Author: Rhys Gregory

A five-year plan which outlines steps towards achieving the ambition of ensuring a good quality of life for all animals in Wales will be published today by the Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths. Our Animal Welfare Plan for Wales builds on what has already been achieved since the devolution of animal welfare powers in 2006. It outlines how the Welsh Government will take forward its animal welfare commitments in its Programme for Government, and other measures to further improve animal welfare. The plan also includes a broad range of ongoing animal welfare policy work, including statutory guidance for existing regulations,…

More than £170m extra a year is set to be invested in planned care across NHS Wales, Health Minister Eluned Morgan has announced at the inaugural Planned Care Summit. The Minister hopes the rallying cry and additional funds will ‘build a planned care system that is bigger, better and more effective than we have seen before’. Planned care is any treatment that doesn’t happen as an emergency and usually involves a prearranged appointment. Most patients are referred for planned care from their GP. The funding will predominantly be focused on endoscopy, cataract, orthopaedic and diagnostic & imaging services, but will…

Following a number of detections of avian influenza (bird flu) in wild birds across Great Britain, the Chief Veterinary Officers from Wales, England and Scotland have declared an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) across the whole of Great Britain to mitigate the risk of the disease spreading amongst poultry and captive birds. This means that from 5pm on Wednesday 3 November 2021, it will be a legal requirement for all bird keepers in Great Britain to follow strict biosecurity measures to help protect their flocks. Keepers with more than 500 birds will need to restrict access for non-essential people on…

It would seem that a duplex is the perfect compromise. But it is important to know some of the nuances. Let’s understand them. What Is a Duplex A duplex is a house for two families, divided in half. Each part has a separate entrance and there may be several floors. Only one wall and roof is in common with the neighbors. Both sides of the cottage are considered individual dwellings, each with 8-30 acres. The common wall does not have to be between the living rooms. Sometimes it joins the garages, in which case neighbors do not interfere with each…

Dial M For Murder is best known for the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock film, despite its origins being that of English playwright Frederick Knott. The new production of Frederick Knott’s stage and screenplay is directed by Anthony Banks. Although this particular version has been doing the circuit since early 2020, it has been a regular in theatres since the mid 50s. However, this particular theatre production stands out. Those familiar with Frederick’s work will know that the playwright is renowned for his complex crime thrillers, which this one is not. Instead, it takes on Hitchcock’s style of a simple plot, which…

Almost twice as many new businesses have opened up than have shut in Swansea City Centre the past 20 months, according to new data from Swansea BID (Business Improvement District), with many of the new ventures helping to make the area a mecca for foodies. New retail and hospitality ventures that have opened their doors in the heart of Swansea from February 2020 include: T&S nails Toyland Inspire Training Positinao Express Pappudoc Millie Foglia Flamingo Vintage Driftwood Lotus Nails Albania kitchen Bambino’s Taco Bell Chester Swan Ace of Fades The Entertainer Lux nails FSD training Phone Store Belman Paris One…

National training provider Learning Curve Group (LCG) is delighted to announce the acquisition of Cardiff-based Motivational Preparation College for Training (MPCT), in a move which will complement its existing academy provision. LCG, who already have pre-uniformed services academies across Yorkshire, will see the addition of a further 30 locations and 180 employees across England and Wales as part of the transaction, becoming the largest military training organisation outside of the Ministry of Defence themselves. MPCT was founded in 1999 by ex-Army Officer Huw Lewis MBE and has helped tens of thousands of school leavers gain the practical and academic skills…

Principality Building Society has partnered with environmental experts ClimatePartner to help the member-owned organisation measure, reduce and offset the carbon footprint of its operations. The largest building society in Wales, which employs more than 1,000 people and has 71 branches and agencies, has an ambition of being carbon neutral from 2021, and has set a net zero business operations target by 2030. ClimatePartner, who have been helping companies around the world take climate action for the past 15 years, will support Principality in creating a detailed carbon reduction roadmap including a corporate carbon footprint assessment. This will then inform specific…

A mum of two who is severely dyslexic and left school at 16 with no qualifications has landed a top job at one of Wales’s leading care organisations. Nicola Brantley, 37, has been appointed Deputy Care Operations Officer, for the award-winning Pendine Park care organisation which looks after 450 residents at eight homes in Wrexham and Caernarfon and employs over 800 staff. The Birkenhead-born healthcare specialist left Rock Ferry High School with a blank CV. She said: “At school, I was basically left at the back of the classroom because I was considered to be a non-starter academically speaking.” “Leaving…

Chopstix, the Pan-Asian noodle chain, has announced it will be opening its doors in Swansea on Thursday 11th November, bringing Pan-Asian delights to the city! Located at 806 Oxford Street, Swansea, SA1 3AF, the store will include the brands ‘living wall’ and some new screen features including the debut of the ‘animated Chopstix Anime Girl’ along with the now famous decor reflecting the quirky and fun ethos of the Chopstix brand. Customers will be able to enjoy a host of Pan-Asian flavours including Salt ‘N’ Pepper Chicken, as well as customer favourites Chicken Katsu Curry and Caramel Drizzle Chicken. Throughout…