Author: Rhys Gregory

Third year students from the BA Acting and BA Theatre Design & Production degree programmes at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) are preparing to showcase their talent in their upcoming online university performance. This experimental form of live theatre in digital landscapes has been created during lockdown with students in their bedrooms, living rooms and basements across the UK and the world.  The final year students have been busy collaborating with Hannah McPake, performer, director and Co-founder of the multi-award-winning company Gagglebabble, on their forthcoming main house production, Lacuna, and Technical Manager and Digital Designer Ceri James, who has…

Cardiff and Vale College has become one of the latest education institutions to be awarded a Gold CyberFirst School Award for its first-rate cyber security teaching. The CyberFirst Schools programme is run by the National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ. The programme recognises schools and colleges that can demonstrate a commitment to inspiring the latest generation of cyber security experts and bridging to cyber skills gap. CyberFirst Schools offer a range of activities to engage students, such as coding clubs and enrichment activities. CAVC has long recognised the importance of cyber security courses across all industries, and former Cyber…

Just imagine the buzz of being asked to create and help manage the social media content for an iconic BBC television series at the age of 19. That’s exactly what happened to talented Owain Carbis, 19, of Thornhill, Cardiff, during his apprenticeship with the digital and marketing department at BBC Cymru Wales. Not only did he promote Doctor Who, but also Line of Duty, His Dark Materials, Sherlock, Luther, Our Girl and other new drama titles, working with stars including Michelle Keegan and Jodie Whittaker. Now Owain has been shortlisted for the Apprentice of the Year award at the prestigious…

COLEG Cambria will host a series of virtual open events for prospective students over 10 days in March. Staff and lecturers from across the north east Wales college will be on hand to answer questions on A Levels, full time courses, apprenticeships, degrees and more. The 5pm-8pm weekday sessions – which run from March 8 to March 18 – are taking place online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, tutors from a wide range of subjects including Business, Animal Care, Hospitality, Health, Engineering, Tourism and Sport are available to support participants and offer guidance. Coleg Cambria Principal Sue Price said:…

Transport for Wales is delighted to confirm that the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has won a poll to decide which charity will appear on the side of one of its trains later this year. The RNLI received nearly half of the 3,625 votes cast on Twitter, to finish ahead of fellow charities the Wales Air Ambulance and Mind Cymru. The RNLI logo will now feature on the end carriage of one of the three sets of modern Mark 4 carriages, which are being introduced on Cardiff-Holyhead services later this year. There will also be carriages featuring the logos of…

As part of a four-nations agreement, Health Minister Vaughan Gething has today (Thursday 25 February) announced the ending of a ban on using UK plasma to manufacture medicines. The lifting of the ban follows a review by the Commission on Human Medicine (CHM) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). It was introduced in the UK in 1999 in response to the variant Creutzfeld–Jakob (vCJD) epidemic, believed to be associated with the consumption of meat products infected with BSE, commonly known as “mad cow disease”. Since the introduction of the ban, plasma-derived medicinal products have had to be imported,…

More than £10m will be made available to extend a Welsh Government programme that provides support to the most disadvantaged learners in Wales, Education Minister Kirsty Williams has confirmed. Speaking on a visit to Cardiff primary school Ysgol Glan Morfa, the Minister confirmed that funding for Wales’s Pupil Development Grant Access scheme would be doubled to cover additional years in 2020/21 and that the grant’s terms would be extended to allow the purchasing of laptops and tablets in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The funding of £10.3m – an increase from £5.1m in 2019/20 – will allow the Welsh Government…

Work on a long-awaited new Wellbeing Hub in Cardiff has begun following months of planning between Cardiff Council, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and Llanedeyrn Health Centre. Thanks to a £14 million pound investment from Welsh Government, construction has started on the new Wellbeing Hub @ Maelfa. The new centre is being built onto the current Council Powerhouse Community Hub so it makes use of the services provided from the Powerhouse with a community café, shared community rooms and an advice area, where health, local authority and third sector groups can provide advice, education and wellbeing services. Having the…

The Welsh Government’s Health Minister has today confirmed that a Community Testing programme will commence across the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board area from Wednesday, March 3. Focusing on key areas that have been identified as “hot spots” for continued high levels of COVID-19 infections, the programme will operate across six Community Testing Outreach Centres in Rhondda Cynon Taf.  These Centres will be located at: Maes-Yr-Haf Community Centre, Trealaw (Tonypandy area) Porth Plaza Llanharry Community Centre Gilfach Goch Community Recreation Centre Rhondda Fach Sports Centre Abercynon Community Centre Residents over the age of 11 in each of those local areas who…

Swansea Council has strengthened its cleansing workforce by purchasing two mini cleaning vehicles called the Hako Citymaster. The council is hopeful the micro sized street cleaning machines will get to parts of the city other vehicles have previously not been able to access. The main job of the new machines will be to wash heavily walked footways throughout the city centre, but the machines are also capable of grit spreading and snow removal. Mark Thomas, Cabinet Member for Environment Enhancement & Infrastructure Management, said: “Visitors to our city centre expect to see clean litter-free streets and we do our best…