Author: Rhys Gregory

Thousands of city families are being urged to apply for their winter fuel support payments without delay after the Welsh Government doubled to £200 the amount it will pay to eligible applicants. It’s been estimated around 30,000 households in Swansea can claim the payment to help deal with the rising cost of on-grid gas and electricity this winter. The Welsh Government’s decision means that anyone who has already been paid an initial £100 towards their fuel bills will get another £100 automatically and will not need to apply again. The Council aims to make the £100 top up payment in…

Work is about to begin on transforming the Council’s Neighbourhood Learning Centre at Gurnos into an innovative training and accommodation centre for the county borough’s young residents. The building, which has been used as an educational base to help unemployed young people and adults get jobs in a range of vocations for the past 25 years, will continue to offer training alongside five self-contained apartments in one of the three blocks. The aim is to help address a shortage of good quality affordable homes in Wales, while also supporting our young people who require accommodation to live independently while looking…

Following consultations with residents and businesses, work to begin the Growing Newtown, green infrastructure project will begin on Monday 7 February. The Growing Newtown project forms part of Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns Programme which supports economic regeneration and wider sustainable development. Powys County Council in partnership with Newtown & Llanllwchaiarn Town Council have now appointed local contractor, SDW Construction Ltd, who will begin working in the town centre on Monday 7 February. The works, which will include landscaping and enhancement work, improved access, updated seating, additional planting areas and better drainage, are expected to take 16 weeks to complete. Pedestrian…

Nearly £11m is being invested in a breast cancer ‘centre of excellence’ at Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr in a bid to improve patient care. The investment will bring together services and experts from across the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board to provide outpatient care, diagnostic investigations and surgery for breast cancer. The clinical teams from Nevill Hall and Royal Gwent Hospitals will come together to provide a more resilient and effective service, in a purpose built facility, that will better meet the needs of the people of Gwent. Speaking on World Cancer Day today (February 4), Health Minister Eluned Morgan said…

Bus passengers travelling across Newport during March will receive free travel thanks to a new pilot scheme being funded by the Welsh Government. The scheme, which is being trialled to encourage people to make more sustainable and greener travel choices, will be available all day, every day throughout March, on bus services across Newport’s local authority. The scheme has been facilitated by the Burns Delivery Board, set up to deliver the 58 recommendations of the Burns Commission which focused on providing people living and working in south east Wales with alternatives to private car use. The Burns Chair Annual Report…

Increases in the state pension age, poor private pension provisions and people being fitter for longer have all led to a record number of 65-year-olds still in employment. The figures, from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, showed that around 55,000 more 65-year-olds were employed in 2021 compared to the previous year, which equates to a 7% increase in men and a 9% increase in women remaining in work. Stuart Price, Partner and Actuary at Quantum Advisory, believes the increase is primarily due to pensions, as well as a physically fitter older generation who are able to continue to work. Stuart…

A MILLENNIUM FALCON exhibition will be opening at the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre in West Wales later this year thanks to £8,000 funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The permanent installation will tell the story of the building of a life-sized model of the iconic Star Wars starship in the town in 1979 for the Oscar-winning film The Empire Strikes Back. It appeared in the film alongside characters including Han Solo, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca as they battled the evil Darth Vader in a galaxy far, far away. But away from the alien planets, spectacular space battles…

Fat Hippo, a group of independent burger joints found in the North East and West of England, Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Scotland, is opening in Cardiff this year. The company, who specialise in the best burgers, loaded fries and more ‘good old fashioned, roll up your sleeves and get it all over your face’ food, will open the brand new restaurant on Church Street in Spring/Summer 2022. This is Fat Hippo’s first restaurant in Wales and the company, who have 11 more locations across the UK, has exciting plans to continue growing, with further sites being established over the next year.…

A BA New Media graduate from The University of Wales Trinity Saint David has secured his dream job working for Virgin Media, after using his LinkedIn Learning account to help him apply for the job and to get noticed. Tom Jenkins from South Wales graduated from UWTSD in 2017. Tom is now a video editor and animator with Virgin Media, working alongside Holly Branson on various projects. During his time at the University, Tom decided to build up his contacts within the industry and was able to find relevant work experience. He worked for a television studio for 3 months…

South Wales Police can confirm that 27 people have been charged with offences relating to their involvement in the large scale disorder at Mayhill on 20th May 2021. The ages of those charged range between 15 and 44.  The charges laid are for the offence of riot, with two defendants also facing charges of arson with intent to endanger life or being reckless as to whether a life of another would be endangered.  They are due to appear in Swansea Magistrates court between 2nd – 4th March 2022. Chief Superintendent Trudi Meyrick, policing commander for Swansea and Neath Port Talbot,…