Author: Rhys Gregory

Animal lover Caitlyn Smart wasn’t sure of her next step after leaving school, but she’s just been appointed as Ambassador at Jamie’s Farm in Monmouthshire, after impressing staff! The 17-year-old said a trip there hugely boosted her confidence. The five-night stay was part of the Jobs Growth Wales + (JGW+) programme, delivered by ACT, Wales’ leading training provider. Having grown up “surrounded by pets”, she said her Level 1 Land Based Studies course, in the JCW+ programme, is “perfect” for her and her ambition to work with animals.     JGW+ is a training and development programme specifically for 16–18-year-olds looking for…

Orbis Education and Care has launched its very own online shop – called ‘Orbay’ – selling products created by the learners that it works to support. Orbis is one of the UK’s leading providers of specialist schools and homes supporting children and adults with complex needs associated with autism, with its new online shop selling items lovingly crafted by learners who attend its Academy Living programme. Academy Living offers real-world, hands-on experiential learning of life and work skills in various community settings, including at a shop, kitchen, café, office space and laundrette, situated at two high street centres run by…

A talented young drummer is having the ‘year of his life’ embarking on a dream career, helping lead a musical summer school and looking forward to becoming a first time dad. Alfie Ellis,18, has spent the August heatwave as one of the leaders of the popular Schools Out 2022! summer school run by the award-winning Wrexham Music Co-operative. Helping to run the course at Ysgol Bryn Tabor in Coedpoeth is one of several important new roles he has had to step up to over the last year. According to Alfie, he couldn’t believe his luck when he was selected to…

Nearly 1000 children have been confirmed killed or injured in Ukraine since the war escalated six months ago, Save the Children said today. Between February 24 and August 10, at least 942 children were killed or injured in Ukraine – an average of five children every day— with 356 children losing their lives and 586 wounded, according to data from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The UN has said that the total number of casualties is likely to be much higher than those currently verified and the exact ages of all child casualties…

The Royal Mint has completed its popular Winnie the Pooh and Friends coin collection, inspired by Disney, with the launch of a collectable 50 pence featuring Pooh and some of his closest friends. The final coin in the treasured nine-coin collection, the new 50p features a woodland scene with the loveable bear and his Hundred Acre Wood friends Tiger, Eeyore and Piglet. The design is inspired by the original illustrations of E. H. Shepard and has been brought to life using British craftsmanship and innovative colour printing technology at The Royal Mint. The Royal Mint’s designer Daniel Thorne worked with…

Local homelessness charity Emmaus South Wales is a finalist in the prestigious UK Social Enterprise Awards, which recognises businesses that are transforming communities and tackling climate change. Social enterprises are businesses that trade for a social or environmental purpose, and Emmaus South Wales has been recognised as one of the UK’s most effective enterprises this year. The Bridgend-based charity is a finalist in the Consumer Facing Social Enterprise of the Year category for Lucie the Land Train, its tourist attraction in Porthcawl which launched in August 2021 with the support of Bridgend Council. Emmaus South Wales provides accommodation and support…

Work on the £6.4m scheme to defend Porthcawl from flooding and a potential rise in sea levels is making progress and recently saw the opening of the new-look Eastern Promenade. Construction specialists Knights Brown have transformed the promenade area into a flat, easily accessible space with new planters and enhanced flood defences which blend into the overall design and run between Porthcawl Marina and Coney Beach. The next phase of the work will see this extended into Sandy Bay and as far as Rhych Point, where additional dune protection works will be upgraded. Much of the work has focused upon…

Event organisers in Neath Port Talbot are being invited to affiliate their own events with the 2022 Mayor of Neath Port Talbot’s Armed Forces Festival, which takes place in October and November. This year’s festival will include an opening event in the Aberafan Shopping Centre with a flag raising ceremony on Saturday 29 October and a concert at the Princess Royal Theatre on Friday 11 November. Mayor of Neath Port Talbot, Councillor Robert Wood said: “The festival is designed to pay tribute to the Armed Forces and their families in Neath Port Talbot, both the fallen and veterans from the…

De Winton Street Car Park in Tonypandy will be closed for two days at the end of August for resurfacing work to take place. The car park will be closed on Tuesday, August 30, and Wednesday, August 31.  Free parking is available at nearby Council-run facilities – Tonypandy Upper Car Park (long-stay), Tonypandy Lower Car Park (short-stay) and Tonypandy Square Car Park (limited waiting) – all of which are open 24/7. The entire car park area will be resurfaced, and white lines repainted. Signage will be put in place ahead of the closures to advise users. The improvements are funded…

The Business Enterprise & Renewal Team at Caerphilly County Borough Council would like to extend an invitation to you to join a Business Networking Event for stakeholders in Caerphilly. This exciting networking event allows businesses from each town centre to meet, alongside councillors and the Business Enterprise & Renewal Team from Caerphilly County Borough Council. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 7th September at 8am at The Gatehouse, with an agenda to discuss exciting new developments and offer businesses the opportunity to express your views and opinions about what you think our priorities should be for Caerphilly. The morning meeting…