Author: Rhys Gregory

Young people had a chance to find out more about how local democracy works with a visit to the Council chamber recently. Pembrokeshire County Council chairman Cllr Pat Davies invited young people from Pembroke Cubs and Scouts and Sea Cadets from Tenby and Milford Haven to County Hall last month for a meeting chaired by Presiding Member Cllr Simon Hancock. Cllr Davies said she hoped inviting more young people to visit the council would encourage an interest in what takes place within the building and how decisions are made. Cllr Joshua Beynon also attended, as one of the youngest members…

Work is due to begin soon on a memorial in Lansbury Park, Caerphilly to commemorate Darren Smith who was posthumously awarded The Queen’s Gallantry Medal for exemplary bravery. Darren lost his life trying to save two-year-old Geraint Lewis and his nine-month-old sister Jade from a fire in their home on the estate in December 1989. The memorial is being installed by Caerphilly County Borough Council on green space in Maxton Court, and replaces the commemorative plaque that was located in the former Lansbury Park GP surgery. The new memorial is expected to take around three weeks to complete, depending on…

Caerphilly County Borough Council and Gwent Police announce new CCTV infrastructure in Blackwood town centre. Eighteen new digital cameras have been installed throughout the Blackwood area, including the town centre, the bus station, High Street car park and more, replacing the older equipment previously used. The new cameras promise to bring higher quality images and greater coverage and will be monitored 24/7, with reports sent directly to the police during emergencies. The work, delivered as part of Gwent Police’s Safer Streets initiative, aims to deter neighbourhood crime and anti-social behaviour, and assist officers carrying out investigations in the area. Councillor…

One of the best-known names in the UK music industry has just confirmed that they’re heading to Monmouthshire in summer 2023. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds have confirmed they are playing a special one-off date at Caldicot Castle on Saturday 19th August. Not shy of delivering world-class performances at prestigious outdoor venues, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds will perform a one-off show in the grounds of the castle featuring a selection of the band’s most well-loved songs, from Oasis hits through to current day radio favourites. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds have, since 2011, release three studio albums, a collection of EPs…

An education setting in south Powys has demonstrated its commitment to keeping children and young people safe online by completing a comprehensive online safety training programme. The New Start Centre, Powys County Council’s Pupil Referral Unit in Brecon, has received a National Online Safety Certified School Accreditation for its whole school community approach to protecting children in the online world. National Online Safety is a multi-award-winning digital training provider with extensive resources in online safety. Its Continuing Professional Development accredited courses and educational resources support UK schools in educating the whole school community in online safety- including all senior leaders,…

Residents in Powys are being asked to help the council find anyone that may be sleeping rough in the county so that help and support can be provided. Members of the public can let Powys County Council know about rough sleeping they come across by contacting its Housing Service on 01597 827464 or by emailing [email protected] Cllr Matthew Dorrance, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for a Fairer Powys, said: “With the weather turning colder, we’re asking residents to be on the lookout for anyone who is rough sleeping in the county. “Whilst rough sleeping is the severest form of homelessness…

All businesses in Wales will benefit from new rates support from the Welsh Government to help with the effects of rising costs. A package of support worth more than £460m over the next two financial years will be announced in the Welsh Government’s upcoming draft Budget. The package will provide a boost to businesses across Wales which are struggling to cope with the impacts of high inflation and surging energy costs. It operates in addition to permanent relief schemes from the Welsh Government which are already providing £240m of relief to ratepayers across Wales this year. The non-domestic rates multiplier…

Minister for Climate Change Julie James has arrived at COP15 biodiversity negotiations in Montreal, Canada, to influence a ‘game-changing’ Global Biodiversity Framework and sign her commitment to accelerate nature recovery in Wales. The Minister has high hopes that an ambitious deal will be reached by world leaders, to ‘halt the rapid decline of our natural world that threatens all life on planet earth as we now know it’. Wales jump-started its commitment to reach the proposed ‘30 by 30 target’ included in the deal- to protect and effectively manage 30% land and 30% seas by 2030- with the commissioning of…

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is one of the most zealous market regulators in the world. Loan firms, investment funds, banks and Forex brokers which hold FCA licenses are held in high esteem. What makes them so trustworthy is the long-standing practice of the regulator to heavily penalize any lack of compliance. The fines it issues are very hefty, but are also definitely capable of curbing dangerous or malicious market practices.  In the first two weeks of December 2022, the regulator has continued this practice. It has fined three brokerages and three bond traders, which were found to be…

As a business owner, if you aren’t providing employees with education opportunities, now may be the time to reconsider your way of doing things. For today’s generation of workers, you’ll find employee education and development is high on their list, not to mention the desired benefits a business can offer. To get the best people working for your brand, you need to make sure your team are undertaking regular training programs and educational courses. Here are just some of the benefits of taking this step. Advance Their Careers There will be some staff in your business who have dreams of…