Author: Rhys Gregory

A NEW Covid vaccination centre is opening in the heart of Port Talbot’s shopping area. Situated next door to B&M in the Aberafan Shopping Centre, near the river bridge entrance, it will provide vaccinations to adults and children alike. The first clinic will be held at the Local Vaccination Centre (LVC) on Thursday, May 26th. Slots will be available by appointment only for the time being. The public are reminded not to telephone the shopping centre if they want to make an appointment or if they have a general query. The health board’s booking centre can be contacted on 01792…

New Tax-Free Childcare statistics from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have revealed that 17,825 families in Wales received up to £2,000 towards the cost of their childcare during the 2021 to 2022 tax year, up from 12,270 in the previous year. Tax-Free Childcare provides thousands of eligible working families with vital financial support towards the cost of their childcare with the government paying £240 million annually in top-up payments to families using the scheme. For thousands of families who use Tax-Free Childcare, the money they save each month on their childcare costs is money that goes back into their pockets.…

Principality Building Society has set primary school children in Wales the challenge of building a business with only £5 with support from two Welsh rugby international number fives. Principality and Young Enterprise have teamed up to deliver the Fiver Challenge initiative, which asks students aged 5-11 years to create, research and plan a business with just £5. As partners of the Welsh Rugby Union, to help launch this year’s challenge, the Society has teamed up with two of Welsh rugby’s number fives, Will Rowlands and Gwen Crabb. Since 2020, the Society has worked with partners such as Young Enterprise to…

This August, Radnorshire and Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust are leading a unique free creative day- camp for young people aged 13-24. This wild day-camp is is made possible by ‘Stand for Nature Wales’, a Wales-wide project looking to empower young people to take action for nature and climate. The camp is funded by the People’s Postcode Lottery players and the National Lottery Community Fund through the Climate Action Fund. Five whole days jam-packed with a variety of activities such as bug hunting, improvisation, creative writing, bird box making and wildlife recording! As if that’s not exciting enough, participants will work together…

“Newport in the 90s was the best place to be on the planet. I hope my paintings do it justice,” says city’s drumming icon.Launching his latest selection of Newport-inspired paintings, the drummer for Newport 90s rockers 60ft Dolls, says that lockdown changed his life.“I was always a painter at heart, but it took lockdown for me to realise this,” says Carl Bevan.Originally from Glynneath, Carl grew up in Newport, and called it home for 25 years. His band, 60ft Dolls, was signed up by Geffen Records – the label of Guns N’ Roses and Nirvana – and he travelled the world…

Leading independent pensions and employee benefit advisors Quantum Advisory has addressed corporate members of Community Housing Cymru, highlighting the impact of market trends and global events on the major pension schemes used by the housing sector. Stuart Price and Adam Cottrell, corporate pension actuaries at Quantum, spoke during the webinar on Thursday 19 May, focussing on issues surrounding Defined Contribution (DC) schemes, the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and the Social Housing Pension Scheme (SHPS). Speaking about the potential outcomes of defined benefit (DB) pension liabilities on Association’s balance sheets as at 31 March 2022, Adam Cottrell said: “Global equities…

Some 40 years on from the Falklands Conflict, Paul Bromwell still vividly remembers his time in the South Atlantic, especially the day he lost 48 Comrades and friends during one incident. Now Chief Executive of the Valley Veterans, Mr Bromwell works closely with the Council’s Armed Forces Veterans Service to help and support those who need it the most. Having served in the Welsh Guards during the Falklands Conflict 40 years ago, he is all too aware of the serious effects of returning to civilian life once leaving the Armed Forces. Living in the Rhondda, Mr Bromwell says he had no professional…

ABERAVON BEACH has been named as one of country’s best beaches by environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy which has awarded it the prestigious Seaside Award for 2022. The annual Seaside Awards play a vital role in protecting our precious marine environment and are recognised around the world as a symbol of quality and good beach management. From popular resorts to hidden gems, all award-winning beaches must meet and maintain the highest environmental and safety standards and achieve tough international bathing water quality targets. Announcing the awards, Keep Wales Tidy’s Chief Executive Lesley Jones said: “We are lucky to have some…

Newport is gearing up to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with a range of events, activities and projects that will benefit the whole city. Among the events will be the lighting of the Jubilee beacon, as well as a picnic at Beechwood Park in Newport. Queen’s Jubilee Beacon 2 June,  8pm – 10pm Queen Elizabeth II Playing Fields, Edward German Crescent, Ringland, Newport NP19 9ND The Jubilee Beacon is one of the official events of the Platinum Jubilee. Thousands of beacons will be lit by communities, charities and groups throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories. The…

Rest Bay, Trecco Bay and Porthcawl Marina have all retained their prestigious Blue Flag awards which recognise the highest levels of cleanliness and water quality. The Blue Flag Awards, Seaside Awards and Green Coast Awards are run in Wales by environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy. The coast awards play a vital role in protecting our precious marine environment and are recognised around the world as a symbol of quality. From popular resorts to hidden gems, all award-winning beaches must meet and maintain the highest environmental standards and achieve tough international bathing water quality targets. The Blue Flag programme is a…