Author: Rhys Gregory

A Rhondda Cynon Taf woman has been successfully prosecuted by the Council’s Trading Standards Department for operating a fraudulent business and having in her possession, for the purpose of selling, counterfeit goods. The 40-year-old woman, from Pentre, Rhondda, who has not been named, pleaded guilty at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates Court to all nine charges of possessing counterfeit goods for the purpose of selling, contrary to The Trade Marks Act 1994, and one charge of carrying out a fraudulent business, namely selling and distributing counterfeit clothing, footwear, perfume, aftershave, jewellery, candles and accessories, which operated between November and December 2019, contrary…

Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing Lynne Neagle has announced the extension of the Healthy and Active Fund. A total of £991,200 additional Welsh Government funding has been granted to extend the fund for a further year, with services severely impacted in 2020 due to the pandemic. The fund was set up in 2018 to help improve mental and physical health by enabling people to adopt healthy and active lifestyles. Research commissioned by Sport Wales has shown 60% of adults in Wales intend to increase the amount of physical activity and exercise they do as we come out of…

As the Royal Welsh Show gets underway virtually today, Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths has thanked everyone in the agricultural industry for their resilience and dedication during the Covid19 pandemic. The Minister said: “Farming and agriculture continues to be the beating heart of rural Wales and we are proud to be supporting this year’s virtual Royal Welsh Agricultural Show. “It is, of course, very sad we will not be meeting face-to-face at the show again this year, but public health must come first. “I am extremely proud of the commitment everyone in the industry has shown and ensured the people…

A new programme to help Welsh firms who have never exported before to sell their products in new international markets is being launched by Wales’ Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething. The New Exporters Programme, which is one of the new support initiatives being introduced as part of the Welsh Government’s Export Action Plan, will support companies who have either never exported before or have exported intermittently, to sell their goods and services around the world. Ten companies from a range of sectors across Wales are being recruited to the programme, which will last around 10 months. They will receive intensive support…

New guidance to help local authorities to plan, design and deliver high quality walking and cycling routes across Wales has been launched. The Active Travel Act Guidance brings together previous advice and feedback from a public consultation and clearly sets out what is expected from councils when they are designing new infrastructure with Welsh Government funding. This year alone the Welsh Government is investing £75m in active travel – more than any other country in the UK per head of population – to provide people with access to high quality active travel routes across Wales, so that they feel safe…

Three quarters of people in Wales have now had both doses of the coronavirus vaccine, the Minister for Health and Social Services, Eluned Morgan has announced. The latest of figures released today (Friday 16 July) show that after 7 months 1,892,082 people have had both vaccines and completed the course and 2,279,139people or 90.3% of the country have had their first dose. Wales has already met its third milestone, after offering vaccination to all eligible adults 6 weeks early, and achieving 75% take up in the under 50s a month early. The Minister for Health and Social Services, Eluned Morgan:…

One of the UK’s leading Covid testing services offers rapid testing with Fit To Fly and Fit To work results back within 24 hours. They also feature rapid antibody and antigen testing. All of this will now be available to the people of Cardiff, around the city region and beyond. With over 35 clinics already in operation across England, opening up in Wales is another huge step forward for the innovative company. The new clinic opens at Cardiff Bay’s leisure and entertainment hub, The Red Dragon Centre, on Monday 19th July. Professor Frank Joseph, DAM Health’s medical director, says: “We…

A passion for food and the local community has led to the creation of a Welsh recipe box enterprise which is creating jobs and demand for sustainable food and drink. Swperbox was founded by Alex Cook, whose experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic and the effect on his Llandeilo community spurred him on to build a business that not just serves its customers but local producers too. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Alex Cook saw bookings for his hitherto award-winning catering business disappear overnight. So, he began helping out at the local Foodbank and coordinated the Feed the NHS Wales campaign…

Wales’ largest music festival, Green Man, is delighted to announce that it will be going ahead on 19-22 August 2021, returning after an enforced year off to the epic surroundings of the Black Mountains, deep in the heart of the Brecon Beacons for its 19th edition. The festival today announces the first performers and details of this year’s event, including music headliners Little Dragon, Caribou, Mogwai, and Fontaines D.C. Tickets for Green Man 2021 have already sold out, including the Settler’s Pass, which turns the festival into a week-long holiday, allowing early access to the site from August 16, and…

Two of Wales’ best known food brands, Castle Dairies and Halen Môn have teamed up to launch a new Welsh butter made with 100% Welsh cream and the famous Anglesey natural sea salt crystals. The new Welsh butter roll with Halen Môn, will be available among the premium butter range in Tesco stores throughout Wales from early July. Castle Dairies was set up in Caerphilly in 1966 and has grown to be one of the largest family-owned dairy businesses in Wales, working with more than 200 Red Tractor Assured farms in Wales to source the Welsh cream for its butters.…