Author: Rhys Gregory

Craig Maxwell has been named the winner of the inaugural Cycling Plus Rider of the Year award, following an inspirational show of determination in the face of a terminal cancer diagnosis at 40. Beating off contenders including 2023 World Cycling Champion Dame Sarah Storey and National Cyclocross Champion Zoe Backstedt, Pembrokeshire-born Maxwell took the title after receiving thousands of votes. The award from cycling magazine Cycling Plus recognises individuals who have made a significant impact on cycling in 2023, whether through racing, participation in events, leadership in the community, or other notable contributions to the sport. The ex WRU Commercial…

As the festive season kicks off with a bang, families across the north of Cardiff are being offered a free Santa’s Grotto experience with more than 600 children expected to meet the big man himself! With a Santa’s Grotto typically costing upwards of £10 per child, the expense for some households is becoming an additional burden during an already tough winter. To support families during this time, local education and social care recruitment company, New Directions, will be holding 10 Grotto visits where children can meet Santa and his Elves and receive a special gift, straight from the North Pole!…

Psychologists at the University of South Wales (USW) have established a ‘Housing and Health Centre of Excellence’ to address the growing call for research into the impact of housing on health in Wales. Funded by Knowledge Exchange and Innovation fund (KEIF), the Centre also aims to address the need for more effective collaboration across the sector. It will bring together a cross-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder network to collaboratively explore housing and health from a psychological perspective across policy, research, and practice. In November, the Centre convened a consensus event with key individuals from practice, academia, government, statutory, and the third sector organisations…

Asbri Golf Ltd based in Caerphilly, teed off a great end to the year with help from Caerphilly Borough County Council’s Business Enterprise and Renewal’s international trade support. With help from Sarah Gaze, the Council’s International Trade Support Officer, they secured a UKSPF International Trade Grant of £2000.00 to assist with financing a recent trade visit to Canada. Founded by Eryl Williams in 2001, Asbri was originally a product design consultancy which was commissioned to design sporting footwear, apparel and accessories to many global brands including Fila, Kappa, Puma and Umbro. Utilising this product design, developing, and sourcing knowledge, Asbri…

Transport for Wales (TfW) in partnership with Cyngor Gwynedd, Eryri National Park and Conwy County Borough Council have celebrated success for the revitalised Sherpa’r Wyddfa bus service at this year’s UK Bus Awards. Sherpa’r Wyddfa relaunched in July last year offering more services and better integration for passengers travelling in Eryri National Park (Snowdonia) and received a silver award in the Buses for Leisure category at the UK Bus Awards in The Troxy, London on Tuesday 28 November. The service was also highly commended as part of the Going for Growth category. With thousands of visitors to Eryri National Park…

Caerphilly County Borough Council have announced changes to the way residents use their Household Recycling Centres (HRC), as part of their plans to boost recycling rates and minimise waste. The new stipulations will come into effect from 12th February and will require all residents to pre-sort their waste and recycling at home, before visiting any of the Council’s HRCs. Cllr. Chris Morgan, Cabinet Member for Waste, Leisure & Green spaces said: “We have a serious waste issue here in Caerphilly County Borough, and we need to be bold and ambitious in our approach to tackle this. “The household waste deposited…

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Cabinet has this week (13th December) unanimously approved plans to transform how tenants access its landlord services. Cabinet members agreed to the permanent closure of housing offices at Lansbury Park, Graig y Rhacca and Gilfach, and a community office in Ty-Sign, Risca.  The relocation of landlord services to the Council’s Penallta House offices was also agreed, which will see staff join the wider Caerphilly Homes housing team to facilitate better partnership working and reduce duplication. Under the new plans, the landlord service will transition from a traditional office-based model to a community-based delivery model.  This means…

A consultation has been launched into the way Pembrokeshire bus services are operated from 2024 and beyond. There are over 25 local bus services operating in the county, nearly all of which are subsidised by the Council. Passenger numbers fell significantly during Covid and are still below previous levels on most services. All bus services are being retendered and funding pressures and increasing costs mean that it may not be possible for the Council to keep funding all bus services in the same way in the future. The public is being asked to get involved in the consultation to give…

A local community transport organisation is celebrating a successful funding bid to bring its fleet into the 21st Century. Working with the Community Transport Association (CTA) Wales, DANSA has secured Welsh Government funding of £468,000 which will enable it install two EV charging points in the Dulais Valley, to buy two electric Multi-Purpose Vehicles (MPVs) and two fully accessible electric minibuses, as well as creating solar panels and battery storage and an electric food vehicle able to deliver nutritious meals throughout the area. DANSA (Dulais, Afan, Neath, Swansea and Amman valleys), which has its headquarters in Crynant, Neath, is a…

A new café, nursery and meeting spaces for voluntary groups form part of a Heart of the Community project aimed at transforming an historic Gorseinon church and hall. The church hall at St Catherine’s Church on Princess Street will soon be redesigned, thanks to the Parish of Casllwchwr and Gorseinon successfully applying to Swansea Council for investment as part of the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund. Once complete, it’s anticipated the new multi-purpose community space will be able to host over 50 activities and services for people of all ages. The project is expected to create numerous jobs, while also…