Author: Rhys Gregory

The Chief Medical Officer for Wales has called on people with clinical vulnerabilities to come forward for their winter vaccinations to protect themselves and the health service. With just over a third of all those eligible having received their COVID-19 booster vaccination, Dr Frank Atherton said it was vital those most at risk of winter illnesses took up the offer of a COVID or flu vaccine when they are invited. The most recent data from Public Health Wales shows that while uptake has been steady amongst those aged 65 and over, those in clinical risk groups have been slow to…

Rougemont School in Newport has marked remembrance with a poignant art installation created by pupils and staff called “The Missing”. Inspired by the Thiepval Memorial in France which honours over 75,000 men and boys missing in action, the sculpture was created by Caerleon-based Tim Webb who works at the school as a DT Technician. Created from scrap metal including donations from parents of used helium canisters, the sculpture signifies a hand moving up from the ground surrounded by ceramic poppies made by the children. The poignant sculpture was unveiled during the school’s whole school remembrance assembly today where over 800…

Global electronics company, Panasonic, has today cemented its ongoing commitment to Wales by announcing an up to £20m investment in its facility in Cardiff. The firm has earmarked the Welsh capital to roll out a state-of-the-art net-zero power system as part of its ambition to use the site as a Centre of Excellence for Green Technologies within the UK. Panasonic’s self-sustaining system makes use of hydrogen fuel cell generators, photovoltaic generators, and storage batteries and will strengthen Panasonic as a key supplier in assisting customers achieve Net Zero. The technology is currently only in-use at another of the firm’s facilities…

The Welsh Government has launched a consultation today [Tuesday 14 November] seeking views on possible approaches to redesigning the council tax system to make it fairer. Council tax helps to fund the everyday essential services provided by local councils, which we all rely on – from schools to local libraries, social care to street cleaning. A key goal in making the system fairer is that the changes do not seek to increase the overall amount of council tax raised, and any redesign should raise the same amount of council tax across Wales as the current system would. The current system…

FinTech Wales has announced the resignation of Sarah Williams-Gardener as CEO, who will move to assume the role of the organisation’s Chair, replacing Louise O’Shea, from January 2024. As Chair, Sarah will support the new CEO to further develop FinTech Wales’ strategic direction, as well as ensuring the continued robust governance structure of the organisation to maintain its transparency and inclusivity. Having established Wales as a thriving fintech cluster on a global stage, it’s now time for a new CEO to lead FinTech Wales and the Welsh fintech ecosystem through its next chapter, which will be focused on attracting and…

With just over a week to go before the Green Economy Conference takes place in Swansea Arena for the first time, council leaders have announced the topics they will be addressing in the opening session. Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart will outline an ambitious vision, discussing the assets and initiatives that could make South West Wales a world leader in green energy and technology. “The Swansea Bay City Deal – an investment of up to £1.3bn in projects including marine energy development and energy efficient homes – is key to that, boosting the regional economy by at least £1.8bn and generating thousands of jobs,” he…

A digital marketer from Colwyn Bay who found his dream job after being made redundant, is encouraging others to take advantage of the free career coaching and financial support for training available to people in Wales. David Burnell, 63, is now working in a new role for a luxury golf travel company after being made redundant earlier this year. He credits his success to the ReAct+ programme, which provided him with free careers advice and a £1,500 grant to go on a training course to expand his skillset. The ReAct+ programme, which is funded by Welsh Government, provides people who…

Addressing SME skills challenges is key to improving overall productivity and supporting improved job quality and career progression according to a joint report by The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in Wales and The CIPD in Wales. The report, titled A Skills-Led Economy for Wales, examines the experiences of 30 businesses from different sectors across Wales to assess the post-pandemic impact the skills shortage is having on SMEs and the barriers to addressing it. It highlights the need for changes to aspect of skill policy to address plateauing productivity in Wales and rising numbers of skills shortage vacancies. Key findings…

Swansea could become the first European leisure destination for global tourism operator Skyline Enterprises, after the company submitted a planning application to bring a world-class leisure destination to Swansea’s Kilvey Hill this week [Monday 13th November]. After five years of ecological, environmental and feasibility surveys during their global search for their next destination, Skyline has submitted its plans to bring Swansea its own Skyline site with proposals including an accessible gondola (cable car), downhill karting known as the Luge, a zipline, a sky swing, a restaurant and bar, enhanced walking and mountain bike trails, picnicking areas and a children’s adventure…

Representatives from a Cardiff Housing Association recently took part in an overnight sleepout to raise money for Llamau – a charity that supports homeless young people and women who are faced with homelessness. Twelve colleagues at Canton based Taff Housing, slept in the car park of the office for the evening to help raise awareness of homelessness across the city. Latest data from Cardiff Council in April 2023 reported that the number of rough sleepers had reached its highest since 2020, with many people living in their cars whilst trying to work due to combination of low income, rising bills…