Author: Rhys Gregory

The spectacular and diverse grounds of Swansea University’s two campuses have once again been judged among the best green spaces in Wales. The University is celebrating after being awarded a Green Flag, the international mark of a quality park or green space and recognises excellent visitor facilities, high environmental standards, and a commitment to delivering great quality green space. It has also retained its Green Heritage Site Accreditation which it gained for the first time last year. This special award, endorsed by Cadw, recognises sites that are both historically significant and meet Green Flag criteria. Grounds manager Paul Edwards paid…

Thousands of runners of all ages enjoyed a run in the sun as the ABP Barry Island 10K returned to the popular seaside resort after a three-year hiatus. The event returned for the first time since 2019 and before the COVID-19 pandemic, attracting over 3,700 entrants across the 10K race and a series of junior events. The 10K race took runners on a scenic and varied tour of the town taking in sights like Whitmore Bay, the Barry Dock Offices, Cold Knap, Romilly Park and Watch House Bay. Runners enjoyed sunny but warm conditions, with impressive performances in the elite…

More than 25 new jobs are coming to Caerphilly County in the next 12 months and set to be delivered by OGM in partnership with Acorn Recruitment. The injection moulding specialist and leading UK recruiter have teamed up to fill a number of up and coming roles set to be based at OGM’s site in Hengoed. OGM manufactures and supplies specialist technical plastic injection moulded parts and components across the electronics, automotive, medical and general industry sectors from two sites, one in Oxfordshire and the other in South Wales. The company has invested more than £5 million in its Hengoed…

Leading commercial cleaning company Mrs Buckét has welcomed a new Head of Finance to its senior management team as it continues its rapid growth within the cleaning and facilities management industry. A Swansea-based chartered accountant with over 30 years’ experience, Jon Blakemore has built up a wealth of experience working for diverse organisations, including FTSE 100 companies, US corporations, and both international and UK-based privately owned businesses. In his new role, Jon will be responsible for the strategic direction of the company, driving commercial results, assessing income streams and costs, and delivering on P&L, cashflow and KPI objectives. As well…

Cardiff’s recently elected Lord Mayor, Graham Hinchey showed his support for food waste charity FoodCycle last night by rolling up his sleeves and volunteering at their recently opened Project in the city’s Riverside area. With the help of his wife, Lord Mayoress Anne Hinchey, they joined a team of local volunteers to create a free meal for the community made from food that would otherwise have been thrown away. The Lord Mayor and Mayoress happily got stuck in, setting up and laying the tables ready for FoodCycle guests, made up of local residents including refugees, families and regulars to the…

A hydrogen fuel pioneer has secured £247K of funding to perfect carbon capture technology that will help lower the environmental impact of its waste-to-hydrogen plants, grant specialist Catax can reveal. Compact Syngas Solutions (CSS) has won £246,568 from the Hydrogen BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage) Innovation Programme, run by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and funded through the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP). CSS, based in Deeside, Wales, had already won a BEIS grant worth nearly £300,000 earlier this year to advance its waste-to-hydrogen production technology, with a number of partners around the UK.…

Aberystwyth University’s Old College redevelopment has progressed further this week as the project’s principal contractor, Andrew Scott Ltd, has begun work on the stunning new entrance to the Grade 1 listed building. Plans for the ambitious £36m project include the transformation of the Georgian Villas on the sea front, 1 and 2 Marine Terrace, and a new atrium that will provide access to all levels of the Old College from King Street. Preparation of the site for the new atrium commences this week as work to remove the University’s old Estates building, which runs along King Street and dates from…

The residents of Swansea and Gower turned out in their thousands to enjoy a spectacular weekend of sport. People and organisations across the area were praised for taking two major new events to their hearts – and accepting some changes to daily life necessary to stage the activity safely. Saturday’s Volvo 2022 World Triathlon Para Series event and the Sunday’s IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea attracted thousands of athletes and spectators and significantly boosted the local economy. They were the culmination of a week of activity – including a Para Sport Festival – that inspired people to take part in and enjoy…

Many families will be worried about the rising cost of living, especially while preparing for the new school term. There is support available for learners and their families in Wales who may be struggling to afford school costs such as uniform and transport, as well as some free schemes to help your child with their learning. Here are eight education subsidies and schemes that you could qualify for. Support with school day costs Learners who are currently eligible for free school meals can apply for a grant towards school uniform, school trips, and kit. The grant this year is for…

The first ever Welsh e-sports team are heading to the 2022 Commonwealth Games’ Esports Championships in Birmingham to compete in the prestigious inaugural main event, thanks to support from the Welsh Government’s Creative Wales agency. Esports is a form of competition using video games played competitively for spectators, typically by professionals. Esports is a growing industry. It provides people of all-abilities the opportunity to participate a wide range of competitions, providing them with the opportunity to develop new and existing skills. Esports Wales, the not-for-profit Welsh body for competitive and grassroots gaming, is heading towards an action-packed summer at the…