Author: Rhys Gregory

Leisure centres across Swansea are putting on free and subsidised activities this summer as part of the city’s Summer of Fun. Freedom Leisure has teamed up with Swansea Council to help keep children and young people fit and active during the school holidays. Activities include dodgeball, junior fitness classes, basketball, cheerleading and dance. Freedom Leisure is a not-for-profit trust that runs the community leisure centres at Penlan, Penyrheol, Morriston, Cefn Hengoed, Bishopston as well as the LC and the Elba. It is one of dozens or groups and organisations that successfully applied for grant funding from Swansea Council and the…

Stunning new drone imagery shows how one of Swansea city centre’s key areas has gone green – and is a signpost to a greener future. Where there were once four lanes of Tarmac, The Kingsway and Orchard Street now have broad pedestrian walkways alive with trees and other greenery. As the trees mature the area will become even more green. It’s a result of a £12m Swansea Council scheme to improve the Kingsway and neighbouring streets. Council leader Rob Stewart said: “We aim to transform Swansea into the one of the UK’s greenest cities. The Kingsway reflects our plans to…

Visitors to Aberavon Beach now have a further cashless payment option available at the car parks on the popular seafront which allows motorists to pay for their visit using smartphones instead of having to search for change to put into machines. The cashless parking option is to be rolled out to car parks across Neath Port Talbot. Those who want to continue paying by cash or card can still do so. MiPermit supplies services to parking operators that enable cashless payments and ticketless parking. This means that locations supported by MiPermit can offer customers the ability to pay by credit…

Merthyr Tydfil schoolchildren are willingly going back to school this summer – as part of an initiative to make them healthy, happy and physically active. The pupils of Goetre, St Aloysius RC, St Mary’s RC and St Illtyds RC Primary Schools have been enjoying meals, nutrition education and physical activity sessions as part of the Food and Fun School Holiday Enrichment Programme (SHEP). This is the fourth year that SHEP has been run from Goetre Primary school and is the first year that St Aloysius have hosted the SHEP programme, which is being offered to the pupils of all three…

Parents across Caerphilly County Borough can now apply ONLINE for a £125 grant (except for year 7 which is £200) towards their children’s school uniforms, sports kits, or equipment for other activities outside of school. A new online application process has been launched for learners in the Caerphilly county borough to access grants for school uniform and equipment for the 2021/22 academic year. Applications for this year’s Pupil Development Grant Access will be administered centrally by Caerphilly County Borough Council and not by individual schools. The funding can be used to purchase: School uniform, including coats and shoes School sports…

A Tonypandy man has paid a heavy price for his lazy fly-tipping actions! The man had visited the closed Gelli Community Recycling Centre and decided to offload his car and fly-tip right underneath a sign that clearly stated that the site was no longer open and to use another centre, just a few miles away. The man can be seen on RCT Council’s covert cameras, looking at and reading the sign and throwing a black bag and two carpets on the embankment, where other offenders had also fly-tipped their waste. Due to the covert camera at the site, the Council’s…

First Minister Mark Drakeford will urge everyone to continue to help prevent the spread of coronavirus as he confirms Wales will move to the new alert level zero on Saturday [August 7]. At alert level zero, all restrictions on meeting with others will be removed and all businesses will be able to open. But some important protections will continue to be in place to give everyone the confidence to enjoy the summer ahead. These include: Everyone must continue to isolate for 10 days if they have Covid-19 symptoms or if they have a positive test result. Face coverings will continue…

A Swansea University graduate has been awarded the Quantum Advisory Prize 2021 for his contribution to mathematics following an in-depth study of Delay Differential Equations. Benjamin Phelps studied mathematics at Swansea University and was presented with the award at his virtual graduation ceremony on Wednesday July 28 following the exceptional content of his final year project. The Quantum Advisory Prize – presented by corporate pension experts Quantum Advisory – is awarded to mathematics students who have excelled at Swansea University during their final year and recipients also get a financial award to kick start their career. Dr Dmitri Finkelshtein, Associate…

A fraudster who stole nearly £1.9 million of taxpayers’ money to fund a lavish lifestyle, including buying three Spanish villas, has been jailed for five-and-a-half years. Graham Drury, 69, of Strathalyn, Rossett, Wrexham, stole almost £1.9m by submitting fraudulent VAT returns to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The claims were made through his company, Drury Machine Sales Ltd, to cover VAT payments made on machinery that was never purchased. Drury used the stolen money to buy several properties; one in the UK and three villas in Spain which he regularly visited on holiday. Drury was arrested on 13 January 2019…

Detectives investigating the death of five year old Logan Mwangi from Sarn, Bridgend have charged three people. John Cole, 39, of Sarn, Bridgend, has been charged with murder. John Cole, Angharad Williamson, 30, also of Sarn, and a 13 year-old boy have been jointly charged with perverting the course of justice. All three are remanded in custody and will appear before Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, August 5. Senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Mark O’Shea, said:  “This is a very harrowing case for all involved and I extend my deepest sympathies to Logan’s family and friends. “This remains an…