Author: Rhys Gregory

A timely remembrance campaign organised by a Cardiff hospice has exceeded expectations, raising thousands of pounds and supporting hundreds of families with their grief. Forever Flowers was launched by leading charity City Hospice earlier this year and invited supporters to purchase limited-edition flowers, expertly designed by the British Ironwork Centre, to remember cherished family members, friends and loved ones. The popular campaign saw City Hospice sell over 1400 Forever Flowers, as well as receive additional donations from supporters and members of the public. The unique and lasting tributes featured in a striking display within the grounds of Cardiff Castle from…

PEOPLE across Cardiff are being urged to enter Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life as there are just weeks left until the big weekend. The charity’s much-loved events are returning to the City but with socially distanced measures to keep participants safe. Money raised will help scientists find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, saving lives as the charity fights back from the impact of the pandemic.   Organisers are encouraging people of all ages and abilities to join the 3K, 5K, 10K & Pretty Muddy events which take place at Coopers Field, Bute Park, Cardiff on Saturday September 18 & Sunday September…

A former police motorcyclist has swapped escorting members of the royal family and heads of state to launch the UK’s only fully licensed and insured motorcycle and sidecar tours. Sean Westlake is now sharing the 30 years’ experience gained as a Dyfed Powys Police officer with customers who pay for unique full and half day tours of the stunning scenery and highways and byways of Mid and North Wales. His new business, Mid Wales Tours – www.midwalestours.co.uk – offers a choice of eight-hour and four-hour tours of Ceredigion, Powys and Gwynedd, but Sean is happy to arrange bespoke tours if…

S4C has reached an agreement to ensure that all the channel’s programmes are protected and transferred to the National Library of Wales’ care as part of the National Broadcast Archive for Wales. All S4C content, programmes and series which have been broadcast since the channel’s launch in 1982 will be transferred to the Broadcast Archive at the library in Aberystwyth. The project is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The S4C archive is an important record of Welsh history and a source of information showcasing the development of the Welsh language and broadcasting in Wales. Owen Evans, S4C’s chief…

Meet Koda, the four-legged crimefighter. The 14-month-old Belgian Malinois has just qualified to become a fully-fledged police dog and has been given her collar number, PD1301 and been issued with her own warrant card. She’s the newest member of the Alliance Armed Policing and Police Dogs Unit that’s shared between North Wales Police and their counterparts in Cheshire. Her handler, PC Sonia Stobbart, an instructor with the unit, introduced Koda to the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, Andy Dunbobbin, when he came on a visit. Koda is a general purpose police dog that can be used for a whole…

Two former Royal Marines commandos are on a tough mission to help their community keep fit in mind and body. Adam White and Dan Harrison have just opened their new fitness centre in Rhos-on-Sea which is packed with over £100,000 worth of state-of-the art equipment to ensure they meet their objective. CXF Wellbeing, which is housed in a Grade II listed former municipal pump house in Cysgod y Bryn, has just been given a fanfare opening when scores of people from the surrounding area turned up to offer their congratulations. The two friends are already famous in the area for…

A social enterprise is investing more than £1 million in a new factory to meet the growing demand for zero carbon homes. Creating Enterprise has taken over the former Travis Perkins depot in Cefndy Road in Rhyl and is hoping it can also play a key role in regeneration the Denbighshire town’s West End. The remodelled 10,000 sq ft premises will be making the timber frames for energy efficient homes – with 50 already being built and another 100 on the order book. They will also be installing an £80,000 machine to manufacture posi-joists for floor and roof structures, comprising…

Pan-Asian noodle chain Chopstix is ready to ‘wok’ and roll as it reveals an updated look for its Bridgend store. Situated at McArthur Glen, Derwen, Bridgend, CF32 9SU, the revamped store, which is part of the brand’s continuing Welsh expansion, has seen a number of new features added, including a living wall, sparkling star lights and a timber clad counter, with the decor reflecting the quirky and fun nature of the Chopstix brand. Wok Masters can be seen creating fresh Chopstix dishes, all served from an eye-catching wok station, ready to ‘wok and go’. Customers will once again be able…

Families in Wales may be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare to help pay for breakfast and after school clubs as children go back to school. Families are eligible to save money on their childcare and benefit from a government top-up worth up to £2,000 every year, or up to £4,000 a year if a child is disabled. In June 2021, about 10,445 families in Wales benefited from using Tax-Free Childcare, but thousands are missing out on this opportunity. Tax-Free Childcare is available to eligible parents or carers who have children aged up to 11, or 17 if their child is disabled.…

Swansea-based homelessness and food poverty social action project Matthew’s House (of The Hill Church Charity) is today (31 Aug) launching a new smartphone app called Hope in Swansea – the first of its kind in the UK – connecting people in need of hope with the organisations in Swansea who provide it. Signposting support available for housing, mental health, food poverty, isolation, abuse, seeking asylum, discrimination, or even a warm shower, this free app will provide location-specific, cross-organisation information with one simple click of a button: “Hope is just a click away”. This directory of support services for vulnerable people…