Author: Rhys Gregory

Wales is set to be the first UK nation to increase the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) payment, the Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles has confirmed. From April 2023 the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) will increase from £30 per week to £40 for eligible further education students in sixth form or college. EMA is a weekly grant designed to support 16 to 18-year-olds from low-income households with further education costs, such as transport or meals. FE students are eligible for EMA if their household income is £20,817 or less, if they are the only young person in the household,…

South Wales Police have issued an update following a road incident that took place in Cardiff last month. The 54-year-old man who was injured following an incident on North Road, Cardiff on Tuesday March 28 has died at the University Hospital of Wales. He has been named as Mark Lang from the Cyncoed area of the city. Mark’s partner has paid the following tribute: “It’s difficult to put into words quite how any of us are feeling. I don’t think we can ever get over something so brutal and ultimately pointless. “Our thanks go out to all the emergency services…

As a parent or guardian, choosing the right toy for your child can be a daunting task. With so many options available in the market, it can be overwhelming to determine which one is suitable for your child’s age and interest. Choosing the wrong toy can not only lead to frustration and disappointment for your child, but it can also be a waste of money. Therefore, it is important to consider your child’s developmental stage, interests, and abilities when selecting a toy. In this blog post, we will provide you with some helpful tips and guidelines on how to pick…

Swansea Council has published the details of major road resurfacing schemes which have been scheduled as part of its annual highway maintenance programme. Roads include Neath Road in Landore, Mumbles Road, Gors Avenue in Townhill, Nantong Way, Llewitha, Middle Road in Gendros and M4 Junction 47 at Penllergaer. The improvements are part of a nearly £6million investment in highways in the city in 2023/24 and follow a series of resurfacing schemes completed as part of last years plans. Roads completed included Townhill Road, Gellionnen Road and Cecil Road in Gowerton In March this year, the Council’s Cabinet approved the overall…

Cardiff’s Castle Street looks set to remain open to general traffic with the current temporary road set up made permanent – with two lanes for general traffic, a westbound bus lane and a two-way cycleway remaining on the street. Cardiff Council’s Cabinet will discuss two options at its meeting on Thursday April 20th – with a recommendation, subject to Welsh Government funding, to allow general traffic to continue to use Castle Street and to enable a permanent scheme to be put in place. Option 1. To allow general traffic to continue to use the street; Option 2. Only to allow…

A decision on plans to replace three Swansea Valley primary schools with a new English medium school in Pontardawe will be made by members of Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet on April 19th, 2023. The council’s former Cabinet approved the proposed replacement of primary schools at Alltwen, Llangiwg and Godre’rgraig with the new school plus a specialist learning centre and public swimming pool in October 2021. But after the May 2022 local elections, the council’s new Rainbow Coalition administration pledged to review the new school proposal, this being followed by a successful legal challenge to the plans by parent group…

A burns patient who spent a year in hospital after suffering horrific injuries in an explosion at his home turned to poetry to thank the ‘angels’ who cared for him at Morriston Hospital. The work from the pen of Stuart Cooper has now been presented to one the hospital wards where he was previously a patient, as part of an art collaboration with an artist who also owes her life to the NHS, in the hope it will inspire nurses and others struggling during their time in hospital. Father-of-four Stuart remembers little of the fire at his home in Cowlas near Penzance, believed to have been caused by a gas heater, which led him to being airlifted to…

A trailblazing West Wales family business, which will be exhibiting at Wonderwool Wales on April 22-23, plans to create up to six jobs when its new woollen mill is in full production later this spring. Garthenor Organic moved to a 21,000 square feet unit at Mwldan Business Park in Cardigan last year and has been gradually moving in worsted spinning machinery to produce 100 per cent organic wool yarn. Mother and son partnership Sally Davies and Jonny King, who currently have two employees, hope to have the mill in full production by early May as they attempt to meet increasing…

It is over a year since physical punishment, like smacking, became illegal in Wales. It was a historic moment for children’s rights as children received the same legal protection from common assault as adults for the first time. As part of the ongoing support for parents, Parenting. Give it time roadshows took place across Wales in March. Due to the heavy snow in Newtown on 9 March which prevented the event from taking place, the roadshow has been rescheduled and will visit Tesco Newtown on Thursday 20 April from 10am to 1pm. Parenting isn’t always easy; the Welsh Government’s Parenting. Give it time…

Persimmon Homes has appointed a new managing director at its West Wales region.   Following the recent retirement of the region’s long-standing MD, Andy Edwards, Stuart Phillips has been promoted from his previous position as Deputy Managing Director. During his thirteen years with Persimmon, Stuart has worked in various roles, including as Head of Land and Director of Land and Planning. Stuart will now assume responsibility for all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the business, which is building quality new homes for local people at numerous sites stretching from Pembrokeshire to Bridgend. Commenting on his new role, Stuart said: …