Author: Rhys Gregory

THE Welsh Ambulance Service is urging the public to use its services wisely over the four-day Easter weekend. The Bank Holiday weekend follows a four-day period of industrial action by junior doctors in Wales, starting from 7.00am on Monday 25 March until 7.00am on Friday 29 March. This industrial action, coupled with the traditional pressures faced by the Welsh Ambulance Service and the wider NHS system over the Easter period, means that waiting times at emergency departments and in the community may be longer than usual. The Trust is reminding the public about the alternatives to 999 to protect its…

Rhondda Valley teenager Gwynfor Jones, who credits work-based learning for helping him achieve “the impossible”, has been recognised with a national apprenticeship award. Gwynfor, 18, from Treherbert, was named Foundation Apprentice of the Year at the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2024 awards ceremony held at ICC Wales, Newport. Having struggled to focus in school and fearing social isolation during the Covid pandemic would hinder his adult development, Gwynfor has thrived since completing a Foundation Apprenticeship and now volunteers in his community. Highlight of the year for apprentices, employers and work-based learning providers and practitioners, the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru are organised by…

A south Wales city lock up garage has gone on the market with a rock bottom price of just £1. The unit, with enough room for a car and which has additional storage space with separate door, could prove to be a cost-effective answer to storage headaches. Sean Roper, of Newport-based Paul Fosh Auctions who have listed the lot in its April sale, said the garage could prove to be the bargain of the year. “The lock up, which we’ve listed with a guide price of just £1, is at eastern end of East Grove Road in the city of…

Over 255 female school pupils from 14 schools in five different catchment areas attended Cardiff Metropolitan University’s ‘Girls in Sport’ event – part of the University’s successful Open Campus initiative – which is providing schoolchildren and members of the community across Cardiff with access to sport, physical activity and health support. During the Girls in Sport event, which took place at Cardiff Met’s Cyncoed Campus, girls from years 10 and 11 took part in a sporting activity, discovered more about University, the courses available, and what career pathways are available from inspirational and empowering female alumnae, staff and students. Emma…

An exciting mixture of free BBC events has been added to the Hay Festival Hay-on-Wye 2024 programme, adding to the line-up of more than 600 events, 23 May–2 June 2024. Taking place in the Exchange Marquee, set in the centre of the free-to-enter Hay Festival Hay-on-Wye site, BBC events offer a dynamic blend of live show recordings and workshops from BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Sounds, BBC Academy, and BBC Hereford and Worcester. BBC Radio 4 kicks off the schedule of free events as Clive Anderson presents Saturday night hit Loose Ends, while award-winning satire show Dead Ringers will bring…

From vinyl, coffee and jewellery shops to restaurants, bars and art galleries, dozens of traders are at the heart of High Street’s ongoing transformation in Swansea city centre. Over £100m is being invested in the area thanks to a combination of schemes being led by Swansea Council, Coastal Housing and other organisations. Examples include a council scheme to bring the Palace Theatre back to life and Coastal Housing’s plans to expand its Urban Village development which already includes a range of office, retail and hospitality businesses. Among the organisations based on High Street is 4TheRegion, which has now had a…

A £300,000 campaign has been launched to encourage businesses in Wales’s Welsh-speaking heartlands to use the language to boost their bottom line. Bwrlwm ARFOR – bwrlwm means buzz or chatter – is reaching out to companies and businesses, from village shops to multi-million pound operations, across the four counties with the highest percentage of Welsh speakers. It is part of the £11 million Welsh Government ARFOR Two scheme that’s targeting the Welsh strongholds of Ynys Môn, Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire to use the language to boost entrepreneurship and economic development. The aim is to create opportunities for young people and…

Housing market activity has improved across key measures in the first quarter of 2024 including sales activity, house price growth and the supply of homes for sale, which is a fifth higher than last year. This is according to Zoopla, the leading UK property website’s latest monthly House Price Index. Sales activity continues to build momentum New sales agreed are 9% higher than a year ago, with 7% more home sales agreed over Q1 2024 vs Q1 2023. This trend is encouraging more sellers to list their homes for sale with 20% more homes for sale compared to this time…

The team at Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm, renowned for its fiery range of chilli-based products, have experienced a significant surge in sales and enquiries following its appearance on Prue Leith’s Cotswold Kitchen on March 9th. This surge underscores the farm’s expanding influence in the hot sauce market and its dedication to high-quality, locally produced ingredients. In the weeks after being featured on Prue Leith’s Cotswold Kitchen, a weekly cooking program that shines a light on the finest British ingredients, the Welsh business has reported a 165% increase in online sales for their hot sauces compared to the same period the previous…

Twenty eight of the world’s best young singers are vying for a prestigious international prize at a top festival in North Wales. Competitors from as far afield as Australia, India, China, Singapore and the USA are aiming to win the  Pendine International Voice of the Future competition at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. Organisers say they’re delighted by the exceptional standard of entries in the Pendine International Voice of the Future competition, sponsored by the Pendine Park care group via the Pendine Arts and Community Trust (PACT) which supports arts and community activities. The final will take place on Saturday, July 6, …