Author: Rhys Gregory

Pontprennau Primary School is proud to mark its tenth anniversary with a year-long celebration of creativity, connection, and achievement. Since opening its doors in 2015, the school has grown into a vibrant hub for families in Pontprennau, living up to its motto: “A Community Learning and Achieving Together.” To kick off the festivities, the school launched a colourful Ten-Year Anniversary Treasure Trail during October Half Term. Inspired by the school’s participation in the 2022 Dogs Trust Trail, the event invited families to embark on a geocache-style hunt across Pontprennau, searching for sixteen painted rocks, each designed and decorated by pupils…

Amazon-owned Welsh tech start-up Veeqo has opened a new headquarters in Swansea, marking continued growth for the homegrown success story which has trebled its global workforce in three years. It’s located at the 71/72 Kingsway office scheme in the city centre developed by Swansea Council and part-funded by the Swansea Bay City Deal. Veeqo produces free shipping and inventory management software for more than 100,000 businesses all over the world. The software makes e-commerce more efficient and scalable by helping businesses fulfil orders across multiple websites and stores, syncing inventory, and automatically providing low-cost shipping rates. Acquired by Amazon in…

Pembrokeshire County Council in partnership with the Henry Tudor Trust has announced a £249,813 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the new Henry Tudor Centre in South Quay, Pembroke. The Henry Tudor Centre will bring to life the largely untold story of Henry Tudor, son of Pembroke, who took the Welsh language to the English court and went on to achieve the greatest prize – the Welsh and English crown.  In doing so he began one of the most influential dynasties in British history, the Tudors. The Henry Tudor Centre will tell this fascinating story, Henry’s Welsh ancestry…

Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council Arts & Cultural Service is delighted to announce that Clare Potter (artist name clare e. potter) has been appointed as the next Artist in Service until June 2026. Following the success of Artists in Service Harriet Fleuriot and Rhys Slade-Jones, this new phase builds on their learning and continues to champion open-ended, community-rooted artistic engagement. The Artist in Service programme is designed to explore how artists can meaningfully engage with the people and places of Rhondda Cynon Taf. Developed in consultation with The Experience Business as part of the Designing Public Value with Purpose…

A major step toward securing the long-term future of Blackwood Miners’ Institute (BMI) is set to be taken this week. On Wednesday 10 December, Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Cabinet, meeting in its capacity as Trustee, will consider a detailed progress report outlining the positive work undertaken over recent months to support the venue’s sustainability and development. The report sets out a range of options for BMI’s future operation and recommends that Cabinet endorses a proposal to undertake a market-testing exercise to assess interest from experienced external cultural organisations in managing the day-to-day running of the venue. This would allow the…

Three communities in the Upper Rhymney Valley look set to benefit from a £20million funding boost. The UK government’s ‘Pride in Place’ Programme will see up to £5 billion given to nearly 250 areas across the UK. Each area will receive up to £20 million of funding and support over the next 10 years to make long-term improvements that residents want. Cabinet approval is being sought to put forward the communities of Bargoed, Aberbargoed and New Tredegar as the combined qualifying neighbourhood to receive the funding within Caerphilly county borough. Leader of Council, Cllr Jamie Pritchard said, “We have monitored…

A south Powys high school is celebrating a major achievement after being officially removed from special measures following a successful Estyn monitoring visit last month (November). Inspectors judged that Brecon High School has made sufficient progress against all recommendations from its previous core inspection – a milestone that reflects the hard work and commitment of the entire school community. Key improvements that the inspectors highlighted included: Raising standards at Key Stage 4: Expectations have increased, leading to a positive trajectory of GCSE outcomes over the last three years, with notable improvements for more able pupils and boys. Improved attendance: Rates…

A further £2.5m in Welsh Government funding has been announced for the creative industries in Wales. The funding will provide an injection of additional investment into the film and TV sector. The publishing sector will also receive support to respond to continuing challenges and support revenue generation. More than 3,500 businesses currently operate in the creative sectors supported by Creative Wales, employing more than 35,000 people. Latest statistics show the sector generated an annual turnover of £1.5 billion in 2023, an increase of more than 10 per cent on the previous year. This latest funding follows £2m of further investment…

Ely & Caerau Children’s Centre is set to be transformed by nearly £2m of Welsh Government funding to improve facilities and increase childcare provision for local families. First Minister Eluned Morgan made the announcement while visiting the children’s centre in Cardiff with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as he launched the UK Government’s Child Poverty Strategy. The investment will increase full-time childcare places from 85 to 105 and entirely remodel and refurbish the centre, creating a new community room and a dedicated space for the expanded childcare provision. The centre is a trusted hub used by the local community which provides…

Wales is set for a spell of very unsettled weather tonight and through Tuesday as the Met Office issues a yellow warning for heavy rain and strong winds. The warning is in place from 18:00 on Monday 8 December until 18:00 on Tuesday 9 December, with the risk of flooding, travel disruption and power cuts across parts of the country. Rain will move in this evening and quickly turn persistent and heavy through the night. Although it may ease at times during the day on Tuesday, further bursts of heavy rain are expected. Totals of 20 to 40 millimetres are…