Author: Rhys Gregory

The Swansea Bay City Deal has celebrated success throughout 2023 with key milestones being achieved and delivery accelerating across South West Wales, through its portfolio of nine headline projects and programmes. Estimated to attract up to £1.3 billion of investment by 2033 the Swansea Bay City Deal is a unique portfolio of projects funded by the Welsh Government and UK Government, the public sector, and the private sector. Through collaborative working across the counties of Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, the City Deal will create over 9,000 well-paid job opportunities and help economic recovery by contributing over £1.8…

RSPCA Cymru is reminding people about the dangers unattended football netting can pose to wildlife after a badger became badly entangled in Monmouth. The badger was nearly impossible to see as he had been covered in mud through his attempts to escape – but luckily was spotted by a member of the public on the morning of New Year’s Eve (December 31). His whole body had become entangled in the netting near Monmouth Leisure Centre on Old Dixton Road. RSPCA deputy chief inspector Emma Smith said: “This poor badger was completely camouflaged as he was caked in mud and was…

Hive Mind Mead & Brew Co has launched a new mead made with Zambian honey in collaboration with the charity Bees for Development. Brewed to the same recipe as Hive Mind’s Traditional Mead, which recently won the Great Taste Golden Fork award for Wales, the new mead uses organic Zambian Forest honey, giving the drink a distinct amber colour and a unique flavour profile with complex herbal and spiced notes. The illustration for the bottle label reflects the Zambian forest beekeeping style and has been designed by a Zambian-Irish illustrator Aislinn Finnegan. As well as supporting beekeepers in Zambia by…

Team leader Dewi Williams has won an award for going “the extra mile” despite suffering hard times and losing his beloved mum.. According to colleagues at the Pendine Park care organisation in Wrexham, Dewi has a life-enhancing personality that can light up a room. As a result, he has been voted the winner of Pendine’s Smile of the Year competition. Workmates say Dewi’s cheerful expression and upbeat persona belie the difficulties  he has endured including the devastating death of his mother in 2019. His late mum, Jayne Williams, required full time care through years of suffering cystic fibrosis plus diabetes,…

Tata Steel have agreed a two-year sponsorship deal with race organisers of the Llanelli Half Marathon, which will be held on 25 February 2024. As one the largest single employers in Carmarthenshire, Tata Steel has been making steel for packaging in Trostre since 1952 and continues to produce steel for food and drinks cans, aerosols and more which are used by consumers throughout the UK and the world. As one the longest running events in the region, the area has a solid history of hosting first-class events for all. 2024 will also see the introduction of a 10K distance event,…

Popham Kidney Support, the Swansea-based kidney charity, unveiled plans for further growth and expansion at its annual Supporters Thanks. The charity’s employees, volunteers, supporters, and partners attended the annual event, held at the Mercure Hotel, Swansea, on Wednesday 18th December. In 2023, its tenth year in operation, the charity surpassed a significant milestone, accumulating over £800,000 in funds raised since its inception and is projecting that figure to reach £1 million by March 2024. It also supported nearly 4,000 people affected by kidney disease this year, including facilitating a record 59 grants totalling £7,320, helping its service users combat the…

The next phase of Porthcawl’s ongoing regeneration will begin next week with the installation of the first of several new pedestrian crossings. The crossing work is being undertaken by Aldi as part of a package of highway, pedestrian and cycleway improvements that Bridgend County Borough Council negotiated while granting permission for the development of a new food store at nearby Salt Lake. It will be constructed at the Portway where it will form part of the council’s efforts to ensure that shoppers and visitors will be able to move freely and enjoy quick, convenient access between Salt Lake and the…

Cardiff residents are being urged to take part in a far-reaching budget consultation which could see services cut and charges increased as the council looks to find £30.5m to balance the books in 2024/25 amidst a public sector funding crisis. Several factors including inflation, demand pressures, and expected pay increases for teachers, carers and other public sector workers, mean the council’s budget for delivering day-to-day services like education, social care, refuse collection, parks and libraries is set to cost £56m more next year than it will this year. Welsh Government’s recently announced 4.1% grant uplift for Cardiff – less than…

A new round of funding has opened for schemes aimed at boosting Swansea’s rural communities. 5pm on Friday January 19 is the deadline for applications forming part of the council’s rural anchor project being funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. More than £100,000 is available, with projects aimed at aiding biodiversity particularly welcome. All schemes will be considered equally if they support themes such as the rural economy and visitor experience, natural environment and climate emergency, innovation, and health and well-being. Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration, Events and Tourism, said: “Through…

Seventeen organisations have received UK Shared Prosperity Fund (Levelling Up) backed grants, totalling more than £420,000, to help them improve Powys communities. The awards from the Making a Difference in Powys Fund were made by Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations (PAVO), on behalf of the Powys Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) Local Partnership. The projects that have received funding include one that will create art and deliver art events in association with the 2024 Urdd National Eisteddfod, which will be hosted in Meifod, and another to set up and promote heritage trails in Ystradgynlais linked to the renowned Jewish artist and…