Author: Rhys Gregory

The Leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council has asked the First Minister to intervene in helping to address historic issues associated with chemical waste deposited in the late 1960s at the Ty Llwyd quarry site near Ynysddu. Cllr Sean Morgan has written to Mark Drakeford this week (Wed 19 July) following a recent decision at a council meeting to make a formal approach for support. In his correspondence to the First Minister, Cllr Morgan writes, “My Council continues to manage the legacy of the former Ty Llwyd quarry above the community of Ynysddu. Environmental Health Officers continue to work with…

Powys County Council Chief Executive, Dr Caroline Turner, will leave the council at the end of July. Caroline has been absent from work due to ill-health since March. Cllr James Gibson-Watt, Leader of the Council said: “Caroline joined Powys County Council in February 2019 at a very difficult time for the council. The past four years have seen improvements in many areas of the council’s running and in the delivery of services, and this has been recognised by Estyn and Care Inspectorate Wales. Caroline led the council’s response to the challenges posed by Covid from 2020 onwards, ensuring that services…

Climate Change Minister Julie James visited Ramsey and Grassholm Island today off the coast of Pembrokeshire to assess the scale of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) which is affecting wild sea bird colonies around the UK. Ramsey and Grassholm are home to some of the world’s most important gannet colonies, with guillemots, Manx sheerwater, razorbills and peregrine falcons also nesting on their shores. The visit, organised by RSPB Cymru, follows reports of bird carcasses washed up on Pembrokeshire beaches with suspected HPAI. Just last week RSPB Cymru announced that Common and Arctic Terns, Gulls and the Atlantic Puffin had been…

Leading insurance broker Aston Lark, a Howden company, is continuing its recruitment streak as it adds another key hire to its Welsh region. Deborah Barber, from Cardiff, has joined the firm as a Development Executive and will be responsible for growing Aston Lark’s clientele within the Cardiff and Vale area. Deborah has worked within the insurance industry for over 30 years, beginning her career at Commercial Union in 1992. She joins from broking group Thomas Carroll, where she held the position of Development Executive for over 13 years. Deborah joins Aston Lark’s most recent hires Catherine Robinson and Alex Davies…

At 323rd in the world rankings, Jamie Donaldson doesn’t have the luxury of automatically qualifying for The Open Championship anymore. Instead, the Welshman has to use the various qualifying series in place to secure his ticket to the most iconic event in the sport. The reality is that this is a task that’s beginning to prove too mighty for Donaldson – in 2023, time finally caught up with the 47-year-old and he failed to secure his place at the 151st edition of The Open. Will any Welsh golfers play at the 2023 Open? Unfortunately, a list of the 2023 Open…

First Minster of Wales, Rt Hon Mark Drakeford MS, will launch a special event at Cardiff City Hall in September dedicated to highlighting the importance of diversity, equality, and inclusion within Wales. The event is organised by one of Wales’ most high-profile black entrepreneurs, Bernie Davies, a multiple award-winning bestselling author, TEDx speaker, business strategist, and diversity and inclusion thought leader. The ‘Mastering Diversity’ conference will take place on September 18, 2023, at Cardiff City Hall. It is the first multi-disciplinary conference of its kind to take place in Wales and is set to bring together a diverse group of…

Secondary school learners interested in a career as a vet have been given a taste of student life as Aberystwyth University hosted its first Veterinary Seren Summer School. A total of 40 pupils from all over Wales signed up for the four-day programme organised by the University’s Veterinary Education Centre, which opened on Penglais campus in September 2021 as the first vet school in Wales. Aberystwyth University and the Welsh Government’s Seren programme have teamed up on the project, creating a 4-day free of charge residential Summer School for Welsh learners considering studying veterinary science. Jeremy Miles, the Minister for…

Deloitte continues to invest in its UK-wide business by promoting six people to director in Wales, where a total of 405 people have been promoted across all grades and businesses this month. The six directors are James Bartlett and Clare Skivens in Audit & Assurance, Matt Alps and Meg Watt in Tax & Legal, Nicola Moorcraft in Risk Advisory and Cen Thomas in Financial Advisory. Ian Howse, senior partner for Wales at Deloitte, said: “This is a phenomenal achievement for these new directors.  I am delighted that so many of our 1700 people in Wales are achieving their ambitions and…

The UK’s largest commercial food waste collection company is investing £1m into additional services in south Wales, ahead of new regulations taking effect. Keenan Recycling, which works with businesses and local authorities to deliver food waste to anaerobic digestion plants, is expanding operations in the region as part of a wider £2m spend to support growth plans. The Business Growth Fund-backed company already works in Wales, but will be creating up to 10 jobs in the region including drivers and sales roles before the end of the year. As part of the expansion, ten additional state-of-the-art trucks, which are powered…

A new charity has been launched in Swansea. The Swansea Bay Foundation aims to strengthen local places and improve lives by providing grants and donations to groups and good causes that make a real difference to people across South West Wales. It’s a way for successful local businesses to give something back to their communities and maximise the positive impact of those donations by working together. The Swansea Bay Foundation will work in partnership with groups that make a difference to people’s lives across Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, in particular the committed volunteers who make a real…