Author: Rhys Gregory

NSPCC Cymru Wales has become St David’s Dewi Sant Cardiff’s charity of the year as it continues its fight to prevent child abuse. The new partnership between the Welsh shopping centre and NSPCC Cymru Wales has been announced following concerns about the rise in contacts from children suffering from mental health issues arising from the coronavirus pandemic. Demand for the NSPCC’s Childline service has continued over the last 16 months with children talking to trained counsellors about issues such as loneliness, depression and anxiety. Childline delivered nearly 90,000 counselling sessions to young people concerned about mental health or abuse in…

Researchers from Cardiff University have received a grant worth over £230,000 from leading men’s health charity Prostate Cancer UK. The funding will help them develop a deeper understanding of how prostate cancer affects the immune system, so it’s clearer which men could benefit from powerful new immunotherapy treatments. The grant is part of £1.7 million the charity has awarded to five exceptional projects across the UK, each investigating innovative approaches that harness the power of the immune system to fight prostate cancer. Immunotherapies have been very effective in treating other forms of cancer, but to date have had limited success…

A Macmillan Carmarthenshire Buddy service volunteer is taking on a series of fundraising challenges for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of the lady that she helped. Paula Clarke, helped by family and friends, will be at the St Elli Shopping Centre in Llanelli on Saturday 7 August between 10am and 3pm, and will be offering a number of child-friendly activities including face painting, colouring, flags and balloons in return for donations to the charity that supports people living with cancer. Paula will also raise money through car boot sales on Saturday 31 July and Saturday 14 August at Mecca Bingo…

Parking in town centres in Neath Port Talbot will be free for the month of August 2021 to give support to town centre based businesses whose trade has been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Members of Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet approved the idea at their meeting on Wednesday, July 28th  where it was argued as well as helping businesses, the move could also give some assistance to families suffering hardship during the pandemic. Neath Port Talbot Council Leader, Cllr Ted Latham said: “Unfortunately the pandemic has taken a heavy toll on businesses with many surviving but a number closing…

Bridgend County Borough Council has further extended its concessionary rent scheme for market traders and occupiers of small industrial units. The current 50 per cent discount will run until 31 August 2021, after which a 25 per cent reduction will begin. This will remain in place throughout September, and rents will return to their normal rates in October. The move will mark the conclusion of a phased series of concessionary rates introduced at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 to support small and medium-sized businesses. From an initial rent-free period, this later became a 75 per cent reduction…

A poignant memorial to the victims of the Aberfan mining disaster by acclaimed artist Nathan Wyburn has been installed at A Welsh Coal Mining Experience at Rhondda Heritage Park. Visitors to the award-winning attraction are encouraged to spend time at the striking display, called 21.10.1966 144 9.13AM, 2021, to reflect and appreciate the significance of the creation. Made from concrete and steel, the artwork contains 144 clocks – the same number of adults and children who died when a colliery spoil tip collapsed into homes and Pantglas Junior School. Each of the clocks are set to 9.13am, the exact time…

To ensure that a multi-million pound transport and regeneration scheme in Tudor Street can be completed on-time and on-budget, the street will be made one-way for 11 months to ensure that vital street works can take place. The council’s contractor – Knights Brown – is already on-site and has visited shops and businesses on and around Tudor Street to tell them about the temporary arrangements to ensure that excavation works take place on-street to deliver the improvements. The new scheme will see new wider pavements for pedestrians, a new two-way segregated cycle lane; sustainable drainage (SuDS) with rain gardens; a…

The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List – making it the fourth World Heritage Site in Wales. First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford said: “Today’s announcement recognises the significant contribution this part of North Wales has made to the cultural and industrial heritage not only of Wales, but of the wider world.  Welsh slate can be found all over the world. “The quarrying and mining of slate has left a unique legacy in Gwynedd, which the communities are rightly proud of. This worldwide recognition today by UNESCO, will help preserve that legacy and…

The Wales Angel Co-investment Fund has partially exited Coincover, the Cardiff-based platform providing cryptocurrency cover and recovery services, enabling the company  to raise $9.2m in a Series A round led by global venture capital fund Element Ventures. This is the first exit for the Wales Angel Co-Investment Fund which backed a syndicate of business angels led by Ashley Cooper with the maximum amount of £250,000 early stage funding in Coincover in two rounds beginning in November 2018. The Wales Angel Co-Investment Fund  will retain its part of its shareholding  while the Development Bank of Wales will invest a further £390,000…

Industry experts discussed the changing face of the working environment, sharing their experiences and strategies in the latest virtual event facilitated by leading business membership organisation Chambers Wales. 80 businesses registered for the session which was chaired by Rachael Flanagan, Managing Director of Mrs Buckét Cleaning Services and featured Gemma Archibald, COO of Alcumus; Cecilia Fritz, Senior Manager of the People Department at Sony UK Technology Centre; Kevin Mashford, Sales Director at Paramount Interiors; and Mark Siddons, Associate at Cooke & Arkwright. An in-event poll revealed that 41% of businesses are still working from home full time, 59% will not…