Author: Rhys Gregory

Genesis Biosciences has recently made a key appointment in its Cardiff-based headquarters to support their global capabilities. Multi-lingual Katie Thomas has been appointed as their Commercial & Operations Assistant and will aid the business in its international affairs using her ability to speak French, German and Italian. After graduating from Aberystwyth University in 2016 with a double-major in French and German and a minor in Italian, Katie moved to Italy where she taught English as a Foreign Language (EFL) for three years and achieved non-native fluency before stepping into the world of business. Her move to Genesis will be her…

Returning after a two-year Covid-enforced absence, the famous Boxing Day Swim in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, is back. The fundraising event, that attracts thousands of participants, many donned in fancy-dress, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. From the early days, when just a handful of locals attended, the event has grown over the years, attracting visitors far and wide, with the Pembrokeshire swim now ranked in the top 10 of Britain’s barmiest seasonal swims. Besides, the fun element, over the decades, the Tenby swim has helped raise more than £300,000 for charities and good causes. And this year the organisers, the Tenby…

Wales’s recent adventures at the World Cup in Qatar may have come to an end but steps are being taken in Cardiff to ensure the next generation develop the skills needed to ensure the wait for another shot at World Cup glory isn’t as long. One element of this work is the recent removal of the fixed mini goal posts in Cardiff’s parks. Cardiff was the only Council in Wales to provide these fixed posts and their removal follows changes by FAW to the size of pitches for various age groups. The change to smaller pitches aims to increase thenumber…

wansea Council’s Cabinet has agreed to go out to consultation on a programme of investment that will see an average £1.9m a day spent on key services like schools, care and community services next year. Despite services facing huge national energy and inflation pressures totalling £44m and a real-terms cut in Government funding, the council is aiming to spend millions of pounds more in services like education, care and community services the council deliver every day. A Cabinet meeting today (December 22) agreed proposals for the budget for 2023/24 that will go out for consultation from January 3. After that…

A £400,000 refurbishment at Maesteg Sports Centre is now underway, in a move that will improve accessibility as well as benefiting both the physical and mental health of residents right across the community. The project is made possible thanks to investment from Bridgend County Borough Council, Halo Leisure and Sport Wales, who are all working in partnership to make sure residents receive the best service possible. The upgrade will include a larger gym area with brand-new cardio machines, a strength and conditioning space, a wellness zone, and various other new pieces of equipment. Improvements are also being made to the…

Aberavon MP Stephen Kinnock has paid a visit to the Neath hub which is collecting and distributing donations such as clothes, mobile phone sim cards, clean bedding and other items to Ukrainian refugees located in Neath Port Talbot. The hub, run by NPT Safe and Well, has been working closely with local businessman Chris O’Callaghan, the former Aberavon RFC coach and player and ex-Cambridge Blue who has links with the business Goods for Good ( https://goodsforgood.org.uk/ ) which has also been helping to donate new clothes and other essential items to the hub. Mr Kinnock, who praised the work going…

A call for donations from Pembrokeshire County Council’s chairman saw multiple bags collected for PATCH (Pembrokeshire Action to Combat Hardship) before Christmas. Cllr Pat Davies asked council staff and members to bring in donations for PATCH, a local charity supporting hundreds of people struggling in food poverty. PATCH acting project manager Dave Golding collected the donations from County Hall and said people’s generosity across the county was “overwhelming.” Cllr Pat Davies, Council Chairman, said: “I’m delighted that council staff have supported PATCH with donations, and this collection adds to those already made by other service areas in the local authority.…

Caerphilly County Borough Council and Newport City Council Trading Standards lead prosecution to bring rogue trader to justice. On Friday 9th December 2022, after pleading guilty to two offences relating to victims in Caerphilly and four similar charges relating to a victim in Newport, James Mochan was sentenced to two years imprisonment and ordered to pay £2,820 in compensation under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. Mochan was originally charged with offences relating to two separate victims in CCBC, whereby he would introduce himself using the name James Morgan and offer to complete building/gardening works at their properties.…

The children of Caedraw Primary School have been selflessly working on an innovative and unique project, with the aim of helping the homeless in Merthyr Tydfil. The project works by taking empty crisp packets and sheets of plastic and transforming them into blankets. Miss Fleet, Year 3 teacher and Mrs Geake, Year 5 teacher are the Humanities Leads/Eco-coordinators at Caedraw Primary School. They initially saw the ‘Crisp Packet Project’ online and when they shared it with the Eco-Committee and Eco-Club, made up of Year 2-Year 6 learners, the children couldn’t wait to get involved. Miss Fleet said: “As soon as…

An additional 1.5 million free school meals have been served in primary schools across Wales since the rollout of Universal Primary Free School Meals began in September. As part of the Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru, Universal Primary Free School Meals now allow an extra 45,000 primary school children to have the option of a free school meal. All primary school children and more than 6,000 nursery-age pupils attending a maintained school will be eligible for free school meals by 2024. Its estimated nearly 66,000 extra pupils will be fed in the first year of roll-out. £260m has been committed…