Author: Rhys Gregory

Swansea’s successful free bus promotion is set to return during the school holidays in October and at Christmas. During August the initiative funded by Swansea council saw more than 220,000 passengers get on board buses. And on the back of that success the council has confirmed that subject to funding it’s planning to allow passengers will to travel free anywhere in Swansea during October half term and the Christmas holidays. First Cymru reported passenger numbers jumped by as much as 51% during the summer holiday offer while some of the busiest routes operated on Gower saw passenger numbers increase by…

Caerphilly Council’s Cabinet unanimously supported the motion to extend free parking for a further 12 months until 30th September 2022, to support the economic recovery. Car park charges were suspended in council-owned car parks across the county in June 2020, a decision that was made by delegated powers. In the months that followed Cabinet have supported a number of motions to see the free parking continue. The report, presented by Cllr. James Pritchard, highlighted the overall decision making process that needs to be considered going forward, including the financial implications of the loss of income, it was agreed that the…

RCT Council can confirm that the summer season for the National Lido of Wales, Lido Ponty, will be extended due to the demand seen so far in spite of the COVID-19 restrictions. The Lido, which on the weekend remarkably welcomed its 64,000th visitor this year, has seen a significant demand for places which has outstripped the 1,000 places-per-day capacity that the Council has been able to offer due to the Public Health restrictions in place to limit the spread of COVID-19. In recognition of this, the Council is looking to extend the opening arrangements until Sunday, 3rd October. Commencing on…

The Institute of Directors (IoD) Wales, in partnership with Cardiff Business School has launched its annual search for the nation’s highest achieving business leaders. The Director of the Year Awards 2021 seek to reward the successes of directors representing a wide spectrum of businesses, organisations and sectors the length and breadth of Wales. Applications for this year’s awards are welcomed until Friday 22 October 2021. A shortlist will then be released prior to the awards ceremony which will take place on Thursday 25 November 2021 at the Sophia Gardens Cricket Stadium, Cardiff. With sponsors including Educ8, Sony Technology Centre, Legal &…

The Centre of Sign Sight Sound in Conwy successfully bid for a grant of £298,235 from The National Lottery Community Fund in Wales to enable them carry on supporting the loss community throughout North Wales.   The organisation will spend the grant over three years working with the sensory loss community in North Wales to develop awareness training. They will work with businesses, retailers and tourist sectors, and develop accessible media clips for historical sites. The aim of the project is to connect the sensory loss community with the wider community in which they live.   Phil Lof, Chair of Centre of Sign Sight Sound, explains what impact the grant will have: “We are extremely pleased and honoured that…

Swansea beachfront’s much-loved bar, The Secret Bar and Kitchen, will be home to Swansea Bay University Health Board’s (SBUHB) ‘Immbulance’ this Friday (Sept 3) from 9am – 4pm after it lent its support to the health board’s ‘Roll Up Your Sleeves’ campaign. The ‘Immbulance’ is a mobile vaccination unit where individuals can get their first-dose COVID-19 vaccine. It has been touring the region to after it was revealed that a third of men aged 18 to 40 in the area have not yet had the first vaccine, and will be located at The Secret before heading to the Catfish and…

Education provider Tydfil Training is using the We Love Merthyr Gift Card to give students access to a range of retail, leisure, hospitality and services, as part of ongoing efforts to help students engage with their local area. Students were presented with a We Love Merthyr Gift Card at a recent celebration event hosted by Tydfil Training to reward students for educational success. The local gift card can be spent with over 30 businesses in Merthyr, including small businesses and national brands. Tydfil Training is part of a large group of educators including The College Merthyr Tydfil and The University of South Wales, and…

Star of Welsh rugby, Ryan Jones, is taking on the London Marathon to help raise vital funds for the NSPCC, a charity he has long supported. Ryan has set himself two fundraising events, just weeks apart, to raise money for the child protection charity having seen the impact the pandemic has had on children and young people across Wales. The charity’s Childline service, which has two bases in Wales, has delivered thousands of counselling sessions around mental wellbeing, family and relationship breakdowns, and abuse since the start of the pandemic. To help make sure Childline can continue to be a…

Cardiff and Barry based Robertsons Solicitors has strengthened its Litigation team with the appointment of Personal Injury specialist Andrew Collingbourne.  This appointment continues recent expansion by the firm and enables Robertsons to continue its strategic growth grounded in highly expert knowledge and exemplary client service.  “Andrew’s personal injury case history is extensive. A specialist in medical negligence, he is also well versed in matters from private individuals, to local authorities and international corporations for claims that range from discrete accidents to those resulting in catastrophic injuries.  We’re delighted that we are able to offer such a high level of acumen…

With recent research by Sun Life suggesting that nearly a third of over-50s are worried they won’t have enough to live on when they retire, pension experts are calling for people to prioritise their pensions now and understand what their obligations are. Partner and Actuary at Quantum Advisory, Stuart Price, is using this coming Pension Awareness Day (15 SEPT) to highlight the lack of knowledge when it comes to retiring. Stuart says: “Many people just assume they reach retirement age, leave their job and begin receiving a regular income to fund their new life of leisure. Wrong! “Yes, people are…