Author: Rhys Gregory

If the weather isn’t on your side this half term, not to worry. Monmouthshire has plenty of activities to enjoy when it’s wet outside. Here are a few options so you can still get out and about and explore a wide range of indoor (& some outdoor) activities. Escape the rain by enjoying Monmouthshire’s leisure centre facilities, including swimming pools, gyms, multi-purpose sports halls and fantastic cafés. All four leisure centres open at 6.30am to allow people extra time before a busy day ahead. The leisure centres, based at Abergavenny, Caldicot, Chepstow and Monmouth, provide a warm welcome with support…

Caerphilly County Borough Council are further commemorating Remembrance Day this year with a series of eye-catching poppy road markings in locations across the county borough. The Highways Team are working with contractors to paint the designs onto the road surface near all council-maintained memorials. The works are weather dependent, but the council is making good progress at sites across the area. The company installing the artwork, Roman Road Markings, kindly agreed to subsidise a number of installations in town centres, but a decision has now been made to extend the markings across all Council – maintained memorials. Cllr Jamie Pritchard,…

Initial proposals to use 21st Century Schools investment to deliver a brand new building for Llanilltud Faerdref Primary School by autumn 2023 can now be viewed online – and will also be displayed in the community over the next four weeks. The school in Llantwit Fardre could soon benefit from significant funding via Welsh Government’s 21stCentury Schools and Colleges Programme, and residents can give feedback on proposals to construct the new school building on the current school site. The consultation ends on November 24. The funding application process for the project will be finalised in spring 2022 alongside similar projects…

A consultation which invites members of the public to have their say on existing skateboard parks in Cardiff, is still available to complete online. Cardiff Council Parks Department are currently undertaking an assessment of skateboard parks across the city and have launched the Skateboard Park Consultation for people to have their say. As part of the assessment, the Parks Department will be reviewing how the skateboard community currently use the skateboard parks and public spaces. This will assist the team to improve or replace existing sites, identify new locations, and plan design over the forthcoming years. Cardiff Council Parks Department…

Seven north Wales community projects have been awarded a share of over £568,000 in funding by the Welsh Government. The Community Facilities Programme funds well-used amenities to improve sustainability, providing opportunities for local people as part of their day-to-day lives. The latest awardees up to £250,000 are: Canolfan Glanhwfa Cyf, Angelsey – £250,000 towards completely refurbishing the Chapel and creating a community hub. Enbarr Foundation, Flintshire – £237,000 towards resurrecting the John Summers Building in Sealand (Old Steelworks) to enable the local community to access employment opportunities. The latest smaller fund awardees (up to £25,000) are: Prestatyn Men’s Shed, Denbighshire…

Seventeen local community projects have been awarded a share of over £1.2m in funding by the Welsh Government. The Community Facilities Programme funds well-used amenities to improve sustainability, providing opportunities for local people as part of their day-to-day lives. The latest awardees up to £250,000 are: Parochial Church Council Parish of Llandyfodwg and Cwmogwr, Bridgend – £153,000 towards providing a community hub with modern facilities. Cymer Afan Community Library, Neath Port Talbot – £163,000 towards refurbishing the community library, including a children’s area. Bethel Community Church Trust, Newport – £249,000 towards expanding building capacity to accommodate more community projects. The…

A Welsh Government and EU-funded project has delivered a significant boost to the food and drink industry in Wales, helping it develop hundreds of new products and create new jobs. The news comes on the second day of the return of Wales’ major food and drink event, BlasCymru/TasteWales, which is taking place in Newport. Project HELIX, which began in 2016, is a pan-Wales initiative delivered by Food Innovation Wales, a partnership of three food centres based in Anglesey, Ceredigion and Cardiff. It supports Welsh companies to develop innovative products from concept, design, development and manufacture, through to the consumer’s shopping…

Bereavement is something that will touch us all at some point in our lives, working with charities and third sector organisations a new National Framework for the Delivery of Bereavement Care in Wales has been developed, underpinned by a £1m support grant. The plan has also crucially received input from those who have experienced bereavement. Bereavement care supports people through the emotional, physical and mental impact of grief. The new framework sets out the support people should expect to receive if they are facing or have experienced a bereavement. The National Bereavement Steering Group, which includes a number of charity…

When you want to undertake some work on your home, you may want to consider how you can get rid of any waste safely and efficiently. One of the options that might be available to you can be the use of a skip. These can be provided by an external company, or even by any builders who you choose to complete works on your behalf. The use of a skip can have a number of benefits on the space you have to work in, reducing hazards in the area, and even on other costs associated with your project. Initial Cost…

When Nick Kyrgios burst on to the scene in 2014, making the headlines as he reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon as a teenager, beating the likes of then World No. 1 Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet along the way, before reaching the last eight of the Australian Open the following year, many were deeming the Australian to be the next big thing in tennis. Victories over Roger Federer, Nadal and Novak Djokovic on his first attempt is an incredibly rare feat and it was testament to his star quality. However, things haven’t exactly worked out for Kyrgios and he is…