Author: Rhys Gregory

The waiting is over and the nominations for the 2022 Sport Pembrokeshire Awards have been revealed. A total of 186 nominations have been received in 13 categories for individuals and teams involved in a variety of different sports across the county. The three finalists in each category will be announced in the Western Telegraph on Wednesday 16th November. The overall winners will be unveiled at a gala ceremony at Folly Farm on Friday 25th November, organised by Sport Pembrokeshire. The awards are sponsored by Valero, the Western Telegraph, Folly Farm, and Pure West Radio. “We’re delighted to have received so…

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, in partnership with RHA Wales, secured funding from Welsh Government’s Phase 2 Homelessness Capital programme to construct much-needed residential accommodation specifically to meet the needs of young people in our communities who may need access to a supported living scheme. The project is located in Hughes Street, Tonypandy, with easy access to the nearby town centre and local amenities. The scheme will deliver 4 x 1-bedroom self-contained studio apartments on the lower and upper ground floors and staff accommodation on the first floor. The scheme will be managed by Hafan Cymru who specialise in providing support…

A Treforest business which used its manufacturing expertise to supply key products like hand sanitiser in response to the pandemic, just weeks after being flooded by Storm Dennis, continues to go from strength to strength. Gwalia Healthcare, based at Treforest Industrial Estate, specialises in manufacturing medical devices and pharmaceutical packaging. Through positive support and engagement, the company has a close working relationship with the Enterprise team, part of the Council’s Prosperity & Development Service. Gwalia recently hosted Vaughan Gething MS, the Welsh Government Minister for Economy, along with the Council Leader and Chief Executive. The Minister visited the company in…

Cllr Philippa Leonard, Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Protection at Caerphilly County Borough Council, has called on Welsh Government to review greyhound racing in Wales. Greyhound racing is currently unregulated in Wales, unlike England where tracks are subject to the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 and tracks are registered with the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) and are subject to UKAS accredited self-regulation. In her letter to Welsh Government, Cllr Leonard said “I share the concerns voiced by animal welfare charities for racing greyhounds throughout their lives, including when their racing career ends.  The available data on…

Powys Library Service is holding a competition for children and young people to design the new library membership card. The competition is open to anyone aged between 4 and 16years old and will be split into two age categories: primary school children (aged 4-11), and secondary school children (aged 11-16), with a prize for the winner of each category. One of the winning designs will be chosen to create the new library membership card. The theme for the competition is ‘What do Libraries in Powys mean to you?’ and designs can be created using any medium such as paint, drawing…

Powys residents who have received an email from the county council asking them to return a duplicate Fuel Support Scheme payment, are being advised that these are not a scam. Unfortunately, 842 people had their payment transferred to their bank account twice last month, resulting in them receiving £400 instead of £200 through the Welsh Government’s Fuel Support Scheme 2022/23. Those who have received more than they are entitled to are being asked to return the overpayment and many of them will have already received an email about this from the council. “We are really sorry this error has occurred…

A new 20mph default speed limit in communities across Wales could save £100m as deaths and injuries are reduced, according to new research. New research showing a reduction in deaths and injuries as traffic slows down is being published today alongside new survey results showing continued public support for the national roll out of the lower 20mph speed limit next year – a UK first. The Welsh Government will introduce a default 20mph speed limit on restricted roads across Wales in September 2023. Restricted roads include those with street-lights and are usually located in residential and built-up areas with high…

A year on from COP26 in Glasgow and a year after the Welsh Government published its Net Zero plan, a wide range of climate policies have been introduced in Wales, such as the plans for a renewable public energy developer to provide long-term energy security which sees profits reinvested to benefit the people of Wales. Speaking at a Welsh Government press conference, the Minister will say responding to the climate change emergency can bring many benefits, including healthier communities and new job opportunities. The Minister is also expected to congratulate the Football Association Wales for its sustainability strategy which launches…

Siemens Healthineers will launch a healthcare centre of excellence in Llanberis, bringing with it a multi-million-pound investment in research and development (R&D) and securing high quality, long-term jobs with support from the Welsh Government. Siemens Healthineers is to consolidate its global operations for the manufacture of IMMULITE® blood analysis technology, used worldwide to aid the diagnosis of medical conditions, at its site in Gwynedd. This investment will transform the site into an R&D facility for laboratory diagnostics enabling the development of enhanced diagnostic precision products for use in optimising patient care. This significant investment by the Welsh Government and Siemens…

First Minister Mark Drakeford is asking budding young artists to put their creative hats on and enter this year’s Christmas card competition. The First Minister will choose a winning design, which will be used as his official Christmas card this year. The First Minister sends his Christmas card to thousands of people around the world, including to His Majesty the King, to the President of the United States Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The competition is open to children in years five and six of primary schools across Wales. The theme for this year’s competition is ‘A Christmas…