Author: Rhys Gregory

The 2023, Child of Wales Awards, sponsored by Principality Building Society, took place at the Mercure Holland House Hotel, Cardiff on Friday 24th March. Inspirational children from across Wales were celebrated at the star-studded celebration, which was hosted by TV presenter Gethin Jones. The winners of 13 categories were announced after over 300 nominations were received earlier in the year. An auction and raffle on the night raised over £16,000 to support the work of two Welsh children’s charities; Ty Hafan, and Hope House Ty Gobaith, who provide care and support to life-limited children and their families across Wales and…

TV and radio broadcaster Owain Wyn Evans has urged a Swansea audience to stay true to themselves and never be afraid of taking risks. Speaking at a special event held at Swansea Arena, the former weatherman shared his journey – from his roots growing up in Ammanford through to becoming a TV favourite and now launching his own show on BBC Radio 2. Owain was the keynote speaker at the event, hosted by Swansea University’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences – which saw guests from the public, private and third sector join together for a day of inspiration, interactive…

Five members of one of Wales’ best known law firms, JCP Solicitors, have been appointed to the role of Director as it continues to strengthen its senior team. The legal firm, which has offices across south and west Wales, has promoted staff from its Family, Residential Property, Court of Protection, Property Litigation, and Injury teams to Directors. Among those to be promoted is Kirsty Meech, an Associate Solicitor in the firm’s Catastrophic Injury team. Having been with the business since 2006, she currently specialises in representing clients who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. Kirsty developed a particular interest in catastrophic injuries…

Popham Kidney Support hosted its inaugural Spring Ball at The Bear Hotel in Cowbridge on Saturday March 25, raising over £5,000 for the charity. The Spring Ball was Popham Kidney Support’s first marquee event of its tenth anniversary and raised vital funds for the charity that provides emotional, physical and financial support to children, youths and adults with kidney disease and their families across Wales. The charity’s ambassador and Welsh TV personality, Sian Lloyd, hosted the event which involved an awards ceremony, rewarding those who had played a vital part in supporting the charity and its fundraising efforts over the…

Neath Port Talbot Council is asking residents and visitors for their views on proposals to invest in the heritage features and visitor facilities at Gnoll Estate Country Park over the next two years. The proposal was recently submitted to UK Government for funding as part of its Levelling Up opportunities. The proposals at the park include investment in the visitor centre to enhance the overall catering offer and install indoor soft play provision, the opening up of the Gnoll House Cellars as an interpretive experience, a new woodland play area, self-catering visitor accommodation and various improvements to pathways and heritage…

Visitors to Ynysangharad War Memorial Park in Pontypridd will notice the significant ongoing improvement works have now progressed to the sunken garden area. The overall £1.9m investment will refurbish the bandstand and its surrounding areas, install new signage, deliver a new training and activity centre, and new events to promote local heritage. As part of the works activity within the park, the sunken garden area has now been brought out of use to the public and cordoned off. This will ensure the area remains safe due to the condition of a wall within the garden. Repairs to this structure will be…

Llancaiach Fawr are celebrating two prestigious awards from Visit Wales. The historic visitor attraction in Caerphilly recently won both the Visit Wales ‘Best Told Story 2023 / 24’ and the new category ‘Quality Food and Drink 2023 / 24  accolades, awarded by VAQAS,(the Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service), following a mystery shopper visit by representatives of the tourism industry regulatory body. The site was praised for its well organised gift shop, excellent café / restaurant menu, using locally sourced ingredients and the outstanding knowledge of the Historical Interpreters who guide visitors around the manor dressed and in character as the…

Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Helyg in Blaina, Blaenau Gwent, has been recognised for its hard work in supporting Young Carers at the school, by achieving the Care Collective’s Young Carer ‘Best Practice’ Award. The Young Carer Lead Practitioner at the school, Miss Carys Jones said: “We are delighted that our work has been recognised, but more importantly, it’s good to know that our Young Carer Group all feel well supported by the school community.” A large evidence file was presented to the panel, demonstrating the whole school’s commitment to supporting pupils as well as raising awareness of the issue. Headteacher Ms…

Two new legal duties to improve services, openness and transparency in the NHS have come into force, Health Minister Eluned Morgan announced today. The duty of candour is a legal requirement for all NHS organisations in Wales to be open and transparent with people if something goes wrong and they experience harm while receiving healthcare. Under the duty, health boards and NHS trusts must apologise and support people while an investigation into the incident happens and, importantly, ensure incidents are investigated through the Putting Things Right process and learning is shared to help prevent similar incidents from occurring again. The…

Welsh communities will be better supported to address high levels of second home ownership and empty properties as new local tax rules come into force this month. It marks another milestone in the implementation of a series of measures being introduced as part of the Welsh Government’s Co-operation Agreement commitment with Plaid Cymru to address the impact of second homes and empty homes on communities across the nation. The rules have become operational following national and local consultations, meaning that local authorities are now able to put their strengthened levers into practical effect. Measures are part of efforts to ensure…