Author: Rhys Gregory

Shoppers are being encouraged to go green on Black Friday (25 November) by planting a tree – free of charge. More than 50 collection hubs have opened their doors across Wales as part of an ambitious Welsh Government tree giveaway. While retailers get ready for the year’s busiest weekend – from Black Friday to Cyber Monday – an army of dedicated My Tree Our Forestvolunteers are preparing to hand out some of the 295,000 trees available. As well as sucking carbon from our atmosphere, improving our mental health and cleaning the air we breathe, broadleaf trees are a haven for…

THE man behind one of the UK’s leading organic farm estates has won a prestigious national award for entrepreneurship. Lord Robert Newborough, owner of Rhug Estate, near Corwen, picked up the Health and Beauty Entrepreneur Award at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2022 Grand Final. He was selected following the success of their popular Wild Beauty collection, created from natural ingredients foraged on-site. “I am absolutely thrilled to win the award, it’s testament to our vision to create a high-quality brand centred around the environment and sustainability,” said Lord Newborough. “Thank you to the judges and especially our hard-working Wild…

The membership of Clarke Willmott LLP has elected Peter Swinburn to be the firm’s new CEO from 1st May 2023, when Stephen Rosser steps down after 13 years as CEO.    Under Stephen Rosser’s leadership Clarke Willmott has seen a transformation in its fortunes that sees the firm now enjoying strong and improving financial performance, as well as being acknowledged for its strong client and people-focused culture, leadership and commitment to a positive work-life balance for staff.    In a message to all staff at the firm, Clarke Willmott chairman, Kelvin Balmont said: “I’m delighted to let you know that earlier this…

Christmas is a time for togetherness so gather your loved ones and step in from the cold as you enjoy plenty of festive cheer with National Trust Cymru. This is the time to feel the warmth of festive family days in beautiful places, to reunite, rekindle and remember what really matters. Grace Davies, Experiences and Partnerships Curator, National Trust Cymru, says: “Christmas is a special time to spend with special people, and this year there’s something for everyone at the places we care for across Wales. Whether you’re looking for medieval castles bursting with decorations, opportunities for your little elves…

Each year in New Zealand’s capital of Wellington, the spheres of fashion and art collide. An epic show descends on the capital for three weeks, stopping the city in its tracks and bringing in crowds of up to 60,000 people per year. It was here that Agnes Olah, a student at University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) found herself when her design scooped up a prestigious global award. The World of Wearable Art (WoW) is an annual fashion design competition, open to all people from all nations, with very minimal rules: the outfit created must be wearable, and must…

Training providers across Wales with access to people struggling to find employment can put forward candidates to a new pre-employment course from the Welsh Contact Centre Forum and funded by Welsh Government. The courses guarantee delegates a job interview with key employers with live vacancies. Providers are being called upon to support the Welsh Contact Centre Forum as it aims to address the demand for more employees in the sector, by offering a free intensive, interactive week-long course designed to develop industry expertise on skill building, confidence, and employability. Cardiff Council’s Into Work Advice Service is the first provider to…

Cardiff Central remained as the most used railway station in Wales, although its total number of passenger entries and exits was five million fewer than the figure from two years ago (April 2019 to March 2020). The numbers were revealed in the Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) estimates of station usage statistics for April 2021 to March 2022, which include the annual total of passenger entries and exits at each of the 2,570 stations in Britain. Across Wales, Cardiff Central remained the busiest station during April 2021 to March 2022 with 7.5 million entries and exits, up from 2 million…

Pupils in the Vale of Glamorgan have become the first in Wales to benefit from new science education workshops provided by Wales’s home-grown internet company, Ogi. Delivered in collaboration with leading interactive education practitioners, Science Made Simple, the new programme brings broadband technology to life, helping schools to embed ultrafast connectivity and showcase the real-life application of STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) subjects throughout the new curriculum. The initial pilot programme launched during the autumn term with three schools in Llantwit Major, coinciding with the completion of Ogi’s initial broadband works programme in the Vale of Glamorgan town. Classes of pupils…

The Cabinet of Bridgend County Borough Council has approved the Bridgend Biodiversity Duty Plan, 2022 to 2025, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to promoting the resilience of ecosystems. Following a review of the previous plan, involving feedback from relevant departments across the council, one of the key achievements highlighted was the landscape projects that have been delivered. Biodiversity enhancement activities at the disused coal washery site in Ogmore Vale, Ogmore Washeries, resulted in identifying a new species – namely the Brown Banded Carder bee. Another example is the ‘Dunes 2 Dunes’ project, which involved a collaboration of nature reserve managers, volunteers…

More than 30 community organisations in Swansea have now been added to a directory highlighting safe, warm and welcoming places where people can go to during the winter. Council services such as libraries and community hubs are also included in the list of Swansea Spaces where people can be assured they will be welcomed and treated with dignity and respect. Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Well-being Alyson Pugh said: “It is just over a week since the Swansea Spaces Directory went live and there has been a huge response from community groups, charities and other organisations who are providing spaces.…