Author: Rhys Gregory

A Cardiff man is set to take on the challenge of walking 130 miles from his house in Cardiff to his parents’ home in Farnham, Surrey, to raise money for Parkinson’s UK.   Christopher Hughes (33) has been inspired by his dad, 66-year-old David, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2016. He will begin the five day journey with his friend and former colleague, Garin Bellamy (29) and housemate Alarna Frizzell (33) on Sunday 25 July. The trio will stop overnight in Chepstow, Chippenham, Marlborough and Kingsclere.   Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, and currently…

On Saturday 7th August, Llanwrtyd Wells will play host to a community music festival ‘Chapel Presents’ designed to showcase a new technology platform which will change the way artists and performers get paid for gigs. The brainchild of Llanwrtyd Wells-born tech entrepreneur, Irfon Watkins and his long-time friend and Kasabian Drummer Ian Matthews, the technology uses a new cryptocurrency which will generate long term royalty payments to artists. The world-first concept is the culmination of almost two years’ work by the duo following the purchase of the local Chapel in Irfon’s hometown of Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales in 2019. The Chapel…

Water features, plenty of greenery, bug hotels and table tennis tables will all feature in Swansea city centre’s first new park since Victorian times. The 1.1-acre coastal park being constructed next to Swansea Arena will help further green-up the city centre. Free WiFi will be available there too, along with solar-powered benches enabling people to charge their smartphones, tablets and laptops. A new café and restaurant is also being constructed at the coastal park. The coastal park forms part of the city’s emerging £135 million Copr Bay phase one district being developed by Swansea Council and advised by development managers…

Cadw, the Welsh Government environment service, is seeking a local business to establish and manage a brand-new catering facility within the beautiful grounds of Tretower Court and Castle. The opportunity offers an experienced operator to run an independent food and drink service inside the monument’s Grade II listed barn — which is currently being converted to provide space for a permanent food and drink outlet at the historic site. The Tretower Café will be fully equipped with modern facilities to offer dine-in and takeaway services, complete with indoor and outdoor seating for both Tretower Court and Castle visitors and external…

Working together with Mountain Rescue England and Wales, Western Beacons Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) has signed a 3-year partnership with leading outdoor brand Helly Hansen. Western Beacons MRT responds to calls for assistance from the Police or Ambulance Service. Their patch is one of the largest areas covered by a single Mountain Rescue Team in the U.K. During a typical year they respond to between 60 to 80 call outs and are available 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. Helly Hansen and Western Beacons MRT have one common goal: to save lives in the mountains. In support of this…

Mazuma, the UK’s leading provider of online accounting services for small and micro businesses, today celebrates its 15th and most successful year in business having successfully supported its 2,000-plus clients through the throes of the pandemic.   Established in 2006 by childhood friends, Lucy Cohen and Sophie Hughes, Mazuma has been on a positive trajectory since its inception. With turnover up by 20 per cent year-on-year, the 30-people strong business is on course for achieving a record-high £3.6 million turnover in the current financial year. This has seen Mazuma continue to expand its team, with six new hires made since the start of the pandemic as well as introduce a new app designed to streamline the process…

When it comes to overtures of appreciation they don’t come much grander than this. Swansea-based Coach House Pianos has installed a baby grand piano in Morriston Hospital as a thank you to the NHS for its dedication and hard work throughout the pandemic. The piano, which has been emblazoned with a rainbow-coloured Thank You NHS, is being housed in the hospital’s education centre with the aim of helping staff relax and unwind during their breaks. And it doesn’t matter if anyone is unable to play the piano as it can play itself with a catalogue of classical and jazz music.…

At a virtual awards ceremony held on 2 July, Ysgol Bro Pedr won the secondary sector shield at an annual competition held by the Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative (WHSI). The award was given for a history project caried out by Year 8 pupils at the school. The project, ‘In and Out of Wales’ was ambitious and enriching, looking at migration and emigration. WHSI provides an opportunity for young people of all ages and abilities across Wales to take a greater interest in their heritage / cynefin, and the contribution made to it by their own communities. This year’s theme was…

With more motorists using Pembrokeshire’s car parks, drivers of electric vehicles are being reminded that many of the sites have electric vehicle (EV) charge-points for them to use. Publically-available charge points are provided in 18 locations across the county, thanks to a partnership between Pembrokeshire County Council and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority. “As a Council we are committed to being net zero by 2030 and electric vehicles form one of the strands of this work in relation to de-carbonisation of transport,” said Cllr Phil Baker, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure. The EV charge-points are in centrally located car parks to…

Staff at the Wernick Buildings factory have given a demonstration of a new four-bed hospital ward constructed at the firm’s premises on the Kenfig Industrial Estate in Port Talbot. The hospital ward, offering a high quality environment for healthcare professionals and patients, was created using Wernick’s latest modular building system known as HMflex. Modular construction is the process of using modules manufactured in a factory environment which are transported to site and connected together to form a complete building. This method of construction has many advantages over traditional build techniques. Those who viewed the demonstration on Friday, July 2nd, included…