Author: Rhys Gregory

COLEG CAMBRIA has been awarded the gold standard in cyber security teaching. The north east Wales college received the accolade as part of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) CyberFirst Schools initiative, focused on inspiring the next generation of cyber security experts and addressing the UK’s cyber skills gap. Cambria’s Principal Sue Price said: “We are delighted to have achieved the CyberFirst Gold Award in conjunction with the National Cyber Security Centre. “This is a significant achievement for Coleg Cambria, recognising the great work the team are doing in a critical area that is growing in strategic significance and importance…

Powys County Council has recently completed the purchase of the Grade II* listed Automobile Palace in Llandrindod Wells. Situated in a prominent town centre location, the art deco building was built in the early 1900’s on the direction of one of Wales’ earliest motoring pioneers Mr Tom Norton. Norton introduced aviation to Mid Wales and the building housed the first Ford and Austin agencies in Wales. The building closed as a garage in the early 1990’s before being converted to business units.  Over recent years however the number of tenants has dwindled, and the building has fallen into decline. Funding…

Newport City Council’s cabinet has agreed a new leisure and well-being centre should be created in the city centre. A new purpose-built centre, with modern facilities, would be located on a key riverfront site and would replace the ageing Newport Centre. Cabinet also approved the disposal of the Newport Centre site to Coleg Gwent to further its ambition to have a campus in the heart of the city centre in new buildings providing a first class learning environment. A public consultation on the proposals received more than 1,000 responses with the overwhelming majority supporting the proposed new developments. Councillor Jane…

Cardiff Council’s ‘No Going Back’ approach to the delivery of homelessness services in the city will take another stride forward next week if plans to buy a new facility are agreed. At its next meeting on Thursday, February 25, Cabinet will consider a proposal to purchase the YHA hostel on East Tyndall Street, accommodation the Council has been using since last Spring when extra spaces were need to keep clients safe during the pandemic. The facility provided 80 of the182 additional units of supported accommodation that were established across a number of sites to address homelessness during the health crisis,…

As Wales continues to navigate the many challenges of coronavirus, the Welsh Government is setting out how it will work to reconstruct and rebuild Wales’ economy so it is more prosperous, equal and green than ever before. This includes making available an additional £270m to support business through the Development Bank of Wales. Operating alongside other Development Bank support, this represents a major investment in accessible finance for business and will help Welsh firms focus on their long term success. The Welsh Government will today publish its Economic Resilience and Reconstruction Mission which sets out how it will work to…

Brexit had wide-ranging logistical implications in different sectors of the UK economy. After all, it would take a concerted effort to rewrite trade agreements that had lasted decades. These issues affected both institutions and individual traders. For the past five years, investors have deployed various risk management strategies as they followed Brexit developments. The decision by British voters to leave the Union was decisive. However, it would take the government half a decade to complete the transition. Such is the complicated nature of modern markets and trade alliances. Brexit saw the departure of David Cameron and Theresa May as Prime…

Macmillan Cancer Support is warning that coronavirus is exacerbating the already devastating financial impact of a cancer diagnosis on an individual’s quality of life and mental wellbeing. New figures from the charity show that around 10,000 people with cancer in Wales (6%) are struggling to pay for basic essentials such as food, bills, rent or their mortgage as a result of Covid-19. Across the UK, more than two in three (70%) people with cancer who are struggling with these basic living costs have experienced stress, anxiety or depression as a result of Covid-19. A shocking one in four (24%) of…

Do you know a young person who is changing your community and improving lives? Celebrate their achievements by nominating them for a 2021 Diana Award. This year is especially significant as July marks what would have been Diana, Princess of Wales’ 60th Birthday.  The Diana Award is the only charity in memory of the late Princess and her belief that young people have the power to change the world. Successful nominations will be honoured at a virtual award ceremony in the summer and will pay tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales in the days leading up to what would have been…

A musician-in-residence at a care organisation has revealed how a combination of music and art can provide a new beginning for people with dementia. Nia Davies Williams, who works for the Pendine Park care organisation, has been bowled over at the way her music can transform the mood of residents, triggering their creative juices, tapping into latent memories and firing imaginations. She says the type of music she plays affects the way people with dementia paint and how they paint it. Mum-of-three Nia, a talented harpist, pianist and composer, is based at the Bryn Seiont Care Home in Caernarfon and…

As children under 8 prepare to go back to school as of next week, further education students will also see a phased return to on site learning from Monday (22 February) onwards. Grŵp Llandrillo Menai has announced that it will be reopening parts of its Rhos-on-Sea, Rhyl and Llangefni campuses from Monday, with a small number of classes invited to attend face-to-face sessions for the first time since December. In line with the latest Welsh Government guidelines for the post-16 sector, campus-based learning will be limited to those undertaking vocational qualifications. These include  Construction, Engineering, Landbased, Motor Vehicle and Professional…