Author: Rhys Gregory

One of Swansea University’s most exciting facilities has been expanded to offer an even better learning environment for its students. The flight simulation suite in the Department of Aerospace Engineering now boasts new equipment installed by the Merlin Flight Simulation Group and unveiled at a special event attended by staff and students. Dr Ben Evans, Head of Aerospace said: “We are delighted to have received our new six axis motion simulator from Merlin which, along with the additional desktop simulator, doubles the capacity of our flight simulation lab here at Swansea.  “This will be a fantastic benefit to all of…

A dairy farmers’ co-operative has been spreading Christmas cheer to war veterans as part of a tradition stretching back more than 300 years. Cheesemakers from South Caernarfon Creameries (SCC) have donated their finest Caerphilly, Cheddar, Halen Mȏn and Welsh red cheeses to the Chelsea Pensioners. The annual Ceremony of the Christmas Cheeses dates back to the opening of the Royal Hospital in 1692 when acclaimed architect Sir Christopher Wren, who designed St Paul’s Cathedral, asked local cheesemongers to provide the pensioners with cheese as a Yule Tide treat. Historically, cheddar has played an important role in providing important nutrients to…

The Met Office annual global temperature forecast for 2023 suggests that next year will be one of the Earth’s hottest years on record. The average global temperature for 2023 is forecast to be between 1.08 °C and 1.32°C (with a central estimate of 1.20 °C) above the average for the pre-industrial period (1850-1900): the tenth year in succession that temperatures have reached at least 1°C above pre-industrial levels. The Met Office’s Dr Nick Dunstone, who has led the 2023 global temperature forecast, said: “The global temperature over the last three years has been influenced by the effect of a prolonged La…

Governments are not doing enough to prioritise biodiversity when it comes to their green policies, an Aberystwyth University academic has said at COP15 in Canada. The United Nations’ biodiversity summit in Montreal is host to more than 10,000 scientists, government officials and activists from almost every nation, with the aim of approving long-term goals and targets to help prevent the ongoing loss of terrestrial and marine biodiversity. One million species are currently threatened with extinction. In an event at the summit, Professor Mike Christie of Aberystwyth Business School outlined that the way in which the natural world is valued in…

Paul Taylor has been made an Honorary Lecturer at Bangor University and attended the University’s Graduation ceremonies for the first time in that role just before Christmas. As a young man with intellectual disability, Paul has valuable insights which he shares with the University’s Nursing students. Paul is the only person in the UK in this unique role. Asked about his role, Paul said, “I contacted the University as it was something I hadn’t done before, to see what happens. I had a meeting and now I talk to students. I like being an Honorary lecturer, I get to go…

Popham Kidney Support, the Swansea based kidney charity, has unveiled plans for further growth and expansion at its annual Supporters Lunch as it gears for its tenth year in operation. The charity’s employees, volunteers, supporters, and partners attended the annual event, held at the Mercure Hotel, Swansea, on Thursday 15thDecember. In 2022, the charity raised £135,000 and supported 3,323 people affected by kidney disease. It also rebranded and launched a new website as it gears up to deliver on ambitious plans for next year, which will also be its 10th anniversary. An important part of that will be expanding its…

Swansea Building Society’s Cowbridge branch celebrates five years trading this month, as the society continues to grow its customer base in South East Wales and expand its workforce across the region. The Cowbridge branch, which opened during December 2017, has now reached £164 million in mortgage balances and over £61 million in savings balances with over 3,000 savings accounts – a particularly impressive figure considering the length of time the branch has been in operation. When the Society first opened the branch, it employed just seven staff at the branch with two further staff covering the east region. Now the…

This year, Bridgend County Borough has been listed in the top two best performing local authority areas in Wales for recycling. The county borough’s recycling rate has increased to 72.6 per cent, which is three per cent higher than the previous year – a number which has also exceeded the Welsh Government’s recycling target for local authorities, which is currently 64 per cent. In 2024-25, the statutory target will be raised to 70 per cent – a target that the county borough has already achieved, three years early.  There is a large network of staff that support the recycling and…

The proposed Celtic Freeport is an exciting new project promising an industrial renaissance in south west Wales creating 16,000 new jobs and £5.5bn of new inward investment all based on green energy. The Welsh and UK Governments will name the successful bidder in the race to host Wales’ first freeport in early 2023. The Celtic Freeport bid aims to create a green innovation and investment corridor with sites at the ports of Port Talbot and Milford Haven in which clean energy developments, fuel terminals, a power station and hydrogen fuel innovation will thrive. So here are ten big benefits of the…

RCT’s Cabinet has agreed to progress proposals to introduce Council Tax premiums for long-term empty properties and second homes in Rhondda Cynon Taf, having considered the feedback received in a recent consultation. Following this decision on Monday, December 12, Cabinet will now recommend to full council to adopt the proposals. If agreed, this would introduce the Council Tax premiums from April 2023 for long-term empty properties that have remained empty for more than a year, and April 2024 for all second homes. On October 17, Cabinet agreed a new Empty Homes Strategy (2022-2025) to continue the positive work that has…