Author: Rhys Gregory

A PROUD son whose father died of COVID-19 will take on an epic challenge to raise funds for a children’s hospice. Andy Hughes plans to run 188 miles from Flintshire to the Midlands and back in memory of his late dad Kevin, a champion of Hope House Hospice who passed away earlier this year after a long battle against the Coronavirus. Kevin, a former police officer, journalist, and councillor, was much-loved in the community and a huge fan of Aston Villa football club. Andy, 37, will journey from the family home in Gwernymynydd to Villa Park in Birmingham. The round…

An after-work programme designed to support people in starting social enterprises has enabled 18 businesses to launch, as well as helping some secure almost £20,000 in funding. The 5 to 9 Club™ in partnership with the UK Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs – UnLtd supported 36 people, through a version of the course specifically designed to support social entrepreneurs start up their own social ventures, with 18 of those going on to found a business and begin trading so far. Businesses that had completed the programme were then invited to pitch for up to £5,000 each in funding from UnLtd, through…

Up to £30m to support Wales’ diverse culture sector through the ongoing pandemic has been announced by the Welsh Government. The fund will be delivered jointly by the Welsh Government, the Arts Council of Wales and local authorities. The Cultural Recovery Fund, launched last summer, provided £63.3m in 2020-21 to support theatres, music venues, heritage sites, events, museums, libraries, galleries, independent cinemas and freelancers. It was made up of three main elements – the Arts Council for Wales administered funding of more than £18m to support 170 organisations, supporting national and local theatres and art galleries. More than 1,000 jobs…

Over £8.5m is to be invested to create a new Electronic Patient Record and digital Electronic Referral system for eye care in Wales, the first national system of this kind. The new patient digital systems will help to underpin our plans published today to highlight the future approach to optometry services in Wales.  The importance of preventative measures, together with management and treatment by primary care optometrists are a key focus of our plans.  The future approach supports the Welsh Government’s A Healthier Wales strategy of delivering care in the community and closer to people’s homes. £4.8 m will be invested…

The First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford will take part in the National Coronavirus Commemorative Event held at 5:15pm on March 23rd. The event will bring the nation together to pay our respects to those we’ve lost and express our sympathy to those who are grieving for their loved ones. It will be a chance to reflect on how the pandemic has had a profound impact on every community in Wales and celebrate how people in those communities have sustained each other. The occasion will be an opportunity to express our thanks to our health workers and carers, who have…

The community testing programme will be extended to the end of September to help manage outbreaks and target areas that see a rapid increase in cases, the Health Minister has announced. Asymptomatic testing has been taking place in Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf since the beginning of March with plans also progressing in Anglesey in response to the outbreak in Holyhead. An evaluation of the asymptomatic testing pilot in Merthyr Tydfil and Lower Cynon late last year by Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board found testing was very cost effective and had contributed to the subsequent decline in coronavirus case…

The Welsh Government is making £1.5m available to returning officers to enable polling stations for the Senedd election to be made covid-secure. The additional funding is being provided to cover the range of extra staff and equipment required to ensure the protection of staff and public health. Voters attending polling stations will see many of the protective measures they are already now familiar with in other settings. Hand sanitiser will be available, and screens, social distance markings and protective barriers will be in use as appropriate. In addition, all voters and staff should wear a face covering (unless exempt), while…

Work has started on the site of a new residential home in Newport which will provide a high quality of specialist care for children and young people. Welsh Government’s Integrated Care Fund awarded capital funding for the project which is supported by the Gwent Regional Parnership Board. This will be the third home created in Newport as part of Project Perthyn, its ambitious programme to bring our children back to the city where they can receive better standards of care and be closer to their families. When completed, the home will be able to provide appropriate accommodation for a small…

A contractor is now appointed for the upcoming scheme to the Blaen-y-Cwm Road river wall – to carry out preliminary work in April and full repairs from May, when seasonal restrictions on working within the river come to an end. Large sections of the structure were damaged during the unprecedented weather of Storm Dennis in February 2020. The wall supports the highway at Blaen-y-Cwm Road, and one lane has been brought out of use in order to ensure public safety. The Council has used traffic lights to keep the route open, while the condition of the wall and the road…

A free virtual event will be available on Wednesday 24 March to provide vital support for people looking for work opportunities in south east Wales. The event, called Opportunity South East Wales, will run online from 10am to 12pm, and is a partnership event between Working Wales (delivered by Careers Wales), Jobcentre Plus, Cardiff Capital Region Skills Partnership and the National Training Federation Wales (NTfW). People attending the event will be able to browse a range of fantastic employment and training opportunities available across south east Wales, covering Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Newport, Rhondda Cynon Taff,…