Author: Rhys Gregory

Four people who were all homeless are doing the Couch to 5K challenge to raise money for a local charity that helped them change their lives. Paul, Shaun, Michelle, and Angela are living and working together at homelessness charity Emmaus South Wales and have started the 9-week training programme with three runs each week. Emmaus South Wales helps men and woman who are homeless by offering a home for as long as it is needed, work experience in its social enterprises, daily support, and funded training. It costs Emmaus South Wales approximately £150 per week for each person supported. The…

The world’s first preserved railway, which has been closed by Covid-19 pandemic lockdown rules for most of past 12 months, has come up with a novel solution to reach people in their homes. ‘If you are unable to visit us, we will come to you’ is the message from Talyllyn Railway at Tywyn in Mid Wales, which is now providing live personal virtual tours for enthusiasts needing a ‘railway fix’. The railway, which celebrates its 70th birthday this year, offers tours to suit all needs. There are museum tours, an in depth look at Thomas the Tank Engine creator Rev…

National Trust Cymru rangers have planted 8,500 native saplings at Hafod Garegog in Snowdonia, to store carbon, slow the flow of water and boost plants and wildlife.  As well as being fantastic carbon storage, by planting native thirty tree species like willow, aspen and hornbeam they should help slow the flow of water in an area susceptible to flooding.  The Trust also expects this to bring a much-needed wildlife boost to the reclaimed seabed, which was previously covered in rushes. Planting trees creates a home for wildlife such as warblers, moths, bats and nearby otter, as well as encouraging a diverse range of…

A 10-year-old who set about raising £800 for a charity which cared for his late grandfather by walking 250 miles in March has smashed his target – raising over £3000. Steffan Francis chose to walk the distance over the month in aid of Marie Curie, after they cared for his Taid, Graham Francis, in his final days at their Cardiff and the Vale Hospice in Penarth. The UK’s leading end of life charity provides round the clock care and support at the hospice, with people across Wales living with a terminal illness also supported in their own homes, or via…

Teachers in Wales are split over whether schools will be ready for major curriculum change next year, but don’t agree that delaying implementation would stop them preparing. A survey by Caerphilly-based school improvement company Impact Wales found that just over half of teachers surveyed (50.4%) think not enough schools will be ready to implement Curriculum for Wales in September 2022. Some 47.2% think some schools will be ready by the deadline, which has been set by outgoing education minister Kirsty Williams, and only 2.4% think all schools will be ready. Primary school teachers are more pessimistic than their secondary school peers, with…

The development of 12 new homes on the former site of St Cuthbert’s Church at Clarence Embankment in Butetown, Cardiff is underway. Working in partnership with Cardiff Council and M&J Cosgrove Construction Ltd, the United Welsh development will create 8 one-bedroom apartments and 4 two-bedroom apartments for affordable rent. Lynn Morgan, Director of Development for United Welsh, said: “There continues to be a high need for affordable housing in Cardiff. The tenants of these new homes will enjoy living in an ideal location in the city, close to excellent facilities such as the brand-new Grange Pavilion. “We are looking forward…

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board is setting up a reserve list as part of its vaccination programme. Appointment letters have now been sent to all over 50’s in Cwm Taf Morgannwg and will be landing on doorsteps in the next week or two. To make sure any cancelled appointments are filled, and that no vaccine is wasted, 40 to 49 year olds can now apply to be put on the Health Board’s reserve list. Currently it is only for people in the 40-49 age bracket and anyone who applies to be on the list must be willing to be…

Staff at Menter a Busnes (MaB) are turning their fundraising talents towards supporting the Wales Air Ambulance Charity’s life-saving services. Each year the independent economic development company adopts a charity to support for 12 months. In 2020 the charity was Hope House – Tŷ Gobaith and Tŷ Hafan children’s hospices. Despite Covid-19 restrictions, the MaB team raised £8,169.35 (including GiftAid) achieved by – among other things – walking the accumulative length of the Wales Coastal Path (870 miles) by Christmas Eve. In 2021 MaB will be raising funds for the Wales Air Ambulance Charity, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. MaB…

The highly successful Aspire Merthyr Tydfil Shared Apprenticeship Programme Team, along with partner Blaenau Gwent Aspire, is in the running for a prestigious annual national award. The teams have been selected as finalists in the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru, a virtual event taking place on 29 April and the highlight of the work-based learning calendar. Apprenticeship Awards Cymru recognises and celebrates the contribution of work-based learning practitioners, apprentices, outstanding achievers and dedicated employers who have excelled on the Welsh Government’s Apprenticeship and Traineeship Programmes. Aspire Merthyr Tydfil and Aspire Blaenau Gwent have been chosen, along with four other organisations, in the…

A new enforcement team will be in action this summer in Bridgend county borough to help tackle fly tipping and waste issues. Bridgend County Borough Council has set aside funding to tackle these crimes following a rise in the number of incidents. Fly-tipping is illegally dumping waste and anyone found guilty of fly-tipping can be fined up to £50,000 and face up to six months in prison. This can be increased to five years if hazardous waste is dumped, such as toxic waste or asbestos. While the local authority’s Cleaner Streets Team are proactive in identifying illegal fly-tipping and there…