Author: Rhys Gregory

On Saturday 13th November, The Boot Room, a charitable organisation set up by Carl Bradley from Neath, was named the national winner of the prestigious Community Project of the Year award at the 2021 FAW & McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards ceremony, held at the Cardiff City Stadium. The FAW & McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards recognise and celebrate the tireless volunteers who dedicate countless hours to inspire those in the grassroots community. The awards are now in their fourteenth year and Carl Bradley joins a long list of inspirational grassroots football heroes who have been recognised by the programme. The awards…

Wrexham AFC co-owner Ryan Reynolds has been at it again – plugging the club he bought will fellow A-lister Rob McElhenney and his favourite trailer maker. The Hollywood icon has created a hilarious “trailer on a trailer” to promote his new film, Red Notice, also starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Gal Gadot aka Wonder Woman. As part of the promo, a giant television screen was professionally mounted onto an 18 ft long LM187 trailer made by the Welsh firm and waved off by a group of six  diehard Wrexham fans who work for the company. During the film trailer,…

Cardiff and Vale College (CAVC) is set to host the finals of the Automotive rounds in the prestigious WorldSkills UK Finals. From Monday 15th November, the College’s state-of-the-art Automotive Training Centre at its City Centre Campus in Cardiff will host the competition, bringing the best young talent from across the UK. The contest will also bring together employers and local schools, who will view the competitions in action and take part in Automotive Challenges to inspire future talent and raise awareness of careers in the industry. CAVC is hosting the WorldSkills UK Finals in: Automotive Refinishing Automotive Body Repair Heavy…

£51 million of loans and equity investments have been made into 220 Welsh businesses by the Development Bank of Wales during the six-month period from April to September 2021. Half-year figures published today, 15th November 2021, by the Development Bank report that the £51 million has attracted additional private sector investment of nearly £38 million and has helped to create or safeguard over 1,370 jobs. A 31% increase in the number of new business starts in Wales in the year to Quarter 1 2021 was noted in the latest annual report by Economic Intelligence Wales. This is reflected in a significant increase in micro…

The University of Wales Trinity Saint David introduces a new popular voice pathway within its BMus Vocal Performance programme for the next academic year. Building on the success of the vocal programmes at the Wales Academy of Voice & Dramatic Arts, the newly devised BMus (Hons) Vocal Performance is a specialist industry-focussed programme designed specifically for singers. This exciting new programme is based in the vibrant city of Cardiff and delivered by experts of national and international repute. The specific focus on ‘voice’ has enabled WAVDA to design a programme shaped purely around the demands of the vocal performance industry,…

Legendary Manchester band James have announced a huge outdoor show in North Wales next summer. Playing at Rhyl’s Event Arena on Friday 8th July, the band will be supported by The Lightning Seeds and The K’s. James’ 16th studio album All The Colours Of You was released to huge acclaim earlier this year and the band played a number of festivals across the Uk and Europe this summer. All The Colours Of You is their first on a new label, Virgin Music Label & Artists Services and a new publishing home, Kobalt Music. James will perform tracks from the new record and…

Residents and visitors looking forward to attending Swansea’s annual Christmas parade on November 21 are being urged to plan ahead. Thousands are expected to enjoy the free council event that will feature a vibrant mix of local community groups, spectacular professional entertainers, marching bands, magical floats, colourful film characters and festive inflatables. Santa will be there too – to switch on the improved and expanded city centre Christmas lights. The council is encouraging those planning to attend to check the arrangements, plan ahead, aim to arrive in good time for the start – and spread out along the route to…

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Cabinet have approved extending the current Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to include banning all dogs from council owned marked sports pitches. Since the introduction of the PSPO in October 2017 over 2136 complaints of dog fouling have been investigated. 64 Fixed Penalty Notices have been served for either dog fouling or for failing to carry bags to clean up dog waste. There have also been 28 prosecutions of those who refused to pay the fine. A ten-week consultation with residents and key stakeholders including Gwent Police, Dogs Trust, the Kennel Club was held earlier this…

Cardiff Council has begun the ground investigation works to Roath Park Dam to make sure one of Cardiff’s most loved parks can be enjoyed safely now and for future generations. Following a regular inspection (under the Reservoirs Act 1975), it was found that the spillway, which is the waterfall beside the café, would not be large enough to withstand a theoretical extreme flooding event and improvement works are now required. Cardiff Council has appointed engineering consultant Arup to undertake a detailed study to identify the best options for ensuring the future effectiveness of the dam. Listed Building Consent has recently…

Applications for primary school places to start in September 2022 open this week, (Monday 15 November 2021) and parents are encouraged to make use of all three preferences to get the best chance of securing a school they want. Cardiff Council is also appealing to families to apply on time and to remember that a child is not automatically entitled to a reception place at a primary school where they attend the nursery. A new application must be made for a reception class place at primary school. Further guidance has been issued byCardiff Council’s School Admissions team whohave identified 7…