Author: Rhys Gregory

Families of all two-year-olds in Swansea can now benefit from free childcare through the Welsh Government’s Flying Start scheme. The local authority becomes the second in Wales after Merthyr Tydfil to reach this key milestone. Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden, visited Swansea Children’s Centre today to celebrate the achievement and see first-hand how high-quality childcare provision is making a difference to families and children in the area. Families reported highly positive experiences of receiving Flying Start support in a national evaluation of the scheme published this week. The report found Flying Start childcare was consistently praised by…

A man from Swansea has been jailed after pleading guilty to a number of offences, including sexual assault. 34-year-old Nathan Bantick, from Mount Pleasant, also pleaded guilty to two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm following an incident which took a place on The Kingsway in the city centre on November 26 last year. The sexual assault charge pertained to sexual touching of a woman without her consent. Bantick has been sentenced to twelve months in prison. Detective Constable Ben Evans said: “Nobody should go on a night out anywhere and expect to be on the receiving end of…

A man has been arrested after reports of someone carrying a bladed article at Bangor University. North Wales Police were called shortly before 2.30pm on Friday 6 February following concerns about a man on the university grounds. Officers attended the scene and a 20 year old local man was arrested on suspicion of public order offences. District Inspector Jamie Owens said enquiries were continuing and that police were working closely with the university. He added: “I want to reassure the community that we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident. “I would also like to thank…

A Coleg Gwent student and STEM ambassador is showing how vocational education can open the door to ambitious careers, as she works towards her goal of becoming a commercial pilot. Aimee Russell, 17, from Ebbw Vale, is in the second year of an Extended Level 3 Diploma in Aerospace Engineering at the college’s HiVE centre, a specialist hub for high value engineering skills. Once she completes the course, she plans to apply to flight school with a major airline, and if successful could become one of the youngest female commercial pilots in the UK, underlining the opportunities offered by technical…

Silver Mountain near Aberystwyth is looking forward to welcoming families this half-term with lots to explore at the popular visitor attraction. Back by popular demand, The Minecraft Quest, an interactive trail set across the attraction’s historic site, returns. Perfect for young explorers and gaming fans, participants are challenged to locate a series of missing Minecraft-style ore blocks hidden throughout the grounds. Once found, each block’s position must be plotted using a specially designed explorer’s map, helping children build map-reading skills, problem-solving powers and a taste for real-world adventure. In addition to the outdoor trail, families can also enjoy a dedicated…

Popular independent bakery Ground has set its sights on growing to 10 sites across South Wales as demand for the brand continues to rise. The business, founded by Pembrokeshire born chef Tom Simmons and his partner Lois Thomas, has already established six outlets and is now preparing to open a further four, building on its strong reputation within the region’s food scene. Support for the expansion has come from Tata Steel subsidiary UKSE which makes strategic investments in Welsh firms with the capacity to strengthen the local economy and create lasting jobs. Ground now employs 80, and plans to take…

The new managing director of Avon Engineered Rubber is on a mission to maintain the company’s growth at home and abroad. Vince Minchella says he is relishing the opportunity to strengthen the South Wales engineering company’s position in the manufacturing sector in his new post following his promotion from the commercial manager’s office. Minchella has taken over the helm at the Rhondda Valley-based firm at an exciting time following the opening of new premises in Malaysia as South East Asia demand for its products rises. He has moved into his role as AER’s parent company, Bristol-headquartered Avon Group, is setting…

S4C has confirmed that Wales’ U20 Six Nations matches will be streamed live on YouTube for the first time, alongside the channel’s usual television and digital coverage on S4C Clic and BBC iPlayer. The move is an addition to S4C’s newly agreed four-year deal with Six Nations Rugby. Under the agreement, S4C will show all five of Wales’ matches live in the Guinness Men’s Six Nations and the U20 Six Nations, as well as extended highlights of every Wales fixture in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations. For the first time, Wales’ U20 Six Nations matches will be available with both…

A Welsh-led clinical trial hopes to provide the evidence needed to introduce a new type of chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. More women die from ovarian cancer than all other gynaecological cancers combined, and Wales has one of the highest rates of the disease in the UK. Treatments are limited, especially as more than two thirds of women are diagnosed with late-stage disease which can become resistant to treatment. 51% of women in Wales diagnosed in stage 4 will not survive for a year. The PICCOS trial, led by chief investigators Dr Sadie Jones and Professor Jared Torkington and supported by Cardiff’s University’s Centre for Trials Research and Cardiff and…

Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England has visited Swansea to meet with Cherrie Bija, CEO of Faith in Families, at the charity’s Cwtch Mawr Multibank project. The visit marked an important moment, bringing the lived reality of child poverty directly into conversations about national economic decision-making. Interest rates affect every household. They shape the cost of mortgages and rent, influence food and energy prices, and determine whether families feel able to cope or are pushed further towards crisis. When rates rise, households already under pressure feel the impact first and most severely, and children are often the ones…