Author: Rhys Gregory

All but four Welsh constituencies will see over a third of working-age families with children hit by the planned £1,040-a-year cut to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit in October. This includes all of the 6 Conservative gains at the 2019 General Election (with 49% of families affected in Vale of Clwyd, 43% in Wrexham, 42% in Clwyd South, 40% in Delyn and Ynys Mon and 38% in Bridgend). The independent Joseph Rowntree Foundation has used the latest official data released last week to produce a comprehensive analysis of which parliamentary constituencies will be most affected by the scheduled cut…

Everyone over the age of 11 living, working or studying in Denbighshire not experiencing Covid-19 symptoms can now collect free Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests from the county’s libraries. About one in three people with coronavirus do not have symptoms but can still infect others. Cllr Mark Young, the Council’s Lead Member for Planning, Public Protection and Safer Communities, said: “We are encouraging residents to take advantage of having tests available for collection and to take regular LFD tests. “Getting tested regularly is the only way to know if you have the virus and if people test positive and self-isolate,…

THE awards continue to pour in for a vineyard with plans for expansion and new products after five years of grape success. Gwinllan Conwy owners Colin and Charlotte Bennett are celebrating a prestigious bronze medal from the Decanter World Wine Awards, having achieved two bronze medals at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) earlier this year. That takes their haul to 17 medals in national and international competitions since launching the company. Add to that a place in the UK Grand Final of the Countryside Alliance Awards – they won the Local Food and Drink Class for Wales – and the…

Pembrokeshire County Council Leader David Simpson has announced that the Council is looking to work with colleagues across Welsh Government and UK Home Office in support of the Afghanistan Citizens Resettlement and Assistance Scheme. Following a meeting of Cabinet members, a decision was made to explore the availability of housing in the county, utilising the support also being offered by the UK government of funding to help Afghan Locally Employed Staff (LES) to relocate to the UK. These LES have worked for the UK and risked their lives alongside British forces in Afghanistan over the past twenty years. Leader of…

If your waggy-tailed pooch has the looks, style and personality of a star performer then this could be the animal’s big chance to shine on stage. Wales based theatre producers Matthew Revell-Griffiths Ltd are currently preparing for a run of The Wizard of Oz at Port Talbot’s Princess Royal Theatre from Sunday, October 24th to Tuesday, October 26th and the search is on to find Toto! In the show, based on the iconic 1939 movie the Wizard of Oz (an adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz), Dorothy Gale and her faithful dog Toto are…

A major summer repair scheme to Ynysmeurig Bridge in Abercynon has been completed ahead of schedule – including additional resurfacing nearby and drainage work, which has now enabled the B4275 to open with minimal works ongoing. The Council’s contractor Walters Ltd has been working throughout the school summer holidays to carry out the highest priority of the maintenance work required for the bridge, which carries the main road through Abercynon. Work has included the replacement of the bridge parapets, scour repairs to the central pier, and repointing of the abutment and central pier. The scheme also included important repairs to…

With schools, colleges and universities due to re-open following the summer holidays, parents, guardians and learners in Wales are being asked to take some steps to help keep Covid risk down and learners learning. Ahead of the start of the new school year, the Welsh Government is asking families and learners to continue to follow guidance on isolating, testing and vaccination, to minimise the risk of the spread of Covid in our education settings. Get the vaccine if it’s offered to you. Maintain regular handwashing. Any staff or learner with symptoms of Covid-19 – however mild – should stay at…

Wales is giving PPE to Namibia to help the global fight against COVID-19. Over £7m worth of masks, gowns and hand sanitizer, which is not needed in Wales are being donated and a further £500,000 grant is being given for oxygen equipment and nurse training. Namibia is currently experiencing its third wave of the pandemic and this third surge has exposed the critically insufficient health infrastructure in Namibia. With roughly similar populations, the two countries have enjoyed a longstanding relationship. Wales has a strong link with Namibia, supporting work to tackle poverty and assisting the health services during the pandemic.…

Views are being sought on potential changes to local taxes which could be used by local authorities to tackle the effects that large numbers of second homes and commercial holiday lets can have in some parts of Wales. The Welsh Government consultation on council tax and non-domestic rates is part of a summer of action launched by Climate Change Minister Julie James last month to address the impact of second home ownership seen in some of Wales’ communities. While second home owners and people who stay in holiday lets can make an important contribution to our local economies, we want…

Our working lives can bring many different challenges our way. They can be anything from needing to impress a potential employer to earning enough money to live. These days, many field workers and contractors have vans they need to look after. They can be used for many things, whether it’s to transport people or take equipment from place to place. There are some precautions that you need to take when driving your van or storing it at home or work. If you practice them, you’ll be ensuring the safety and security of your work vehicle as well as your own.…