Author: Rhys Gregory

Despite a strong focus on pupils’ wellbeing, secondary schools don’t realise the extent of sexual harassment between pupils . Young people say that peer-on-peer harassment happens mostly online and outside school, but want teachers and school staff to understand how common it is. In a report published today by Estyn, pupils said that they want teachers to take proactive and preventative steps to deal with it. In focus groups with 1,300 pupils aged between 12 and 18, around half said they have personal experience of some form of peer-on-peer sexual harassment. Twice as many girls than boys say they have…

The market town of Machynlleth hosted its inaugural, literary festival named Amdani, Fachynlleth! Literature & Travel Festival from November 26-28. Even with Storm Arwen to contend with, attendees enjoyed this first festival, translated to Let’s Go! Machynlleth, which paid homage to Jan Morris, the internationally acclaimed Welsh historian, traveller and author. Artist and painter Dan Llywelyn Hall unveiled a new portrait of Jan during the opening of the festival and it’s now on display in MOMA (Museum Of Modern Art, Machynlleth) until the new year, along with some of Jan’s own sketches from her notebooks. The portrait ‘The Sole Explorer’ was…

Ellen Wakelam, co-founder and owner of award-winning Mid Wales distillery, In the Welsh Wind, was a winner at the prestigious Natwest Everywoman Awards 2021 which recognise inspirational women in business across the UK. Ellen, who founded the distillery with her partner Alex Jungmayr, in January 2018, won the ‘Demeter’ category which recognises the most inspirational woman running a business trading from three to five years. Growing up in Tresaith, she went to school in Cardigan before studying geography at Liverpool John Moores University and postgraduate teaching at Aberystwyth University. Ellen went on to work as a geography teacher, but had…

The Amazon team at the fulfilment centre in Swansea has made a £1,000 donation to Kid’s Cancer Charity as part of the company’s global Amazon Goes Gold campaign during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Now in its fifth year, #AmazonGoesGold is a global initiative to highlight, support and amplify the incredible work done by many organisations to increase survival rates through life-saving treatments and research. Each year, Amazon supports and collaborates with childhood cancer organisations across Europe who make it possible for every child affected by cancer to fight for their future. This year’s charity partners include the Starlight Foundation, Together…

The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has launched its call for action on carbon trading, to ensure that Wales’ family farms are part of the solution to achieving Net Zero instead of a casualty of carbon offsetting by powerful players. FUW Policy Officer Teleri Fielden said: “In order to limit global warming to 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels, countries and companies across the world have been racing to pledge their own ‘net-zero’ targets or claims. “This has led to a surge in individuals and businesses seeking to offset their carbon emissions via the Voluntary Carbon Market. Consequently, an increasing number of farms…

A programme designed to help women in Wales, particularly those from black and minority ethnic communities, launch their own businesses will begin later this month with the launch of an innovative six-week virtual training course. The ACF Entrepreneurship Programme has been designed and led by the Cardiff-based not-for-profit Assadaqaat Community Finance (ACF), an organisation which provides financial support and advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women, to start their own micro, small or medium size enterprise. It has been supported by a £20,000 grant from NatWest and aims to inspire 200 women to explore enterprise with at least 18 of them…

Transport for Wales (TfW) customers are being encouraged to check their journey details as an increase in train services comes into effect in December 2021. From Sunday 12 December, a new rail timetable will be in place across the TfW Wales and Borders network. It will also see the re-introduction of direct services between Crosskeys and Newport for the first time in almost 60 years. While the times of many services will be unaffected, customers should still ensure they double check their departure, arrival and connection times. Colin Lea, Transport for Wales Planning and Performance Director, said: “We are introducing more…

Following the appointment of its internal Environmental Action Group, Archwood Group, the North Wales-based business behind two leading UK brands, has joined the United Nations Race to Zero campaign and has also made the move to 100% renewable energy. Archwood Group is a leading manufacturer of timber products with two trading brands: Richard Burbidge, a manufacturer and supplier of stairparts, decking accessories and decorative mouldings, and Atkinson & Kirby, which supplies premium hardwood flooring. Earlier this year, Archwood Group, announced the appointment of an internal Environmental Action Group to drive its sustainability goals and pledge for a greener future. The…

Over 100 years after the First World War ended the carnage it wreaked on a North Wales town – and on one street in particular – has been commemorated in a new book. For Your Tomorrow We Gave Our Today commemorates the sacrifice of over 150 young men from Denbigh who fell in the Great War, among them at least 35 from Henllan Street. The book, which has been sponsored by local law firm Swayne Johnson, has been a labour of love for members of the Denbigh Community Archive Volunteers who researched and traced the stories behind the names of…

A Llangollen restaurant and bar has been named North Wales’s best eatery at the region’s tourism Oscars. The Three Eagles Bar and Grill’s successful transformation to provide an outdoor dining offer won them the Go Taste of North Wales, sponsored by Bwydlyn Butchery. A delighted restaurant manager Lydia Davies said: “We’ve got a really good team here doing lots of hours and their hard work has paid off. “We made a really big change because we wanted the Bar and Grill to be more accessible and we’ve opened up our outdoor space which has really helped us because as well…