Author: Rhys Gregory

Plans for a state-of-the-art new operating theatre at Morriston Hospital which combines a traditional operating room with advanced medical imagery, have taken a huge step forward. Health and Social Services Minister Eluned Morgan has endorsed the high level multi million pound proposal. This means Swansea Bay University Health Board can now develop the next-stage detailed business case for the Vascular Hybrid Theatre for South West Wales. Vascular surgery treats patients with diseased arteries and veins.  Blocked arteries can result in limb loss (amputation) and swollen blood vessels (aneurysms) which can burst, resulting in sudden death. The Vascular Hybrid Theatre, the…

A recently launched digital events platform caused a stir this week as it hosted its first major hybrid events. Anglesey-based Haia delivered the Wales-wide Digital Leaders Week session with contributors attending in person at the Senedd in Cardiff, M-SParc on Anglesey and to an audience of around 50on-line. It was also the platform for the M-SParc Level Up Showcase held earlier in the week – both events held bilingually through the new system. The Digital Leaders event highlighted some of the work happening in digital innovation across Wales and heard from Glyn Jones, Chief Digital Officer for Welsh Government, Chair…

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding thousands of parents and families in Wales not to miss out on financial support that can help pay for childcare during the summer holidays. Through Tax-Free Childcare, families can receive up to £2,000 a year per child – or £4,000 if their child is disabled – to put towards the cost of childcare. And it is available for children aged up to 11, or 17 if the child has a disability. The money can help towards the cost of holiday clubs, before and after-school clubs, childminders and nurseries, and other approved childcare schemes.…

A landmark decision by Gwynedd Council to fund nearer to the “true cost” of running care homes will ramp up pressure on other local authorities in North Wales to follow suit. That’s the message from social care champions Care Forum Wales (CFW) who welcomed fee increases of up to 25 per cent which they hailed as a “victory for common sense”. Until now Gwynedd have worked closely with other North Wales councils when calculating the fees for care homes and nursing homes. But at a Cabinet meeting councillors voted in favour of “stepping away from the north Wales standard fees”. They…

British astronaut Tim Peake is keeping his feet firmly on the ground as he heads to Aberystwyth with his one-man show My Journey To Space.  Tim made history in 2015 as the first British astronaut to visit the International Space Station. In 2021 he embarked on his debut tour of My Journey To Space giving audiences a fascinating insight into life as an astronaut, complete with breath-taking photographs and never-before-seen footage. Now, due to popular demand, the tour is being extended into 2023 and Tim will send fans into orbit when he visits the Aberystwyth Theatre on Thursday, March 23,…

Swansea Building Society has renewed its partnership with Swansea City Football Club in a new sponsorship deal which will see the building society, with headquarters in the city, become the back of shirt sponsors for the 2022/23 season. The renewed commitment follows a three-year sponsorship deal with the Championship team, which saw an executive lounge at the club’s home venue – the Swansea.com stadium – renamed the Swansea Building Society lounge. The new deal will see the Swansea Building Society logo adorn the club’s kit in a prominent position on the back of the players shirt on both the home…

Who doesn’t like to win a prize? But it’s a ‘big prize – big cost’ for those goldfish handed out to someone as a prize in an unsuitable plastic bag for long durations – most likely suffering from shock and gasping for oxygen. Sadly this outdated practice is still happening today with the RSPCA calling on the giving of pets as prizes to be banned. The charity is urging local authorities across Wales to act to protect these animals that otherwise will often suffer as a consequence of being given away. So far five local authorities in Wales have acted -…

Welsh building contractor, J.G. Hale Construction, is well underway on construction of an innovative housing development for Cardiff Council in the St. Mellons area, to deliver high-quality housing utilising a host of eco-friendly and innovative building practices. Demolition of the site began in December 2021 with building work now in full flow by Neath-based construction firm, J.G. Hale Construction. The projected completion date for the new development is the end of spring 2023. The scheme is the first of two collaborations between J.G. Hale Construction and Cardiff Council. When completed, it will provide 13 modern, spacious council homes, including a…

A collection of recipes bringing together a menu of dishes from around the globe which celebrates the diversity of the Welsh Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community has won a renowned worldwide award. ‘The Melting Pot’ by Maggie Ogunbanwo, has won Best in the World in the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in the migrant category. The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards are the largest international competitions in the food sector, with entries from 227 countries and regions. Founded in 1995 by influential Spanish culinary expert Edouard Cointreau, the awards honour the best food and wine books, printed or digital, as…

Rammstein will be playing at Principality Stadium on Thursday June 30th and to facilitate these events, a full city centre road closure will be in place between 4.30pm until 12.30am on health and safety grounds to ensure people can safely enter and leave the stadium after the concerts. Those attending these concerts are strongly advised to travel into the city early, leave large bags at home and pay attention to the prohibited items listed at principalitystadium.wales before they travel into the city. Road closures From 7am, access to Scott Road and Park Street will be managed to ensure vehicles do not park in…