Author: Rhys Gregory

Thousands of runners and spectators descended on Porthcawl’s historic Esplanade for the third staging of the Ogi Porthcawl 10K today, enjoying warm but windy conditions. Nearly 4,500 runners had signed up to take part across the 10K and supporting Ogi Jogi Junior races, which were being supported for the first time by new headline sponsor Ogi, who have been busy rolling out a brand-new full fibre broadband network in the area. The 10K race took runners on a scenic coastal tour of the town, starting alongside the iconic Esplanade and Grand Pavilion and taking in sights including the Lighthouse, Trecco…

THE team behind a much-anticipated new health, exercise and wellbeing complex have shown their support for a community football club. LVL5 Gyms Ltd is the new sponsor of Llysfaen Knights junior soccer squad. Led by manager Colin Archer, the under-14s play in the Colwyn and Aberconwy Junior League and thanked owners Sion Pritchard and Rich Blake – who hails from the village – for providing them with full kits, training wear and rain jackets. Colin, a UEFA and FA Youth Awards-qualified coach with more than 25 years’ experience, including time spent in America with MLS side Chicago Fire’s Academy, said…

Start Up Loans, part of the British Business Bank, today announces that it has provided over £45m worth of funding to small businesses in Wales, equating to over 4,500 loans, since the scheme launched in 2012. Of all local authorities in Wales, Swansea has received the highest value of loans (over £5.8m), followed by Cardiff (over £5.4m) and Newport (over £2.9m). As well as receiving the highest value of loans, Swansea received the most loans of any local authority with 572 individual loans received to date. Elsewhere in the country, Carmarthenshire tops the loan value table for west Wales (£2.8m)…

Hive Mind Mead & Brew Co has launched a new Pilsner style beer finished with British honey. The new 4.5% ABV beer, called Nectar, has been brewed with authentic Pilsner malt and hopped with a traditional combination of Saaz and Hallertau Blanc. Against the background of a clean, classic Pilsner flavour profile it is described as having notes of gooseberry and wild flowers, with a hint of honey. Nectar is launching in a 440ml can – the first of Hive Mind’s beers to be canned for retail – following on from their recent launch of a range of session-strength sparkling…

“No-one in Wales should die from bowel cancer”- that’s the message from a landmark plan launched today by Moondance Cancer Initiative to move Wales towards zero deaths from the cancer which currently kills over 900 people a year. For the first time ever, patients, clinicians and professionals have come together to create Towards Zero Deaths from Bowel Cancer, a compelling case for change with a clear set of actions showing how the 2,300 people diagnosed with bowel cancer in Wales each year can have the best chance to survive and thrive. Moondance Cancer Initiative is committing more than £1.5m in…

A scanner that will play a vital role in detecting cancer is on its way to Neath Port Talbot Hospital – and it hasn’t cost the NHS a penny. The £80,000 ultrasound machine will soon be used in the head and neck lump clinic within the hospital’s Rapid Diagnosis Centre. It was paid for by dedicated fundraisers with Neath Port Talbot Cancer Challenge, which has donated £1 million to local cancer services since it was formed just over 25 years ago. Suspicious neck lumps can have several potential diagnoses, including a number of different cancers. GPs can refer patients aged…

Students and researchers came together to discuss AI and its wide variety of applications at a special event hosted by Swansea University. The annual conference of  UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Advanced Computing  (AIMLAC) was held in collaboration with the Zienkiewicz Institute for Modelling, Data and AI, at the University’s Bay Campus. It saw more than 50 participants taking part in a varied programme of presentations on applications of AI and machine learning in particle physics and astronomy, health, and engineering, while also highlighting developments in computer science. Many of the speakers were doctoral researchers…

Virtual reality (VR) is helping patients in a secure hospital unit experience the great outdoors. The move is just one of several benefits brought about through the use of digital technology in the Swansea Bay’s Caswell Clinic – a medium secure, forensic mental health unit for men and women. The project, which allows access to a VR head set with iPad, Chromebooks and tablets, is being supported by Digital Communities Wales. Patients are also being taught how to use computers, set up email, use online bank accounts and access relaxation apps. Access is individually assessed by the clinical teams and…

Every ’73’ number plate banned by the DVLA has been released and the list includes BE73 END and FA73 DCK. Each year, two sets of number plates are released. This year, the ‘23’ number plate was released in March, with the ‘73’ plates set to be issued in September. As there are over one million plates released each time, it is unsurprising that there are some unfortunate combinations of letters and numbers which spell – or almost spell – offensive words. Before each release, the DVLA bans a group of number plates that they have identified as being too offensive…

The 4* country house hotel and spa Tre-Ysgawen Hall has been sold to property development company K2RE for an undisclosed sum. The 30-bedroom hotel in Capel Coch, Llangefni on the Isle of Anglesey also includes a gym, swimming pool, spa bath, thermal suite and six beauty treatment rooms as well as conferencing and banqueting space for up to 200 people and has been under the same ownership and management company for over 27 years. Commercial real estate firm Colliers has handled the sale. K2RE plans to invest in the characterful property. Tre-Ysgawen Hall was originally built as a luxurious family home…