Author: Rhys Gregory

Social Services Community Options team have recently opened a new community café at Blaina Institute. The café is a partnership with Blaina Community Institute Limited and offers adults with disabilities valuable work placements and volunteering opportunities to develop invaluable life, social and future work skills within the world of catering and hospitality. Mary Welch, Community Options Manager within Social Services said: ‘’This exciting venture has given us an opportunity to work with a community group in Blaina so that we can breathe life into one of our historic Blaenau Gwent buildings alongside showcasing the catering talents of the staff within…

RCT Cabinet has received a report on the progress made during the first year of the updated RCT Empty Homes Strategy. Focused activities and interventions have helped bring a further 258 properties back into use since October 2022. The Council is committed to reducing the number of empty homes as they are a financial expense and a wasted resource that could provide much-needed affordable housing. Their appearance can be unsightly, and they attract anti-social behaviour. Following Cabinet’s approval a year ago, an updated Empty Homes Strategy (2022-2025) introduced objectives to continue the good work carried out from 2018 to 2021,…

Young people from across Swansea were saluted for their passion for books. They were honoured by Swansea Council’s libraries service after excelling in the city’s annual Summer Reading Challenge. Others were honoured for volunteering at libraries around Swansea. Council cabinet member Elliott King said: “Our library staff are at the heart of their communities – and they were delighted to highlight the fact that young people love reading and books.” The challenge, presented by The Reading Agency and supported by Welsh Government and Book Council of Wales, is the UK’s biggest reading for pleasure programme for primary school aged children. In…

Following an investigation by officers from Tarian, the regional organised crime unit for southern Wales a 27-year-old man from Canton in Cardiff has been sent to prison for five years. On May 31 this year officers from Tarian’s regional disruption team attended an address in Canton as part of an intelligence led operation working with partners in the UK Border Force. Three days earlier a parcel had been intercepted entering the country from the USA containing a kilogram of cannabis, addressed to Shawn Martin at his home address. When officers entered the property Martin was found surrounded by wholesale amounts…

Paul Jenkins, aged 39, has been sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 20 years, for murdering his friend at his home. 61-year-old David Green was found dead at his home in Orchard Court, New Orchard Street, Swansea by officers on Sunday 9th April 2023. On the 15th of September 2023 Paul Jenkins appeared in court and pleaded guilty to the murder of David Green sometime between the 6th and 9th April 2023, together with an offence of possession of a bladed article in Swansea on Friday 7th April. On the afternoon of Sunday 9th April 2023, Paul…

Well-attended Democracy Matters Question Time events at County Hall saw some tough questions put to a panel of Councillors by young people from Pembrokeshire. Two events were organised by Electoral Services and the Children and Young People’s Rights Office with representatives from secondary schools, youth groups and Pembrokeshire College attending. Chairing both the morning and evening sessions was Pembrokeshire County Council Chairman Cllr Thomas Tudor who said it had been an honour to be involved. “These amazing events give young people a voice to question elected councillors and officers of the authorities on issues that they are concerned with, and…

Last year, as part of the wider commitment to end homelessness in Wales, the Welsh Government announced a number of steps to support people in social rented accommodation as part of an agreement with local authorities and Registered Social Landlords. This week, Climate Change Minister Julie James has announced a continuation of that support from social landlords as well as a new maximum social rent uplift cap of 6.7% from April 2024. The Minister said: “Last year, I made the decision to cap the social housing rent uplift below the level of inflation to provide additional support to our social…

A brand-new fund has launched in Gwynedd which aims to boost the county’s communities through promoting grassroots schemes. Financial support will be available for groups and orgniastions to realise projects for community benefit. A project led by Menter Môn with the collaboration of Cymunedoli Cyf, funded through the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, Grymuso Gwynedd offers support and funding of up to £10k and £15k towards various schemes. Each scheme is expected to generate community benefit and develop local resources, promote the Welsh language and local identity as well as support activities that will benefit the area.  There will be…

The town of Brynmawr, Blaenau Gwent welcomed Roy’s family, rugby internationals past and present and visitors from across the UK when they unveiled a statue of rugby hero Roy Francis on Saturday 21 October 2023. Roy was born in a nursing home across the river from the Principality Stadium, Cardiff on 20 January 1919. His mother was white and decided she could not keep him so he was raised by his father Albert Francis and his wife Rebecca and grew up in Brynmawr. Roy was a talented sportsman across a variety of sports including athletics, swimming, boxing, said to be…

WITH Hallowe’en just around the corner this shell of a former south Wales chapel for sale at auction could be right up your street.  And listed at £69,000-plus you might be in with a ghost of chance of  buying the statuesque property and the surrounding graveyard, which is included in the sale.  The Chapel, at Addison Avenue, Llanharry, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, is being sold online by Newport-based Paul Fosh Auctions.  Gemma Vaughan, of Paul Fosh Auctions, said: “The chapel offers a wonderful opportunity to acquire a property which offers scope for development. The sale of the chapel does include…