Author: Rhys Gregory

A networking event celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month is taking place this Saturday at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea. Organised by Sadie’s Butterflies with support from Swansea Council and other partners there will be a range of information stalls, live music and guest speakers and an opportunity to socialise and meet new people. It runs from 10.30 to 4pm and people are welcome to turn up any time with no booking necessary. From 7pm there will be a ball featuring live music and entertainment. Tickets can be purchased in advance from Sadies Butterflies or people can pay on the door.…

A round table discussion at the Swansea University Bay Campus on February 17th will begin a major examination of how best to maximise the skills and training needed for the fast expanding green economy in South West Wales. The UK Government’s vision of 24GW of huge floating offshore wind turbines powering Britain in the Celtic Sea by 2045 offers a once in a generation opportunity to establish a new green industry in South Wales. It’s a key plank in delivering the Welsh Government’s aim for Wales to meet 100% of its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2035. For floating…

Learning Pembrokeshire’s Springboard project started 2023 with an exciting launch at Tenby’s Welsh-medium school Hafan y Môr. Families enjoyed at least ten different activities as part of the project which runs a wide range of free courses for adults and families in targeted areas. Springboard staff were delighted with the fantastic turn out at Hafan y Môr and pleased to showcase activities such as mask making, pottery, cake decorating and Lego robotics. Supporting families to engage in their children’s learning is a key aim of the Springboard project; but the benefits of this work is not only to benefit the…

Following Welsh Government’s approval of the default 20mph speed limit for Wales, advanced works will be taking place to prepare the road network for the change – which comes into effect later this year. The default 20mph speed limit was agreed by The Senedd last year, and all councils in Wales are required to implement this Welsh Government initiative. It will result in most of the default 30mph roads across Wales being reduced to 20mph – located, as a general rule, where street lighting is currently in place. All councils in Wales will need to undertake advanced works to prepare…

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Environment and Sustainability Scrutiny Committee has endorsed proposals to amend grass cutting regimes across the county borough which aim to promote biodiversity. Scrutiny Committee members endorsed the adoption of the approach used during 2021/22 as the future standard for grass cutting in the county borough.  This saw highway verges and bypass routes where mowing is kept to a minimum, in accordance with Traffic Wales guidance. It also supported the Council’s commitment to the UK wide ‘No Mow May’ campaign.  This means formal grass cutting does not commence until June with the exception of visibility splays and…

A case of Highly Pathogenic Avian influenza H5N1, otherwise known as bird flu, has been confirmed at a premises near Newtown, the county council has said. A 3km Captive Bird (Monitoring) Controlled Zone (Avian Influenza), or CBMCZ zone, has been declared around the infected premises, to limit the risk of disease spread. Within this zone, bird movements and gatherings are restricted and all holdings that keep birds must be declared. Cllr Richard Church, Cabinet Member for a Safer Powys, said: “It is vital keepers of birds remain vigilant and ensure they have the very highest levels of biosecurity in place.…

More than £1.5m in Welsh Government funding has been awarded to 17 projects that will deliver high quality skills and training projects within the creative industries in Wales, Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden has announced today. The Creative Skills Fund was launched in September 2022, with the aim of supporting projects which could deliver against one or more of the 10 identified priorities within the three-year industry led Creative Skills Action Plan. The Action Plan seeks to address the skills needs of the three priority sectors: music, digital content and screen in the short term, as well…

Minister for Climate Change Julie James met Jinx the biosecurity dog today, whom she has tasked with a special mission to protect Wales’ seabirds. Welsh Government has provided £250,000 as part of a new project which will expand biosecurity for Wales and includes using Jinx, a three-year-old working cocker spaniel who is the UK’s first conservation detection dog. He has been in training with RSPB for the last two years to sniff out rats. When left undisturbed, invasive species can cause devastation to already threatened seabird species. That’s why Jinx’ job is so important. A single pregnant rat can produce…

More than 11,000 young people have been supported to find jobs during the first year of the Welsh Government’s flagship youth employment programme, Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething confirmed today. The Welsh Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee (YPG) provides under 25s in Wales with the offer of support to gain a place in education or training, find a job or become self-employed. Ministers have committed £1.4 billion a year to support young people across Wales under the YPG’s wider range of programmes. The YPG brings together a range of programmes and initiatives for young people that aim to enhance employability, enterprise, and…

A music concert celebrating the sound and life of David Bowie arrives in Cardiff this week for one night only. The touring production pays homage to arguably one of the world’s greatest singer-songwriters, and is being hailed as a must-see for all Bowie fans. Oliver Slee steps into Bowie’s shoes to bring a spectacular concert celebrating the sound of the rock icon to Cardiff, featuring all the hits from A to Ziggy. Speaking ahead of this latest tour, the Bournemouth actor said he is delighted to take up the role and can’t wait to get on stage and perform it in…