Author: Rhys Gregory

Eight graduate entrepreneurs based at the University of South Wales (USW) have shared £20,000 of start-up funding to help get their business off to a flying start. The business leaders successfully pitched for a share of the money as part of fifth round of the USW-funded Springboard Start-up Fund, which has been running since 2021. The awards were made following the Springboard Pitching Day in late June, for which 20 applied and 11 were shortlisted. The programme is managed by the USW-based Startup Stiwdio graduate incubator team, in partnership with the USW Careers and Enterprise teams. The programme also receives…

Heartbreaking figures released today by the RSPCA as part of its Cancel Out Cruelty campaign have revealed 1,072 cat cruelty complaints were made in Wales last year. Across England and Wales, there were almost 18,000 cat cruelty complaints reported to the RSPCA in 2022. Of those reports 1,726  were intentional harm incidents – which is around five a day. This is a 25% increase from  2021 when the number was 1,387. In Wales there were 89 reports of intentional harm incidents involving cats out of 1,072 cat cruelty calls. Sadly 600 calls were concerning neglect. The charity has released the…

A man who lost his dad to a brain tumour just weeks ago, is taking on a month-long charity bike ride. Mark Hughes, of Rogerstone, is taking part in Cycle 274 Miles in August for the charity Brain Tumour Research. It comes after losing his father Chris Hughes to a glioblastoma (GBM) on Saturday 15 July, four months after diagnosis. He was 62. Mark, 37, said: “Dad was active, he used to run and loved cycling. When I saw the challenge on Facebook it seemed a fitting way to celebrate something he loved whilst raising awareness of brain tumours.” Doctors…

Thousands of older people in Wales in need of social care are being left to either cope as best they can by themselves or rely on unpaid care from family and friends. And many of these unpaid carers are close to breaking point, according to a new report by Age Cymru. It says that while those with the most urgent needs are being supported, thousands are being left struggling on lengthy waiting lists.  The longest reported wait for an individual to be assessed by a local authority was 1,122 days. At the same time the charity’s advice services recorded an…

The re-opening of Lisvane and Llanishen Reservoirs has been welcomed by Cardiff Council Leader, Cllr Huw Thomas. The news, announced recently by Welsh Water follows a major redevelopment to bring the iconic Victorian reservoirs back to life as a hub for health and wellbeing and a haven for wildlife. Cllr Thomas, said: “The opening of the new visitor centre signals the start of a brand-new chapter in the long history of the Lisvane and Llanishen Reservoirs.It has long been a commitment of my administration to see these important blue and green spaces back in use by the community and I’m…

he long school summer holidays are upon us and for parents of young children that usually means working hard to ensure they can play happily and safely. But when it comes to safe, stimulating and adventurous play, however, there is help at hand and this year’s National Playday in Cardiff is offering everyone low-cost or no-cost activities that children can enjoy. National Playday has been a fixture of the summer calendar since 1991 and as well as a celebration of children’s rights to play, it is a campaign that highlights the importance of play in their lives. So come along,…

Families are being supported to make the most of the school summer holidays with the biggest-ever programme of free and subsidised activities in Swansea. The free bus offer is also back every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday for the whole of the break so many can be reached without cost. Some schools are taking part in the Welsh Government funded Food and Fun programme where pupils attend for fun activities and are provided with a healthy breakfast or lunch. The council is supporting other projects with grants to community food initiatives and food banks and also with transport for the…

The summer holidays are here and we have some exciting, family, budget-friendly things to do in Neath Port Talbot. For instance, the free-of-charge Aqua Splash on Port Talbot’s popular Aberavon Beach has just been dubbed by a mother who took her children there as ‘the best water park in Britain’ – her accolade being trumpeted by one of the UK’s top selling newspapers. The NPT Youth Service is holding a range of activities for young people aged 11+ in the summer holidays including table tennis, circus skills, spray painting, outdoors games and free food! Check out the service’s social media…

Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC) and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority (PCNPA) are consulting with the public regarding the current transport access provision into Poppit Sands beach. The questionnaire will inform a WelTAG (Welsh Transport Appraisal Guidance) Stage 1 study being undertaken by WSP UK on behalf of PCC and PCNPA, which aims to deliver improved sustainable transport access into Poppit Sands (subject to funding and study progressing to further WelTAG Stages). The results from the public consultation will help inform what the key issues are within the study area and feed into the development of a long list of options…

Caerphilly County Borough and the LTA have announced a partnership to invest in and refurbish public park tennis courts across the county borough. In total, six tennis venues will be renovated, with investment of £377,828.22 helping ensure that quality facilities are available for the local community. The project is part of a nationwide investment by the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation, delivered by the LTA, to refurbish public tennis courts across Great Britain and open up the sport to more people. This investment will see thousands of existing park tennis courts in poor or unplayable condition brought back to…