Author: Rhys Gregory

This Halloween and Bonfire Night, RCT Council is urging all residents to stay safe and be considerate to others while having fun. Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November, and those individuals who constantly live with PTSD. Many people in our communities need extra support at this time of year, and animals need extra love and attention. While many of us look forward to these occasions, others are filled with anxiety in the lead-up to October 31 and November 5. This includes many of our veterans who live daily with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Councillor Maureen Webber, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council Deputy…

A giant angel sculpture, made from more than 100,000 knives, is coming to Gwent in November as part of a national anti-violence tour. The 27ft Knife Angel will be installed at Friars Walk in Newport and will stand tall as a prominent reminder of the devastating effects of violence and aggression. Commissioned by the British Ironwork Centre in Oswestry, and created by artist Alfie Bradley, the iconic sculpture has been visiting towns and cities across the country. It will be on display at Friars Walk throughout November. Police and Crime Commissioner Jeff Cuthbert said: “The Knife Angel is a reminder…

A recent report highlights the efforts made by Caerphilly County Borough Council to implement a ‘Green Infrastructure Strategy’. The Council’s Environment and Sustainability Scrutiny Committee endorsed the update report at a meeting held on 25th October. Included within the report are several initiatives successfully delivered by the Council, since the implementation of its Green Infrastructure Strategy in November 2020.  These projects include community tree planting at Sirhowy Valley Country Park, which saw volunteers plant around 4,500 trees in the area.  As well as offering mental and physical health benefits to volunteers during the planting, it will create woodland spaces for…

Caldicot’s TogetherWORKS celebrated its first birthday on Friday (21st October). This safe, friendly, community space welcomes groups such as Bore Coffee, Disability and Dementia Art and Craft, Stitched Together, Armchair Aerobics, Makers Space and Parents Breastfeeding Support to name a few. Guests were encouraged to share new ideas for the continuation of TogetherWORKS and enjoyed live music from Ben the Hat and Cam Martin. Over the last year, TogetherWORKS has been a space for local people to share, reuse, repair, refurbish and recycle existing materials and products. Its Library of Things allows residents to borrow items and tools, or donate things they…

The findings of an informal engagement exercise on plans to transform secondary school in mid Powys have been published, the county council has said. Powys County Council wants to address issues with the current operating model of Ysgol Calon Cymru, a dual stream secondary school operating campuses in Builth Wells and Llandrindod Wells. In 2021 the council had identified a preferred way forward that could address these issued which included: A new 11-18 English-medium campus in Llandrindod Wells; plus A remodelled 4-18 Welsh-medium all-through campus in Builth Wells. Last year, a questionnaire was launched to help the council understand what…

Franco Manca, the latest pizzeria to grace Cardiff has swung open its doors for the very first time in Wales. The restaurant is conveniently located on Church Street opposite St John Baptist Church, and is the latest venue to form part of Cardiff’s unofficial foodie scene. When new restaurants pop up in Cardiff, we are usually first to talk about burgers and who has the best in the city. However, I’m saying it first, Cardiff is now the pizza capital of Wales with the array of pizzerias springing up. So let’s get down to it… What makes Franco Manca different?…

Start-up numbers in Wales fell almost 11% between Q2 and Q3 of this year, according to new research from the Welsh branch of insolvency and restructuring trade body R3. R3’s analysis of data provided by Creditsafe shows 4,500 new firms were set up in Wales in Q3 – a fall of 10.8% from Q2’s total of 5,044. Wales saw the biggest quarter-on-quarter fall in start-up figures across all the UK regions and nations, followed by Yorkshire and Humberside (10% fall), the West Midlands (6.2%) and the South West (5.8%). Start-up figures in Wales have been slowly falling since June and…

A Swansea-based accountancy firm, Lee Coombes Accountancy, has been instrumental in helping leading fin-tech company, Coconut, in the development of a cutting-edge digital accounting application aimed at sole traders. The app is designed to help sole traders streamline and simplify their accounts ahead of a new legal requirement to keep digital records and use software to submit online self-employment tax returns. It follows the mandate for VAT registered businesses to submit online through third-party software this year. The collaboration between Lee Coombes and Coconut to develop the app has come about due to new plans which have been put forward…

Redrow has unveiled its latest development in Newport with the launch of 75 high quality new homes. Nestled in a peaceful residential area, Parc Elisabeth has been named after the late Queen Elizabeth II who began her first official visit to Wales in Newport following her coronation in June 1953. Work on the development is now underway with an assortment of three, four and five bedroom homes due to be built over the next two year period. All are being sold from Redrow’s new sales hub at Great Milton Park in Newport. Andrew Williams is Area Sales Manager for Redrow.…

PureGym, the UK’s largest gym operator, is delighted to announce the opening of a brand new gym in Bangor, North Wales! The opening of the state-of-the-art gym marks the latest step in PureGym’s ambitious expansion plans across the UK and will extend its current provision of flexible, affordable fitness in Wales. Located near to the Menai Centre on Garth Road, PureGym Bangor Wales will open its doors at 12pm on 18th of November. Members will have access to the c. 12,700 sq. ft. gym 24 hours a day, seven days a week through their low-cost, zero-contract memberships that cater for…