Author: Rhys Gregory

GPs in rural communities are joining forces to set up community vaccination centres to help vaccinate more people closer to home. This weekend [Saturday 23 January and Sunday 24 January], three centres being run by a collaboration of GP practices will open allowing the Pfizer vaccination to be used at a local level as well as the Oxford AstraZeneca. Previously, the Pfizer vaccine had to be used in Wales’ special mass vaccination centres due to the ultra-low temperatures it needs to be stored at. The community vaccination centres have been set up by health boards as part of the Welsh…

The Met Office has warned of snow across Wales and central & southern England on Sunday, becoming slow moving for a time across the Midlands. This will bring 1-3 cm of snow across much of the warning area, though not all sites will see lying snow, with areas above 100 m likely to be worst affected. Snow of 5-10 cm of snow are possible, particularly for parts of Shropshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Hampshire. Areas in Wales affected Blaenau Gwent Bridgend Caerphilly Cardiff Carmarthenshire Ceredigion Conwy Denbighshire Flintshire Gwynedd Merthyr Tydfil Monmouthshire Neath Port Talbot Newport Pembrokeshire Powys Rhondda Cynon…

Timo Werner’s struggles in a blue shirt are hardly new to Chelsea, who have seen high-profile strikers turn out to be letdowns operating at the point of attack for them over the years. Fernando Torres, Alvaro Morata, Radamel Falcao and Gonzalo Higuain all joined the Stamford Bridge side at different points in time boasting remarkable goalscoring stats only to leave with tail between legs. It takes a special breed of forward to thrive at Chelsea and, it appears the threshold is more of a mental one than it is physical as the likes of Didier Drogba and Diego Costa were…

A unique body of work created by renowned artist Professor Sue Williams during lockdown has been purchased by the National Library of Wales. Cardiff-based Professor Williams, who is course manager in Fine Art: Studio Site & Context at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s (UWTSD) Swansea College of Art, spent the lockdown of 2020 at home alone and used the time to create artwork in three Chinese folding books which she had had specially made on a trip to China in 2017. Faced with the loneliness of the lockdown, she used books to record a unique diary of the mental…

UWTSD PGCE student and Wales Rugby International Jasmine Joyce has told how her passion to teach was inspired by a teacher at school who encouraged and motivated her to succeed. Jasmine, who is one of just three Welsh women named in the initial 24-strong GB Women’s Sevens squad for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo said: “My PE teacher Rachael Thomas, at Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi, was one of the driving forces which led me to where I am now. “I’ve always wanted to train to be a teacher probably because of the good experiences I had at both my primary and…

GP practices throughout Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan are now offering COVID-19 vaccinations to priority groups in the community. All 60 practices across the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board area are inviting residents aged 80 and over to receive the vaccination at the local practice, with those over 75 due to also be invited shortly. The practices are playing an important role in contributing to the Health Board’s Mass Vaccination Programme, with the aim to keep the population of Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan safe. The Health Board has committed to offering the first dose of the…

As a three-month campaign to help households in Wales reduce their energy consumption and fuels bills draws to a close, industry experts have shared their top tips for keeping warm whilst cutting costs over winter. Big Energy Saving Winter, organised by Citizens Advice, runs up until the end of January and provides information and practical guidance on saving energy, money, and the environment through greater efficiency. Whilst the latest figures indicate a 1.8% decrease in emissions caused by residential energy use in 2019, compared to the previous year, it is expected to rise again with more people working from home…

A new Mass Vaccination Centre (MVC) has opened in Swansea to increase the number of people being protected. Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, which is near Aldi on Millers Drive, Gorseinon, is the third MVC in the Swansea Bay University Health Board area, following Margam Orangery and Bay Field Hospital on Fabian Way. The initial focus of the new centre will be on vaccinating those in their late 70s in line with the Welsh Government’s ambition to protect all those in the top four vulnerable groups by the middle of next month. The centre will be open for a limited number of…

Emergency services remained overnight at the scene of a flooding incident in Skewen. A major incident was declared after at least eight streets, including Goshen Park, flooded and a large number of properties needed to be evacuated. Everyone who was evacuated has been found accommodation for tonight, estimated at around 80 residents. There have been no reported injuries and we ask people to continue to avoid the area. The cause of the flooding is being investigated and the water level will continue to be monitored. Chief Superintendent Andy Valentine, South Wales Police said, “Emergency services, Neath Port Talbot Council and other…

An exclusive documentary film celebrating Llanelli’s much-loved panto company, Friendship Theatre Group, will be broadcast later this month as part of Carmarthenshire Theatre’s programme of digital shows. ‘Oh yes it is! It’s the Friendship panto story’ will delve into the history of this remarkable local company which has been entertaining generations of local families with their annual pantomimes for almost three decades. Through a mix of cast and audience interviews alongside clips from archive footage, the film celebrates the memories and stories as recollected by those who’ve been bringing the magic of panto to the Llanelli stage for past 26…