Author: Rhys Gregory

A daredevil who has Parkinson’s has raised £2,150 for charity by undertaking a skydive. Brave Gareth Blake, from Cardigan, jumped from a plane and plummeted towards the ground from 15,000ft, in aid of Parkinson’s UK Cymru and his local support group. The 53-year-old, who is originally from Holyhead, on Anglesey, and is a member of Parkinson’s UK Cymru’s Emlyn and Tivyside Parkinson’s group, described the experience as “awesome” and says he can’t wait to do it again. The former logistics manager did the tandem jump with GoSkydive in Salisbury. Ana Palazon, Country Director of Parkinson’s UK Cymru, has described Gareth’s…

The RSPCA is encouraging owners to prepare for their pets as the UK looks forward to a spell of warm weather this week. The charity’s advice comes as the Met Office announces ‘a warm spell is on the way,’ predicting temperatures into the mid 20s for much of the southern half of the UK starting this week. Temperatures in the north are expected to rise from Thursday with the warmth likely to peak on Friday and Saturday as the mercury rises into the high 20s in some parts of the UK. Forecasters also warn that thunderstorms may accompany the heat.…

Radnorshire Wildlife Trust (RWT) has launched their Gilfach Appeal, aimed at raising £50,000 to improve the visitor centre at Gilfach Nature Reserve so that it can become a valuable community space which is used more regularly and can enhance the overall experience at the reserve. RWT want to put Gilfach Nature Reserve at the heart of the local community and inspire visitors to connect with nature in a meaningful way. If the target is reached then this will enable vital work to be carried out to make the visitor centre warmer, more energy efficient and a more usable space for…

SPECSAVERS stores in Cardiff have raised more than £1,000 for the Cardiff Foodbank, as part of ongoing efforts to support those in need during the cost-of-living crisis. Since April 2023, Specsavers’ four stores in Cardiff – located on Queen Street, Albany Road, Leckwith and Llanishen – have contributed £1 for every customer survey received, raising £1,149. The Albany Road and Leckwith teams have also had collection points for items in-store, including tinned food, toiletries and household goods. In total, they collected more than 31kg of goods for the food bank. Specsavers, which also offers a Home Visits service for those…

One of the UK’s top axemen is to attempt to set a spectacular new Welsh record for the lumberjack Iron Man next month. Osian Williams, from Denbigh, will be timed over three consecutive tasks at a display by the Clwyd Axemen at the Welsh Game Fair which will be held at the Faenol Estate, near Bangor, on the weekend of September 9 and 10. Osian, a member of the renowned Clwyd Axemen display team, is in training for the rarely performed Iron Man, a timed attempt at the under-hand, the standing block and finally the jigger board climb. For the…

With thousands of teenagers across Wales set to receive their exam results over the coming weeks, the Welsh Government is encouraging them to find out about the range of support and options available to help them on their journey after school or college, thanks to the Young Person’s Guarantee. The Young Person’s Guarantee was established to ensure all under 25s in Wales can access support to gain a place in education or training, find a job or become self-employed. School and college leavers can get help through Working Wales, which offers free and impartial careers advice and is on hand…

The Met Office has put the warning in place for Friday, 18 August between 00:00 (UTC+1) and 18:00 (UTC+1). Locally strong and at times gusty easterly winds are expected to develop to the west of high ground overnight Thursday into Friday, with gusts of 45-55 mph most likely. There is a small chance a few places could see gusts in excess of 60mph. This may lead to difficult conditions for holiday traffic on Friday, and could result in a few fallen trees affecting some roads and railway lines. Temporary structures across campsites and outdoor events could be damaged. What to…

More than £100,000 has been awarded so far to projects providing food for children and young people during this summer’s school holidays. Earlier this month Swansea Council announced an additional £250,000 funding to help feed children and young people at risk of going hungry during the six week break. Thirty one organisations have so far secured a share of the funding providing an estimated 55,000 meals. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Welsh Government introduced temporary payments during the school holidays to families receiving free school meals, but these have now ended. To help support families, the council is…

A new multi-million pound employment, living and innovation destination is starting to take shape on Swansea city centre’s skyline. Work is now progressing at pace on both the 71/72 Kingsway development and the nearby ‘living building’ scheme at Picton Yard. Swansea Council is developing a new office building at the 71/72 Kingsway site, which used to be home to nightclubs including Oceana, Time and Envy, Ritzy’s, and Top Rank. The completed building will be made up of seven storeys – two underground and five above street level. Glazing has started to be introduced and guard rails are now being installed…

Work to replace a damaged footbridge off Pantybrad, between Tonyrefail and Llantrisant, will get underway next week – to enable a closed public right of way to reopen. RCT Council will repair the bridge’s abutments and replace the structure (pictured), which carries the public right of way ANT/172/1 that is currently closed due to the bridge’s condition. The work will start on Monday, August 21, and is anticipated to last around three weeks. A road closure of Pantybrad is required for the duration of the works – from a point just north of the Llantrisant Community Recycling Centre for 550…