Author: Rhys Gregory

With just over 12 weeks to go until Santa pays his annual visit, the countdown to Christmas is already on. Here’s a preview of some of the magical memories waiting to be made in Cardiff this Christmas. 1. Ice-skating in the grounds of a Castle.  Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland Ice Rink and Ice Walk returns to the beautiful grounds of Cardiff Castle this year. Whether it’s a romantic sunset skate against a backdrop of the Norman Keep, or a day of family fun (complete with a colony of penguin skate-aids for smaller guests), the under cover rink is suitable for all…

Museum of Cardiff has received a Visit Wales Gold Award for delivering a memorable visitor experience. The museum, housed in the former Old Library building on the Hayes in Cardiff city centre, aims to tell the history of Cardiff through the stories of the people who have lived and worked in the city over the centuries. Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Parks, Cllr Jennifer Burke-Davies, said: “The Museum of Cardiff does a fantastic job of bringing Cardiff’s history to life for visitors, it really is a must-visit attraction for anybody with an interest in our city’s fascinating past and…

Businesses throughout Swansea will benefit from work packages forming part of a key new development in the city centre. An online meet the buyer event is being held to help inform supply chain businesses about opportunities in the council’s development of a community hub in Oxford Street’s former BHS/What! building. Hosted by main contractor Kier Construction, it’s due to take place on Wednesday, October 12. One-to-one appointments can be booked online: www.bit.ly/BHSmtb. A wide variety of sub-contractor packages for the project will range from steelwork and green walls to carpentry, ceramic tiling and balustrading. Council leader Rob Stewart said: “The…

A new ‘Safer Streets’ initiative has been launched in Bridgend County Borough, with the aim of delivering new approaches to address women’s safety, neighbourhood crime and anti-social behaviour. The programme is a joint initiative between Bridgend County Borough Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales and was recently awarded almost £750,000 of funding from the Home Office as part of a £75m programme that encourages Police and Crime Commissioners and local authorities to bid for investment for initiatives to prevent neighbourhood crime. An official launch was held at ‘The Zone’, which is a community support centre that…

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Cabinet has approved ambitious regeneration plans, which will see millions of pounds invested into the area. Cabinet members endorsed proposals for potential investment through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which will contribute significantly to the Council’s existing Place Shaping programme. Caerphilly county borough has a conditional allocation of £28,272,298 through the fund and an allocation of £5,901,499 for Multiply, a UK Government adult numeracy programme, up to March 2025. Cllr Jamie Pritchard, the Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Regeneration said “We have worked around the clock in order to highlight the key interventions and…

Merthyr Tydfil takes centre stage this week in a new exciting multi-platform drama being shown on digital and broadcast channels and through live events in three Welsh locations over seven days. GALWAD: A STORY FROM OUR FUTURE blends conventional forms of storytelling (audio drama, TV drama and live performance) with creative technology, ‘citizen journalism’ and social media to form a new kind of cultural event in which the audience is invited to follow a story in real-time over a week. One of the partners in this Creative Wales commissioned project is Wellbeing@Merthyr (Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Trust), where county borough councillors,…

Merthyr Tydfil Council is delighted to confirm that Merthyr Tydfil’s Christmas lights will be switched on this year on Saturday 19 November. The previous two years have seen the event reduced to a ‘virtual’ ceremony because of the coronavirus pandemic.  But Christmas 2022’s lighting-up will be bigger and better than ever. The Christmas Family Fun Day is organised by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, supported by The Big Heart of Merthyr Tydfil Business Improvement District and St Tydfil Shopping Centre.

Welsh local authorities have been invited to bid to build two new schools, the Welsh Government has announced, as it launches its Sustainable Schools Challenge. The projects will be expected to be innovative and demonstrate collaboration with local communities, including pupils and families, in the design, delivery and management of the schools. The Welsh Government will provide up to £15m for each school, totalling £30m, to cover the costs of each project. Bids have been invited from all 22 Welsh local authorities, with one school to be built in northern Wales and one in southern Wales. The designs will be…

A new arts festival is coming to Cardiff from Friday 30 September to Saturday 1 October 2022 in support of people affected by the invasion of Ukraine. The two-day celebration at the Sherman Theatre will showcase a diverse selection of Ukrainian films and performance alongside art and photography by Welsh artists inspired by the history and culture of Ukraine. The Ukrainian Arts Festival has the support of some of Wales’ biggest names in entertainment including actress and writer Ruth Jones, singer and performer Ian ‘H’ Watkins, as well as one of Ukraine’s biggest acting stars, Dasha Volga. Festival highlights include…

Euroclad Group, one of the construction industry’s leading suppliers of architectural metal building solutions, has agreed a two-year deal with Eleven Sports Media to join Cardiff City’s new Community Partnership programme. Managed by sports rights specialist, Eleven Sports Media, the agreement will see Euroclad use its Community Partnership status to share its brand with Cardiff City’s huge fanbase. Euroclad Group, which includes its subsidiaries, Eurobond Panels, Euroclad Systems and Euroclad Architectural, offers a wide range of solutions for the construction industry. With three manufacturing facilities in the UK, Euroclad prides itself on being able to deliver an excellence in its…