Author: Rhys Gregory

A Welsh homelessness charity has won a national award for its unique social enterprise, Lucie the Porthcawl Land Train. Bridgend-based charity Emmaus South Wales, which offers accommodation, support, training, and work opportunities to people experiencing homelessness, was named Social Enterprise of the Year at the 2022 Social Business Wales Awards this week (Monday 10 October) for its community tourism land train enterprise, Lucie. Based in the seafront town of Porthcawl, Lucie the Land Train is staffed by a team of formerly homeless people living in the charity’s accommodation, who work alongside an experienced driver to look after passengers and provide…

Swansea Building Society’s Chief Executive Officer, Alun Williams, has been named the new Non-Executive Chair of Swansea-based housing provider, Coastal Housing Group. Alun Williams replaces outgoing Non-Executive Chair Roger Williams on the board, who steps down following his five years in the position. Alun Williams comes to the role at Coastal with vast experience of the housing and financial sectors, having recently been named as the longest currently serving CEO of a building society. During his 21-year tenure at the helm of Swansea Building Society, it has become one of the most profitable building societies of its size in the…

Swansea University has introduced beehives to its campuses as part of a project to enhance student and staff wellbeing. Swansea Employability Academy (SEA) and CampusLife have partnered with Bee1, a Welsh-based company that educates the public on the importance of bees for the environment and our mental health, to create Bee Together. Developed as part of the University’s commitment to wellbeing and workplace learning, Bee Together allows the community to come together and work on a project rooted in sustainability. With the help of expert training from Bee1, students and staff are being given the opportunity to learn new skills and build confidence through…

Menter a Busnes has welcomed several new members to its Board, including, for the first time, two Young Non-Executive Directors. Earlier this year, the leading independent economic company created a post to give an ambitious person under the age of 30 valuable board and governance experience and the opportunity to contribute to the direction and development of the company. Following a rigorous selection process, the company’s Board appointed two Young Non-Executive Directors – Elin Havard and Erin Gwenlli Thomas. The Board’s chair, Fflur Jones, said Menter a Busnes had recently reviewed its governance arrangements. “As part of that review, we…

Plans for a new bridge to provide a direct link from Llanrumney to the A48 at the Pentwyn junction have taken a step forward, with permission being sought from Cardiff Council’s Cabinet to enter into a legal contract with the developer to build the new infrastructure. A report on the new bridge and link road – which forms part of the East Cardiff Industrial Strategy – will be discussed by Cardiff Council’s Cabinet at its meeting on October 20th. The development will see a new bridge and road link built over the Rhymney River linking Llanrumney to the Park & Ride…

Cardiff Council is looking at ways it can help maintain leisure centre services in the city amid rising energy costs. The social enterprise GLL currently has the contract to run 8 Cardiff leisure centres, which are owned by the council, saving the local authority £3.5m in annual subsidies for the facilities. But rising energy costs mean the not-for-profit organisation is now facing a significant loss next year on top of two years where business was heavily affected by the pandemic. Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, Cllr Jennifer Burke-Davies, said: “The challenges facing GLL in Cardiff are replicated across…

Work is due to commence on the construction of a new 3G football pitch in Splott Park. The project is being funded by the Council’s Neighbourhood Renewal Schemes Programme and was proposed by local members in the area to provide a year-round facility for use by the local community. Managed by Splott Albion Football Club, the pitch will be a new synthetic all-weather surface with 5m high perimeter fencing, floodlighting and secure access which, once complete, will be available to use at no cost for local junior football clubs, as well as for private hire by other sports teams. Cabinet…

A MAN from Port Talbot has paid a heavy price for fly tipping on land at a local cemetery. At Swansea Magistrates’ Court on October 6th  , 2022, Pawel Mieczyslaw Samselski, 50, of Emroch Street, Goytre, was sentenced to a fine, legal costs, clean-up costs, and a victim impact surcharge totalling £4,303.12 after admitting three counts of illegally depositing waste at Goytre Cemetery and one of illegally transporting waste. Three loads of household waste including black bags, parcel boxes, and carpeting, were deposited on separate occasions earlier this year on land at the cemetery. After complaints were received, Neath Port…

Good progress towards recruiting a new team of Community Wardens has seen four of the 14 new officers start their roles. Once fully operational, the team will operate seven days a week, including evening patrols. In June, RCT Council’s Cabinet agreed to employ a new team of Community Wardens. The new Community Wardens will provide a high-profile, reassuring presence in communities to tackle anti-social behaviour, focusing on key locations like town centres and parks. Their primary duty is to reassure residents and the wider local community by creating a safer, more pleasant environment. Community Wardens will respond to reports of…

Caerphilly county borough council has unveiled exciting plans to create an attractive new market development in the heart of Caerphilly town centre. The plan, which forms part of a wider regeneration blueprint for the town, will see the creation of a bustling new market on land at Park Lane. The footprint of the new market includes the site of the former Specsavers building which was demolished recently by the Council with funding support from Welsh Government’s Transforming Town’s initiative. The Leader of Council, Cllr Sean Morgan welcomed the exciting news, “This proposed market development will help breathe new life into…