Author: Rhys Gregory

All health boards in Wales have confirmed as of the end of 2021 that they have offered a booster vaccination appointment to all eligible adults. Offers have been made to anyone eligible through a range of methods including letters, texts, online booking and walk-in options. More than 1.5 million boosters have been given to date, with 81 per cent of over 50s receiving the booster dose. Around 80 per cent of people aged 12 and above are currently eligible for the booster. Of those, 71 per cent of people have already had their booster. Health boards will be contacting everyone…

During his New Year message, the First Minister said Happy new year to you all. I hope you’ve all had a happy and peaceful Christmas. As the year draws to a close, it is a moment to look back on what has been another extraordinary And for many people, and at times, a difficult year. I want to pause for a moment to reflect on all the people, right across Wales, who have helped keep us safe. Once again, our incredible frontline workers and NHS staff have gone far beyond the call of duty – working day in and day…

As the climate crisis worsens, more and more people look to governments and state parties for change and leadership – a united front against an existential threat to life on our planet. Much faith has been put in the meeting of country leaders to forge a global path of climate redemption, in the form of summits and congregations to inspire co-operation and shared goals. In 1992, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was born, incorporating 197 world nations in one convention – commonly known as the Congregation of Parties, or COP. Perhaps the most significant COP summit prior…

Enbarr Foundation director Vicki Roskams and fellow ‘Guardians’ of the John Summers Clock Tower in Deeside are hoping more people join their “revolution” in 2022 and help bring the dilapidated building back to life. More than £600,000 in grants and financial support was secured over the last 12 months from organisations including Welsh Government, Transport for Wales, the National Lottery, the Welsh Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA), Comic Relief, Architectural Heritage, CADW, Parc Adfer and Flintshire County Council. And the many kind donors and hundreds of people who volunteer every week will be rewarded with a belated Christmas party on…

Businesses in Wales impacted by the rapid spread of the Omicron virus can now find out how much they can expect to receive in emergency financial support from the Welsh Government. Economy Minister Vaughan Gething previously said £120m would be available for retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism business and their supply chains affected by the move to alert level 2 announced by the First Minister on Wednesday 22 December. The support package includes funding from the Economic Resilience Fund (ERF), with an eligibility checker for this fund now live on the Business Wales website. This will help businesses, including charities…

Last week, the Sherman Theatre announced that it would remain open after Christmas despite the introduction of the new Alert Level 2 restrictions. On Wednesday 22 December, the First Minister for Wales, Mark Drakeford, announced new measures from 6am on Boxing Day to help keep Wales safe. The rule of 6 and 2m distancing had seen a number of theatres close their productions early. The Wales Millennium Centre and Cardiff’s New Theatre were among those to cancel all of their remaining performances for the year. However, the Sherman Theatre has been quite innovative in how it has dealt with the…

The presents have been opened, all the turkey has been eaten and you’ve watched the same five Christmas films on loop since the start of December. The family is getting restless, and your Great Uncle is starting to make comments which at any moment are bound to disrupt the house’s festive cheer. Don’t fear, the team at the leading British stationery brand, Pukka Pads, has pulled together a whopping list of 101 pen and paper games which are guaranteed to keep all the family entertained for hours. All you simply need is a pen and some paper, meaning that you…

A group of GP practices in Swansea is helping the environment as well as its patients thanks to a new electric vehicle. The City Health Cluster, which covers eight GP practices in the central areas of Swansea, has received the electric car that will be used by its paramedic to visit patients at home. Keith Richards works as the cluster’s community paramedic and travels to patients’ homes to assess them as a way of helping GPs who are seeing patients in their surgeries. “There are eight GP practices in the cluster but some of them have sister practices so I…

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has revealed that 2,828 customers filed their Self Assessment tax return on Christmas Day, compared to 2,700 in 2020. For thousands of customers, filing their tax return on 25 December has become part of their Christmas tradition, with 227 choosing to complete their Self Assessment between 12:00 and 12:59. In total, more than 31,000 customers submitted their 2020/21 tax return between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day – getting it in early ahead of the deadline on 31 January 2022, and most festive filers completed their return on 24 December: Christmas Eve: 19,802 tax returns were…

A vital service protecting vulnerable women across North Wales is opening two new contact centres in Wrexham and Bangor to reach out to those in need.. The North Wales Women’s Centre, in Rhyl, was forced to close its doors during lockdown, preventing women using its drop-in service. Now the Centre has re-opened and is launching its new Pathfinder offices in Wrexham and Bangor and that has been welcomed by Women’s Centre Managing Director Gemma Fox. The Pathfinder programme, which aims to help women at risk of offending, has been commissioned and paid for by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner…