Author: Rhys Gregory

Wales’ leading training provider, ACT, has appointed Jayne McGill-Harris as its new Development Director. In her new role, Jayne will develop and drive forward Marketing, Communications and Business Development strategies for ACT, through maximising commercial opportunities and contractual performance. Jayne has almost 13 years of experience within the education and training sector and her appointment as Development Director marks a return to the award-winning training provider, following her previous success at ACT as Head of Marketing & Communications. Since setting up in 1988, ACT has become Wales’ largest provider of training and apprenticeships. Supported by the Welsh Government and European…

Matthew Hirst will be targeting his fourth straight 2022 Motorsport UK Pirelli Ravenol Welsh Rally Championship win when he contests the Nicky Grist Stages based in Builth Wells on Saturday, July 9. Co-driven by Declan Dear, Hirst became the first driver since Callum Black in 2017 to win three Welsh Championship rallies in a row when he won the Plains Rally in his Delta Salvage Ford Fiesta R5+ last time out. If he wins again, he will be the first driver to win four in a row since Luke Francis in 2016. Both Callum and Luke went on to win…

Thrive Women’s Aid has won a £500,000 bid to The National Lottery Community Fund to improve victim experience and confidence in Neath Port Talbot in partnership with South Wales Police. The funds which were awarded through the National Lottery’s People and Places programme will help to coordinate a new domestic abuse intervention project within the Neath Port Talbot area called RAPID; aiming to tackle domestic abuse, and to improve victim safety and experience. The development of RAPID was born from a research exercise implemented by Thrive Women’s Aid and South Wales Police Public Protection Unit in Neath Port Talbot in…

Two Monmouth students have been recognised with a global honour in the memory and legacy of Diana, Princess of Wales. Teenagers Holly and Emily Walker have been given one the of the highest accolades a young person can achieve in the UK for social action or humanitarian efforts – The Diana Award. The students, from Monmouth School for Girls, were hailed at the 2022 Virtual Diana Award Ceremony on Friday (1st July) afternoon. Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, The Diana Award is given out each year by the charity of the same name to 200 young people…

A new 52,582 sq ft manufacturing unit is to be built by Welsh Government at the Rhyd y Blew industrial site at Ebbw Vale in the latest step in a programme to develop the remaining 30 acres available on the site. Work to construct the high-quality RYB1 unit will begin later this year and it will be available to let in the second half of  2023. It is being built to BREEAM Excellent standards, and with the intention of being carbon neutral when operating, and will comprise manufacturing or production space with two-storey open-plan office accommodation and a dedicated secure…

Thousands of runners ensured the second instalment of the Healthspan Porthcawl 10K was well worth the wait as the race returned to the seaside resort after a three-year hiatus. The event returned with 4,500 entrants across the main 10K race and junior events as runners flooded the Esplanade. After the success of the inaugural event in 2019, runners had to wait 1092 days for their next opportunity to line up outside the iconic Porthcawl Grand Pavilion. The route took runners along a scenic coastal tour of Rest Bay, Trecco Bay and Coney Bay before the participants raced through the town…

Cycling-mad Nigel Clarke’s passion for pedaling is set to reach new heights this weekend – and everyone thinks he’s going nuts. Kind-hearted Nigel has even started questioning his own sanity as he sets his sights on heading up a world-famous mountain when he follows in the tracks of Tour de France legends for charity. Inspired by British cycling greats Geraint Thomas, Mark Cavendish, Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins, the Cardiff-based businessman will push himself to the limit in the ‘Étape du Tour de France’ for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. And the 54-year-old is braced to go through the pain barrier in…

SWANSEA’S Wales Airshow had a brilliant weekend with hundreds of thousands of people enjoying the country’s biggest free show. Over two days, crowds lining the waterfront were treated to stunning air displays, interactive ground activities and family entertainment. People were treated to spectacular flying displays featuring The Red Arrows, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and many other displays delighted visitors from across the UK. The event was organised by the council and supported by the amazing crews of the RAF. Squadron Leader Tom Bould, Red 1 and Team Leader, said: “As a team, the Red Arrows were thrilled to…

Residents can now view initial plans and have their say on the proposed new primary school for Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Llyn y Forwyn in Ferndale, in a consultation which also includes a local public exhibition. In September 2021, Cabinet gave formal approval for the Council to deliver the building via Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme by 2024. It will be built on land north of Highland (known as the former ‘Chubb Factory’), with staff and pupils benefitting from a brand new learning environment. The current school has a backlog of maintenance of more than £1m, with limited opportunities…

The cycle path leading from New Tredegar to Abertysswg has received praise from local cyclists after work was completed by Caerphilly County Borough Council to resurface part of the path. Part of the National cycleway known as Route 468, leading from New Tredegar to Abertysswg which was previously unbound and water-logged, was hugely improved this February by introducing drainage features, to improve the water run-off issues and resurfacing a mile of the cycleway with a smooth tarmac finish, to make this route much more accessible for all users. Sustrans, a charity dedicated to making it easier for people to walk…