Author: Rhys Gregory

A young businesswoman has opened her first bakery store in Caerphilly’s vibrant container market. 25-year-old Bethan Greenslade set up her Welsh cake specialist bakery Cwtch Bakes in Caerphilly’s container market in early July. Bethan joins the growing list of flourishing young businesswomen at Ffos Caerffili including Bethan Davies’ craft business JoyHouse Creations, Rebecca Goad’s focaccia sandwich brand Bonnie’s, and Karen Lam’s handmade jewellery business Karen L’s Creation. Bethan has nearly 10 years of experience working in the hospitality sector, working as a waitress and as a barista for a variety of chain and independent businesses. But her passion since early…

STARS and local icons are rallying behind an exciting new campaign set to transform one of the country’s best-loved seaside towns. A host of celebrities and ‘local legends’ are throwing their support behind the Keep it Rhyl movement — urging people to get behind local businesses, charities, community groups, and a bold £20 million vision to reinvigorate the town over the next decade and beyond. Spearheaded by Rhyl Neighbourhood Board — a vibrant mix of residents, entrepreneurs, politicians, council officers and passionate grassroots leaders — this ambitious regeneration plan promises to breathe fresh life into the town, boost job creation,…

FOR Cardiff and Cardiff University have launched the 2025 edition of their successful Paid Internship Scheme, offering local employers the opportunity to host Cardiff University interns with 50% funding support, while ensuring all placements pay the Real Living Wage of £12.60 per hour. FOR Cardiff members can access funding toward the cost of employing a student on a placement for between four and six weeks. Now in its fourth successful year, the scheme continues to support both students and the local business community. In 2025, a total funding pot of £12,600 will enable aid internships across a diverse range of Cardiff…

Four people from Chepstow have received a suspended prison sentence after they caused unnecessary suffering to black and white collie dog. Laurie Anthony Murdinm, Matthew Graham Murdin, Nicola Ann Murdin,  and Robert James Murdin all of Bulwark Road, Bulwark, Chepstow, were sentenced at Newport Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 17 July. They had previously pleaded guilty to one joint offence under the Animal Welfare Act in that they caused suffering to black and white collie dog – known as Spot – by failing to investigate and address the cause of his poor bodily condition and weight loss and by failing to…

Preparations are coming together well for next month’s Pembrokeshire County Show, the largest county agricultural show in Wales. The event is set to be a fantastic two days of livestock, competitions, attractions, trade stands and much more. Discounted tickets for the show, taking place on Wednesday and Thursday, 20 & 21 August, are available to purchase online from the website until midnight on Tuesday, 19 August. Adults £17, children £8 (5-16 years) under 5s and carers are free. Putting together the annual event is hard work and requires an enormous effort by the small team of staff, volunteers, Directors and…

Understanding how fishing on the sea floor affects the amount of carbon which is stored in the seabed is currently one of the big topics in marine science. Bangor University in collaboration with Imperial College London, Western Fish Producers Organisation, South Western Fish Producer Organisation and Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) have looked into whether fishing on the seabed might lower the amount of carbon stored in it. This collaboration is funded from Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) through FISP (Fisheries Industry Science Partnerships scheme). Recent studies have warned that fishing on the sea…

An accountant who moved millions of pounds from her employer to her accounts over a six-year period has been jailed. Jemma Lewis from St Nicholas in the Vale of Glamorgan pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud by abuse of position. Lewis, 40, moved a total of £3.65 million, disguised as payments to companies, from her employer’s accounts to her own. Once legitimate payments and loans were removed, it was calculated that Lewis had benefited by more than £2.491 million. Lewis was sentenced at Newport Crown Court on Thursday, July 24 to five years in prison. Officer in the case…

Searches remain ongoing for a 22-year-old woman, who is currently missing. Gwenno Ephraim was last seen in the upper Bangor area on Monday night (28 July) and is believed to have walked towards Menai Bridge. CCTV footage reviewed by officers appears to show Gwenno walking alone between the hours of 10.20pm and 11.10pm on Monday night. Personal items, believed to belong to Gwenno, were subsequently found on the Menai Suspension Bridge on Tuesday morning. Search efforts in and around the waters of the Menai Strait have continued today (Thursday, 31 July), following several days of activity. Despite extensive enquiries, attempts…

Plans for a stunning new makeover for the city centre’s outdoor amphitheatre are rapidly taking shape this summer. Improvements to the steps, new handrails and a mains power supply have all been fitted at the much-loved venue sitting opposite the LC in Swansea. Now the council is adding a new eye-catching stage canopy that will see the venue transformed for performers and audiences alike. Work on the upgrade is due to start later this year after the summer season is over – which this year features the Amplitude two-day free music festival next month. Robert Francis-Davies, Cabinet Member for Investment,…

Residents across Pembrokeshire are set to benefit in extra support following the launch of the Low Income Family Tracker (LIFT) initiative. The pilot scheme aims to maximise household income for local residents through a targeted approach, ensuring that those eligible are fully claiming all of their entitlements. LIFT is a tool administered by analytics company Policy in Practice. The software platform will bring together multiple datasets thus providing a more holistic view of households and valuable insights which will help maximise resident’s income and reduce their costs. The initial 12-month pilot seeks to contribute to addressing the £68m worth of…