Author: Rhys Gregory

For the first time in the long history of the UK’s greatest adventure sailing race, two school teams are entered and will start with the race fleet from Barmouth on July 9th. Teams of staff and pupils from Sedbergh and Shrewsbury Schools are entered into the Challenge Class, which was introduced to encourage wider participation in the demanding race. The class allows more teams of sailors and runners to experience the unique course, which challenges sailors to race non- stop through the tidal gates and stunning scenery of West coast from the mid-Wales resort town of Barmouth to Fort William…

A team of rocket enthusiasts from USW travelled to Scotland last month to take part in the Mach-22 Launch Competition and Conference. The six undergraduates competed against teams from across the UK in the event, which was designed to give university students an opportunity to develop practical, hands-on aerodynamics, mechanical, electronics and communication skills, with industrial technical support provided remotely to the teams. The event was held at Machrihanish Airbase, in Argyll, and saw USW’s Team Enillydd, which was made up of members of the University’s Rocketry Society, up against teams from University of Edinburgh, Imperial College London, Open University,…

AN INSPIRATIONAL young woman refused to let multiple disabilities stop her from caring for both humans and animals in two important new placements. Despite being both partially blind and deaf since birth, dyslexic and suffering with Labyrinthitis and chronic migraines throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Jess Watson continues to put others ahead of herself. The 26 year-old travels weekly by bus with assistance dog Jingle to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan, where she spends time with patients on the stroke ward, playing games, listening and talking to them in her role as a support worker. Jess, who grew up in Stoke,…

An impressive 130 Welsh competitors have been announced as finalists for the WorldSkills UK National Finals taking place this November. The announcement follows a series of regional competitions that took place across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, hosting a string of talented young people. Wales has maintained its top spot of having the highest number of competitors of all UK regions since 2015. This year, over 1 in 4 of the finalists are Welsh and with two categories still yet to be announced, it’s incredibly likely this number will increase. WorldSkills supports young people across the world to take…

A new show giving an entertaining exploration into Obsessive Compulsive Disorder will be premiered by award-winning theatre company StammerMouth at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff this month. CHOO CHOO!’ (Or… Have You Ever Thought About Pushing Someone Off Of a Train Platform? (‘Cos I Have.)’ – showing from 20 -23 July – takes the audience on a journey into the workings of OCD and a mind that isn’t always very nice to its owner. The production combines the talents of writer Nye Russell Thompson (StammerMouth) and director Nerida Bradley (Revolt. She Said. Revolt again) and is a disability led performance…

Dogs Trust is offering free workshops in South Wales this Summer to help families understand dogs and learn how to live happily and safely alongside them. The charity, which find new homes for thousands of dogs every year, is offering the ‘How to stay safe this Summer’ workshops to families with children aged seven and over. The workshops will be held at Dogs Trust Bridgend and Canolfan Y Bont, Pontarddulais and must be booked in advance as places are limited. Dogs Trust Education Officer, Claire Kendrick, says: “As we spend more time with our four-legged friends during the holiday periods, Summer is…

Aberystwyth is the best university in Wales for student satisfaction according to the latest National Student Survey (NSS) which is published today, Wednesday 6 July 2022. Based on the universities featured in the latest edition of The Times / Sunday Times Good University Guide, Aberystwyth has also climbed to second in the UK for overall student satisfaction. The result means that Aberystwyth has come top in Wales and featured as one of the top ten universities in the UK for student satisfaction in each of the last seven editions of the NSS. The University also continues to outperform the UK…

he Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league in the world, today announced that tickets for the 2022 PFL Playoff events from Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales on August 13 and Copperbox Arena in London on August 20 are available now viaTicketmaster. The PFL’s second 2022 Playoff event, on Saturday, August 13 in Cardiff, will feature fighters from the Welterweight and Heavyweight divisions, including 2021 Heavyweight Champion Bruno Cappelozza, Renan Ferreira, Rory MacDonald and Carlos Leal. The PFL’s third and final 2022 Playoff event, on Saturday, August 20 in Cardiff, will feature fighters from the…

The debate to settle which Cardiff school would triumph in this year’s DebateMate Cup is over, with Willows High School crowned champions for 2022. Students from the Tremorfa school have been taking part in the 12-week schools debating programme delivered by DebateMate with eight other schools in the city. The initiative has been sponsored by FinTech Wales and Cardiff Council’s Invest in Cardiff team and Cardiff Commitment. The 12-week programme culminated in a head-to-head debate at the Principality Stadium where pupils from Cardiff West Community High School, Cantonian High School, Cathays High School, Willows High School, St Teilo’s CiW High…

A new initiative has been launched so people know leisure operators using a Gower Beach have the skills and experience to provide safe fun activities delivered to the highest standard. Swansea Council has joined up with the RNLI and the Welsh Surfing Federation to launch the Caswell Beach Operators Charter. It aims to ensure safe and sustainable use of one of Gower’s most popular beaches for activities while being mindful of the many thousands of casual beach users who visit each year. The other founding members are Surfability UK CIC, Progress Surf School, Gower Surf Academy, Mumbles Lifeguard Club and…