Author: Rhys Gregory

The Community Transport Association (CTA) – the voice of Wales’ community transport sector – has appointed Porthcawl-based Rachel Burr as its new Director in Wales. The Community Transport Association is a national charity and membership organisation that represents and supports providers of community transport. It supports 75 local charities and community groups in Wales who provide transport services that fulfil a social purpose and provide community benefit. With offices in Neath and Llandudno Junction, the CTA’s team in Wales supports members to ensure that their lifeline services are available to everyone who needs them. Ms Burr, who lives in Porthcawl,…

New funding arrangements to replace those previously administered by the EU, which will empower local decision-makers to support investment closer to the communities they serve, have been published today by the Welsh Government. With EU funds set to tail off at the end of this year, the new ‘Framework for Regional Investment for Wales’ is our strategy for achieving prosperity across the nation and a more inclusive economy, with a greater role for our regions in how funds are spent. Jeremy Miles, Minister for European Transition, said that in order to deliver this Framework, the UK Government must keep the…

Plans to ensure the people of Wales can vote safely at the 2021 Senedd elections, and that they take place as planned on 6 May 2021, have been set out by the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford. The 2021 Senedd elections are already set to be historic – they are the first elections to be subject to laws made in Wales, and for the first time, 16 and 17 year olds, as well as qualifying foreign citizens, will have the democratic right to vote. However, the Coronavirus pandemic has created significant challenges to maintaining the safety and integrity of…

Staff and pupils at Llanharan Primary School are now benefitting from new and improved facilities after a significant extension block and outdoor learning areas were completed by RCT Council. The improvements, jointly funded by RCT Council and Welsh Government, has delivered brand new facilities and allowed the infant class sizes at the school to be reduced to fewer than 30 pupils. The scheme has provided a new extension block that includes two new classrooms with 21st Century facilities, a kitchen and new pupil toilets.  A new hygiene room providing specialist facilities for pupils with disabilities will be completed and brought…

FinTech company Yoello has been named Technology Business of the Year at the Cardiff Business Awards. The Cardiff-based business, which provides the hospitality industry with a cheaper, instantaneous and secure way to manage payments, has gone from strength to strength in the past 12 months as it has helped the hospitality industry navigate the changes in the market following the COVID-19 outbreak. The awards reflect Yoello’s rapid growth – it has grown from a team of 4 to a group of 36 in less than a year – and follows on from the FCA-regulated company winning Fintech Start-Up of the…

Co-op has chosen Zoom 1hr Delivery as their logistics partner, to allow them to deliver their products across Wales. Co-op, which has recently been named Convenience Retailer of the Year, has rolled out the service in response to more consumers buying their food shopping online. The latest supermarket data from Kantar showed that online grocery sales in the past month were up 76% on a year ago, with one in five households ordering groceries via the internet. Zoom 1hr will initially be offering their fast delivery service to 50 Co-op stores in areas along the English Border from the Wirral…

Following updated public health advice received from the office of Wales’ Chief Medical Officer over the weekend, the ice walk attraction at Cardiff Castle and a similar event planned at Swansea’s alpine village has been cancelled. In a statement released by Cardiff Castle, the venue said: “It has been decided that the ice walk attractions, which were due to open in both Cardiff and Swansea city centres will remain closed to the public.” Work only recently started to create a “Christmas at the Castle” event at the heart of the city in lieu of this year’s Winder Wonderland which usually…

In a bid to celebrate local Welsh producers and share the love for Welsh food and drink, a special digital food and drink campaign has been launched. Shoppers have been urged to “Keep it Local, Keep it Welsh” this winter to boost the local economy and place the spotlight on Welsh food producers. Is this a sign of the growing benefits of partnering the digital with the traditional? Digital creates visibility to help forge local connections The Cywain Producers’ Map has been devised to help shoppers locate specific Welsh products and to discover new producers in their local area. With 250…

Hard work and determination has seen a learner from Porth overcome the challenges brought by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and win the country’s top apprenticeship award for manufacturing and engineering. Coleg y Cymoedd learner, Jamie Jones, has been presented with the Apprentice Endeavour Award by the judges of the Wales Manufacturing Awards 2020, who recognised the fortitude and resilience he’d applied throughout his apprenticeship programme with Llantrisant-based design and manufacture company, FSG Tool and Die Ltd. The annual Wales Manufacturing Awards are held by the national manufacturing organisation, Make UK, with the aim of recognising and celebrating the best…

HOSPITALITY firms and accommodation providers have made significant changes to their premises in a bid to claw back business lost during the Coronavirus lockdowns. The region’s hotels, B&Bs, cafés, pubs and restaurants have endured a torrid time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many reopened with strict social distancing and safety measures in place, while others have diversified to ensure they survive and thrive into 2021. Among them is the Three Eagles bar and grill in Llangollen, which is planning to celebrate Christmas early this year. Adam Gaunt Evans, chef and operations director, took onboard customer feedback and has…