Author: Rhys Gregory

A Cardiff mum and business owner, who sometimes works from her bed due to the debilitating and painful chronic condition, fibromyalgia, has made it her mission to make holidays abroad possible for all disabled travellers & their families. Paula Hansen, 52, has set up a first-of-its-kind business, World Accessible Holidays, after travelling around the world with her husband, Steve, 53, and son, Evan, 17, who now plays national wheelchair tennis for Wales. The business idea came after spotting a gap in the market for trips abroad that are less stressful and more affordable for disabled holidaymakers & their families. Specialist…

The University of South Wales is bringing the third annual Creative Industries Careers and Networking Fair back to Cardiff in March, as part of Immersed Festival. Taking place on Thursday 5 March at USW’s Cardiff Campus, the fair will connect emerging talent with leading organisations shaping the future of Wales’s creative industries. More than 40 exhibitors from musical film, TV, theatre, live events, digital media, education, and the wider creative economy will be at the event, which is supported by the Welsh Government’s Creative Wales programme, UK Music, Music Declares Emergency and Cardiff Music City. Visitors can meet employers, funders,…

Two men who stole bottles of champagne worth over £850 from a store in Tywyn have been jailed. Rees Vincent Pennington, 33, and Carl Joseph Ashmore, 36, both of no fixed address, appeared at Caernarfon Magistrates’ Court this week. Both were charged with multiple counts of theft from the Co-Op premises on Station Road, Towyn. The offences occurred on six separate occasions between 7-9 January, during which the pair stole 18 bottles of champagne. Ashmore was charged with three further thefts of alcohol from the same store on 20 January. Pennington and Ashmore admitted to all their respective charges, and…

Local recycling crews pulled off what can only be described as a small miracle after recovering a resident’s handbag containing £500 from a recycling bag at Bryn Pica Recycling Centre. Mrs Tracy Williams, from Treorchy, had been clearing up after Christmas and sorting packaging and wrapping paper, filling around 10 clear recycling bags ready for collection. Many people will recognise that heart stopping moment when keys, toy parts or important instructions are accidentally thrown out with festive wrapping and have to be quickly rescued. However, Mrs Williams had finished sorting the recycling, put the bags out for collection the night…

Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire County Councils have agreed to the creation of a cross-boundary work group to develop solutions to the long-standing congestion issues in the Chepstow area. The working group will develop a series of proposals aimed at improving access to public transport and active travel to provide viable alternatives to the car. The group will also consider the economic and environmental viability and feasibility of developing a proposed by-pass solution and other highway solutions – including the identification of potential funding streams. The councils will use their combined voice to lobby for improvements to the rail network and other…

Minister for Skills, Jack Sargeant, has this week hosted a Skills Summit in North Wales, bringing together key leaders to prepare the region’s workforce for future job opportunities. Industry leaders, education and training providers, and government partners gathered at the Llangefni Campus of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai to focus on how the region can capitalise on transformative projects like the Wylfa nuclear power station and the new AI growth zone. Discussions focused on skills priorities for North Wales,creating clear pathways for young people into rewarding local careers, and upskilling workers already in employment so everyone in North Wales can benefit. The Summit was also attended by Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning Rebecca…

The NHS Wales waiting list has fallen and fewer people are facing the longest waits for treatment, new figures show. The latest monthly fall in the waiting list, a 23,400 drop from October to November, is the biggest monthly reduction on record. It is also the sixth consecutive month the waiting list has been cut. People waiting over two years fell to just under 6,900 – down more than 90% from the peak. Provisional December data suggest further reductions in the overall waiting list, with two-year waits dropping to around 5,300. The number of people waiting over a year for…

Swansea Council is calling on the Welsh Rugby Union to halt its controversial overhaul of regional rugby amid growing concern for the future of the Ospreys. Council Leader Rob Stewart has criticised WRU plans to cut Wales’ professional regions from four to three — a move that would effectively erase the Ospreys as a top‑flight regional team. The WRU has confirmed it has entered negotiations with Y11, the owners of the Ospreys, to buy the Cardiff regional club. Following meetings today with senior WRU and Ospreys officials, Cllr Stewart warned that the proposals threaten both the region’s proud rugby heritage…

Leisure time in the UK has always been varied and eventful. From traditional pub gatherings to exciting evenings at the cinema, Britons have always found ways to enjoy themselves. However, with the development of technology and the growing popularity of mobile games, not only how people spend their free time has changed, but also where. Changes in gambling habits are particularly noticeable, as gambling is now available not only in real life, but also on smartphone screens. For example, the website https://www.sharpgambler.net/ is one such online platform offering gambling on mobile devices without the need to register. In this article,…

The large e-commerce firms based in the UK are operating in an increasingly complex cost environment. Increasing fulfilment and customer acquisition costs, wage inflation, and relentless margin pressure have made profitable scaling harder than it has been in the last 10 years. When most organisations are focused on logistics optimisation or product pricing, one of the most effective and least exploited drivers of sustainable growth is modern payment services. Payments infrastructure can go beyond a transactional utility when used strategically and become a source of efficiency, conversion and profitability in the long term. The Cost Pressures Reshaping UK E-Commerce For…