Author: Rhys Gregory

Over 40 young entrepreneurs from across Wales have come together to spend a weekend at an intensive three-day residential bootcamp to equip them with the entrepreneurial expertise needed to turn their budding business ideas into thriving realities. This year’s Big Ideas Wales residential ‘Bootcamp to Business’ event was hosted at Kilvrough Manor in Gower, the first face-to-face bootcamp post-pandemic, following two years of virtual events. Aimed at business-minded people aged 18-25, Bootcamp to business aims to strengthen the support system offered to young people seeking self-employment by developing young entrepreneurs’ budding business ideas through a series of workshops over a…

More people than ever will have access to their health records with a huge expansion of a digital service that Swansea Bay pioneered in Wales. The Swansea Bay Patient Portal (SBPP) is a secure online record that allows people to view their blood test results and clinical documents, as well as being able to tap into a library of information and resources. They can do this via their mobile phone, tablet, or other devices. They can also update their health data and sync with wearable tech like Fitbits. Blood results and clinical documents can be viewed and shared not only…

Bridgend County Borough Council’s Cabinet has approved a consultation on proposals to establish a Welsh-medium seedling school and childcare provision on land at Porthcawl Primary School. An options appraisal found that land on the existing Porthcawl Primary School site was the most suitable location to accommodate both a seedling school and childcare facility. To compensate for the land which will be used for the new facility, an all-weather pitch would be provided at Porthcawl Primary School. The proposed seedling school is a ‘starter class’ with 30 full-time equivalent nursery places, and 30 Reception places. It is planned that the seedling…

Proposals for two new visitor attractions aimed at further enhancing Cardiff Bay as a leading UK destination for leisure, culture and tourism have been discussed by Cardiff Council’s Cabinet last week (December 15th) and a decision has been taken to enter into lease agreements with both companies, subject to agreed conditions. The first, from Finnish company Nordic Urban, could see an outdoor, floating swimming pool and sauna facility, similar to their facility in Helsinki, brought to the graving docks near Techniquest. The second, a proposal from Skyview, is to build a 90-metre-high balloon ride with a rotating viewing platform on…

Residents in Swansea can grab a bargain for Christmas at the city’s main Recycling Centre. Swansea Council’s successful ‘Tip Treasures’ shop – the onsite store at Llansamlet Recycling Centre, is brimming with household items donated by residents. Everything from furniture, bicycles, televisions, ornaments, clothing, CDs and DVDs can be purchased at the shop. The Council developed the shop several years ago to divert items from landfill and enable them to go to families that need them. Since then, thousands of everyday household items have passed through the shop and sold to families in the city. The shop has also been…

Pembrokeshire County Council has been deeply saddened to learn of the deaths of two long-serving and respected senior former Councillors. Maurice Hughes and John Allen-Mirehouse served as Leader and Deputy Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council respectively. Maurice represented Merlins Bridge as Pembrokeshire County Councillor from 1995 – 2004. A former Chairman of the Highways Committee, he went on to serve as Leader of the Council from May 1999 to May 2004. It was under his leadership that the Leader and Cabinet model still used by the Authority came into being. John, from Angle, was a Member of Council from 1995…

Caerphilly County Borough Council has set out the key timeline to undertake an independent road safety study of the B4251, known locally as ‘Wyllie bends’. The council’s Cabinet recently agreed to re-evaluate existing safety measures at the site and also agreed to work closely with the family of Laurie Jones who died following an accident on the road in 2019. CCBC Chief Executive Christina Harrhy has now written to the family to provide an estimated timeframe and key milestones to undertake an independent road safety study. Officers are currently preparing a briefing document which will be shared with the family…

Vital information about the health of pregnant women and their unborn babies will be shared much faster with a new all-Wales digital system for maternity services in Wales, being created by a £7m investment from the Welsh Government. Mothers-to-be will be able to access their records as well as receiving timely messages to help ensure a healthy pregnancy. Currently all the health boards in Wales use different systems, both digital and paper based. Creating one digital system for the whole of Wales will allow all the various  professionals involved in care to share vital information more quickly, which could help…

The Welsh Government has launched a new initiative to encourage more local spending on food by the Welsh NHS, schools and local government to help support Welsh producers, create more jobs and boost prosperity in local communities, Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething announced today.  A new online food procurement resource, ‘Buying Food Fit for the Future’ is part of wider Welsh Government plans to support Wales’ everyday local economies. Estimates suggest the Foundational Economy accounts for four in ten jobs and £1 in every three that is spent in Wales. Food is a crucial Foundational Economy sector which has faced –…

The Welsh Government has today launched a consultation on establishing a statutory licensing scheme for all visitor accommodation providers in Wales. The primary aim is to establish a level playing field for all visitor accommodation businesses operating in the sector. The concern around the lack of a level playing field has been a long-standing area of discussion with concerns certain parts of the sector do not meet or comply with their statutory obligations. The Welsh Government’s Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru commits to a statutory licensing scheme for holiday lets as part of a package of measures to address the…