Author: Rhys Gregory

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…

Generous players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised £425,000 for Mary’s Meals, boosting the charity’s work to transform the lives of hungry children in Africa. The latest funding awarded to the charity will ensure 10,961 hungry children receive a life-changing meal every day for a whole school year. Mary’s Meals provides one good meal every school day for children living in some of the world’s poorest countries. The promise of these meals attracts impoverished children to the classroom, where they can gain an education which can help them escape poverty in later life. Since 2015, players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised more than £2.7…

Elise Howard from Llanelli has been crowned the best mobile phone salesperson in the UK. Elise, who works for EE at its Llanelli store, was named winner of the Shop Idol 2021 award at the Mobile Industry Awards (MIA) 2021 last night. Elise, 24, who lives in Gorseinon, beat competition from hundreds of entrants from across the UK’s major retailers, to be named best mobile phone salesperson in the UK. She received her award at the MIA 2021 ceremony in London from Charlie Nordfeldt, Head of Channel Engagement at Samsung, and celebrated alongside Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s consumer division,…

During summer 2021, Velindre University NHS Trust (VUNHST) launched its Minecraft competition in partnership with Cardiff University Technocamp with the aim of encouraging primary and secondary schools across south east Wales to get involved and design their version of the new Velindre Cancer Centre building, as well as its surroundings. The winners were Ruby Wilks from Blackwood Primary School and two joint team winners, from St Brides Major Church in Wales Primary School, based in the Vale of Glamorgan and Penyfai Primary School in Bridgend. The winning worlds were innovative in their design, incorporating the surrounding landscape and offered an…

One of the greatest Welsh poets of the twentieth century is being celebrated in Pembrokeshire today in ‘Diwrnod Waldo’ (Waldo’s Day). Born in Haverfordwest in 1904, Waldo Williams learnt Welsh when he was seven years old before going on to become a distinguished poet. To celebrate the day, pupils at Waldo Williams School in Haverfordwest organised a series of events including reading poetry from Cerddi’r Plant (his collection of children’s poems) and designing and baking a celebratory cake. Headteacher Mrs Cora O’Brien said Waldo provides the school community with a wonderful sense of belonging. “As a school community we feel…