Author: Rhys Gregory

Eight close friends -most of whom have spent their careers working for the NHS- are taking on a 120km challenge over just 7 days this August, by walking a section of the Camino Pilgrimage in Spain to raise vital funds for the Cardiff and Vale MND Association. The idea began with Hazel Robinson, former Director of Workforce & OD at Swansea Bay University Health Board, who was inspired by a holiday to northern Spain: “I was holidaying last summer and visited the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. I saw many pilgrims arriving after doing the same route and it left…

Principality Building Society has made a number of key appointments to strengthen its senior leadership team. The organisation has appointed its first Chief Technology Officer, a newly created role to drive technological transformation to enhance Member and customer experience as well as a new Head of Brand, Impact and Communications, who will play a key role in evolving the brand. Patrick Connolly, originally from Yorkshire, joins Wales’ largest building society as Chief Technology Officer with a wealth of financial services experience, including more than twelve years with Yorkshire Building Society where he held various senior positions including Director of IT…

The Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre are looking for talented young performers, aged 9 to 15, from Newport and Torfaen to join their Young Company in this year’s pantomime, Rapunzel! Auditions will be held on Monday 15 September, 4:30pm – 7:30pm, at The Riverfront Theatre with check-in opening from 4pm. The audition includes learning a short dance routine as a group and performing for the creative team for a sport in one of the three performing teams. This beloved seasonal production promises a vibrant journey, from rehearsals to a series of performances spanning from 27 November 2025 to 4 January 2026. For more…

Works to enhance Loggerheads Country Park, a gateway to the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape begin. Following the conclusion of the flood defence works on the site earlier this year, further upgrades are due to begin at the country park. In 2023, UK Government confirmed their intention to provide £10.95 million of grant funding for 10 capital projects aimed at protecting Clwyd West’s unique heritage, wellbeing, and rural communities. This funding has been awarded exclusively for successful projects included in Clwyd West and cannot be directed to other projects. The project will include the refurbishment of the visitor…

Neath Port Talbot has obtained funding from a UK-wide initiative to improve access to green spaces, transform urban landscapes, integrate nature into local decision-making and make towns and cities greener, healthier, more resilient and prosperous. The money has come from the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Nature Towns and Cities scheme which is being run in partnership with Natural England and The National Trust along with other organisations including Natural Resources Wales. Neath Port Talbot Council’s winning project ‘Nature’s Back in Town’ will, over the next two years, develop a strategy to shape urban nature and greenspace in Neath Port Talbot,…

Work will start within the next few weeks on improvements to the pond at Fourteen Locks. The work is the latest in a series of improvements the council has made along the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal over the last couple of years. The bottom of the pond will be desilted, as well as having a new ultraviolet light protective membrane lining fitted to improve water retention. Other planned improvements include: The removal of concrete sets on the water’s edge. These will be replaced with more natural stone chippings Repointing the weir area to the side of the boat ramp Adding…

The Welsh Government is making £30 million in additional funding available to local authorities to strengthen community-based social care services and improve hospital discharge processes. Local Authorities are investing their allocation towards actions that will support timely assessments and the availability of packages of care to ensure people can leave hospital when they are clinically able to, helping to reduce the number of delayed hospital discharges. The funding will be used to strengthen community-based social care and support services to help people to stay well at home. Local authorities will direct funding towards their specific regional challenges, building on progress…

The Welsh Government’s Leasing Scheme Wales provides quality housing solutions and brings empty properties back into use across Wales.  Leasing Scheme Wales offers landlords and owners of empty homes the opportunity to lease their properties to the local authority for between five and 20 years. The scheme helps to tackle homelessness and supports people moving on from temporary accommodation. All 22 Local Authorities in Wales are now participating in the scheme, with 430 properties currently signed up across Wales. Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, Jayne Bryant, recently visited Wrexham to see first-hand how the scheme is making a difference to…

Welsh companies recorded fresh drops in business activity and new sales during July, according to the latest Cymru Growth Tracker data from NatWest. At 49.1 at the start of the third quarter, the headline Wales Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index that measures the month-on-month change in the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors – fell from 50.5 in June, to signal a renewed decrease in output levels at Welsh businesses. The contraction follows back-to-back expansions in activity. Lower output reflected weak client demand as new business declined for the first time in three months.…

Fishing tourism is on the rise, with projections suggesting it could be worth $252.7 billion by 2035. Wales is in a prime position to take advantage of this, as its stunning landscape and varied bodies of water mean there are plenty of different options for anglers. Businesses that seek to tap into this booming sector now could flourish over the next decade. Wales could establish itself as a top destination for fishing tourism, as it has all the ingredients to succeed. Interest in Fishing is on the Rise The reason why the projections for fishing tourism are so high could…