Author: Rhys Gregory

Ahead of the UK Government’s Spending Review statement, Welsh Government is urging the Chancellor to rule out a public sector pay freeze and deliver the funding Wales needs to protect our health, jobs and support a fair recovery. Finance Minister, Rebecca Evans has called on the Chancellor to use the UK Treasury’s levers to stand by the frontline workers who have sacrificed so much this year. Workers across the NHS, schools, colleges and local councils all continue to play a critical role in the midst of a global pandemic to help save lives and keep services running. They should be…

South Wales Police is investigating a large disturbance which occurred in Cardiff city centre on Saturday night (November 21). Multiple reports of a violent incident on Queen Street were received at around 9.50pm. Six people have subsequently been taken to, or self-presented at, the University Hospital of Wales with various injuries. One person suffered head injuries and remains in a serious condition, while three others are believed to have sustained stab wounds. Two others have presented at hospital with lesser injuries. Two people have been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder and are currently in custody in Cardiff Bay. An…

A leading Welsh doctor has thanked GPs and their staff for the role they have played so far in keeping the public safe during the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr Phil White, Chair of the BMA’s Welsh General Practitioners Committee, thanked GPs for their continued dedication to their local communities and how rapidly the profession reacted early on, whilst maintaining a high quality service.” He added that “without [GPs], the health of the nation would have massively worsened.” Dr White noted that while the profession is resilient, GPs are “now dealing with more patients in a day than we did a year…

A widow has remembered her late husband a decade after he died, by shaving off her bright pink hair to support the charity who cared for him in his final days. Carolyne Hunter’s husband Timothy died in November 2010 at the Marie Curie, Cardiff and the Vale Hospice in Penarth after he was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer in September 2009. To mark the occasion, Carolyne decided she would shave her long pink hair off in memory of him, as he had lost his hair due to his chemotherapy a few days before he was admitted to the hospice…

The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has reacted with dismay that support for Welsh Hydropower has been axed and is urging the Welsh Government to look for a long term solution to keep the production of hydropower on farms a viable option. The FUW has consistently recognised the threat represented by climate change and the need to take action and farmers in Wales have been instrumental in helping achieve a more than five-fold increase in renewable energy production in the past 15 years. FUW Policy Officer Charlotte Priddy said: “We are dismayed to hear that the Welsh Government has changed…

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is pleased to announce that all 44 Cymru Leagues clubs are set to receive financial support as part of a unique partnership with The National Lottery. The financial package – established by the FAW and The National Lottery and facilitated by the UK Government – will see clubs in the JD Cymru Premier, JD Cymru North and the JD Cymru South receive funding while matches continue to be played behind closed doors, owing to the current COVID-19 restrictions. Football clubs and training facilities across the Cymru Leagues are often at the heart of their communities. They act…

One of Wales’ leading event planners has joined forces with trusted, local catering partners to try and save this year’s Work Christmas Party, and at the same time help revitalise the Welsh hospitality industry in an eco-friendly way. Zoë Binning, who successfully established Weddings By Zoë as South Wales’ pre-eminent wedding planning service over the last decade, and now operates as a consultant for Welsh wedding venues, has launched ‘Wild Roots Kitchen and Bar’ to provide catering services for events and parties. The party boxes, which can be ordered for any number of people and are delivered direct to each customer’s door, include a wide selection…

A project to re-design mountain bike trails at Margam Country Park funded by a nearby renewable energy biomass plant has been a huge success. Earlier this year, Neath Port Talbot Council allocated funding for the project to the Margam Mountain Bike Club from the Margam Green Energy Community Benefit Fund. Money for the fund comes from Glennmont Partners, one of Europe’s largest and best-known renewable energy fund managers and who are the owners of the biomass plant at Harbour Way, Margam. Fuelled by waste wood, the Margam Green Energy plant provides renewable energy for up to 75,000 homes and employs…

Swansea traders are urging people to continue shopping local through and beyond lockdown. They are working with Swansea Council to launch a #ShopLocalShopSwansea campaign this weekend (November 21) – within current government guidelines. The initiative will embrace the whole area and will begin with a close focus on Morriston to build on existing regeneration work there. Robert Francis-Davies, the council’s cabinet member for investment, regeneration and tourism, said: “Local retailers and hospitality businesses have continued to show their true worth during the pandemic. “They’ve been here for Swansea – and local residents have supported them as they have done for…

Licensed premises across Swansea have been thanked for working closely with the council and South Wales Police during Beaujolais Day. In the build-up to Thursday all businesses that chose to promote Beaujolais Day were provided with information by the council’s licensing team about current coronavirus restrictions. Licensing officers, working with colleagues from the police, were out throughout the day and evening visiting premises including those in the city centre, Uplands, Mumbles, Clydach, Brynmill and Pontarddulais, providing further advice and ensuring the rules were being followed. They have reported that in the vast majority of cases businesses were well-run. Unfortunately having…