Author: Rhys Gregory

Wheelchair basketball teams from North Wales are punching well above their weight in the UK national leagues after clinching a three-year sponsorship deal. Housing association Cartrefi Conwy are backing regional club North Wales Knights who run four teams with players based at sports centres at Rhyl, Penrhyn Bay and Anglesey. They run mixed sides competing in Division One and Division Three of the National League, a women’s team and a mixed Under-18 and Cartrefi Conwy’s support aims to keep them competitive. They are certainly making waves in the physical world of wheelchair basketball with the first team third in Division…

A rising star in the world of classical music who overcame childhood deafness has been invited to take centre stage at a major international festival. Talented conductor Robert Guy, who comes from Wrexham, will be taking the baton at the prestigious ChopinPianoFest in Pristina in Kosovo on May 29. He was recommended to the festival by one of the world’s top concert pianists, Peter Donohoe CBE. Donohoe chose Robert  to conduct while he plays the notoriously challenging Rachmaninoff Concerto No.3 with the  Kosovo Philharmonic Orchestra. The concert will be a highlight of the festival that’s dedicated to the mastery of…

A new charity challenge will see 12 cyclists pedal 260 miles across the highest Welsh mountains to raise money for people with MS. They are hoping to fundraise £5,000 for local multiple sclerosis support groups, including one in Cardiff. The four-day route runs from Holyhead to Cardiff and includes 18,000ft of elevation across Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons. These riders are the first to take on the challenge, which will run from the 18th to 21st May and is run by the charity Bike the UK for MS. The group will also be meeting local MS groups in Caernarfon at…

Students from the University of South Wales (USW) have created an art exhibit for a community garden in Treforest. The collaboration between Meadow Street Community Garden and BA (Hons) Creative and Therapeutic Arts students was celebrated at a garden party on 10 May. Under the themes of biodiversity, well-being, and the community, the first-year students produced art for the sensory garden to encourage visitors to enjoy nature within their local environment. Talia Simons installed an interpretation of Pontypridd’s ‘Old Bridge’, made with an original roof tile from her family home, built in 1904. She said: “At Meadow Street Garden, their…

When Ogmore Valley Life Centre opened its doors to the public back in March 1993, the county’s attitude to health and fitness was very different. Very few people had thought of paying for a bottle of water, thousands still lit up cigarettes in public places and no one had ever heard of Zumba, Indoor Cycling or HIIT!  But times change and Ogmore Valley Life Centre has been there every step of the way to get more local people, more active, more often.“Since the Centre officially opened its doors to the local community 30 years ago this month, it has really…

Wales’ former Grand Slam-winning captain Ryan Jones has been named as the official ambassador for the Swansea University Swansea Half Marathon, which is set to take place on 11 June 2023. As the ambassador, Jones will be actively involved in promoting the race and encouraging participation from runners of all levels, and will run on behalf of Swansea University’s Making Strides for Mental Health campaign, which raises funds for essential world-class research into suicide prevention, along with mental health and wellbeing support for Swansea University students. Jones – awarded an MBE in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services…

Cardiff Metropolitan University has become the first Welsh university in almost 30 years to be awarded Project Grant funding from the Stroke Association to conduct research which aims to provide critical insight into stroke prevention and treatment after a patient’s first ‘mini-stroke’. The study, known as PREDICT-EV, will test new biomarkers in patients who suffer a ‘mini-stroke’, otherwise known as a Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA). The research will be carried out in collaboration with Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (CTMUHB), where patients will be screened for levels of microscopic vesicles in the blood, that if present in large numbers…

Deeside Regeneration Limited, a joint venture between Maple Grove Developments and Trebor Developments, has agreed a 10-year lease with Sainsbury’s Supermarkets for a new Argos distribution centre at Pencoed Technology Park in South Wales. The deal sees Sainsbury’s take the lease on the 46,180 sq ft industrial / warehouse facility which reaches practical completion this month. Designed by Chapter 3 Architects, the building is being delivered by contractor, Andrew Scott Ltd. Knight Frank’s Cardiff office has now been appointed to market the investment. This speculative project has been supported by a grant from the Property Infrastructure Fund which is delivered by Welsh…

Cardiff Council is developing a loan scheme to ensure developers of high and medium-rise apartment blocks across Wales can carry out critical fire safety works as quickly as possible, helping to ensure residents feel safe and secure in their own homes. The Council would operate the £20m Welsh Building Safety Developer Loan Scheme, providing interest free loans to eligible developers in Wales.  The Council is best placed to undertake this role as a significant number of the buildings likely to be in scope are in Cardiff. Developers who wish to take advantage of this offer will rightly be expected to…

he new Mayor of Caerphilly County Borough Council is Cllr Mike Adams. Mike, who represents the Pontllanfraith ward, accepted the position of civic head at the Annual General Meeting of Council last week (Thursday 11th May). Cllr Adams said, “It’s an honour and a privilege to be selected to serve the council and the county borough as Mayor for the forthcoming year. I’m looking forward to embracing the role and meeting as many people as possible across all our communities.” The Deputy Mayor is Cllr Julian Simmonds, who represents the Crosskeys ward. A decision was also taken at the AGM…