Author: Rhys Gregory

Guided by its vision to build a better Bridgend and Wales, housing association Valleys to Coast has implemented Decision Time for managing meetings, risks and objectives, as it targets carbon neutrality by 2030. Valleys to Coast was established in 2003 as the first large-scale voluntary transfer of council-owned homes to a social housing association in Wales. The not-for-profit provides over 6,000 secure and affordable homes across Bridgend, South Wales and manages over 700 leasehold flats. It joins over 85 organisations in the housing sector in the UK & Ireland to implement the Decision Time platform, including almost 20 others in…

Former royal harpist Hannah Stone will be one of the stars illuminating a top music festival. The gifted virtuosa will be playing a harp concerto written by Anglesey composer Gareth Glyn at the North Wales International Music Festival at St Asaph Cathedral on Saturday, September 17. The piece tells the story of Amaterasu who is the goddess of light in the Japanese Shinto religion. The concerto was commissioned by the festival and premiered back in 2015 by Hannah Stone and she will once again be accompanied by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. The performance will launch this year’s festival…

The 2022 Wizz Air Cardiff Half Marathon, which will return to the Welsh capital on Sunday 2 October, has officially sold out for the fifth time – just three and a half months after going on sale. The few remaining general entries were snapped up in the early hours of this morning, as it was revealed that the race is on track to generate its £20 millionth pound in fundraising at the 19th edition of the event this year. Demand has been high with many keen to return to mass participation events for the first time since the pandemic or…

20,000 new trees have been planted and a new tree nursery has been established in Cardiff, thanks in part to a funding boost from Coed Cadw, The Woodland Trust in Wales. The charity’s Emergency Tree Fund was set up to encourage local authorities to make trees a central part of their policies, and boost tree cover to tackle climate change. Last year, Cardiff Council received a grant of £228,862 from the fund, which has contributed towards its Coed Caerdydd project; part of the council’s ‘One Planet Cardiff’ response to the climate emergency. A season of planting has since seen hundreds of volunteers work with the council to create…

News that the first ever GWCT Welsh Game Fair is to be held in North Wales in September is music to the ears of Monty Williams. A drainage engineer with YGC (Ymgynghoriaeth Gwynedd Consultancy) by trade, Monty is a familiar face across organised shoots in North Wales where he loads guns for guest shooters and takes his black Labradors to pick up driven game during the autumn and winter months. “I think it’s amazing that the game fair is coming to the Vaynol Estate, near Bangor from September 9-11 and I am confident it will be a big success,” he said. “I think…

A busy bee carer has been supplying a much-welcomed sweet treat to residents at a care home. Amateur beekeeper Louise Parry delighted residents at Pendine Park’s Hillbury House care home in Wrexham by providing them with a chance to sample the delicious honey from her hives The dedicated care practitioner brought in some jars to share with them and delivered a fascinating talk on beekeeping. The naturally sweet and wholesome taste left residents beaming. Louise also brought in a honeycomb frame fresh from the hive to show how the bees produce their delectable food stores. One resident who was overjoyed…

Pupils at Bryn Celyn Primary School in Pentwyn have been praised by Estyn, the education inspectors in Wales, for making impressive progress in their learning this year – despite the pandemic. The inspection, carried out in May, said the school gave its pupils a “strong start in life” and found that teachers, staff and governors worked effectively in partnership with parents, the community and Cardiff Council to help pupils develop the skills and values they need to be successful throughout their lives. It found the school, which has 193 pupils, of whom 74% are eligible for free school meals and…

A local contractor has been appointed to deliver a £7m project to transform sports and community facilities on the east side of Swansea which will also benefit the wider region. The investment at Cefn Hengoed Leisure Centre and Community School will see a new sports barn complete with indoor 3G pitch and fitness studio as well as a re-purposed outdoor five-a-side pitch. It also includes a cafe and flexible spaces for use between the school, leisure centre and partners. Other improvements will be made and the new layout will extend the opening hours of the leisure centre. It is being…

Keep Wales Tidy has unveiled this year’s winners of its prestigious Green Flag Award – the international mark of a quality park or green space. A total of 265 parks and green spaces across the country have received the prestigious Green Flag Award and Green Flag Community Award – from country parks and formal gardens, to allotments, woodlands and churchyards. In Neath Port Talbot, Green Flags will now be flying at Margam Country Park, Gnoll Estate Country Park, Victoria Gardens and the Talbot Memorial Park in recognition of their excellent visitor facilities, high environmental standards, and commitment to delivering great…

Pupils at Haverfordwest VC High School have been the first to receive a new type of introduction to social care training. More than 40 Health and Social Care pupils from two year groups had their career horizons broadened at the beginning of July by taking part in the Social Care Summer School. The aim of the event was to raise awareness of the wide variety of careers in social care and support the Health and Social Care course syllabus. Year 12 pupils participated in a three-day event, starting with an Introduction to Social Care course for young people. This day…