Author: Rhys Gregory

Cardiff Youth Service, part of our Education department, works with young people aged 11-25 to develop their personal, social and educational development through a variety of opportunities. During the pandemic, they have continued to offer some of their services at a time when young people needed them the most. Tyler,16, struggled to leave the house during lockdown but wanted to develop his fitness and self-confidence during a very difficult time for him and his family. An assessment with Cardiff Youth Service helped highlight any barriers he had towards education and connecting with school and made an action plan to help…

Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd Lesley Griffiths said the Welsh Government’s new Food and Drink Retail Plan aims to help more businesses achieve the success of companies such as Authentic Curries and World Foods in getting their products on the shelves of major retailers. The Minister visited the Hirwaun company recently to meet the team and see some of the products which are currently listed in Tesco, Morrisons, Asda, Co-op and Sainsbury stores across Wales. Authentic Curries and World Foods has also rebranded and relaunched with new pack graphics. The main objective of the Welsh Government’s…

Whether or not Gareth Bale is the greatest Welsh footballer of all time is subjective. Those of you with very long memories might instead prefer to think of Ryan Giggs at his youthful peak, Ivor Allchurch in the 1950s, or perhaps even John Charles. For most fans, though, Bale is comfortably first-placed. He’s at least the greatest Wales player of the 21st century. Unfortunately, though, all good things come to an end. Bale might be coming to the end of his career earlier than we all imagine. The entire Wales squad was understandably disappointed with the nature of the team’s…

Tartan is timeless. Instantly recognisable, it’s a pattern that appears to trend year on year – and it doesn’t have to be strictly limited to the festive period or Scottish clans! While most of us will think of bright, bold tartan, such as the quintessential red Stuart variant, you can find tartans in all manners of colour and design. When used in your home correctly, it can be warm and welcoming, and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Whether you’re looking to make a real statement in your home, or after something a little more subtle to add a splash of…

Talyllyn  Railway ran a special slate train on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the announcement of the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The railway is named as part of the new World Heritage Site because it was the first Welsh narrow gauge slate railway to be designed for steam haulage from the outset and the world’s first preserved railway. Taking up the story of the special train, general manager Stuart Williams said: “When the agenda of the UNESCO meeting was published, it was realised that the announcement of success, or otherwise, of the Northwest Wales…

A fifth of adults under 40 in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot have still not had their first dose of a Covid vaccine. Director of Public Health, Dr Keith Reid, has branded the figure “concerning”. He is urging all eligible adults who remain unvaccinated to get their first dose as soon as possible. Drop-in sessions are ongoing and appointments are available. Out of 78,000 eligible adults under 40 in the Swansea Bay University Health Board area, around 16,000 or 20% remain unvaccinated. Dr Reid said: “The summer holidays give us all the much needed opportunity to catch up with family…

Community organisations across Ceredigion are invited to apply for up to £2,000 to develop projects which help bring communities together. The Mid and South West Wales Community Cohesion Small Grants Scheme encourage projects that can help people to enjoy and celebrate living in their communities and strengthen their sense of belonging. This could mean helping people to understand and enjoy each other’s cultures and traditions. It could involve new ways of working, developing materials which help bring people together and promote diversity and inclusion. Specific focus should be given to projects that consider the following areas: Commemorate/support events e.g. Hate…

Gwynedd Council and North Wales Police are once again working together to tackle problems associated with illegal and irresponsible parking. With an unprecedented number of people choosing to visit Gwynedd, irresponsible parking in some of the county’s major destinations is a cause for concern. Officers have been specifically targeting parking these areas to help keep the area safe for all road users. Councillor Gareth Griffith, Gwynedd Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: “Following the incredible weather at the start of the summer holidays along with travel restrictions meaning that people aren’t able to travel abroad, many Gwynedd communities are…

It is going to be a Summer of Fun for children and young people in Swansea with hundreds of free activities catering for a huge variety of interests are taking place during the school summer holidays. They include sports, play, community event, arts and crafts, skills such as computer coding and days the whole family can enjoy. Dozens of community groups and organisations across Swansea successfully applied for grant funding from Swansea Council and the Welsh Government to put on activities. The Summer of Fun programme along with information and contact details can now be found at www.swansea.gov.uk/summeroffun. Elliott King,…

Bus passengers using a new free travel scheme in Swansea can make their journey run smoothly by planning ahead. From Friday July 30, all bus travel in the city will be free to use thanks to financial support from Swansea Council, which has organised the free bus deal with local bus operators. The Council is funding the initiative to support families and boost retail, leisure and tourism as communities emerge from lockdown. It will also help reduce emissions and congestion by encouraging people onto buses rather than using their car every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday between now and August…