight months preserving his local club’s most memorable milestones as they were promoted back into the Football League for the first time in 15 years. From Elliott Lee’s 78th minute celebration and Paul Mullin lifting the trophy as National League champions, to the club’s…

The Parkgate Hotel, one of Cardiff’s most luxurious destinations, has been awarded 4 Silver Star Hotel status, as part of the AA’s assessment scheme, with the hotel’s signature restaurant, The Sorting Room, celebrating 2 coveted AA Rosettes for culinary excellence. The hotel, which opened its doors in October 2021, is a stylish regeneration of two of the city centre’s most historic buildings – the former Head Post Office and the old County Court. With a host of alluring spaces to meet and drink, dine, and relax, The Parkgate Hotel houses 170 guest bedrooms and suites, a signature restaurant and bar,…