Author: Rhys Gregory

Swansea University’s Egypt Centre given rare opportunity to host and study the artefacts that date back 6,000 years. Having spent the majority of their existence in private collections, over 800 rare Egyptian antiquities have arrived at Swansea University’s Egypt Centre, 30 of which are now on public display ¾with all artefacts to be studied in-depth for the first time, revealing details previously lost to history. As Swansea’s Egyptologists embark on uncovering the secrets of these antiquities, members of the public will also have access to the artefacts that tell stories of how an ancient civilisation strived to be remembered. Entitled ‘Causing…

Knighton Costcutter is a convenience store in Powys, serving the communities of Knighton and the surrounding villages. The shop has increased by a quarter of its original space and installed new energy-efficient refrigeration and display units, thanks to a £100,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales The loan – from the Wales Flexible Investment Fund – allowed the creation of more retail space at the shop, and the new cases have helped cut its over-all energy use by up two thirds. The business is a longstanding customer of the Development Bank. Business owner John Ewens bought the Knighton store…

A new change to Wales’s agriculture pollution regulations means that proposed licenses for muck-spreading will no longer be a requirement of farmers – instead they will need only to ‘self-report’ how much manure they put on fields. This voluntary approach will perpetuate the catastrophic consequences of farm run-off for Welsh rivers, say Wildlife Trusts Wales.  Agricultural pollution is known to be the main cause of the poor state of health of some of Wales’s most iconic rivers – it is a more significant factor in their degradation than sewage. Over 60% of rivers that are designated Special Areas of Conservation…

Learning first aid skills with St John Ambulance Cymru helped Cassie save her six-year-old son’s life. Gifting a donation to the charity this Christmas will help to make a lifesaving impact on more families and communities across the country. On the 15th June 2022, Cassie and her family’s lives changed forever. Cassie saved her son’s life following a serious road accident, using the vital first aid skills she had learnt volunteering with St John Ambulance Cymru. Cassie was taking her children to visit their grandmother when the accident took place. Her son Charlie was just six years old at the…

Yr Egin has been nominated in the ‘Best Promoter of Welsh in the Workplace’ category as a result of the work they do in providing careers support for pupils in local schools through the medium of Welsh, as well as showing its intention as a creative and digital hub to recognise the value of the Welsh language as a workplace skill and to take part in events promoting the importance of Welsh in the workplace. This awards ceremony is an opportunity for Careers Wales to recognise and thank the businesses that have worked with them during the year in a…

A North Wales-based security firm is going from strength to strength following a series of contract wins and the acquisition of another business. Parallel Security has landed a major contract providing a range of security services and solutions to a National Grid scheme in Snowdonia that will see the removal of a section of overhead line and its replacement with electricity cables buried in a tunnel underground. The contract, which started this month, has led to the recruitment of an additional 12 staff, taking the total Parallel Security headcount to over 50. The company has further hired a sales director…

Shoppers heading into Swansea city centre this Christmas can travel on buses for free every Saturday and Sunday during November and December. Swansea Council has confirmed the ‘Free-Ride Swansea’ public transport offer will be back up and running for the festive period and follows a successful free travel initiative which ran throughout the summer holidays. Starting on Saturday November 18, the latest free offer will run every Saturday & Sunday in the run up to Christmas Day and will continue for a further five days from 27 – 31 December. The Council is urging the travelling public to make use…

SWANSEA Council is consulting local residents on the Council Tax Reduction scheme. Council Tax Benefit was abolished on 31 March 2013 as part of the UK Government’s Welfare Reform programme and replaced with the Council Tax Reduction scheme Responsibility for the scheme in Wales was devolved to the Welsh Government. Currently, a national scheme applies to all local authority areas in Wales with limited areas of local discretion. Each financial year the Council is required to consider whether to replace or revise those discretionary elements and as part of this process we wish to consult on the discretionary elements of…

A former clothes shop in the centre of Neath which had been vacant for many years has been successfully renovated and turned into a People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) centre thanks to funding from the Welsh Government. The owner of the building, in Wind Street, successfully applied for a Place Making Grant which is part of the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns programme. Neath Port Talbot Council manages the grant for the Welsh Government. With match funding from the owner of the building, the ground floor of the property has been made useable again. Works carried out include a new…

RCT Council has provided an update on Phase Four work to remediate the Tylorstown Landslip site. The majority of the colliery spoil has been moved to the receptor site, with good progress made to develop drainage infrastructure. The landslip on the Llanwonno hillside in February 2020 followed three storms in succession – and was triggered by the unprecedented rainfall during Storm Dennis. The landslip blocked the river valley, broke a foul sewer, covered a water main with several metres of debris, and covered a shared footpath. The Council has implemented a four-phase remediation plan for the site, with Phase One…