Author: Rhys Gregory

Cardiff and Vale College has been recognised as the best college in the UK for its work to promote fairness, respect, equality, diversion and inclusion and engagement across the communities it serves. The College has won the Association of Colleges Beacon (AoC) Award in the National Centre for Diversity Award for the Inclusive Leadership category. Widely known as the ‘College Oscars’, the prestigious Beacon Awards recognise Further Education institutions across the UK that go above and beyond in their services to learners and the wider community. CAVC was just one of ten colleges celebrated at the Beacon Awards, and the…

After nine years of providing unrivalled support and care to the kidney community of Wales, the Paul Popham Fund, Renal Support Wales, is changing its name and revamping its branding. The charity is now called: Popham Kidney Support. The re-brand signifies an important transition for the charity that includes a new name, logo and website. The charity opted to rebrand following a trustees meeting where the name was discussed. It was thought that the former name did not clearly explain what the charity offers. The new name, Popham Kidney Support, does exactly that, while also maintaining and recognising the historical…

Construction market activity continues to rise in Wales despite rising material costs and ongoing skill shortages, the Q1 2022 RICS UK Construction and Infrastructure Monitor suggests. However, the sector doesn’t expect to make a profit this year. Regarding Wales, a net balance of +40% of respondents reported a rise in workloads in the quarter, up marginally from +37% in Q4 2021. Workload growth is across the board but is firmest regarding infrastructure projects, alongside activity related to the development of public and private sector housing. 45% more respondents reported a rise in infrastructure workloads than reported a fall. The net…

Results of the ACCA UK and Corporate Finance Network (The CFN) SME Tracker show that Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) are most frequently seeking accountants’ professional advice on immediate issues such as routine compliance, business planning and cashflow, rather than future plans for growth, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting and R&D innovation. For ACCA and The CFN this indicates a concerning trend amongst SMEs where they aren’t spending time thinking about the long-term survival of their businesses. The latest edition of the SME Tracker captures the feedback of 8,900 UK SME clients through their accountants, revealing what’s impacting…

Schools across Bridgend County Borough Council have been competing in the Big Walk and Wheel – a competition encouraging pupils to cycle, walk or scoot to and from school. The Big Walk and Wheel saw 13 schools taking part, clocking over 16,500 journeys. Croesty Primary School were the county borough’s highest ranking in the ‘Small Primary School’ category, finishing 181st out of 655 nationwide participants thanks to an impressive 72.64 per cent of their pupils taking part. Garth Primary School, Bryntirion Infants School, Coychurch Primary School, Cwmfelin Primary School, Cefn Cribwr Primary School and Porthcawl Primary School were also commended…

A section of the Taff Trail in Troedyrhiw is closed for the next couple of weeks to allow Dwr Cymru Welsh Water to carry out essential repairs. The bridleway between Pond Row and Lewis Square at Abercanaid will be shut to users from 4 May to 20 May, as part of Dwr Cymru’s £10m investment to repair complex leaks on the national water network.

A long-established Merthyr Tydfil taxi driver has become the first in the county borough to launch an electric vehicle service. Merthyr Council is hoping that other proprietors will follow in the footsteps of Anthony Brown, who has run Tony’s Taxis and Minibus Hire for the past 20 years, and take advantage of an initiative to help them do so. The Council’s Welsh Government-funded ‘Green Fleet’ Scheme is a ‘try before you buy’ programme which allows taxi drivers to ‘borrow’ a fully electric, wheelchair accessible vehicle for 30 days free of charge. There are two vehicles that they can use, and…

First Minister Mark Drakeford has confirmed the legal requirement to wear a face covering in health and care settings will remain in place. Speaking after the latest three-week review of the coronavirus regulations, the First Minister said the public health situation was improving following the recent spike in cases caused by the BA.2 sub-type of omicron. But Covid case rates remain high so maintaining the use of face coverings in health and care settings will help to protect to some of the most vulnerable people in society, staff and visitors. The First Minister also urged everyone to continue to take…

Pop and now West End star Alexandra Burke and newcomer Jac Yarrow led a fantastic cast in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the New Theatre in Cardiff this week. Cardiff-native Jac and Alexandra had played the roles of Joseph and The Narrator respectively for years in the London Palladium, and it really showed with the electric energy and top-class performances they brought to the stage. The costumes and staging were as bright and colourful as Joseph’s iconic coat and filled the New Theatre with a happiness that reflected many of the joyous songs and funny gags. Telling the…

LEADING lights in business and training are powering ahead with plans to open a revolutionary new health and fitness complex later this year. Sion Pritchard and Rich Blake have launched LVL5 Gyms Ltd, taking a fresh approach to the industry with proposals for an accessible, innovative environment welcoming people of all ages and abilities. The duo invested in state-of-the-art equipment – including localised Cryotherapy and the region’s first Fit3D Proscanner – and envision a completely different offering centred on positivity and wellbeing. Rich, a personal trainer and Workplace Resilience and Wellbeing Master Practitioner (WRAW MP) from Dwygyfylchi, and PetPlace owner Sion, from…