Author: Rhys Gregory

The Council will establish a ‘Rhondda Cynon Taf Community Grant’ scheme to deliver £4.3m Shared Prosperity Funding for community projects – and will invite local groups and third sector organisations to apply in a phased approach. At their meeting on Monday, January 23, Cabinet Members considered how the Council will provide a community grant scheme via its local allocation from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund. The Shared Prosperity Fund has been made available to all councils, to be allocated by March 31, 2025. Officers proposed to establish a Community Grant which invites applications in a competitive, open and transparent…

The Finance Minister Rebecca Evans visited the ASK Centre in Rhyl yesterday and is urging people in North Wales to take advantage of the support available to them during the cost of living crisis. The Ask Centre, based at the United Church, serves its community through offering food, advice, access to online services and warm spaces for numerous groups and activities. The Centre also houses Citizens Advice Denbighshire’s offices, one of the advice partners in the North Wales Single Advice Fund (SAF) regional service. Problems with welfare benefits claims, especially Personal Independence Payment and Universal Credit, are the main reasons…

FI Real Estate Management (FIREM) – the largest landowner at Wrexham Industrial Estate – has bought an additional 56 acres of land. The development will be FIREM’s eleventh at the estate and takes its investment to more than £136m. FIREM’s founder and managing director, Tim Knowles, said the decision to expand the Wrexham portfolio of assets to 2.8m sq ft reflects a surge in demand from companies keen to be based in the Wrexham area. He said the city has benefited from the ‘feel-good factor’ and publicity generated by the purchase of Wrexham AFC by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and…

Steve Phillips has resigned from his position as CEO of the Welsh Rugby Union. Nigel Walker will take over as Acting CEO with immediate effect. Current Performance Director Walker has been appointed by WRU chair Ieuan Evans and his Board on an interim basis whilst the recruitment process for a new CEO is established. The WRU’s chair Evans made an announcement concerning the next steps in the formation of a new external Taskforce which will investigate culture and behaviours on Friday (27/01/23). Phillips attended the meeting about the new Taskforce, but has since reached the conclusion that he is no…

The University of South Wales has agreed an exciting new partnership with Orchard Live, Wales’s largest independent live music promoter, ahead of Immersed! Festival which comes to Cardiff in February. The partnership will see Orchard Live support and promote the festival, which is entirely run by USW students, as well as the launch of a Graduate Award for Outstanding Work. Connor Cupples, Operations Manager and Promoter at Orchard Live, already teaches BA Popular and Commercial Music students at USW on the benefits of working on live events. He said: “We became involved with the delivery of Immersed! Festival last year,…

Lidl has this week become the first supermarket to achieve the prestigious Cynnig Cymraeg certification from the Welsh Language Commissioner. With 55 stores across Wales, Lidl has been working hard to support the roll-out and inclusion of the Welsh language in stores. This certification recognises Lidl’s ongoing commitment to the cause. The Cynnig Cymraeg is the official recognition of the Welsh Language Commissioner and is given to organisations that have collaborated with the Commissioner’s officers to develop and deliver ambitious Welsh language provision. It supports the Commissioner’s long-term plan to ensure people can use the Welsh language in all aspects…

Caerphilly-based social enterprise, Celtic Offsite, has teamed up with one of the UK’s leading timber suppliers, Premier Forest Products, as part of their ambitious plan to develop a Welsh supply chain to reduce its carbon footprint and support the local economy. Celtic Offsite, part of the United Welsh Group, manufactures low carbon homes by producing high quality, sustainable timber frame structures, complete with factory fitted insulation and windows, to build up to 250 low carbon homes a year. Premier Forest Products was initially approached by Celtic Offsite to supply Oriented Strand Board (OSB) for sheathing for timber frame panels, plywood…

Award-winning Welsh snacks manufacturer Get Jerky has launched a brand new beef jerky flavour to kickstart 2023, which promising to be an exciting year for the business The Welshpool-based company, which makes flavoursome, high protein, gluten free snacks, has teamed up with another multi-award winner, Monty’s Brewery at Montgomery, to add Real Ale Beef Jerky to its range. Get Jerky – trailheadfinefoods.co.uk – makes the new snack by marinating PGI Welsh Beef jerky in Dark Secret stout from Monty’s Brewery. Dark Secret, a rich full bodied, oatmeal stout full of chocolate and coffee flavours, is Monty’s Brewery’s best-selling, gluten free beer which…

A new, vital support group to help reduce loneliness and isolation among people living with sight loss across Wales have been set up by a leading national charity. The telephone support groups, run by the Macular Society, meet by phone every week as a dial-in service, for people unable to attend face-to-face support groups which are operated in towns and cities across the country. The new telephone support groups will meet at the following times: First Wednesday of the month, between 11am-12pm. English speaking Second Wednesday of the month, between 2-3pm. Welsh speaking Third Wednesday of the month, between 2–3pm.…

Who and what is a software developer, exactly? Software developers are the talented and creative individuals behind the apps, games and computer programs we use every day. The app you use to do your banking and the computer programs you use to edit photos or play games were all created by software developers. What Does a Developer of Software Do? Some software developers focus on specific apps or programs. Others develop the frameworks that help power other programs. For this reason, there are two types of developers: systems software and applications software. Systems software developers focus on developing operating systems-level…