Author: Rhys Gregory

Ascona Group (‘Ascona’), one of the UK’s fastest-growing forecourt operators, is delighted to announce that it has donated £10,000 to PATCH, the Pembrokeshire based charity that aims to relieve the effects of poverty for people across the Welsh county. The donation will help to support PATCH’s mission to help those that are experiencing hardship throughout the Christmas period and winter months and will enable the charity to continue to give free food parcels, clothing and household items to those in a financial crisis. Darren Briggs, Chief Executive of Ascona Group commented: “Since we started Ascona back in 2011, supporting the…

Visitors to Wales’ biggest ever Christmas lights trail were treated to all the festive feels when a young graduate got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend during its opening weekend. Adam Clement asked his partner of four years, Cassie Kilby, to be his wife in front of stunned and delighted visitors enjoying the first ever Christmas at Bute Park, which opened to the public last week (November 25th). The pair have been together since 2017, when they met as students on the same course at the University of South Wales, and where they both recently graduated from.…

Pupils and staff at Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr have moved in to a brand new two storey teaching block as part of a £6.7m investment in facilities at the school. Contractors Kier Construction have completed the first phase of the project which has eight new classrooms along with a new hall providing a vastly improved dining area and served by a new school kitchen. New state-of-the-art sports facilities including a multi-use games area, running track, 2G and 3G training pitches, are also proving popular and are being well used. The project has been jointly funded by Swansea Council and the Welsh…

More new homes built by the council are set to welcome their first tenants in the coming weeks. The four one-bedroom flats have been created in the former Bryn House education centre in Walter Road, Uplands. Andrea Lewis, the council’s joint deputy leader and cabinet member for climate change and service transformation, said tenants will be thrilled with their new homes. She said: “The new flats in Bryn House are of a very high standard, in a great location, with parking and lovely grounds and views. “The two ground floor flats have accessible bathrooms making them ideal for those with…

Proposed designs have been unveiled for a new central Swansea location for the city’s main library and other key services. The drawings by architects Austin-Smith:Lord Ltd  – on behalf of the council – reveal a new look for the former BHS/What! building. They appear in a new document that supports a council application to change the use of the building from shopping to a community hub. The design document says that the appearance of the new-look building – built in the 1950s – should have “impact” appropriate to a public building, with open and active shop frontages to maintain vibrancy…

Work has begun to create Community Nature Spaces at the Rockfield Estate in Monmouth. Community Nature Spaces offer much more than traditional play parks, they include the provision of wild play opportunities, pollinator planting, shrubs, tree planting including fruit trees and orchards and community food growing beds which will be available for all in the community. Monmouthshire County Council has been awarded Welsh Government ‘Local Places for Nature’ funding via the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) to undertake the project. The overall aim of creating spaces for nature and for people on the Rockfield Estate is to involve local…

The Royal Air Force’s ‘Wales and the Battle of Britain’ free exhibition has arrived in Monmouth’s historic Shire Hall and tells the story of Welsh service personnel that took part in the Battle of Britain between July and October 1940, a pivotal battle of the Second World War. The exhibition was officially opened on Wednesday 1st December by Air Commodore Adrian Williams, with Squadron Leader John Dunn, and was attended by Monmouthshire County Council Leader Cllr Richard John, Monmouth Town Mayor Terry Christopher, Chair of Monmouthshire County Council Mat Feakins, Monmouthshire County Council’s Armed Forces Champion Cllr. Lisa Dymock and…

The war memorial at Troedyrhiw Park has received a 100th birthday facelift, thanks to funding from the War Memorial Trust and the Ffos-y-Fran Intermediate Grants Scheme. The monument, which was originally unveiled to the community on 28 September 1921, had its rifle stolen a few years ago. The total £7,347.60 support was used to reinstate the rifle and replicate the original marble design. The funding also paid for the repainting of the faded inscriptions of those lost during both World Wars, the repointing of the memorial construction joints and a realignment of displaced steps and a stone cleanse. Troedyrhiw Ex-Servicemen’s…

600 trees have been planted by the Caerphilly community at Morgan Jones Park following a successful Public Planting Day. The event, which was held by Climate Action Caerffili Gweithredu Hinsawdd (CACGH) saw not only the planting of 600 trees but also included fun-packed activities for the whole family. Schools, Llamau (Learning for Life) and the general public all took part with 450 people attending the Public Planting Day on Global Day of Action (6th November). Approximately 700 people also visited the Park to take part in activities including a 30ft Gratitude Tree, created with Land Artist Kate Raggett, face painting,…

Caerphilly County Borough Council has announced that it is submitting a planning application to develop an innovative new later living housing scheme on the site of the former Ty Darran care home in Risca. The proposed new building will be designed with high levels of energy efficiency to reduce tenants’ bills, whilst also reducing carbon emissions.  It will also boast spacious apartments, with lift access to all floors. If approved, the development will include a range of communal areas that can be used for a variety of organised activities and events.  Apartments will also feature personal outdoor spaces, such as…