Author: Rhys Gregory

With a heatwave pushing the temperature gauge into the high 90s, it can be hard to encourage children and young people to do more than just flop in the shade during the long school holidays. But Cardiff’s amazing Summer of Fun – a series of organised events promoted by the City Council – continues to provide a huge range of activities right across the city, all designed to keep youngsters amused, occupied and stimulated. And it’s important no-one feels left out, so the Council and its partners, including the National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) staged a special event at the…

Thousands of residents are getting a last chance to enjoy free bus services right across Swansea this weekend to make the most of the fine Bank Holiday weather. It’s the last weekend of the summer offer that’s allowed long weekends of free rides in Swansea to anyone getting on and off a bus in the area. And it coincides with a brilliant weekend of free or inexpensive experiences and visitor opportunities at council venues. Rob Stewart, Leader of the Council, said: “The free ride Swansea offer has again been a huge success. It was the first initiative of its kind…

Electric vehicle owners will have the chance to charge their cars while they’re at the shops or on a trip to the beach. Nineteen new electric vehicle charging points have been installed at 12 council-owned car parks and they’re now waiting to be connected to the mains in the coming weeks. The latest additions means there are now 43 EV charging points at 25 locations around the county operated by the council, including nine at the new Copr Bay car park located underneath Swansea Arena. Andrea Lewis, Deputy Leader and Cabinet member for Service Transformation, said the charging points will…

Despite unprecedented challenges and significant disruption to their last few years of studies due to the Covid-19 crisis, pupils in Neath Port Talbot have been rewarded with outstanding outcomes which fully reflect their efforts and commitment to learning over their time in school. This year’s GCSE grades are based on examinations. GCSE and vocational qualification performance in 2022 is excellent with 68.9% of pupils achieving at least 5 A*-C GCSE grades or equivalent and 20.8% of pupils gaining 5 A*A grades or more. Pupils’ excelled in literacy and numeracy with 73.9% achieving grades A*-C in English or Welsh language or…

Pembrokeshire County Council has bought 46 former Ministry of Defence (MoD) properties on the outskirts of Haverfordwest, to be used as Council housing. The three-bedroomed houses at the Cashfields Estate were purchased using a Land and Buildings Development Grant from Welsh Government, which was gratefully received to assist with the acquisition of these properties. Eight properties already had tenants, which means that 38 properties will be let, in small batches, over the next few months. Cllr Michelle Bateman, Cabinet Member for Housing Operations and Regulatory Services, said it was the first significant acquisition of Council housing for more than a…

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Cabinet recently agreed proposals to take affordability into account when setting its tenants’ rents. Cabinet members also agreed to include the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Living Rent model as part of its existing policy and using it to benchmark at least every 2 years to ensure affordability levels for tenants. Earlier this year the Council undertook a consultation with tenants, feedback from this exercise was considered as part of Cabinet’s decision; with the majority of tenants feeling it would be fairer and more transparent to take average household earnings from across the county borough into account when…

Young people across Merthyr Tydfil have been collecting their GCSE results today – the first cohort to sit formal exams since 2019. Geraint Thomas, Council leader, said “It was a privilege to visit all the secondary schools this morning and share the excitement with our young people as they received their results. This cohort have experienced so much disruption during the past two years, and to have achieved what they have is all credit to their resilience and to the teachers and parents who have supported them. We instigated a Raising Aspirations Raising Standards strategy in Autumn 2020 and are pleased…

The Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles, has congratulated young people across Wales as they receive their GCSE, Welsh Baccalaureate and vocational qualification results this week. This is the first time learners have returned to formal GCSE exams since 2019. The Minister said: “Congratulations to everyone receiving their results today. You should all be proud of your hard work through the disruption of the last two years. “I welcome these results as we transition back to exams this year – it’s great to see what our learners have achieved. “Don’t be too disappointed and don’t be too hard…

With Ofgem’s announcement to lift the energy price cap, Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt has hit out at the inaction of the UK Government and their failure to support the most vulnerable with the cost-of-living crisis. Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt said: “We’re in the midst of a crisis. Hundreds and thousands of families right across Wales and the wider UK are facing the biggest fall in living standards since records began. The projections for those who will be plunged into poverty are unforgiving and all the while we are faced with the unacceptable three-pronged chaos of a…

Krabi, located in Southern Thailand, is a province known for its dramatic limestone cliffs, crystal clear waters, and white sandy beaches. If you’re looking for a relaxing and picturesque vacation destination, Krabi should be at the top of your list. With plenty of activities to keep you busy during your stay, there’s something for everyone in Krabi. Here are some of the best things to do during your next visit. Try Island Hopping It is fair to say that there are only so many things you can do in a resort town before it gets a bit boring unless you…