Author: Rhys Gregory

After a challenging 18 months caused by the pandemic, occupants of a Newport residential home have spent the summer enjoying the fruits of their labour after they decided to transform their existing garden into a flourishing community space. With activities and socialising severely restricted by Covid-19, residents at Wentwood Court in Newport set about converting the underused areas at their communal house and individual bungalows into thriving gardens. Wentwood Court, which is run by Ocean Community Services, provides step down and rehabilitation care for men and women with mental health needs, autistic spectrum conditions, learning disabilities and acquired brain injury.…

Wales-based Internet of Things (IoT) startup, The Smart Container Company, just completed a £1.1M seed round backed by key angel investors and CrowdCube, an equity crowdfunding platform. The company mission is to improve efficiency and sustainability in the draught beer industry, with first of its kind technology that connects kegs to the internet instantly. Funds from this round will allow the team to set up the supply chain for mass production of Kegtracker™, their patent-pending IoT device, and expand their sales and marketing efforts in the UK and internationally. An innovation three years in the making, The Smart Container Company’s…

A new police drone team have been hailed as “highflying heroes” after saving three lives and playing a key role in putting out a major gorse fire. The praise came from tech savvy North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin who is keen to expand the unit. Mr Dunbobbin was briefed on their successes by Chief Inspector Jon Aspinall who leads the dedicated team which includes a sergeant and four constables and was established in April this year. He also showed Mr Dunbobbin dramatic footage of how the team played a vital part in tackling a huge fire on…

Revolutionary Virtual Reality headsets and video gaming graphics are being used by Bangor University to train the next generation of X-ray radiographers in North Wales. The University’s Wrexham campus was the first in the UK to order a new computer programme which enables students to use VR to learn how to take X-rays without the risk of exposure to harmful cancer-causing gamma rays. The £15,000 software system, pioneered in Christchurch in New Zealand, is now up and running at the University’s School of Medical and Health Sciences in Wrexham and the next generation of radiographers can now learn more quickly…

Charities and community groups in Scotland are being encouraged to apply for a share of £3.5 million to bring their dream project to life, thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Launching today, (1 October) the Dream Fund encourages collaboration between charities and good causes by bringing them together to apply for funding for their dream project. This year’s prize pot is the largest ever, with a top award of £1.25 million. Funding will be offered over three years from 2022.  The Dream Fund is encouraging applications from projects which seek to develop innovative solutions and deliver systematic…

Stand-up comedian and Tourist Trap star, Leroy Brito, is used to being heckled while performing, it’s part of the job, but he had no idea what was in store at one of his recent Cardiff gigs. Leroy was performing a skit about celebrating his upcoming milestone 40th birthday and announced to the crowd that he wanted to run a marathon to mark the occasion. Then steps in appeal manager for St John Ambulance Cymru, Samantha Coles, who took a chance and heckled the BBC star, persuading him to put his best foot forward for the charity at the Virgin Money…

A state-of-the-art stroke unit offering 24-7 emergency care could be developed at Swansea’s Morriston Hospital. The health board is developing a proposal for what’s known as a hyper acute stroke unit, expanding on the existing facility based in Ward F. It would bring together experts and equipment under one roof to provide world-class treatment whenever patients need it. Another proposal is the creation of an Acute Hub for patients requiring urgent unplanned medical care but who will not need to stay there for more than 72 hours. These form part of wider proposals to reconfigure services across Swansea Bay, creating…

Dinas Powys school pupils have been presented with prizes after winning an entrepreneurial competition organised by Young Enterprise and funded in Wales by Principality Building Society. The pupils from team ‘Seed Squad’ from year five at St Andrew’s Major Church in Wales Primary School have each received iPads, donated by Principality Building Society, for coming out top in the Best Welsh Business category as part of the Fiver Challenge competition. Running during the summer months, the scheme saw over 3,000 primary school pupils from across Wales take part in the challenge, which asks pupils to create, research and plan a…

Hourglass and Hodge commissioned a survey of 2,000 adults aged between 45 and 70, as they are often those who care for older people or are at risk of abuse themselves. Over a quarter (27%) know or care for an older person who has been a target of an online scam to access their finances in the last year and around 14% know or care for an older person who has been a victim of economic abuse by a person they should be able to trust. Economic abuse is one of the most widespread forms of abuse of older people.…

Over the last year, burglaries in England and Wales have dropped by a whopping 30%*, the least cases in the last 20 years. However, as we enter darker nights and many offices are encouraging staff to return, it’s been reported* burglaries will surge by 20%. Speaking to ex-burglars and unfortunate victims of theft, security retailers, safe.co.uk, has uncovered what draws a burglar to someone’s home, allowing Safe to use these experiences to provide expert advice on how to protect a home and feel safe this autumn and winter: Repeat Business – Ex-burglar has provided insight; “Burglars come back to the…