Author: Rhys Gregory

A gardening project in Newport is helping to tackle loneliness and social isolation by bringing communities together. To celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week (9-15 May), Deputy Minister for Social Services, Julie Morgan has visited Keep Wales Tidy’s Growing Together initiative in Newport. Funded through Welsh Government’s Healthy and Active Fund, this project helps tackle loneliness and social isolation and improve mental and physical health by bringing residents of Milton Court together to grow vegetables and flowers in their shared garden. Linked to the local primary school, residents and pupils have shared video diaries during the pandemic helping to maintain intergenerational…

UK waste from households recycling stats released today show Wales far outperforming other UK nations for at least the tenth year running: Wales 56.5% Scotland 41.0% England 44.0% Northern Ireland 49.1% UK average 44.4% Wales – currently ranked third in the world in domestic recycling – was the only nation to uphold its stellar rates during the pandemic, with England, Scotland and Northern Ireland all seeing a drop in performance. The new stats reveal Wales to be the only UK nation to reach the minimum 50% recycling target set by the European Union, meaning if the UK were still an…

The Welsh Government has awarded Wrexham Council £2.8 million to carry out vital repairs to the B5605 in Newbridge, near Wrexham The road, which serves as a busy commuter route for local people and provides a diversion option for the A483 bypass, has been closed since the damage caused by Storm Christoph last year. Due to the severity of the damage a series of complex surveys and cost analysis has been carried out by Wrexham Council to establish the extent of repair needed before work can begin to make the road operational again. Climate change will increase the intensity and…

The Institute of Directors has announced a new one-year partnership with Space2B at The Maltings to create a South Wales business hub, offering IOD members in South Wales co-working space in one of the capital city’s leading business ecosystems. IoD Wales represents and unifies business directors from organisations of all sizes across the country. The re-location of their South Wales hub to Space2B at The Maltings reflects a renewed drive towards diversity and inclusivity as the IOD continues to pioneer entrepreneurship and contribute to boosting regional growth. As part of the new commitment, in addition to access to Space2B’s state-of-the-art…

A new report published by Sustrans Cymru has found that people across all parts of Wales are suffering the effects of transport poverty. That’s why Sustrans believes that, in an ongoing cost of living crisis, urgent action is needed to aid those most in need of support and frozen out of transport options. Making the Connection outlines the stark reality of unaffordable and unreliable transport options for many people in Wales. Many people, as a result, are unable to access the transport they need to live happy and healthy lives. Widespread across Wales Most areas in Wales have between 40-50%…

Cardiff-based Route Media has expanded its network in North Wales and is rolling out digital advertising screens at key locations in the region. The company installed two ‘mega-6’ screens at Eagles Meadow in Wrexham – supporting the council and partner organisations’ City of Culture bid – and 18 more in Rhyl, Bangor, Llandudno, and Colwyn Bay, reaching an average 760,000 pairs of eyes a week. With nine more to go live Wales-wide in the coming weeks, Regional Sales Manager for North Wales Scott Lawson said there will be further recruitment and fresh sites targeted throughout 2022. “We are really pleased…

One of the UK’s leading trade mark specialists says Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s bid to trade mark the word ‘archetypes’ after deciding to use it as the title for a new Spotify podcast makes ‘very good commercial sense’. Kate Cheney, the director of trade marks at law firm Clarke Willmott LLP, who helps identify, protect, and exploit intellectual property, says a registered trade mark is an asset that should be protected against potential misuse by others. “The application for a registration makes very good commercial sense and should be standard practice,” said Kate. “It gives you the right to…

Swansea-based creative agency iCreate is entering the metaverse by creating 3D visual environments for Dubai-based NFT boutique Jumi – a new outlet for curated digital art. The metaverse hit the headlines last year when Facebook’s parent company rebranded to Meta, reflecting the growing potential of the internet to offer an interactive virtual world through AI and 3D digital animation. The metaverse offers social connection through technology, interaction with brands and businesses, and online recreation.  It encompasses everything from online video games to virtual shops where you can digitally try on items before you buy them, and bespoke venues for online…

The tragic loss of a young man to suicide is driving a range of mental health and wellbeing initiatives at The Little Retreat glamping site in Lawrenny, Pembrokeshire and at The Big Retreat Festival, which takes place on land neighbouring the site from June 3-6. Gryff Morgan, 18, from Narberth, died last November following a period of mental health difficulties during which his family struggled to get him the help he needed. His mother Kim feels that gaps between services, combined with inadequate training for key professionals who dealt with Gryff, contributed to the tragic loss of her son. Gryff…

A new app which scans and measures wounds so staff can monitor them virtually is being used in Swansea Bay. By using smartphones and tablets, the app scans wounds and shares the images securely among staff who can check to see how they are healing. Developed by technology company Healthy.io, the Minuteful for Wound app is able to use the device’s camera as a diagnostic scanner to accurately measure the size of a patient’s wound. Each image captured is then logged via a digital portal so nurses are able to look back at previous images and compare them to see…