Author: Rhys Gregory

St John Ambulance Cymru are working with the Welsh Ambulance Commissioner to provide quicker transportation for mental health patients in Welsh communities. St John Ambulance Cymru’s Taith Dda scheme has been commissioned as a pilot by the Ambulance Commissioner since April 2023. The scheme aims to provide a transport service for those in Mental Health Crisis with the aim of reducing waiting times for conveyance and improving both staff and patient experiences. The Scheme has meant that a reduced number of non-critical patients are having to be transported by the police, the Welsh Ambulance NHS Services Trust and by local…

Police are appealing for witnesses to a disturbance, involving two groups of men, in Greyfriars Road, at around 10.45pm on Saturday, August 12. A 22-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of affray and has been bailed pending further enquiries. Detective Constable Hannah Campbell-Todd, from South Wales Police, said: “Three men were taken to hospital but thankfully their injuries are now described as neither life-changing nor life-threatening. “We would like to thank the members of public and off-duty paramedics who stopped to help those who were injured. “We work hard with partners to keep the Cardiff night-time economy safe and welcoming…

Expressions of interest are being invited for funding aimed at bringing listed historic structures in Swansea back into use. Grants of between £5,000 and £450,000 are being made available for either feasibility studies or projects under the transforming county anchor project being run by Swansea Council and funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Community groups and organisations are eligible for 100% of the costs, with private sector applicants eligible for up to 70%. To be eligible to apply to the fund, the end use of the building must include commercial floorspace. Proposals which are purely…

Neath Port Talbot Council is seeking residents’ views on whether or not it should impose higher Council Tax charges on owners of second homes and long-term empty properties. Due to a change in legislation, councils are now able to charge a premium of up to 300% on second homes and long-term empty properties. Each Council can choose how it acts when considering the level of charge to apply to empty properties. Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, Performance and Social Justice, Cllr Simon Knoyle, said: “We want to hear your views on how we should respond to the…

Work will soon get underway to repair a section of the retaining wall at Berw Road in Pontypridd – with the vast majority of the scheme causing minimal disruption. RCT Council has appointed Hammonds Ltd as the contractor for the work, which will take place over six weeks from Thursday, August 17. The scheme will include clearing vegetation growing behind the wall and from the wall face, reconstructing sections of the structure, and repointing work. The work activity will not require any traffic management, while pedestrian access will be maintained via the adjacent pavement. However, Stop/Go traffic boards will be…

Parents can now register their children to start nursery from September 2024. Parents must complete the application process by 15th September. Applications are open for children born between 1st September 2020 and 31st August 2021. The new Welsh-medium school that is opening in Monmouth in 2024 on Rockfield Road – Ysgol Gymraeg Trefynwy – will have a nursery on site and parents in the area now have that nursery as an option to choose from. Cllr. Martyn Groucutt, Cabinet Member for Education, said: “We look forward to welcoming the newest students to our schools across Monmouthshire. It’s with great excitement…

More than £1m worth of new business has been secured by the Welsh delegation to the Paris Air Show in June with over £3.6m in further opportunities also identified, Economy Minister Vaughan Gething has revealed today. The Paris Air Show is the largest aerospace event in the world, attracting over 2,400 exhibitors from 49 countries and 139,000 trade visitors from 185 countries. Wales is a centre of excellence for aerospace manufacturing and MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) related activities, with more than 160 companies employing more than 23,000 people across the country, accounting for 10% of the UK’s aerospace industry.…

Upcoming agricultural shows this summer will provide more opportunities for discussion and to see the best of rural Wales, Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales Lesley Griffiths has said. The Minister will be visiting both the Anglesey and Pembrokeshire shows this week, and will be joined by the First Minister Mark Drakeford at Mona for Sioe Mon   The Welsh Government has a presence at both shows where farmers will be able to find out more about the proposals for the Sustainable Farming Scheme. The Minister for Rural Affairs said: “I’m looking forward to visiting both shows this week.  Sioe…

A scheme to support local projects in coastal areas of Wales in tackling the climate emergency will benefit from funding from the Welsh Government Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths said the Coastal Capacity Building Fund will be important in helping coastal communities improve environmental outcomes. The fund aims to build capacity, helping communities to deliver sustainable action which supports growth and recovery in local marine and coastal areas. The types of projects the fund could support varies from developing skills, knowledge and networks to engage with marine and coastal issues to carrying out scoping exercises to look at reducing carbon…

Bingo is a splendid game, which provides a social outlet and a sense of community. Many seniors enjoy the opportunity to gather with friends and acquaintances to play bingo, chat and catch up. A game to enjoy Bingo offers a chance for social interaction and can help combat feelings of loneliness or isolation. It is a relatively simple and easy game to play. It doesn’t require any special skills or physical exertion, making it accessible to people of all abilities. Accessibility makes bingo an appealing game to seniors who may have limited mobility or cognitive abilities. It can also be…