Author: Rhys Gregory

Letters are being sent to all residents in Bridgend county borough with important information about the Covid-19 vaccination programme. The joint letter from Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board’s Chief Executive Paul Mears and Bridgend County Borough Council Leader Huw David explains how the vaccine will be made available and how appointments will work. Those who are most at risk of serious illness if they catch coronavirus will get the vaccine first. This includes people living in care homes, the over-80s and frontline health and care workers. In the weeks since the first vaccine – made by Pfizer-BioNTech – became…

Despite the recent hardships faced by the music industry in Wales, Forté Project, an artist development scheme for emerging musicians, is proud to announce that KINGKHAN and Mari Mathias from Cardiff have been selected to embark on its 2021 programme on Thursday 7 January, alongside six other artists. Forté Project did not give up the fight in 2020 and as a result, has secured Arts Council of Wales and PRS Foundation funding, allowing the project to expand beyond its original South Wales regions for the first time and reach new artists across the country. Thanks to this, the chosen artists,…

The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) near Machynlleth will once again be host to the BBC’s Iolo Williams as he shares the wildlife of Mid Wales with viewers across the UK in this year’s Winterwatch. The BBC team will bring a much-needed dose of nature into our living rooms this January as they help us to celebrate the magic of the wildlife on our doorsteps. Having broadcast Autumnwatch live from CAT last year, Iolo and team will return for two weeks in late January to share the sights and sounds of a new season, with Chris Packham, Megan McCubbin and…

AN APPRENTICE is gearing up for a future in mechanics after engineering victory in a national contest. Ryan Chrisham was a gold medallist in the Automotive Technology category at the Welsh Skills Competition and is now plying his trade at Gwyn Evans Commercial Vehicle Repairs in Ruthin. The 22 year-old, who hails from the town, is enjoying an apprenticeship at the long-established Denbighshire firm while studying at Coleg Cambria. He was delighted to pick up the prize and said it gave him more confidence in working on heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and other types of haulage transport. “I enjoyed the…

Denbighshire County Council is informing residents in Denbigh and surrounding areas that a Covid-19 testing centre opened in the town on Wednesday, January 6. The testing centre is based in the car park at the council offices at Caledfryn and will operate between 9.30am and 3.30pm with no appointments necessary, but the walk in / drive through session is open to those with symptoms that need a test. The testing centre is being operated in partnership between Public Health Wales, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust and Denbighshire County Council. It replaces the testing site at…

As the pandemic continues to hamper recruitment activities and risks a lost generation of talented graduates needed to aid Wales’ economic recovery, the CEO of Confused.com and technology strategists from Microsoft have praised the launch of a Fast-Track Data and AI Graduate Programme and its promise to develop Welsh talent pools that allow employers to fortify their businesses with the latest innovation. The Fast-Track Data and AI Graduate Programme has been specifically designed by the Welsh Contact Centre Forum (WCCF) in collaboration with industry, to allow Welsh businesses to recruit new talents who can accelerate the development of new data…

BMA Cymru Wales is calling for the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine to be administered to frontline healthcare workers who have received the first dose, within the maximum 42-day timeline tested in the original trial and in-line with World Health Organisation guidance. The Association is also calling for all remaining vaccinations for staff to be accelerated to ensure maximum protection for staff and patients. The Association says this is essential to protect an already depleted workforce and to help prevent the NHS becoming overwhelmed in the next few weeks. BMA Cymru Wales has already condemned the disparity in vaccination…

Hywel Dda Health Charities has purchased heart monitors and blood pressure machines for use by cardiology patients across the Carmarthen, Llanelli and Ammanford areas. Ten heart rate and rhythm monitors are available for patients to use in their own homes, so that assessments can be done remotely. Readings are transferred to one of three specialist heart failure nurses, enabling the team to assess if further investigation is needed. The purchase of 75 automated blood pressure machines for patients to use at home is also enabling virtual clinics to be held, allowing the nursing team to record vital observations to help…

Two Swansea University courses are among the first postgraduate qualifications to be awarded accreditation by the Royal Geographical Society. The Society has given its backing to the MSc Environmental Dynamics and Climate Change and MSc Geographic Information and Climate Change. It launched an undergraduate programme accreditation scheme in 2016, however, this is the first time the Society has accepted applications from master’s degree programmes. It is a move that aims to recognise good practice in geographical learning and teaching across UK higher education, while supporting continuous quality improvement and promoting good student outcomes across the sector. Dr Iain Robertson, of…

EXPERIMENTICA is a live art festival in Cardiff that encourages risk, collaboration and exchange between artists and audiences. The festival commissions and hosts a dynamic programme of live art, performance and interdisciplinary projects and offers a platform for UK and international artists at all stages in their careers, to present experimental work in an open and supportive environment. The 2021 festival will explore narratives and alternatives to the status quo; questioning accepted ways of thinking; giving a voice to the underrepresented and challenging existing forms of storytelling – exploring democracy, agency and open authorship. Chapter will advertise a call-out for…