Author: Rhys Gregory

Welsh Government Education Minister Jeremy Miles has backed a new partnership which will help to strengthen the relationship between education providers and the community. Mr Miles spoke in support of the newly-formed South Wales Civic Engagement Partnership (SWCEP) – which is a partnership between the five universities and five colleges operating within Cardiff Capital Region – during its launch at the University of South Wales (USW) in Treforest. With the common goal of a shared Civic Mission Agenda, the strategic partnership will enhance links between the Higher Education and Further Education sectors, while delivering a more collaborative approach to civic…

The heroes of Wales’ contact centres have been celebrated at this year’s 25th annual awards ceremony hosted by comedienne Katherine Ryan. Individuals and leading Welsh businesses were recognised for this past year’s successes, with award winners including Best Helpline / Adviceline (Arvato), Best Hybrid/Cross Functional (Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water) and Best Environment & Sustainability Strategy (Admiral.) The sell-out event, supported by headline sponsor Jomo People, who specialize in recruiting within the sector, was once again held at Cardiff City Stadium. The awards are a celebration of a crucial sector which contributes £650m annually to the Welsh economy and employs 32,000 people…

The Cwmdare4Cwmdare Bee Friendly Garden project in Aberdare has transformed a once abandoned piece of land into a space for wildlife to thrive, and the community to come together. The project has been made possible with money from the Pen y Cymoedd wind farm community fund and support from the Local Places for Nature Community Packages scheme managed by Keep Wales Tidy, which provided materials, resources, and equipment to kick-start the initiative. As a result, the community has come together to restore the land and create a versatile space that can be used as a place for people to escape, as…

From riding 300k with no sleep, to 35 punctures in a single day – Alix Popham’s ‘Head for Change’ team of 45 cyclists faced their fair share of challenges riding from London to Lyon this month. A former Welsh professional rugby player who has been diagnosed with early onset dementia has cycled from London to Lyon, to raise awareness of head trauma in contact sports. Alix Popham was just 40 when doctors diagnosed him with early onset dementia in 2020 – a consequence of probable CTE obtained during his career as an international rugby player. Leaving from London Welsh Rugby…

The care sector in Wales is in danger of falling foul of upcoming legislation, with many businesses still unaware of the impending changes, says a recycling boss.  New laws come into force on 6 April, with Welsh Government mandating that all facilities are to separate out food waste if they produce more than 5kg per week.  Worryingly for Grant Keenan, managing director of Keenan Recycling, not much has altered in the awareness and actions of care organisations since research carried out by the company earlier in the year showed 41 per cent of respondents advised they didn’t know about the…

A rugby tournament set up in the memory of a young rugby player, to raise funds to support patients and families affected by inherited cardiac conditions, is going from strength to strength. The sixth annual Decky’s Memorial Touch Rugby Tournament, held at Loughor RFC, raised nearly £7,000 for the Inherited Cardiac Condition (ICC) Service in Morriston Hospital. The tournament was set up in memory of former Loughor player Richard Thomas, nicknamed Decky, who was just 29 years old when he died of cardiomyopathy – a disease that affects heart muscle – in June 2017. Richard’s family and friends decided to…

Oscar-winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins will deliver a video message to students who worked as crew on a new Andie MacDowell film shot in Aberystwyth as part of a special screening. The screening of My Happy Ending takes place this Saturday at Aberystwyth Arts Centre and forms part of the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies’ 50th anniversary celebrations. Twenty-four students as well as lecturers from the department worked with some of cinema and television’s most famous faces on the film, which was shot in Aberystwyth in 2021. Starring Andie MacDowell, Miriam Margoyles, Tom Cullen, David Walliams, Sally Phillips,…

According to new figures* 72% of the UK population say they are not planning on getting a new pet. The shocking results come as the RSPCA faces the biggest rehoming crisis in recent memory, with rehoming falling sharply at two national RSPCA centres. The RSPCA’s rescue centres and branches are “full to bursting” with unwanted animals as more animals come into care than are being adopted. Between 2021 and 2022, the charity saw a six percent increase in the number of dogs taken into care and a four percent increase in the number of cats. RSPCA’s two national rehoming centres…

Alun Williams, Chief Executive of Swansea Building Society, has announced he is stepping down as Chairman of Coastal Housing Group, culminating an illustrious nine-year tenure on the board. His dedicated service has left an indelible mark on the organisation, and he will be succeeded by Patrick Hoare, who is poised to continue the group’s mission of creating affordable, high-quality housing solutions for communities in need. Coastal Housing Group, headquartered in Swansea, is a leading housing association with a history of providing affordable and sustainable homes to individuals and families across the region. The organisation’s commitment to delivering high-quality properties for…

Dnyaneshwar Gaikwad, 89, and his wife Pushpa, 78 have retired from their popular vegetarian Indian café and mini-market in Cardiff after 43 years following a management buy-out that has been part-funded with a £100,000 loan the Development Bank of Wales. First established in 1980 on Lower Cathedral Road in Cardiff, Madhav serves up home-cooked vegetarian Indian street food. Chef Maruti Satpe and his wife Sadhana who is the store manager have taken over the business after working with the Gaikwad’s for the last ten years. With an average rating of 4.5 on TripAdvisor and Google, Maruti and Sadhana will continue…