Author: Rhys Gregory

Improving urban and rural communities, supporting small businesses and boosting people’s skills are among the key themes of a new plan to unlock funding worth nearly £138m to South West Wales over the next three years. Cabinet members at the local authorities of Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Swansea will soon be asked to approve the regional investment plan, which is aimed at securing UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund money already earmarked for the region. The plan also looks to further support regional priorities that are already in place. These include the potential to make South West Wales a…

A high-profile Swansea Council scheme to bring more key public services to the heart of the city centre has received a major funding boost. A £2m grant from the Welsh Government has been provided – and a further £3.5m is available to the council to develop the former BHS store as a public focal point. The funding is being provided under the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns initiative that provides support to improve town centres across Wales. Council leader Rob Stewart said: “This substantial funding will help us deliver an outstanding venue for people to meet and to access a range…

The headteacher of a primary school in Swansea has been to Buckingham Palace this month to receive an MBE from Prince William. Alison Williams, who has been head teacher of Craigfelen Primary School for 11 years, was presented with the award for services to education and the community. During her time as headteacher she has led the school to an ‘excellent’ Estyn inspection as well as writing two best practice case studies. Her passion for enterprise education has ensured that this is at the heart of the school’s curriculum and has spread to other schools. She has led the very…

Margam Country Park’s Farm Trail has had a very special delivery, just in time for the summer holidays. Two baby alpacas, also known as ‘cria’, will be the first of their kind to enter the historic grounds of Margam Country Park. An ‘Alpaca Enclosure’ has been prepared on the Farm Trail and the Park’s Estates Team has received full training in preparation for the arrival. The Alpacas have come from Penrhallt Farm on the North coast of Gower. The family run farm has agreed to loan the alpaca mothers and also an auntie for a few months, in order to…

Community groups in the Caerphilly County Borough have benefitted from £21,187.96 in grants in the first half of 2022. Grants totalling £2,140 have been allocated via the Council’s Grants to the Voluntary Sector Fund, including support for a range of community groups such as Fleur de Lys Community Centre, Rhymney Castle Select Flying Club and Ravenswood Allotment Society.  In addition, a number of individuals have also secured financial support to represent Wales/GB competitively at their chosen sport. The Welsh Church Acts Fund has provided total funding of £19,047.96 to enable Libanus Lifestyle Wales CIC to install cladding in the main…

Caerphilly County Borough Council is inviting businesses to attend a special networking event, being held at 5pm on Friday 29 July 2022 Bargoed Library. The event is being hosted by the Council’s Business Enterprise and Renewal Team and will offer attendees the opportunity to meet with Council staff, Councillors, and other businesses throughout the county borough. Cllr Jamie Pritchard, the Council’s Deputy Leader, said “This is the third in a series of events offering businesses the opportunity to share best practice, whilst also finding out more about the support available to them from the Business Enterprise and Renewal Team. “We…

From this week, electric vehicle charging points are now available in a further five Powys County Council carparks. The addition of these five further locations increases the council’s electric vehicle charging network to 13 sites, helping both residents and visitors in the transition to using electric vehicles. The new charging points were installed using a grant from the Welsh Government ultra-low emissions transformation fund and are located in: Beaufort St. Car Park, Crickhowell Oxford Road Car Park, Hay-on-Wye Bowling Green Lane Car Park, Knighton Dark Lane Car Park, Rhayader Heol Eglwys Car Park, Ystradgynlais The ‘fast’ charge points installed in…

At comparison site Mustard, electric car insurance is quick and easy to find. Simply answer a few questions and you’ll be able to compare a wide range of quotes from different insurers — enabling you to get the best value for money. But it’s not just insurance you’ll need to budget for, here’s what else you’ll need to consider when it comes to EVs (electric vehicles). How much do electric cars cost? Like most cars, there’s a huge variation in price depending on the make and model, but overall, electric cars tend to cost more than their petrol or diesel…

In July, the Wales Fast Growth 50 project will wind up its search for the businesses showing the fastest growth. The initiative has been continuing its celebration of Welsh entrepreneurship every year since it started in 1999. The project serves as a big boost to businesses in Wales and is also a means to highlight the tremendous potential present in the region. Since its launch, around 674 firms have featured on its annual lists. Around 48,000 jobs and a turnover of £27 billion have been estimated to be realised from the businesses with a major amount of the income being…

The explosion of interest in online casinos in recent years has probably not gone unnoticed: it is easier than ever to access entertainment, and with stricter gambling regulations, many consumers feel more secure today than ever. What sets online casinos apart from conventional land-based casinos is the fact that they are found online, allowing for unparalleled igaming experiences. But for gambling companies to operate online, several technologies are required. If you are interested in learning more about these, read on! The Internet First of all, online casinos could not exist without the internet. That much is certain. After all, it…