Author: Rhys Gregory

Two of Cardiff’s most iconic buildings will be ablaze with colour this month to celebrate the city’s role in Foster Care Fortnight. The walls of the Castle and the dramatic façade of City Hall will both glow purple – the colour of the service in Cardiff – at night over the course of the fortnight, from Monday, May 9 to Sunday, May 22. The campaign, established in 1997, is a chance to highlight the work done by foster carers and fostering professionals in helping find loving homes for young people when they need it most. This year, it takes the…

To mark the centenary of the Royal British Legion, the Gwent County Royal British Legion are holding an afternoon of musical entertainment, which  will take place on Saturday 14th May 2022 at Waunfawr Park, Crosskeys, Caerphilly county borough between 2:00pm and 6:00pm. Entertainment will include the Royal British Legion Band of Wales, Guitars for Veterans and a local school choir, culminating with a parade of standards led by the Band and Corps of Drums of the Royal Welsh. The Beating of the Retreat will close the event. Refreshments will be available on site, and those attending the afternoon of music…

Unavoidable delays in the build programme means redevelopment of the Council’s Neighbourhood Learning Centre (NLC) at Gurnos is unlikely to be complete until winter 2022, rather than autumn as originally anticipated. The building is being redeveloped into ‘a unique accommodation centre’ providing young residents aged between 16 and 24 years with both housing and on-site training. The demolition phase began in February and has been finished. But while work to the interiors is ongoing throughout the summer, the external façade will take longer following ecological assessments and the need for a bat licence from Natural Resource Wales to ensure that…

Further education provision in a south Powys town looks set to be transformed after the transfer of two prominent town centre buildings. Brecon’s Watton Mount and the former library on Ship Street have been transferred upon purchase to NPTC Group of Colleges by Powys County Council. The transfer of the listed buildings will allow NPTC Group of Colleges to relocate its Brecon Beacons College into the town centre for a ‘university feel’ campus, leading to highly resourced, fit for the 21st Century education, to be delivered in the town. This follows an earlier deal between the council and NPTC Group…

Powys residents can borrow an iPad for free, from their local library, thanks to support from the Welsh Government Circular Economy Fund. Devices are available to members of the Powys library service aged 18+ and must be booked in advance. Anyone who lives, works or is studying in Powys can join the library for free. The ‘internet ready’ iPads are available to borrow for four weeks at a time. Each iPad holds a sim card with a mobile data allowance for anyone without a home Wi-Fi connection. Nina Davies, Head of Housing and Community Development, said: “We are pleased to…

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%…