Author: Rhys Gregory

Neath Port Talbot Council has inaugurated Bethan Nicholas-Thomas as the new Youth Mayor at a ceremony held online. The annual ceremony took place on Thursday 3rd February and was attended by senior council officers and key community leaders which included Councillor Ted Latham (Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council), Karen Jones (Chief Executive of Neath Port Talbot Council) Sally Holland (The Children’s Commissioner for Wales), Louise Fleet (Lord Lieutenant of West Glamorgan), Joanna Jenkins (High Sheriff of West Glamorgan), and David Rees MS (Member of the Senedd for Aberavon). Bethan is a member of the British Youth Council and the…

There has been a significant increase in the number of Glastir payments made early in the payment window to Welsh farm businesses, Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths has announced. More than 2,200 claims under Glastir Entry, Advance, Commons and Organic were paid in January which represents 78% of all claims received and is worth £26.2m to Welsh farms. Businesses receiving the funding play a key role in contributing to the aims of conserving and enhancing wildlife and biodiversity, improving soil and water resources as well as restoring peatland habitats and responding to the climate emergency by taking action towards the…

The Welsh Government is investing £366m over the next three years to deliver 125,000 all-age apprenticeships across Wales during this term of government, Economy Minister Vaughan Gething has announced at the start of Apprenticeship Week Wales 2022. The Minister said this major investment will help support the Welsh Government’s commitment to ensure at least 90% of 16-24 year olds in Wales will be in education, employment, or training by 2050, and to eradicate the gap between the employment rate in Wales and the UK by 2050. This will help deliver a fairer Wales that leaves no one behind and makes…

An online resource dedicated to helping young people aged between 11 and 25  to access mental health support has been relaunched to include new information and advice. The launch coincides with Children’s Mental Health Week, taking place between 7 – 13 February. The refreshed young person’s mental health tool kit is available via the educational website Hwb, the National Digital Learning Platform. The toolkit features links to a range of external websites, apps and helplines that are designed to support young people with their mental health and wellbeing. The toolkit was first launched in 2020 and provides a single point…

The First Minister has announced the planned locations of Wales’ first commemorative woodlands to remember all those who have died during the pandemic. The first two woodlands will be created on part of the National Trust Cymru’s Erddig Estate in Wrexham and at a site identified by Natural Resources Wales at Brownhill in the Tywi Valley in Carmarthenshire. A third memorial woodland will be created in South East Wales – a site is currently being identified. The memorial woodlands will be a symbol of Wales’ resilience during the pandemic and one of regeneration and renewal as the new woodlands grow.…

Together with carrot and onions, celery belongs to the classic mirepoix. Its characteristic aroma and fresh taste makes it so popular in cuisines worldwide. It should not surprise you either that it contains plenty of valuable nutrients. What could surprise though is that the less popular celeriac is the root version of celery and can be used in mirepoix too. Both the celery and celeriac can be grown in home gardens. Below you will find the key facts and tips that should enable you to grow beautiful, tasty, and aromatic celery on your  own. Check out celery and celeriac seeds…

Mrs Pamela Chapman, of Dinas Powys, was the first patient in Wales, with the surgeon using Mako robotic arm-assisted surgery, to have her hip replaced. A few weeks since her November operation, Mrs Chapman says she frequently forgets she has had either a painful hip or the surgery, as her right hip is so much improved. When the option to have Stryker Smartrobotics at Nuffield Health Cardiff and Vale Hospitals was mentioned, Mrs Chapman said she felt confident that this was the right way to go. Pamela said, “ It was so reassuring to hear how very precise the procedure…

SMEs in Wales are being encouraged to make net zero action a priority for their businesses. Net zero is a commitment to ensure a balance between greenhouse gas emissions put into the atmosphere and those removed from it. Businesses can take action towards net zero by reducing the emissions that a company makes directly, indirectly and through its supply chain. While Wales hopes to achieve net zero by 2050, the Welsh Government has set a target for the public sector to reach this commitment by 2030 in a decade of critical action. Many large corporations have set similar targets, impacting…

One of Wales’ top business leaders is launching a new fundraising board on World Cancer Day (February 4) which will be dedicated to saving lives. Richard Selby, Director & Co-founder of Pro Steel Engineering Limited and National Chair of the Institute of Directors in Wales, is supporting Cancer Research UK by building a business board in Wales to help beat cancer sooner. Richard is appealing to business Directors and CEOs in Wales with strong networks and connections to apply to join the board and make a significant impact in Wales for those affected by cancer. Business Beats Cancer Cymru will…

A Newport man has pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a British bulldog after failing to treat her skin condition which severely affected her head, ears and eyes. Christopher O’Flaherty of Oliphant Circle, Newport, was given six weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months, after he pleaded guilty to two animal welfare offences at Cwmbran Magistrates Court on Wednesday (2 February) following a prosecution by RSPCA Cymru. The court heard he had caused unnecessary suffering to Princess – a white and brown British bulldog – by failing to provide veterinary care in respect of her severe skin disease, which…