Author: Rhys Gregory

Social care in Wales is “sleepwalking into a crisis” unless a funding system that forces families to “pay twice” for essential support is ripped up, providers have warned. The alert comes as Care Forum Wales (CFW), which represents more than 400 care homes and home-care companies, launches a hard-hitting manifesto ahead of the 2026 Senedd elections. The organisation is urging the new Welsh Government to hold the nation’s 22 councils and seven health boards to account for creating a postcode lottery that can see funding for identical needs differ by as much as £20,000 a year per person. CFW says…

Swansea Council’s Wales Airshow is set to be the best yet with a new date and new attractions for the 2026 event. The biggest free event of the year in Wales is to move from its traditional early-July date to July 25 and 26 to become the curtain-raiser to the school summer holidays. The move’s been agreed so that there isn’t a successive weekend-clash between the show and the Ironman 70.3 event taking place on July 11 and 12. On top of that the council is working with its partners on a range of new and improved attractions in the…

Resurfacing work at Malpas Road in Newport is set to begin on Friday 13 February as part of the council’s major road improvement programme. The scheme forms part of a wider £6.6m investment in maintaining and improving some of the city’s most critical roads, which has been underway since last summer. The council said the work at Malpas Road is a key element of the programme due to the road’s importance within the local network. Newport Council explained that planning the resurfacing has been particularly complex. This is due to the road’s location and the large number of utility pipes…

This St Dwynwen’s Day (25 January) – Wales’s national day of love in all its forms – Visit Wales invites the world to celebrate with llonyddwch (stillness), myfyrdod (reflection) and hwyl (joy) through Chill Cymru. This new series of guided meditative podcasts and accompanying short films is designed to transport listeners to the heart of Wales, wherever they are in the world, while celebrating self-love and emotional wellbeing. Part of Visit Wales’ wider Hwyl campaign – which champions the emotional, sensory and joyful connections visitors can encounter in Wales – Chill Cymru reflects a growing desire among travellers to reconnect,…

Acuity Law has launched, a new lawyer-led e-learning training platform designed to help businesses grow and thrive in the current climate. Part of its revamped Acuity Academy, the new platform will also help organisations reduce legal risk at a time when many are increasingly reliant on AI and generic online tools for legal guidance. As regulatory pressure intensifies and the cost of mistakes continues to rise, businesses face growing exposure to information that is outdated, inaccurate or non-compliant. Acuity Academy addresses this by providing practical, up-to-date training, giving organisations confidence that the guidance they rely on reflects current law and…

Caerphilly County Borough Council is asking residents to have their say on a proposed new intermediate rent policy aimed at tackling local housing need. The council said rising private rents, combined with local housing data, show a strong demand for more affordable homes to rent across the borough. The proposed policy is designed to support people who cannot afford to buy a home but are able to pay more than a social rent. Intermediate rent sits between social housing and the private rented sector and is intended to help individuals and families access more affordable housing options while remaining within…

The Leader of Powys County Council has expressed disappointment that Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is continuing with proposals to create a new national park in north east Wales, despite strong and consistent local opposition and a unanimous council resolution objecting to the plans. At a meeting of Full Council last month (December), councillors voted unanimously to oppose the proposed Glyndŵr National Park, which would incorporate an area of north west Powys including Lake Vyrnwy, Llansilin and Llangedwyn. However, NRW has announced that its board agreed to make the Glyndŵr National Park Designation Order, giving people until 15 February to formally…

People in Ystradgynlais can once again access face-to-face banking services on their high street following the opening of a new shared banking hub. The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language welcomed the opening and visited the hub this week, meeting staff and local people who are already benefiting from the new facility. The hub has opened in a building that had stood empty since the last local bank closed in September 2023. Customers can access a staffed counter, operated by Post Office staff, to deposit and withdraw cash, pay in cheques and carry out everyday transactions. They can also book appointments with…

The Welsh Government has sold a business park unit in Anglesey to a successful construction business, which plans to establish a new HQ at the site and pursue expansion ambitions. OBR Construction has purchased the unit at Bryn Cefni Business Park, in Llangefni, in a move which will help safeguard the jobs of 85 existing staff and create 10 new positions – including five apprenticeships. OBR Construction is an established construction and civil engineering company with a wide range of clients, from local authorities to the commercial and industrial sector, and the nuclear and waste industries. Its annual turnover exceeds…

Laurel & Hardy, arguably the most important and influential comedy partnership of all time, will be celebrated in 2026 with a new 100th anniversary touring show, presented by TV personality, musician and world authority on silent films, Neil Brand. The Laurel & Hardy Centenary Tour will visit Swansea Grand Theatre on 14th March where the audience will be taken back in time to the era of the silent film, where the music was played live and often improvised alongside the moving picture. Two newly restored films, ‘The Finishing Touch’ and ‘You’re Darn Tootin’, will be screened, the latter featuring Neil Brand performing…