Author: Rhys Gregory

Ebbw Vale town centre was filled with festive spirit as the Christmas lights were officially switched on last Friday, marking the start of the season’s celebrations. The event, supported by the BGCBC Town Centre Team, brought together families, friends, and visitors for an evening of festive cheer. Support for the switch on was overwhelming. Funding came from town centre businesses, the former Ebbw Vale Town Events Forum, the newly formed Ebbw Vale Town Partnership, and Deacon Fairgrounds, alongside local organisations and businesses including Ebbw Vale Rugby Club, Ace Kitchens, A1 Bounce, Masquerade, and JJ Desserts. Elected members Sue Edmunds and…

Proposals for a new health and wellbeing hub in Newtown are entering a key stage, with the current plans (“Outline Business Case”) due to be considered by Powys County Council’s Health and Care Scrutiny Committee before going to the Powys County Council Cabinet and Powys Teaching Health Board for consideration on 16 December 2025. The proposed new hub, due to be built on the site of Y Parc offices, would see a wide range of services provided under one roof in a modern, purpose-built environment. Alongside “one stop shop” health and wellbeing services, the plans include new training facilities to…

Funding announced today by the Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change, Huw Irranca-Davies, will ensure security for businesses, communities and wildlife that depend on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal. The funding will support a vital water supply agreement between Glandŵr Cymru, the Canal & River Trust in Wales, and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water. The Welsh Government will provide cover for up to £400,000 every year, for the next five years. The Canal & River Trust will also contribute up to £100,000 annually, while discussions will continue with other partners to secure further contributions over the long-term. The move follows a short-term…

This story is also available in Welsh – click here to read it. Significant public and private sector collaboration leads to single-use endoscopy innovation that can meet global healthcare needs. A six-figure investment by Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) has acted as the catalyst for a multi-million-pound healthcare breakthrough by Chepstow-based IQ Endoscopes, developing a single-use device set to transform patient care and cut NHS waiting times. Through its Challenge Fund, CCR awarded £750,000 to Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (CAVUHB) to explore how innovation could speed up endoscopy procedures in Wales, with £374,000 of that sum provided to IQ Endoscopes. That…

The new ‘Believe Memorial Garden’, created to honour those who donated organs, officially opened at Cardiff Crematorium in Thornhill, on December 1st. The garden, which is the passion project of Anna-Louise Bates, founder of the charity Believe Organ Donation Support (Believe ODS), will provide a space to pay tribute to organ donors and offer their loved ones a place to remember them. Throughout the garden, handprints of inspirational people and celebrities who have worked with Believe ODS are on display, including British adventurer Bear Grylls, Welsh footballer Sophie Ingle, and actress Ruth Jones. The garden will also be a place…

A unique collection of energy-efficient new homes, delivered by Acorn Property Group, within the historic parkland grounds of Hensol Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan, has been brought to the market by Savills. Interest in the scheme has been high, with several reservations already secured. Nestled in picturesque countryside, Hensol Grove is set within the 650-acre grounds of The Vale Resort, a private estate and luxury hotel – also home to the Grade I listed Gothic-style mansion, Hensol Castle. The Vale Resort is renowned for its two championship golf courses and premium amenities, including a tennis court and luxury spa.…

Specialist business property adviser Christie & Co has been instructed to market The Lemon Tree hotel and restaurant on Rhosddu Road in Wrexham city centre. The Lemon Tree is an 18-bedroom hotel and 70-cover restaurant known for serving high-quality modern British food. The hotel is a popular choice for visitors to the area, with accommodation occupancy exceeding 91% in 2024 and consistently being voted as the number one hotel in Wrexham on TripAdvisor. The venue has also received the AA Rosette Award for its restaurant for the last six years, and the AA 3 Star Gold Award for its accommodation,…

Residents of Canada Road, in the Gabalfa area of Cardiff, are using their Christmas decorations to raise funds for Cardiff Foodbank. This community-led project, supported by local businesses and St Monica’s Church in Wales Primary School, will create a walk-through Advent calendar using the street’s front windows. The first window of the project, created by pupils from St Monica’s Church in Wales Primary School and Morgans Consult, was unveiled this week at the company’s offices at the corner of Canada Road and North Road. Organisers and representatives from Cardiff Foodbank then walked the length of Canada Road to see pupils…

Radnor Hills has signed a two-year partnership deal with Cardiff City FC. The agreement will see Radnor Hills provide its natural mineral water and a range of its other soft drinks to players, coaching staff and fans at the Cardiff City Stadium and their Vale training base, as well as to their soccer school program. Radnor Hills, based in Knighton, Powys, is one of the UK’s leading soft drinks producers. The family-owned company has been producing drinks for over 35 years, using exceptionally pure Welsh spring water drawn from boreholes on the family farm, just minutes from their production site.…

Tesco is inviting Cardiff residents to embrace the magic of imperfection this Christmas by giving away free Perfectly Imperfect Christmas trees at Tesco Cardiff Extra on Saturday 6th December from 10am. From unevenly spaced branches, to leaning ever-so-slightly to the side, these wonky Christmas trees wouldn’t normally make the cut to go on sale in Tesco stores but are perfectly imperfect in their own way. With Christmas being the time of giving, Tesco is giving these Christmas trees a second chance at fulfilling their Christmas destiny. And with new research from Tesco revealing that almost a quarter (24%) of Brits pencil in…