Author: Rhys Gregory

Port Talbot based civil engineering firm Andrew Scott Ltd has been praised for donating a steel storage container in which to house the many items such as clothes, food and blankets which have been donated to victims of the Skewen flooding incident. Neath Port Talbot Council has been working with partner agencies including South Wales Police, the Coal Authority and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service since the incident began on January 21st. Neath Port Talbot Council Leader, Cllr Rob Jones, said: “It says a lot about the community spirit in Neath Port Talbot that so many people…

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board will operate mobile Covid-19 testing units for the next two weeks in the Lliswerry and Ringland areas of Newport. If you have any symptoms of Coronavirus (Covid-19) – a new continuous cough, high temperature or loss of taste and/or smell please book a test as soon as possible. If you have symptoms, you and any household members should isolate immediately. Your whole household should continue to isolate until the test result is received. If the test is positive, all household members and close contacts should continue to isolate for 10 days as per current guidance. Even…

Many SMEs face struggles in recent times that they might never have imagined when they started their business. How long the company has been running, and the backup plans in place, will dictate the resilience available and overall customer base that comes with moving forward. Some businesses will thrive during the next year, and others will struggle. But even though this is usually the case for most companies, how a business and the team face challenges will make all the difference. One important thing to focus on as a business owner, though, is how visible you are. And whether or…

Use of innovative, new video technology has been helping elderly residents in the South Wales valleys to become more involved in decisions regarding their own care.  Attend Anywhere is an online system, being used daily across Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, to enable hospital and GP patients to have a consultation with their doctor via electronic tablet or phone, allowing them to access the care they need from the comfort of their own home. While this technology is used daily by GP surgeries and patients, a pilot project has also been underway to use the technology in care homes…

THE Welsh Ambulance Service has launched its annual ‘Defibuary’ campaign. The month-long Twitter campaign is designed to educate the public about the importance of bystander CPR and defibrillation in cases of cardiac arrest. This year, a plea to ensure all public defibrillators are registered on a national defibrillator network, The Circuit, is being issued. Fiona Maclean, Patient Experience and Community Involvement (PECI) Manager for the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: “Ideally, every community with a defibrillator has a guardian who regularly checks the defibrillator to ensure it is rescue ready. “We are aware that there are many defibrillators across Wales that…

Yellow and Blue (YAB Group Ltd) is a social enterprise which has been operating in Wrexham for the past three years. Its aim is to support the community of Wrexham including the vulnerable and anyone facing short term or long-term hardship, illness, disability or struggling physically and mentally and the pandemic has sadly meant that its work has increased significantly. Pete Humphreys founded Yellow and Blue (YAB) in 2017 following the death of his father along with a close friend, to bowel cancer. He started YAB as an online charity but had the goal of setting up a community hub…

Welsh property developer, Rob Lloyd, is set to take on a series of incredible challenges over the next 12 months to raise funds to support specialist disability services in Wales, run by the national charity Sense. The 57-year-old, who featured on Channel 4’s ‘The Secret Millionaire’, will begin ‘Rob’s Sense-less Challenge’ with the first challenge taking place in March at Skydive in Tilstock Cheshire where he will jump out of a plane. The challenges that follow will see Rob take on a 26-mile marathon around Colwyn Bay, a 3 peaks challenge and SAS training in the Brecon Beacons, with more…

Over the course of the last year, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed nearly every facet of our daily lives. The way we work, commute, socialise with our friends, study, and move about the world has changed significantly. Although it has been a difficult time of upheaval, it has also shown that human ingenuity will always find a way to innovate and come up with solutions to new problems. Rather than retreating into isolation, many people have turned to technology to help stay connected with others, while staying physically apart. While there is still uncertainty about what 2021 will bring, one…

Denbighshire County Council has secured £71,000 of funding for a community project in Pengwern. The Rural Futures Lottery funding, which is being match funded by the Council, will focus on making a positive impact within the community of Llangollen by increasing opportunities to raise skills and aspirations, provide additional space at a community centre as well as resources to deliver activities and services to support people. The funding will allow the Council, working with partners South Denbighshire Community Partnership, Friends of Pengwern and Severn Wye, to create three bespoke units to provide a confidential meeting space and a community workshop…

The Farmers’ Union of Wales is urging members to be aware of scams and cold callers, as recent incidents have seen an increase. FUW Carmarthen County Executive Officer David Waters said: “We have received a few reports from members recently that they have been targeted by cold callers and scammers, frequently regarding new utility contracts. “These phone calls and emails, which often end up with the person agreeing to a new contract, are legally binding in many cases and very difficult to get out of. I urge members to remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it…