Author: Rhys Gregory

VISITOR numbers to some of Swansea’s best-known leisure destinations saw big increases as they emerged from the post-pandemic months of 2021 and 2022, a new report has revealed. Freedom Leisure, Wales National Pool Swansea, Plantasia and the National Waterfront Museum all saw a much-needed return of custom after being financially supported through the Covid-19 crisis by Welsh Government and the council. Visitor numbers to the city centre LC and its other community leisure facilities jumped by 84% to 1.42m in the months after re-opening doors to the public. Wales National Pool Swansea visitor numbers rose to 202,000. Plantasia also saw…

The café at Dare Valley Country Park will be re-opening today, Monday 24thApril. The café has been closed for several months which has allowed the new lease holders to take stock, plan menus – and there’s also been a partial refurbishment.  The new leaseholders are Caroline and Julian Symmonds who will be familiar faces to regular visitors to the park as they have been running Cabin Cwtsh in the courtyard since January.  The cwtsh theme continues as the café will now operate under the name Caffi Cwtsh. In addition to serving lunches and hot and cold snacks, the menu at…

Newport City Council’s tree work has been recognised with a major international award. Newport has received tree city of the world status, a programme run by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. The programme is an international effort to recognise cities and towns committed to ensuring that their urban forests and trees are properly maintained, sustainably managed, and duly celebrated. A total of 168 cities and towns from 21 countries were recognised in 2022, with Newport one of over 50 cities earning the recognition for the first time. The council was…

Community centres across Wales play a pivotal role in supporting the most vulnerable members of our society, Minister for Social Justice has declared at the opening of a community centre that benefitted from Welsh Government funding. Funding from the Community Facilities Programme has helped community centres – as well as a range of other facilities – to make improvements, repairs and redevelopments across Wales. Each year projects can apply for larger grants up to £300,000 to cover the cost of upgrades to their community facilities, as well as small grants up to £25,000. In the financial year 2021/22, 71 projects…

Visitor numbers to Cadw’s staffed sites have made an impressive recovery in the financial year 2022/23, reaching to 92% of pre-Covid levels with some sites performing better on pre-Covid levels. Conwy Castle remains the most popular site welcoming 227,000 visits in the last year, an increase of 5% on pre-Covid levels. The largest increase was however at St. David’s Bishop’s Palace which saw visits increase by 49% on pre-Covid levels. Following major works and improved visitor facilities at Caernarfon Castle and on-going work at Caerphilly Castle, Cadw expects a bumper year in 2023. In fact, early indications are that visitor…

The Minister for Education and Welsh Language has announced a new bursary and grant to increase the number of teachers who can speak Welsh. A new £5,000 bursary will be available to teachers who gained Qualified Teacher Status from August 2020 onwards, and who have completed three years of teaching Welsh or through the medium of Welsh. The bursary will initially be available until Autumn 2028 to assess its success in encouraging teachers to enter and remain in the profession. Alongside this, a second round of the Welsh-medium workforce capacity building grant has opened, with a total pot of £800,000.…

WWE’s “Clash at the Castle” event in Cardiff in 2022 delivered a massive 10:1 return on investment by channelling £21.8m back into the Welsh economy, a new report shows. Wales hosted the UK’s first major WWE stadium event in 30 years in September 2022. The event, which wowed visitors to Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, had many highlights – including a specially designed set that echoed the city’s unique castle. The event attracted a global audience of millions – taking Wales directly into the homes of WWE fans in all corners of the globe. The independently generated Economic Impact Study sought the views…

A new seasonal menu that has all the hallmarks of one of Britain’s greatest chefs has been launched at a popular Cardiff restaurant. Featuring a mouth-watering mix of classic dishes perfect for the longer, lighter days, the spring menu has been revealed at the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse bar & Grill on the 6th floor of Dominions Arcade and includes a seasonal set and specials. Reflecting Pierre White’s ethos of serving simple but classically prepared cuisine, the dishes will, it is hoped appeal to a wide range of guest and budget. On the specials, starters include a beautifully balanced Anchovies…

If you’ve been playing FIFA and are struggling with getting FIFA Coins for Ultimate Team, you are not alone. This is because many players think that it is easy to get rich in the game, but it isn’t. You can not acquire tons of coins until and unless you grind every day and win matches. However, there is an easy way to quickly fill your account with FIFA Coins, and that is by purchasing them from SkyCoach. SkyCoach is one of the best websites when it comes to boosting and other video game services. They offer a wide range of…

Money worries can be difficult. The majority of people have money objectives for their lifetimes when it comes to life goals. Your financial objectives will vary from others’ depending on your desired lifestyle or needs. These objectives can range from attempting to purchase a new laptop for school to managing your mortgage or student loan debt. These objectives were made with only you in mind! Financial objectives are useful for everyone in this regard. By the age of 30, one can achieve financial success in many areas of life with well-thought-out objectives. Learning how to establish financial goals has many…