Author: Rhys Gregory

TRANSFORMATIVE projects benefited from significant funding that will have a positive impact on two Denbighshire communities.    Rhyl and District Rugby Football Club (RFC) and the Ruthin Dendrochronology project were among 14 initiatives to secure financial support from Community Innovation Denbighshire via the UK Community Renewal Fund, matched by Clocaenog Forest Windfarm Fund and led by Cadwyn Clwyd. The Ruthin scheme will focus on tourism and is a £24,999 project to commission a dendrochronology expert to date the timbers of ancient homes, and for drawings of a selection of buildings and interiors. Archaeologist Fiona Gale, former conservation architect Carol Smith…

New research from the CIPD and HiBob shows that more than half of bosses (55%) agree with collecting information on regular home workers, including the amount of time spent on laptops each day and email sending behaviours to identify risk of burnout. However, only three in ten (28%) leaders say their organisations are using software to monitor the productivity of home workers. Where workplace monitoring is in place, the CIPD and HiBob urge employers to consider its purpose, and to be clear to staff about what is being monitored and why. The survey, part of the CIPD series ‘Technology, the…

Scientists have developed a way of using artificial intelligence to quickly identify parasites infecting animals. A team from Aberystwyth University and disease technology company Techion has developed and tested new machine learning tools that automatically identify the parasite using images from a camera. The discovery could help farmers in Wales and around the world diagnose infections quicker and subsequently speed up treatment. Liver and rumen flukes are parasites that infect grazing livestock around the world, and can lead to loss of appetite, poorer body condition, and greater susceptibility to other infections. The parasites are a particular challenge in Wales because…

CITB Wales announce £780K investment to extend Onsite Experience Hubs project Funding of CITB Wales’ Onsite Experience Hubs, a project which has seen 524 people become site ready in just 18 months, has been extended to 2025. The £780,000 funding will enable 780 more people from local communities to gain invaluable skills and experience, opening a range of construction career opportunities. The project has been operating in Wales as part of a £9.5m UK-wide scheme. Onsite Hubs aim to take away the barriers to construction employment. The four centres in Wales are managed by a network of local training providers. The…

The RSPCA urgently needs more foster carers to help free up spaces in its animal centres – as shocking new statistics reveal 700 rescued animals are waiting for a space. The charity estimates it is spending an eye-watering £26,000 a week to private boarders for the temporary care of hundreds of rescued animals – including dogs, cats, rabbits, small furry animals, exotic pets, birds and farm animals – as its 59 rehoming centres are “full to bursting”. There are 125 animals who are based in private boarding establishments across Wales – which includes 91 in Mid & West Wales, 25…

A housing licensing scheme that seeks to achieve decent standards of rented accommodation for tenants and good management practices among landlords in Cathays could be reintroduced next year. The Cathays Additional Licensing Scheme provides extra powers to the Council to deliver more effective improvements to property standards in privately rented homes as well as deal with issues such as community safety, anti-social behaviour, sustainability, energy efficiency and waste management in an area with a high density of rental properties. The scheme was first introduced in 2010 to cover all Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in the ward before being renewed…

The cultural life of Swansea’s Maritime Quarter is about to be given a new boost. Swansea Council’s cabinet is being asked to extend a lease that allows the popular Swansea Little Theatre Company to run the area’s Dylan Thomas Theatre. The council owns the building and the theatre company – supported by volunteers, amateur and professionals – lease it, attracting thousands of people. On October 20, the cabinet will be asked to grant a new 125-year lease with similar terms, including a peppercorn rent. Cabinet member Elliott King said: “The activities of the Little Theatre contribute to the wider objectives…

Neath Port Talbot councillors are to be asked to approve a new Strategic Workforce Plan 2022-2027. Known as the Future of Work Strategy, its aims are simple – to ensure the right number of people, with the right skills and attitudes are in the right place, at the right time, to deliver vital services for Neath Port Talbot residents. The strategy sets out the priorities for the council’s workforce over the next five years and describes how it intends to recruit, retain, develop, motivate, engage, reward and recognise its workforce. A report on the strategy from Head of People and…

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal officially opened the new Haverfordwest High VC School on Friday (14 October). Described as a ‘landmark moment’ in the history of education in the town, the event was attended by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Dyfed, Miss Sara Edwards accompanied by Lord-Lieutenant Cadet Martha Ashcroft, together with The High Sheriff of Dyfed, Rowland Rees-Evans Esq, school pupils, staff, governors, trustees, representatives from Welsh Government and Pembrokeshire County Council, and contractors Morgan Sindall Construction. The Princess Royal’s visit began with a guided tour of the £48.7million school by headteacher Jane Harries and head prefects Lucy Ashton,…

The line will be closed for nine days, from Saturday 22 October, as Network Rail engineers deliver enhancements to stations and track upgrades – making way for increased rail services for passengers in the future. The multi-million-pound upgrades will see Network Rail’s team of engineers working day and night to extend platforms at Llanhilleth and Newbridge stations, replace and install a new railway bridge at Newbridge, and renew more than half a kilometre of track near Crosskeys station. Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council have provided the £70m funding for the scheme, via a loan from the Welsh Government. The Department…