Author: Rhys Gregory

Ten local authorities have indicated their commitment to older workers by becoming the first councils in England and Wales to sign the Age-friendly Employer Pledge.     Councils including those serving Leeds, Cardiff, the Isle of Wight and the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham have committed to taking action to improve the recruitment, retention and training of older employers by joining the free nationwide programme.     In total, the ten authorities have more than 40,000 employees between them.   Established late last year by the Centre for Ageing Better, the Age-friendly Employer Pledge is a programme for employers…

Two members of an Organised Crime Group have been sent to prison for conspiracy to supply cocaine and possession with intent to supply cocaine. Juniad Khan, 32 and Calum Mason, 24, both from Cardiff, were arrested by detectives from Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit for southern Wales, following an intelligence led operation in August 2022 when a combined total of 27 kilograms of cocaine was seized, with an estimated street value of £2.7 million and 2.7 kilograms of cannabis with an estimated street value of £27,560.00, was also seized from Mason’s home address. As a result of messages recovered…

A major visitor resort at the heart of West Wales has plans for expansion thanks to help from the Development Bank of Wales. Set in the Ceredigion village of Llanon with sea views across Cardigan Bay and stretching up to the Llyn Peninsula, Seven Springs allows customers to buy or let lodges in an idyllic coastal setting, giving visitors an all-year-round foothold in a stunning part of Wales. Following the granting of planning approval, the lodge park has started work on developing new land for 38 new luxury lodges. The purchase of the additional land for development of the new…

Children are having to wait almost a year to find out who they will be living with long term, according to the latest family court data. Private children’s law cases – where families apply for child arrangements such as where a child will live or who they will spend time with – are taking on average 47 weeks to conclude between January to March 2023, up almost four weeks on the same period in 2022. This continues the upward trend seen since the middle of 2016, where the number of new cases overtook the number of closed cases. There were…

Swansea Bay’s team of district nurses is set to expand, making it even easier for patients to be cared for at home. From September, there will be significantly more district nurses working within the communities of Swansea and Neath Port Talbot. An investment of £500,000 by the health board will see the workforce increase by 11.5 band five members of staff. District nurses provide a healthcare service to people who are unable to visit the GP surgery or community clinics and who need nursing care, advice and support due to being permanently or temporarily housebound. The district nursing service works…

New research released from the CIPD, exploring the quality of working lives in the UK, suggests employees in Wales are dissatisfied with their pay, with just 42% of workers feeling they are paid appropriately. The figures also suggest that 36% of workers are struggling to pay their bills and meet existing commitments from time to time, with 14% of workers saying it’s a ‘constant struggle’ to keep up with paying them. However, overall job satisfaction shows that Wales is on par with the rest of the UK, with results showing that two-thirds of workers are satisfied with their job. The…

The £8 million refurbishment of the 1 Callaghan Square office building has added 50,000 sq ft of available Grade A office space to the Cardiff city centre market, The investment by landlord Cardiff Office Limited, represented by Capital Trust, has transformed the 94,000 sq ft five-storey building and includes a new extended double-height reception area with lounge areas, meeting booths and coffee bar. New cycle storage and ground floor showers and changing rooms have also been added. Lettings at the building are being handled by global property consultancy Knight Frank.  Mark Sutton, partner in the office agency team of Knight…

Responses to the consultation on how to spend the money from the sale of the Old County School in Tregaron was considered by the Charity Trustee Committee at its meeting held on Thursday, 29 June 2023. A public consultation was held between 16 March and 10 May this year asking for suggestions on how to spend the proceeds from the sale of the old County School in Tregaron in accordance with the requirements of the charity, namely ‘to advance the education of pre-school and school-age children in Tregaron’. Twenty-five responses were received which ranged from the provision of sporting facilities;…

A REDROW site manager from Flintshire is celebrating after winning a top industry accolade. Cait Grady from Sychdyn, near Mold, has been awarded a NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Award for the North West. The National House Building Council (NHBC) celebrates the very best UK site managers and their commitment to raising standards in house building. With only 444 winners selected out of over 8,000 entrants across the UK, Cait is among the country’s best house builders, and among just 42 winners in the North West, along with her colleagues Jake Green, Ben Goostrey, and Peter Campbell-Wright. Judging for…

A touring music and theatrical performance will demonstrate the ancient and ubiquitous reach of Cymraeg right up into the ‘Old North’ of Cumbria and Scotland, and its connection to Ireland. Fellow Welsh singer-poets Twm Morys and Gwyneth Glyn, both former Welsh Children’s Laureates, are joined by musicians from the Celtic diaspora of Scotland, Ireland and the ‘Old North’ to perform Myrddin Wyllt, a performance depicting the heritage and identity of the devolved nations through the life of the medieval Welsh legend, sixth century chief bard and prophet. There are plenty of claims on Merlin – he’s the distant cousin of Dumbledore…