Author: Rhys Gregory

Newport based office furniture designer and manufacturer, Bisley, has collaborated with iconic lighting brand, Anglepoise, to develop a new office furniture collection, known as Quarters, designed to meet the needs of the post-Covid workplace. Both British interiors brands were founded in the 1930s and to this day remain under the stewardship of the families that established them. Furniture enthusiasts will be familiar with the award winning Bisley MultiDrawer, a classic in office furniture design first created in 1958, and the Anglepoise adjustable table lamp, with its classic form that can be found on desks the world over. The new collaboration…

Ogmore Valley Dragons Boxing Club has been thrown a lifeline after a final donation of more than £6,000 has allowed the Club to reach its £45,000 fundraising target, allowing the purchase of the building it operates from. The Club, which has been operating from its home in Bethania Row for over ten years – paying just a small ‘peppercorn’ rent to the owner throughout, was dealt the worrying news that the owner of the building wanted to sell up for personal reasons. After years of support from the owner, Club members were determined to do all they could to reach…

Lewis Homes have begun work on 76 new homes at Woodlands Green in Tonyrefail as the first occupiers move in to their new homes at Dôl Werdd, Plasdŵr in August. A £3.3 million funding package from the Development Bank of Wales has enabled work to start on the Tonyrefail site with the 61 private plots having all  been reserved, subject to contract. This follows a £4.75 million short-term loan to finance the build of 56 homes, including four social housing and four low cost, at Dôl Werdd, Plasdwr. Described as a garden city for the 21st Century, Plasdŵr has been…

CARDIFF’s Bute Park will be transformed into a Jurassic Park from 21 August until 5 September, as DINOSAURS roam free in the Welsh capital this year. Jurassic Encounter – an unmissable, family-friendly event – will head to Wales as part of its UK debut, touring London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff from 24 July until 7 November.  Each of the cities will play host to prehistoric playgrounds, featuring more than 50 animatronic dinosaur scenes, including a fearsome, 18m tall T-Rex that breathes and sways its tail as it hunts for prey; an Iguanodon’s furious battle against a Deinonychus; Pterosaurs that screech as they…

Landmarks across Wales will light up in yellow this week, celebrating the unwavering efforts of staff and volunteers from Wales’ leading first aid charity, St John Ambulance Cymru across the pandemic. Volunteers would usually celebrate St John’s Day (24th June), together, but will be unable to this year due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. Instead, monuments across Wales will showcase their support for volunteers and celebrate their exceptional work by illuminating yellow. St John Ambulance Cymru, Head of Ambulance Services, James Shaughnessy said: “We’ve been there for communities in Wales for over 100 years and our volunteers have given tens of…

Cwmcarn Forest Drive is welcoming visitors back by car, for the first time in 6 years. With the summer holiday period approaching, visitors will be able explore all seven miles of the new-look Forest Drive by car following the completion of major restoration and improvement works undertaken in partnership by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and Caerphilly County Borough Council. Over the last 12 months the Drive has undergone significant development to create an attraction that is accessible and enjoyable for all audiences. This is complemented by the millions of pounds invested to develop the ‘Valley Floor’ to improve the campsite…

Guests gathered for a socially distanced ceremony to mark Armed Forces Day 2021 on the steps of the iconic Coffi Vista in the heart of Caerphilly town centre. Armed Forces Day is a national day or recognition for the wider community to show support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces; from veterans to currently serving troops, service families and cadets. The Pandemic saw both Armed Forces Day and Reservist Day celebrated virtually last year, and as restrictions remain Caerphilly’s annual event was replaced with a short flag raising ceremony to demonstrate our support for the…

Voluntary groups in the Caerphilly county borough are now able to apply for funding to support food related community projects. Caerphilly County Borough Council has received funding from Welsh Government and the Welsh Local Government Association to provide local groups with Food Poverty Grants for a second year. Capital and revenue funding is available for projects to support the increased number of people facing food poverty.  Capital funding can be used to support organisations in accessing, storing and distributing food; this could include the purchase of fridges, freezers and cooking equipment. Revenue funding could be used in a variety of…

RCT Council has now agreed its expanded School Holiday Enrichment Programme (SHEP) for young people across 15 settings this summer, which will include daily activities and the provision of healthy meals. The Programme, also known as the ‘Food and Fun Programme’, will take place in 13 mainstream schools and two special schools from July 21 to August 5 – a full list of those settings is included below. The Programme will be delivered from 9.30am to 1.15pm each day, and will provide healthy meals, food and nutrition education, physical activities and enrichment sessions. SHEP is targeted in some of the…

As celebrations take place across the country for Armed Forces Week [21 to 27 June], this year’s events also mark 10 years since organisations across Wales signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant. The Covenant was established to help ensure past and present members of the Armed Forces community are not disadvantaged when accessing services, and that they receive special consideration, for example, for access to health services if their condition is Service related. In Wales, this commitment to the Covenant has included: Increasing NHS funding specifically for veterans for physical and mental health services; A Welsh-specific Resettlement Guide for…