Author: Rhys Gregory

People told to self-isolate for up to 14 days will be eligible for financial support from the Welsh Government as two new schemes are unveiled today (Friday October 30). People on low incomes can apply to receive a £500 payment if they have tested positive for coronavirus or they are asked to self-isolate by the NHS Wales Test Trace Protect service because they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus. And a new top-up payment is being introduced for the social care workforce in Wales, to increase statutory sick pay to their normal wages…

Arrangements have been made this year which will allow members of the public to participate in the National Service of Remembrance for Wales, safely in their own homes. For the first time, the service will be available to watch live on the Cardiff Council YouTube channel. Coverage will start from 10.50am on Sunday, November 8, available at www.youtube.com/cardiffcouncil. Broadcast from the National War Memorial in Cardiff, the coverage will capture a small, socially distanced service, conducted by Reverend Canon Stewart Lisk. Due to  Welsh Government Coronavirus Regulations which place restrictions on outdoor public gatherings, general access to the National War Memorial…

During these challenging times for food and drink businesses in Wales, Radnor Preserves, a mid Wales artisan preserves company is expanding, picking up numerous awards and securing export deals in Asia and the Middle East. Radnor Preserves has been honoured in The Great British Food Awards 2020 for their Hand–Cut Lime & Laver Marmalade. It received the overall winner of the Sweet Preserve Category, judged by food writer and influencer, Rosie Birkett who described the product, “I love the unexpected combination of laver and lime in this beautifully zesty marmalade. The laver brings a beautifully saline, umami note which works…

WELSH language opportunities for learners, staff and apprentices at Coleg Cambria will be bolstered by a new partnership. The college has launched its own branch of Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol – Cangen Cymraeg Cambria. Welsh medium students will have access to further training, undergraduate and postgraduate university scholarships, and support with their learning. Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol is aiming to develop quality, modules, courses, and resources for learners in collaboration with higher and further education institutions across the country. Cambria’s branch officer Haf Everiss said: “We take pride in our language and traditions and want to celebrate this by strengthening the Welsh…

Transport for Wales continues to move forward with South Wales Metro developments and has recently erected the steel frame for the new Control Centre at Taff’s Well. The Control Centre will oversee Metro operations including signalling and train movements and will be a vital part of the £100 million Taff’s Well Metro Depot. There will also be a modern maintenance facility built to service and home brand-new Metro vehicles (tram-trains). On completion, the Control Centre will control the Core Valleys Lines, which TfW took responsibility for earlier this year.  It will use the latest Traffic Management System (TMS), combining operations…

A tourism boss has warned of the “catastrophic” threat to the livelihoods of 1,800 people in Wrexham because of a lack of government support. Jim Jones, the chief executive of North Wales Tourism, said the support package on offer from the Welsh Government is nowhere near enough to protect the industry as he spoke in a video to Wrexham Business Professionals. The group is made up of successful businesses and highly skilled professionals working together to promote regional prosperity and the enterprise and expertise that exists in the region. Wrexham supports around 1,800 jobs in the tourism and hospitality sector,…

Legal & General, one of the largest private employers in Cardiff, announces that it will relocate its two Group offices in Wales to a 120,000 sq. ft. facility in Cardiff’s Central Square as part of a wider £450m regeneration scheme. The move, which is planned to take place in early 2023, will see over 1,800 Legal & General employees relocate from its existing offices in Cardiff to a modern, eight-storey office space within ‘The Interchange’. It will be located alongside the new BBC Cymru Wales broadcasting studio, HMRC and Cardiff Transport Interchange. The £140m Interchange building is the fifth phase…

There was dramatic progress when volunteers returned to complete their preparations for the reconstruction of Schoolhouse Bridge on the Montgomery Canal south of Crickheath, near Oswestry. After the crops were harvested, the restoration team were able to access the final field by the bridge site thanks to generous agreement from the farmer. The field was fenced and the track to bypass the construction site was completed. The work involved volunteers using the machines on site to drive fencing posts, lay the track and roll the track surface. The materials for this work were generously supplied by the Tudor Griffiths Group…

A South Wales therapist and wellbeing trainer is launching a new anti-loneliness initiative designed to support those feeling isolated.  Lianne Weaver, founder of Newport-based Beam Development and Training, was inspired to do research into loneliness after seeing the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on so many people. What she learned moved her so much that she has now set up The Social Medicine, an eight-week project which offers anyone feeling lonely the chance to connect with others at a virtual event, which is free of charge.  “Anyone can feel lonely at any time,” said Lianne. “It doesn’t matter how wide…

A major milestone has been reached in the construction of the new HMT Sancta Maria Hospital in Swansea’s SA1 with the delivery and installation of a state-of-the-art MRI scanner. The GE Signa Artist 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner weighs over 5 tonnes and will be used as an important diagnostic tool for patients when the hospital opens its doors early next year. Using the very latest technology, the MRI scanner will provide exceptional clarity of imaging and reduce scanning time for patients compared to less advanced machines. An on-site MRI scanner will vastly improve the patient experience and will increase the…