Author: Rhys Gregory

The Welsh Government has today published its provisional local government settlement for 2022-23. Core revenue funding for local government will increase by 9.4% on a like-for-like basis, compared to the current year. No local authority will receive less than an 8.4% increase. Social care, education, recycling and a number of other key services provided by local authorities will be backed with £5.1bn in Welsh Government Revenue Support Grant and non-domestic rates. The settlement provides funding to deliver commitments including the real Living Wage for care workers, the teachers’ pay deal, support on business rates, and the Council Tax Reduction Scheme.…

Poultry keepers need to take action now to make sure they have biosecurity measures in place to protect their birds, or risk losing their flocks to bird flu, the Chief Vet for Wales, Christianne Glossop, has said today. The warning has come as the UK as a whole faces its most significant bird flu season ever.  Over 50 cases have been recorded to date in kept birds, with three in Wales. New housing measures were introduced last month to stop the disease from spreading, which means keepers are legally required to keep birds indoors and follow biosecurity measures.* Wild birds…

The Welsh Government is making £5.25m available to assist Wales’ arts organisations, museums, libraries and independent cinemas through the winter months, the Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden has announced today. The purpose of this fund is to support organisations that are in genuine difficulty – at risk of closure or that jobs will be lost – unless further support is provided. This risk must be as a direct result of the ongoing impact of Covid-19. The new fund will provide essential support to organisations in these cultural sectors across Wales, many of which are run on a voluntary…

Work has begun to build two new operating theatres at Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli in a bid to tackle surgical waiting lists and ease pressures across the region. The new operating theatres, which will be built thanks to nearly £20m of Welsh Government funding, will include preparation rooms, anaesthetic rooms, changing facilities and a recovery area. The theatres will have capacity to run 24 sessions a week, covering procedures including orthopaedics, general surgery, urology, vascular and laser therapy for varicose veins. The new facilities are expected to deliver approximately 4,600 additional day cases per year. It is hoped this will…

UK residents are being urged to ‘check it not regret it’ when considering buying a second-hand car as part of a campaign for improved road safety and awareness. The aim of the campaignis to warn people of the potential issues that could arise when buying a used car and how they can take steps to protect themselves and ensure what they are buying is legal, safe and what it’s reported to be. Serious safety issues may arise when buying a used car with hidden history. Clocked cars have mileage doctored to increase value. Potential buyers can be conned into believing a vehicle…

As of 2021, TikTok is one of the most downloaded social media apps. With 1 billion monthly active users, it is not that hard for brands who wonder how to grow TikTok followers to promote themselves as compared to other social media platforms. TikTok is a highly-engaging and active app, therefore, no matter which business brand you own, you can easily create your brand presence with the right social media strategies and techniques. If you want to leverage the amazing statistics of TikTok, we have listed below different ways which can help you promote your brand. Read on! 1. Get Familiar…

Starting a business is undoubtedly exciting. Startups are not cheap. Most startups fail within the first year. You have a great idea, you’ve worked hard to get where you are, and you’re ready to take the next step into the unknown. The only problem is; you don’t have any money to fund your next move. You’ve got a great product that customers are interested in, but to get them their orders, you need cash to get your business off the ground. A startup would be a new venture, such as a software application, an online news service, or an online…

The dry statistics show that in the mid-90s, the percentage of interracial marriages worldwide was 29%. And already in the mid-2000s, racially mixed unions had increased to 59%. It is apparent that over the past decades, it has only continued to grow. Among experts, there are both critics and supporters of such couples. While ones, such as the administration of UADates – an international dating site for marriage, believe true love sees no obstacles on its way. Especially if the only problem is the partner’s nationality. Others, people of conservative views for the most part – find these relationships are…

VPNs, or virtual private networks, are becoming increasingly common among everyone from basic users to full-fledged IT security experts. VPNs are a highly developed technology that began as an approach for IT professionals to provide secure remote access and link several office locations across the internet. VPNs have evolved considerably in recent years, becoming one of the most popular and essential tools accessible to every privacy-concerned browser. Is this latest form of VPN good enough to help businesses? Is a Virtual Private Network Right for Your Business? Businesses frequently utilize VPNs to ensure that people outside their data centers are…

Following a hugely successful UK tour in 2021, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow have announced more dates so that this thrilling adaptation can be performed on more stages across the UK. Washington Irving’s classic tale has been given new life by acclaimed playwright Philip Meeks (Murder, Margaret and Me; Harpy) who wields the horror genre to reflect on the lingering appeal of fables, storytelling and monsters. The ghoulish production revitalises the classic text to leave audiences simmering with anticipation. Welcome to Sleepy Hollow. Stars of the stage and screen, Wendi Peters (Big! The Musical; Coronation Street) and Bill Ward (Everybody’s…