Author: Rhys Gregory

A carpenter and a virtual assistant are among more than 50 new Swansea businesses to have benefited from start-up funding support in the last six months. Grants of up to £1,000 were made available to successful applicants in the latest round of a scheme run by Swansea Council and funded by the UK Government’s Community Renewal Fund. Although the scheme has now closed for applications, further funding support for Swansea start-up businesses is expected to be announced in the early New Year. Edward Enticknap, from Morriston, is among those to have benefited in recent months. He used the start-up funding…

Neath Port Talbot Council and housing association Tai Tarian are teaming up to make sure land across the borough will be best managed to encourage biodiversity and promote well-being for future generations. Both organisations are working together to identify the areas that could suit activities such as football and picnics while letting grasses and flowers grow elsewhere to encourage bees, butterflies and rarer plant species. The council and Tai Tarian aim to work in partnership as they believe this will get more people behind the change while improving visual amenity for residents in all areas. All areas of land will…

Young musicians in Pembrokeshire recently enjoyed a day rehearsing music with professional musicians from the Band of the Welsh Guards, before performing alongside them in a special evening concert at Haverfordwest High VC School. 56 pupils from nine schools took part in the event, practising a variety of popular pieces and new repertoire under the direction of Bandmaster WO2 Michael Mcgowen, who made the sessions a fun and educational experience. The day also included a presentation from LCpl Ben Harries about life as a serving musician in the Army. The pupils’ hard work culminated in an evening concert that was well…

A new indoor cycle storage unit, the first of its kind in Newport, was officially opened this week in Skinner Street. Spokesafe Newport offers 24/7 access to cyclists looking for a safe place to store their bikes when visiting the city centre. The unit has been set up by Gap Wales, a Newport-based grassroots charity that supports refugees and asylum seekers, homeless or vulnerably housed people, and victims of human trafficking, and works to make Newport a better place for all. Gap Wales already runs several successful projects in the city, including the Newport Refugee Bike project, a scheme that…

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Cabinet has unanimously agreed to an independent re-evaluation of safety measures along the B4251, known locally as ‘Wyllie bends’. This decision was made during a meeting held on 16th November where Cabinet members heard the views of local Councillors and Mrs Jo Jones, the mother of Laurie Jones who died during an accident on the road in 2019. Cllr Sean Morgan, the Council’s Leader, said “This stretch of highway has seen several unfortunate accidents in recent years, two of which were sadly fatal.  We offer our condolences to those families who lost loved ones and thank…

The annual Sport Caerphilly Sport Awards has once again proved an inspirational evening by celebrating the achievements of sportsmen and women within Caerphilly County Borough. Held at Bryn Meadows in Maesycwmmer – volunteers, coaches and clubs received awards for their outstanding contributions to sport in the County Borough. The evening started with a powerful speech from BBC TV and radio presenter Jason Mohammad. Special guests Tanni Grey-Thompson and Olympian Lauren Price were also in attendance. The awards ceremony began by unveiling the winners of the young volunteer of the year and volunteer of the year. William Phillips won the Aaron…

The annual Christmas fair and lights switch-on is returning to Treharris town centre on Friday 2 December. A host of seasonal activities at Treharris Square will include a performance by local acoustic Irish band Fiddler’s Elbow, alongside a range of stalls run by local groups and businesses. The fair opens at 3pm and the Christmas lights will be switched on at 6pm by Mayor of Merthyr Tydfil Cllr Declan Sammon, while Treharris Community Centre is hosting Santa’s Grotto and carol singing led by Edwardsville Primary School Choir.  There will also be mince pies and a hot drink to warm you…

Listening and engagement sessions are taking place with parents, staff, governors and pupils about plans for a multi-million- pound new school to replace Goetre Primary in Gurnos, Merthyr Tydfil, which is currently in a poor state of repair. The project will create a modern, state-of-the-art new build school, jointly funded by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council and Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning programme. The new school will be located less than half a mile away from the current site on land below Pen Y Dre High School. It will have a Multi-use Games Area (MUGA), community facilities, and a…

Latest data published by Stats Wales confirms that Powys has once again exceeded the Welsh Government statutory recycling target of 64%, with an impressive recycling rate of 66.8% for 2021/22. Wales outperforms other UK home nations when it comes to recycling and is currently one of the best recycling countries in the world with an average recycling rate of 65.2%. As a country our recycling efforts already make a significant difference to help reduce the effects of climate change, saving around 400,000 tonnes of CO2 per year from being released into the atmosphere. “Already recycling above the national average, Powys…

Households across Wales can collect their tree, free of charge, from tomorrow as part of an ambitious Welsh Government giveaway to tackle the climate and nature emergencies – an initiative called My Tree Our Forest. Over 50 collection hubs facilitated by Coed Cadw, the Woodland Trust in Wales, are set to open their doors to the public from the 19th November. Behind them is an army of dedicated volunteers ready to share expert growing advice in choosing the right tree for the right space. A whopping 295,000 trees are up for grabs and their planting will contribute to the National…