Author: Rhys Gregory

Students at Coleg Gwent — one of Wales’ top performing colleges — are celebrating today (August 17) as they collect the BTEC, AS and A-Level results needed to take their very first steps into higher education and new careers. 97.4% of students at the college achieved A*-E A-level grades, while 88% of BTEC students achieved a pass grade or higher across 48 different vocational subject areas — with many of the students receiving the news at the College’s Farewell Festival hosted at its Blaenau Gwent, Crosskeys, and Torfaen campuses. Rebecca Saunders from Blaenau Gwent and Amy Louise White from Crosskeys…

It’s been another year of outstanding A level and vocational results at Coleg y Cymoedd as the college celebrates an impressive three Oxbridge successes and its highest ever number of offers from Russell Group universities. Hundreds of learners have flocked to its Nantgarw, Ystrad Mynach, Rhondda and Aberdare campuses today to collect their results and celebrate their achievements with classmates and tutors. The college, which is the largest A level provider in Caerphilly and Rhondda Cynon Taf, has reported high grades across both academic and vocational courses, with 86.2% of learners achieving A*-C grades as exam grades are returning to…

A 17-year-old from Rhondda has taken the first step to achieving her goal of a professional cookery career after securing a job at one of Wales’ top-rated restaurants, just one year into her college studies, thanks to work experience through her course. After impressing bosses during a week-long work placement organised by her tutors, Coleg y Cymoedd learner Bethany Carter has bagged a position at the Grove of Narberth’s Fernery restaurant, which holds an impressive four AA Rosettes – one of only three restaurants in Wales to boast the accolade. Bethany, who has just completed the first year of a…

Head coach Warren Gatland has named his Wales senior men’s XV to play South Africa in the final match of the 2023 Vodafone Summer Series this Saturday (19 August, KO 3.15pm BST live on Prime Video in English and welsh). Alex Cuthbert, selected on the wing, and Johnny Williams, named at centre, make their first appearances this summer, as does Kieran Hardy who starts at scrum-half. Teddy Williams and Cai Evans, named among the replacements for this fixture, are in line to win their first senior Wales caps on the weekend. Jac Morgan, who starts at openside flanker, will captain…

Aldi is looking to hire more than 85 people in its warehouse in Wales between now and the end of the year. This includes both full-time and part-time positions at its Cardiff Regional Distribution Centre, with salaries of up to £57,000. Last month, the UK’s fourth-largest supermarket also announced it was recruiting for more than 450 store roles in Wales – including Store Assistant positions. The recruitment push forms part of Aldi’s nationwide expansion drive, with the supermarket set to open an average of one new store a week across the UK between now and Christmas. Kelly Stokes, Recruitment Director…

A daredevil who has Parkinson’s has raised £2,150 for charity by undertaking a skydive. Brave Gareth Blake, from Cardigan, jumped from a plane and plummeted towards the ground from 15,000ft, in aid of Parkinson’s UK Cymru and his local support group. The 53-year-old, who is originally from Holyhead, on Anglesey, and is a member of Parkinson’s UK Cymru’s Emlyn and Tivyside Parkinson’s group, described the experience as “awesome” and says he can’t wait to do it again. The former logistics manager did the tandem jump with GoSkydive in Salisbury. Ana Palazon, Country Director of Parkinson’s UK Cymru, has described Gareth’s…

The RSPCA is encouraging owners to prepare for their pets as the UK looks forward to a spell of warm weather this week. The charity’s advice comes as the Met Office announces ‘a warm spell is on the way,’ predicting temperatures into the mid 20s for much of the southern half of the UK starting this week. Temperatures in the north are expected to rise from Thursday with the warmth likely to peak on Friday and Saturday as the mercury rises into the high 20s in some parts of the UK. Forecasters also warn that thunderstorms may accompany the heat.…

Radnorshire Wildlife Trust (RWT) has launched their Gilfach Appeal, aimed at raising £50,000 to improve the visitor centre at Gilfach Nature Reserve so that it can become a valuable community space which is used more regularly and can enhance the overall experience at the reserve. RWT want to put Gilfach Nature Reserve at the heart of the local community and inspire visitors to connect with nature in a meaningful way. If the target is reached then this will enable vital work to be carried out to make the visitor centre warmer, more energy efficient and a more usable space for…

SPECSAVERS stores in Cardiff have raised more than £1,000 for the Cardiff Foodbank, as part of ongoing efforts to support those in need during the cost-of-living crisis. Since April 2023, Specsavers’ four stores in Cardiff – located on Queen Street, Albany Road, Leckwith and Llanishen – have contributed £1 for every customer survey received, raising £1,149. The Albany Road and Leckwith teams have also had collection points for items in-store, including tinned food, toiletries and household goods. In total, they collected more than 31kg of goods for the food bank. Specsavers, which also offers a Home Visits service for those…

One of the UK’s top axemen is to attempt to set a spectacular new Welsh record for the lumberjack Iron Man next month. Osian Williams, from Denbigh, will be timed over three consecutive tasks at a display by the Clwyd Axemen at the Welsh Game Fair which will be held at the Faenol Estate, near Bangor, on the weekend of September 9 and 10. Osian, a member of the renowned Clwyd Axemen display team, is in training for the rarely performed Iron Man, a timed attempt at the under-hand, the standing block and finally the jigger board climb. For the…