Author: Rhys Gregory

Ken Owens will captain the squad for the championship. Wyn Jones, Dewi Lake and Liam Williams return to the squad having missed the Autumn Nations Series due to injury. There are also recalls for Leon Brown, Rhys Carre, Rhys Patchell, Aaron Wainwright, Rhys Webb and Owen Williams. Four uncapped players are selected. Rhys Davies, who was called into Wales camp during the autumn, features alongside Ospreys team mate Keiran Williams plus Cardiff Rugby duo Mason Grady and Teddy Williams. Another six players could be in line to make their first Six Nations appearance including Rio Dyer, Joe Hawkins and Dafydd…

The first phase of Cardiff Crossrail – which will run from Cardiff Central to Cardiff Bay Train Station is set to be delivered – now that funding has been secured by Cardiff Council from both the UK and Welsh Governments. The £50m Levelling Up Fund bid submitted by Cardiff Council has been approved by the UK Government, Welsh Government is match funding the project with a further £50m. The funding will deliver a new rapid transport link from Cardiff Central to Cardiff Bay, via Callaghan Square, providing a vital transport link to support the development of the Callaghan Square, Bute…

Porthcawl’s iconic Grand Pavilion building has been awarded £18m of funding, thanks to a successful bid submitted by Bridgend County Borough Council in partnership with Awen Cultural Trust to the UK Government’s Levelling Up programme. The funding will be targeted at a major re-development of the Grade II Listed building in Porthcawl, which celebrated its 90th anniversary last year. The monies will be utilised to address the condition of the building’s concrete structure, preserving its unique heritage whilst also meeting the needs and aspirations of the community for extended and improved arts, culture, and heritage services. A range of modern…

HOUSEHOLDERS in Swansea will face a £300 fixed penalty notice for arranging for someone to take away their waste who then ends up illegally dumping it. The proposal has been agreed by Swansea Council’s Cabinet as part of efforts to deter people from thinking it is OK to arrange to have their waste taken by someone who might disfigure the countryside and communities by dumping rubbish rather than using a licensed waste site. The new rules will allow the council’s Waste Enforcement team to issue fixed penalty notices to householders who ignore their ‘duty of care’ by arranging for someone…

Neath Port Talbot Council has been successful in attracting £17.7m in UK Government Levelling Up Fund money to establish the Vale of Neath as a major heritage and natural environment led visitor destination, The bid is a key element in developing a ‘string of pearls’ of key destinations in the Vale of Neath focusing on heritage and the great outdoors supported by partnerships with the public, private and third sectors. Known as the Vale of Neath Heritage Corridor Attractor, money from the the successful bid will deliver two major improvement projects, one at Neath’s Gnoll Estate Country Park and the…

Investing in grassroots and community sport has led to more than £300,000 being accessed by local clubs in 2022 and this year it could be your chance for a share. Pembrokeshire County Council’s Sport Pembrokeshire helped 55 sports clubs receive a share of £335,388 from Sport Wales via the Be Active Wales Fund grants system last year. In 2023 there are grants available for a variety of schemes or activities including coach education courses, essential items of equipment, new team start-ups and developing ‘on field’ activities. Examples from last year include a Sea Cadet unit receiving £16,522 to buy a…

Caerphilly County Borough Youth Service has completed a survey seeking the views of young people within the borough in preparation for the opening of a new Youth Centre. Virginia Park Youth Centre is set to open later this year, in Virginia Park, Caerphilly. The centre will be open to all young people aged 11-25, offering youth club activities and school holiday sessions. Specialised support and groups such as LGBTQ+, support for young people to get into work and college, information and support, hot topic workshops, and homelessness support will also be available, as well as access period dignity products and…

Residents across the Caerphilly county borough will benefit from a new, state of the art wellbeing centre thanks to a £20m cash boost from the government’s Levelling Up Fund announced on Thursday. The new facility, which will be constructed close to key public transport facilities in the heart of Caerphilly, will become the flagship leisure and wellbeing hub for the whole county borough. Caerphilly council will contribute more than £13million from its own reserves towards the exciting new facility, which will be developed on land adjacent to Caerphilly Business Park. Leader of Council, Cllr Sean Morgan welcomed the announcement, “This…

Wales will be introducing a Deposit Return Scheme by 2025, Climate Change Minister Julie James confirmed today (Friday, January 20). The new initiative will see us pay a small deposit when we buy a drink in a single use container, which we get back when we return the bottle or can. Wales is working with England and Northern Ireland to set up a joint scheme, meaning you can buy a drink in Barry and return it in Bristol or Belfast. Scotland is setting up its own scheme, which starts later this year. The announcement follows recent legislation to ban a…

A project to help Welsh mothers in prison maintain positive relationships with their children has had further funding confirmed. Mick Antoniw, Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution, and Jane Hutt, Minister for Social Justice, visited HMP Eastwood Park in Gloucestershire to speak to frontline staff and people involved in the ‘Visiting Mum’ service. ‘Visiting Mum’, delivered by Pact (the Prison Advice & Care Trust), runs from HMP Styal in Cheshire as well as HMP Eastwood Park in Gloucestershire – the two most common locations for women in Wales being sent to prison. The service is designed to provide benefits…