Author: Rhys Gregory

Swansea Council’s Glynn Vivian Art Gallery is about to launch a world exclusive exhibition. For the first time from this week, the public will enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at all three seasons of TV sensation His Dark Materials. December 1 brings the 5.30pm official opening of the exhibition – with entry for those who’ve booked in advance. The following day see the display open to all – free entry. For the first time, visitors will see costumes, concept art, visual effects footage, props and more from all three seasons. Cabinet member Elliott King said: “This world-first exhibition celebrates Wales as…

Neath Port Talbot Council is set to invest an additional £667,000 to the amount it pays to its older people care home providers. An additional fee of £30 per person will be paid to care providers who deliver residential and/or nursing care services on behalf of the council. The increase is to cover the anticipated rise in inflation caused by the cost of living crisis and to enable providers to pay their staff the Real Living Wage. The current instability of the social care market presents a significant risk to the council’s ability to purchase the services it needs from…

Harpist Eliza Bradbury from Haverfordwest High V.C. School was the overall winner at this year’s Secondary Schools Valero Music Festival. The annual festival, which is organised by the Pembrokeshire County Council Music Service and sponsored by Valero, took place at Ysgol Caer Elen recently after a three year hiatus due to the Pandemic. Over 120 young musicians from each of the County’s eight county secondary schools, Pembrokeshire College and further afield took part in individual and ensemble competitions throughout the day. Later in the afternoon, an enthusiastic audience enjoyed a ‘Spotlight’ concert showcasing the individual winners and the winners of…

Three fly-tippers have been fined almost a combined £4,000 for blighting Rhondda Cynon Taf. These latest cases again highlight the ZERO-Tolerance approach the Council takes concerning litter, fly-tipping and irresponsible dog owners. The Council will use all its available powers to catch those responsible for blighting its towns and countryside. ALL three fly-tippers went to court for failing to control their waste under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 sets out the offence of fly-tipping: “Anyone who produces, imports, keeps, stores, transports, treats or disposes of waste must take all…

Improvements at Malpas Church in Wales Primary School has led to Estyn removing it from special measures. The official inspection body has confirmed that the school has made sufficient progress in relation to the recommendations following the last core inspection Councillor Jane Mudd, leader of the council, said: “As both a governor and a local member, I’m delighted that the school is out of special measures as I know how hard the head teacher and his staff have worked to make significant improvements. “They have had the full support of the current governing body as decisions had the best interests…

A visitor to Caldicot leisure centre recently returned to thank the centre’s staff for their quick response when he suffered a potentially fatal medical emergency earlier in the year. Alan Owen of Carmarthen suffered a cardiac arrest while he was at a Walking Football Tournament at the leisure centre on Sunday 3rd April 2022. The immediate intervention of staff and players at the event is credited with saving his life. Alan was given CPR and a defibrillator was used prior to Alan being airlifted to Heath Hospital Cardiff, where he underwent surgery to have an ICD (implanted cardioverter defibrillator) and…

An education setting in Brecon has expanded its provision to support learners aged 6-11 overcome barriers to learning, the county council has confirmed. The New Start Centre, Powys County Council’s Pupil Referral Unit in Brecon, has been providing alternative education provision to secondary school-aged learners since 2014. It supports the individual needs of all learners by offering rich learning experiences and nurturing support so that pupils flourish and grow in all aspects of their development. The centre has now added Key Stage 2 provision for learned aged 6-11 which will enable the council to provide earlier interventions specifically tailored to…

The biggest change to housing law in Wales for decades has today (Thursday, December 1) come into force, bringing greater transparency and consistency to renting a home. Protecting the interests of both landlords and tenants, the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 improves how homes in Wales are rented, managed and lived in. It replaces various, complex pieces of existing legislation and case law and introduces one clear legal framework, providing contract-holders in Wales with greater security than in any other part of the UK. Some of the main changes introduced from today include: All landlords being required to provide a…

LucasFilm’s much anticipated sequel to Willow hits screens this week, making it one in a string of productions to be filmed in Wales with support from Creative Wales. With blockbuster productions from the world’s biggest studios making Wales their home, Creative Wales has reported that spending from brands such as Lucasfilm, Netflix and Bad Wolf has attracted over 22 projects generating over £155.6m into the local economy since Creative Wales’ was established in 2020. Originally filmed in Wales in over 30 years ago, the new series is set to shine a light on some of country’s most magical hidden spots – including…

A demand-responsive, flexible bus service in Blaenau Gwent has seen passenger numbers increase by almost one fifth in the past six months as people explore more sustainable modes of transport. The Fflecsi bus service, which operates as a pick-up and drop-off service, has delivered more than 23,000 journeys since June, after aggregating passengers with similar journey routes together. Passengers must book via the dedicated Fflecsi app or local rate phone line, with journeys often starting near their front door and ending at places like their GP surgery or local shops. Gary Milburn has been a bus driver for over 10…