Author: Rhys Gregory

The New Theatre Cardiff’s annual pantomime has been cancelled following today’s announcement from the First Minister. All performances of Aladdin from 26 December 2021 have been cancelled. This year’s pantomime was due to be at the New Theatre Cardiff until Sunday, 2 January 2022. Earlier today, the First Minister for Wales, Mark Drakeford announced new measures from 6am on Boxing Day to help keep Wales safe. The measures are a revised version of alert level two to respond to the new omicron variant and are designed to help keep businesses open and trading and protect customers and staff. However, the…

Beauty and the Beast was due to be performed until 15, January 2022 but sadly productions after Christmas Eve will now bw cancelled. Earlier today, the First Minister for Wales, Mark Drakeford announced new measures from 6am on Boxing Day to help keep Wales safe. The measures are a revised version of alert level two to respond to the new omicron variant and are designed to help keep businesses open and trading and protect customers and staff. However, the rule of 6 and 2m distancing has seen a number of theatres close their productions early. In a statement issued this…

This year’s pantomime at Swansea’s Grand Theatre will close following its performances on December 24. In a statement issued this afternoon, a spokesperson for the theatre said: “It will help the venue continue to play its part in helping the city and Wales through the pandemic. “One of the Welsh Government regulations announced today (Dec 22) was to limit the capacities of indoor venues. “This would have made it impractical to continue the run of Snow White from Boxing Day onwards.” Swansea Council runs the theatre and jointly took the decision with producers Crossroads Pantomimes. Customers with tickets for performances…

Following today’s Welsh Government announcement, Cardiff Winter Wonderland has announced that they will be closing the Ice Rink and Ice Walk, along with the Ice Bar this week. They had been taking bookings right up until the first week of January, but they now won’t reopen after Christmas. In a statement released this afternoon, organisers said: “This is in-line with the Welsh Governments recent announcement regarding updated Covid safety announcement.”Those with tickets will be refunded automatically processed within 48 hours including your booking fee with the money paid being returned to the original source of payment. Customers will receive a notification…

New measures will be introduced from 6am on Boxing Day to help keep Wales safe. The measures are a revised version of alert level two to respond to the new omicron variant and are designed to help keep businesses open and trading and protect customers and staff. The regulations bring back protections in hospitality businesses, including licensed premises, and in cinemas and theatres when they re-open after the festive period. Strengthened guidance will be issued to help people stay safe in their own homes and when meeting others. £120m will be available for nightclubs, retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism businesses…

Swansea rainforest zoo Plantasia has received renewed support from Welsh financial services company Admiral to bolster the venue’s educational animal conservation programmes. Plantasia on the Road is a schools programme that takes the rainforest zoo experience to local schools and communities, delivering workshops in the classroom that feature animal handling and virtual tours. The aim of the initiative is to show children how they can positively affect our planet. The programme, which has been running for nearly two years, has enabled over 5,000 children to acquire subsidised learning, with over 12,000 set to have access to the scheme in 2022.…

The three-day Welsh International Culinary Championships (WICC) is set to return in February next year. The event will be held from February 22-24 at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s campus in Rhos-on-Sea and will run alongside the National and Junior Chef of Wales contests. The event includes competitions to suit every level of experience, covering omelettes to Welsh Lamb, vegetable cuts to Ultimate Cupcakes. In addition, the WICC plays host to the Major International Challenge and, for the first time, the Riso Gallo Young Risotto Chef Challenge. The competitions for chefs and front of house learners traditionally attract students from colleges across Wales…

The Youth Work Excellence Awards are an opportunity to recognize and celebrate outstanding Youth Work projects, Youth Workers and those involved in Youth Work across Wales. The Welsh Government has celebrated excellence in Youth Work since 1993 and the awards are now in their 27th year. Ceredigion Youth Farmers Club was successful in winning the ‘Demonstrating Excellence in Partnership Planning and delivery at a local level’ category, bringing home the award to Ceredigion. The awards were premiered on 09 December via Youtube and although the ceremony was held online, Youth Workers and organisations across Wales tuned in to celebrate excellent…

Patients in Western Vale will be able to get their booster vaccination closer to home this week, thanks to a partnership with Well Pharmacy. Cardiff and Vale University Health Board will be utilising the Well Pharmacy mobile unit in which will be based in the Town Hall car park in Cowbridge. This unit will improve access for the population and increase the number of booster vaccinations given. This will in turn reduce the length of time for residents in the Western Vale area to travel to receive their vaccination as the vaccines are brought closer to home. The mobile unit…

Analysis from ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and The Corporate Finance Network that SMEs across Wales are worryingly reliant on short-term financing like business overdrafts with uncertainty affecting growth plans. Data from the latest edition of the ACCA UK and CFN SME Tracker shows that accountants report that 1 in 5 Welsh SME clients (20%) have not returned to pre-covid levels of productivity and turnover. While this is comparatively positive against UK totals (1 in 4 failing to recover), there is further evidence that Welsh SMEs were reluctant to take a longer term view. Fewer than 20% of…