Author: Rhys Gregory

A PROJECT to improve water quality, biodiversity and restore a natural habitat has been given a boost. Forestry students from Coleg Cambria Llysfasi are helping former learner Jonathan Hulson deliver the Woodlands for Water Project, in partnership with North Wales Wildlife Trust. Driven by the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Management Scheme, the two-year initiative aims to create, connect and enhance habitats within the catchments of the Afon Alun and Afon Chwiler in north east Wales, with a particular focus on improving water resource management. Stakeholders include the Welsh Dee Trust, Sustainable Forest Management, the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of…

Pension Insurance Corporation plc (“PIC”), a specialist insurer of defined benefit pension funds, has invested £65 million in debt issued by Pobl, a housing association based in Newport, Wales. The funds, the majority of which are deferred until 2021, will be used to support Pobl’s affordable housing development programme over the next two years as part of their aim to create 10,000 new homes over the next 10 years, as well as to refinance existing long-term debt. The deferral helps Pobl lock in certainty of funding at a known rate. This is the second funding agreement between PIC and POBL,…

The demand for digital skills is continuing to grow in North Wales, as the regional economy and workforce adjust to the challenges arising from the coronavirus pandemic. The digital sector is one of the key growth areas identified by the North Wales Regional Skills Partnership, where employer demand exceeds supply. Figures published by the Partnership in 2019 suggested that 14.7% more qualified people are needed for professional occupations in the digital sector to replace demand up to 2024, alongside a 12.9% increase in those skilled for associate professional and technical occupations. The Partnership’s latest Covid-19 ‘Insight to North Wales Labour…

A new Starbucks store will open at Parc Pensarn, Carmarthen, on Friday 27 November. Operated by Starbucks licensee, The Magic Bean Company, the store will be the first Starbucks Drive Thru in the area and will create 20 new jobs. Customers are invited to visit the store to enjoy Starbucks holiday menu, with returning festive favourites the Toffee Nut Latte, Gingerbread Latte, and Eggnog Latte available. Customers can also try Starbucks new items this season, including the Truffle Deluxe Hot Chocolate and The One with the Gravy Layer Sandwich. To celebrate the opening, there will be a ribbon cutting hosted…

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has been working in partnership with Cardiff Council and Vale of Glamorgan Council to identify centres to deliver the Covid 19 vaccinations. The mass vaccination centres will be set up in Cardiff and Vale Therapy Centre in Splott,  Pentwyn Leisure Centre and Holm View Leisure Centre in Barry. The centres can be accessed by appointment only and those that are eligible to receive the vaccination will be sent a letter to contact the booking line to receive an appointment. All centres have adequate car parking and public transport access to meet the service need.…

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is calling for families in Wales to take part in a giant virtual reading event next month. The charity hopes that the event will achieve a Guinness World Records title to highlight the need for more positive representations of disability in children’s literature. To take part, families will need to read the RNIB’s reimagining of a fairytale favourite, Little Red Riding Hood, called Red and the Wolf. It includes a young girl with vision impairment as the main character, who uses a long cane and is highly skilled at martial arts. Aimed at children aged three…

Ceredigion County Council is working with Sustrans Cymru as part of Welsh Government’s Active Travel Network Map consultation (ATNM).  In this initial phase, the council are looking for your feedback on where you would like to see improvements to walking and cycling in Aberystwyth, Cardigan and Lampeter. The ATNM is a plan of routes that Ceredigion County Council will use to inform where improvements to walking and cycling should be made within the county.  It will help to make journeys on foot or by bike across Ceredigion easier and safer for everyone, particularly those who don’t currently walk or cycle…

THE Welsh Ambulance Service has set out how it will embrace technology in the future in an ambitious new digital strategy. Recent advances by the service include the rollout of iPads to frontline staff, the move to modern ‘cloud’ services through Microsoft Office 365 and a new electronic patient care record. The Trust’s new strategy details its plans to drive future change through four ambitious ‘digital missions’ – empower the digital patient, build the digital workplace, intelligence through data and digital foundations. Andy Haywood, Director of Digital Services, said: “The Welsh Ambulance Service has undergone significant transformation in the last…

Santa’s annual appearance at the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway has become the latest activity to fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic. The popular event, which brings families together to travel with Santa on the railway’s festive steam trains, was due to start on December 5 and run over three weekends, but has been cancelled for 2020. The railway had its plans for the Santa Specials well advanced and had carefully designed what was hoped to be both a safe and fun event, but the pandemic made it just too difficult to put on. The Llanfair line’s volunteers are usually…

Police will be utilising additional powers this weekend to ensure those visiting Cardiff city centre are doing so within the confines of coronavirus legislation. While rules in Wales have been relaxed, with local travel restrictions removed and hospitality and retail premises now able to open, the public are reminded that the risk posed by Covid-19 has not disappeared. Some restrictions do remain, with those from outside of Wales prohibited from travelling in to the country under both UK Government and Welsh Government rules, and rules around socialising and licensed premises continuing to apply to local residents. South Wales Police will…