Author: Rhys Gregory

The great British staycation getaway from the pandemic means that business is booming for a North Wales camper van conversion company. Simple Camper Vans, based in Caernarfon, turns conventional vans and SUVs into mobile holiday homes and owner Tommy Chamings has seen demand increase by up to 400 per cent as lockdown has eased. Tommy can turn over 20 different models into an adventure vehicle with the addition of an easy-to-fit fold-out kit that installs in minutes and is just as quick to take out. The kit doubles as sleeping platform and a seating area with table and already the…

On Monday (24 May), new artwork was unveiled in Glan Clwyd Hospital as Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) begins a rollout across its sites to celebrate the contributions of frontline NHS staff since the start of the pandemic. Over recent months, renowned Welsh artist, Nathan Wyburn, has captured the faces of over a thousand NHS staff members in striking and powerful collages as part of the ‘Thank You BCUHB’ project funded by the North Wales NHS Charity, Awyr Las, and The Arts Council for Wales. Nathan is famed for using non-traditional methods to create unique artwork, and some of…

Care homes in Wales will not be returning to the pre-covid “open house” approach after visiting restrictions were eased by the Welsh Government. That’s the warning from Care Forum Wales chief executive Mary Wimbury who sounded a note of caution saying that all visits would still need to be risk assessed before they were allowed go ahead. Ms Wimbury said it was still a challenging time for the social care sector and some care homes would be more nervous than other. One major stumbling block was the fact that insurance companies were now refusing to provide cover for any Covid-related…

With Plascrug Leisure Centre now returned to Ceredigion County Council’s responsibility, there is much to look forward to with the decommissioning work in full flow. Every part of the building was used when it was a Field Hospital. Hospital wards were created in the squash courts and the main hall, which involved the installation of new plumbing, electrical and ventilation systems, in addition to building temporary walls and installing hygienic surfaces. Changing rooms in the leisure centre and swimming pool were adapted for medical staff use and the centre’s sports equipment were removed to accommodate these temporary structures. In addition to…

BP Rolls Group has invested over £1.2 million in its second Newport servicing and repair depot creating local jobs in South Wales through the Pandemic. As other businesses contracted, BP Rolls Newport made the decision to invest in South Wales in order to support the Pandemic surge in home shopping fleet servicing and repairs, required to keep these fleets moving and providing a vital supply line to millions of homes. Offering in-house and 24hr mobile emergency vehicle servicing and repair for light commercial vehicles, alongside the commercial body shop, the existing Queensway Meadows Industrial Estate site simply couldn’t cope. “The…

A helping hand is being given to precious sealife that can flourish in the waters off Mumbles. Tests being carried out on specially designed concrete tiles will establish what types of pattern offer the best home for seashore animals and seaweeds. To help them in future decades, the most effective patterns could be used on parts of an updated sea defence system now being planned for Mumbles. A number of the new tiles have been fixed to the tide side of the existing sea defence structure. Scientists will study the results over the coming months. The tiling initiative – known…

It’s big, it’s bold, it’s becoming a familiar sight in Swansea Bay and now the Immbulance, the vaccination clinic on wheels, has made the Port Talbot Mosque its latest port of call. The Immbulance, a former mobile library converted by Neath Port Talbot Council staff into a mobile vaccination unit, is now run by Swansea Bay University Health Board professionals. The mobile clinic has been invaluable in reaching those in Swansea Bay who are unable to travel to vaccination centres or GP surgeries, either because of poor transport links or mobility issues. After Public Health Wales reported a lower uptake…

This month marks five years since National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) started operating in Porthcawl after Bridgend County Borough Council handed over the keys to the Old Pilot’s Lookout Tower. Since opening in May 2016, the crew has expanded to 36 volunteers who keep the station operational seven days a week. To begin with, the station had basic operational equipment of radios, charts, mobile phones and binoculars but is now equipped with modern technology in the snug 3.5-metre wide tower. Heritage Lottery Funding, together with contributions from the local authority, Cadw and the NCI helped to restore the grade two-listed building…

A total of 335 children are currently isolating at home following an outbreak of Covid-19 in the Porthcawl area. West Park Primary has confirmed that four members of staff and 22 pupils have tested positive. As a result, 267 pupils and 68 siblings who are in shared bubbles are now receiving online lessons at home. The outbreak has mainly affected pupils in Year One, Nursery, Reception, Year Two and Year Three. Parents and carers have been advised to remain alert following a number of positive Covid-19 tests at the school Parents and carers have been advised to monitor their children…

A local school that was judged by Estyn as requiring ‘special measures’ is making steady progress and is continuing to receive support from Bridgend County Borough Council and Central South Consortium. Ogmore Vale Primary was placed in ‘special measures’ in 2019 after a poor inspection by Estyn found that leadership and management at the school was unsatisfactory and in need of urgent improvement. With a new senior leadership team in place, the school has been working steadily to address the actions required by Estyn, and as part of this support, an interim executive board has been created. Designed to help the…