Author: Rhys Gregory

Views are being sought on a draft plan to develop Welsh language education over the next 10 years in Neath Port Talbot. Neath Port Talbot Council’s Welsh in Education Strategic Plan 2022-32 aims to support and further develop the Welsh language in schools and in the wider community. The plan is linked to Welsh Government’s vision to have 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050. Neath Port Talbot’s Cabinet agreed to a public consultation on the draft plan at a meeting on Monday 1st November. The consultation will run for 9 weeks, from Friday 5th November to Friday 7th January. The…

UK Government has confirmed which projects have been approved to receive funding from the new Community Renewal Fund in Bridgend County Borough. Set up as a precursor to the Shared Prosperity Fund which will be launched next year as a replacement for EU structural grant funding, the £220m national scheme is designed to support people and communities across the UK who are most in need. With a total of £46m allocated to projects across Wales, Bridgend County Borough will receive £785,149 for the following initiatives: Enterprise Bridgend (£213,126) Enterprise Bridgend aims to support people, especially women, who have been furloughed…

Bridgend County Borough Council’s Cabinet have approved funding for a new community hub at Abercerdin Primary School in Evanstown. The school which will jointly fund the project alongside the local authority is planning to create the hub as a community outreach centre once the school’s ground floor basement is renovated. It will house a creche for children from birth to three years of age, meeting and training rooms, and a community café for vulnerable adults to retrain and access support with CV and interview techniques. Headteacher Helen Gentle said: “The community hub is a project involving the school and the…

Public consultation is set to take place over plans that could transform the centre of Pencoed and deliver some of Bridgend County Borough’s biggest ever transport infrastructure improvements. Between Monday 8 November 2021 – Sunday 30 January 2022, people will be asked for their views on ambitious plans to address long-standing traffic congestion issues in Pencoed which have prevented new development and economic investment from taking place. If approved, the £17m plans will enable the eventual closure of Pencoed’s level railway crossing by rebuilding the Penprysg road bridge so that it can accommodate two-way traffic, and creating a safe, all-new…

Do you know someone who regularly goes the extra mile for others, is an outstanding charity fundraiser, or has put the local area on the map by achieving something special over the past 18 months? As the year comes to a close, the Mayor of Bridgend County Borough is asking local residents to put forward their nominations of individuals, groups or businesses who are worthy of a Mayor’s Citizenship Award. Past winners have included a nine-year-old who fundraised to help koalas in the Australian wildfires, a man who wheeled four marathons and six half marathons after being diagnosed with a…

Applications for grants are being invited now for projects within Powys which will promote social inclusion, reduce poverty, and help develop and sustain our rural village communities. Funding of up to £7,000 is available to support 10 projects through Arwain, the county’s LEADER programme, which aims to get residents, businesses and communities involved in delivering innovative solutions to address economic, social and environmental challenges.* The types of projects that may be funded include pilot projects – small scale and time limited activities aimed at testing out a concept or to try an innovative technique; feasibility studies to undertake research into…

The Rhydyfelin Community Group has created a cascading waterfall of poppies, flanked by the silhouettes representing the Fallen of the First and Second World Wars. The works have been created to mark Armistice Day 2021 and are proudly on display outside Rhydyfelin Community Centre. The silhouettes are the creation of retired labourer Michael Mottram. Councillor Maureen Webber, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council Deputy Leader and Armed Forces Champion, also a member of the Rhydyfelin Community Group, said: “We have created this Display of Remembrance to honour our Armed Forces family, past and present. “It is a fitting tribute for those that have served and continue to serve, both at home and overseas, as well as those who gave…

Some students will be able to vote at their college in next May’s local government elections, as part of efforts to increase voter turnout. The Welsh Government has announced details of four flexible voting pilot schemes being taken forward by local authorities. The next Welsh local government elections will be held on 5 May 2022. The pilots will mean people in the Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly and Torfaen council areas will be able to vote before polling day. Coleg Gwent’s Blaenau Gwent Learning Zone in Ebbw Vale will be used as an early polling station in the week leading to…

The Health Minister is urging people to have their autumn Covid-19 booster vaccination to support the NHS ahead of winter. More than half a million people have now had their Covid-19 booster vaccination in Wales, including three-quarters of care home residents, more than half of 70 to 74-year-olds and more than a quarter of 65 to 69-year-olds. Health Minister Eluned Morgan will say at a press conference today: “Our NHS and care workforce is doing an incredible job but they are exhausted – they’ve worked flat out and have done everything we have asked of them. “We can support the…

These days, everyone wants a YouTube channel. It’s a great way to become popular, even outside the site. Many people use YT to promote their business, books, music, art, performances, etc. Others just want to be known for their videos, or to become an influencer. Either way, you may want to buy YouTube hits in order to drip feed views in a slow, realistic way. But getting viewers on YT isn’t as simple as it used to be. As of 2020, the site had 2.3 billion active users monthly. Each day, more than 1 billion videos are watched, and another…