Author: Rhys Gregory

Swansea Building Society has announced that it will support Maggie’s Swansea as its official staff charity for the second year running, following a ballot by the Society’s staff in January. Last year, Swansea Building Society raised an impressive sum of money for Maggie’s Swansea through a range of fundraising activities, including dress-down days, providing refreshments to customers, raffling an Easter hamper, a sponsored dog walk, open water swimming, and taking part in the Swansea Half Marathon. The total raised during 2022 was £18,910, helping the charity to continue to deliver its vital services. This year, the Society hopes to surpass…

A group of GP practices in Swansea have been encouraging patients to help spot the early signs of potential cancer. Practices within the Llwchwr Local Cluster Collaborative (LCC) have been running a pilot project by getting in touch with patients who haven’t responded to letters inviting them to undertake bowel screening. Practice staff will send letters to patients to remind them of the importance of being screened and to encourage them to take part. Screening is a process which checks for signs of cancer in people who don’t have any symptoms. A home test kit is sent to eligible patients…

Swansea businesses looking to cut their carbon footprint are being given a helping hand. Grants up to a maximum of £10,000 are now available to help businesses cover the costs of renewable energy generation, energy conservation measures or changes to manufacturing processes. Run by Swansea Council with funding from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, the grant requires all applicants to provide 50% of scheme costs. All carbon reduction grant applicants will need to sign-up to a free monthly course being run by the council, which will show businesses how to identify measures to cut their carbon footprint and boost…

A former library in Ferndale has been repaired, renovated, and regenerated into a one-stop sustainability outlet following receipt of a grant from the Pen y Cymoedd Wind Farm Community Fund. Y Siop Fach Sero is a social enterprise, developed to introduce people across Rhondda to a more sustainable approach to buying their goods, which in turn saves them money. The former library now provides a place for people across Rhondda to restock their everyday essential food items, donate used sports clothing or equipment, get household items repaired, browse vintage clothing and artwork from local artists, surf the internet and have…

The Royal Mint Experience, based in Llantrisant, Wales, is set to host celebrations fit for a King, from the day of His Majesty King Charles III’s Coronation Day, Saturday 6th May 2023. This will include a rare opening of the visitor attraction for 24 hours. Visitors to The Royal Mint Experience during its 24-hour opening will have the opportunity to be the very first to strike their own Coronation 50p to take home in dated packaging to commemorate the momentous occasion. Additionally, guests touring The Royal Mint Experience on the day will be the first to marvel at its Coronation-themed…

The annual task of pleaching a 168 lime trees at Erddig, North Wales is underway and estimated to take a total of 65,000 snips for a small team of staff and volunteers to complete, ready for them to burst into leaf by mid-May. The avenues of lime trees were planted at Erddig, North Wales in 1976 by Head Gardener Mike Snowden who set about restoring the Grade I listed garden to its 18th-century formal design. Earlier this April, Head Gardener Glyn Smith started the annual task of pleaching the lime trees which involves trimming each branch by hand, estimated to…

A Welsh architect has called for design and sustainability standards to push further boundaries in Community focused projects such as schools, hospitals and social housing – despite rising pressures in costs and environmental performance. Dennis Hellyar Architects (DHA) has become an important player in the social housing sector in Wales, delivering projects valued in the tens of millions in the last two years. As the cost of buying a house rises beyond the reach of many, the Barry-based firm is proud to be working closely with leading Welsh housing associations creating innovative and well-designed social housing to meet modern needs.…

Two outstanding volunteers from Cardiff have been recognised by Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort, as part of the official Coronation celebrations in conjunction with Royal Voluntary Service. Molly Fenton, who campaigns on period poverty, and Samia Egeh, co-founder of Grangetown-based youth organisation United2change, have been recognised for their contributions and crowned Coronation Champions. This follows a call out to the nation to nominate their volunteer heroes. Almost 5000 entries were received, with nominations made for individuals aged 14 up to 103. Both women impressed judges with their tireless commitment to their respective causes. Molly campaigns to raise…

According to the Health and Safety Executive, in  2022 alone 565,000 working people sustained an injury at work. A total of 36.8 million working days were lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury. April 28th marks World Day For Safety And Health At Work and St John Ambulance Cymru is continuing its mission to enhance the health and wellbeing of communities in Wales by encouraging workplaces to think about first aid training and sign up for one of their many training courses. Kate Evans, Head of Commercial Training for St John Ambulance Cymru, said, “At St John Ambulance Cymru we offer…

Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway (W&LLR) will stage an Anniversary Gala weekend on June 17 and 18 to celebrate two significant events, one exactly twice as old as the other. On April 6, 1963, 60 years ago, the W&LLR reopened as a heritage railway run by volunteers. Another 60 years and two days earlier, on April 4, 1903 the line had opened for the first time with much pomp and ceremony in both Welshpool and Llanfair Caereinion. When the preservation company began operations in April 1963, it was in a very uncertain environment. At the time there were just two…