Author: Rhys Gregory

Leading charity, School Of Hard Knocks (SOHK), has a new Director heading up its work in Wales; Damian James has been appointed to strengthen the charity’s mission of using rugby and other high impact sports as a vehicle to deliver social change. Mr James joins the charity having previously been an experienced leader within the Sport for Development Sector and is currently a Trustee of Street Football Wales. He has also managed outdoor and surf therapy programmes for Swansea City Council and aims to bring that experience to his new role. He says: “Key to me joining School Of Hard…

A £350k funding boost from the National Lottery will give Wales’ Parkinson’s communities a stronger voice. The substantial grant, which has been awarded to Parkinson’s UK Cymru, will be used to make sure that people in Wales who have the condition get a greater say in how vital services such as health and social care are run. It will be ploughed into developing strong partnerships between Parkinson’s communities and local health boards, as well as to enable people with the condition to engage in community-led physical activities, such as dancing, which help with slowing down its symptoms The money will…

Wales Millennium Centre has confirmed the final line up for Llais 2022, WMC’s flagship international arts festival which returns to Cardiff from 26-30 October with an eclectic line-up of international acts. Mercury Prize nominee Gwenno will join the bill for the first live audience performance of Death Songbook, which features delicate new versions of songs about death performed by Suede’s Brett Anderson, Charles Hazlewood, and Paraorchestra. In a specially arranged performance to celebrate his 80th birthday John Cale will be joined by Gruff Rhys, Cate Le Bon, James Dean Bradfield, Sinfonia Cymru and House Gospel Choir. The Centre’s Glanfa stage…

Film students at the University of South Wales have created an inspirational virtual prospectus for Maindee Primary School in Newport, celebrating its diverse, inclusive environment. As part of their course, the students were tasked with making a promotional film to benefit a non-profit organisation, and worked with the school to make the virtual prospectus for their website and social media channels. Collaborating with Dale Jones, Assistant Headteacher and Digital Lead at the school, the students interviewed pupils, staff and parents about what makes Maindee Primary so special. Louie Dinham, 21, from Treforest, was one of the students who made the…

Crisis’ Skylight South Wales has formally opened its new building with Julie James MS, Minister for Climate Change, attending to mark the occasion in her home constituency of Swansea West. The Skylight, located on St Helen’s Road, is one of 11 run by Crisis across the United Kingdom and the only one of its kind in Wales. The Skylight team support people at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness in Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot to end their homelessness through housing stability, financial security and employment, good health and wellbeing, and positive relationships and social networks. Skylight South Wales is…

Wales based climate change technology company, Yellow Sub Geo Ltd, has acquired the US based AnAqSim groundwater modelling software business from its creator Dr Charlie Fitts of Fitts Geosolutions. The AnAqSim software provides an efficient and flexible alternative to conventional methods for modelling water problems. Applications range from simple calculations to very large and complex catchment-scale groundwater models. AnAqSim has a wide international user base including universities, consultancies and major engineering and mining companies. The IP acquisition will enable Yellow Sub Geo to invest in updates to the AnAqSim product, leveraging cloud-computing whilst also maximising user accessibility. The software business…

Wales aim to be going places when the Rugby League World Cup kicks-off this month with a major sponsorship by the North Wales-based travel agent. Their red shirts will be proudly emblazoned with the brand logo of Hays Travel for the prestigious tournament which kicks-off in the game’s northern powerbase on Saturday when England take on Samoa at St James’s Park, Newcastle. Wales are in action the following Wednesday evening, October 19, at Leigh against the Cook Islands, kick-off 7.30pm, and they’ve been handed a triple dose of Southern Hemisphere opposition with Tonga and Papua New Guinea making up the…

Like many Catholic schools, Mary Immaculate High School in Cardiff was struggling to recruit a new chaplain after their long-serving member of staff retired. But, after months of searching, their prayers were finally answered by none other than a former student. Ore Egbetola, who attended Mary Immaculate until 2018, and was head girl, has just started as the school’s first Wellbeing and Spiritual Officer. Although she can’t be a chaplain as she is not a practising Catholic, her new full-time role will see Ore taking on a range of responsibilities, including offering support and guidance to students and staff. She…

Forget the pumpkins, gourds and apples, this autumn, visitors are invited to Penrhyn Castle and Garden to learn more about pineapples, how they symbolised wealth and were a delicacy in the gardens at Penrhyn in the early 19th century.  During the 19th and 20th centuries pineapples were an exotic novelty in Victorian Britain and were loved both for their sweet taste and unique appearance. They were symbols of wealth and luxury in Europe because they were expensive to transport or grow. During this time, Richard Pennant, the first Baron of Penrhyn, invested profits made from Jamaican sugar plantations into his…

A Brecon based food business has grown its turnover by 55% and secured major new customers with support from a technical affiliate who joined the company through a Welsh Government and EU backed project. Founded in 2008 and based in the foothills of the Brecon Beacons, Cradoc’s Savoury Biscuits produce savoury cheese crackers in unique flavour combinations, which are made with fresh vegetables. Originally established as a kitchen table start-up, the family run business has grown to supply major UK supermarkets and export to customers across the world. Now employing seven people, Cradoc’s moved to a larger, renewable electricity powered…