Author: Rhys Gregory

The FAW has pledged £50,000 in grant funding to support the development of girls’ football clubs. The Amser Ni fund is part of its commitment to building a lasting legacy from Cymru’s participation in UEFA Women’s EURO 2025. The FAW is aiming to double female participation in football by 2026, with current figures showing a record high of over 19,300 women and girls actively involved in the sport across Wales. As outlined in its Grassroots Strategy, the FAW has also set an ambitious target to increase participation among girls aged 5 to11 by 50% by 2030. To help achieve this,…

A 28-year-old man has been jailed after violently assaulting and controlling a woman. Callum Huw Owen O’Marah, of Gwernydd, Bethesda, appeared at Mold Crown Court on Monday 7th July after admitting engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour, two counts of intentional strangulation and threatening to share an intimate photograph. Over several months, O’Marah subjected the woman to a continuous stream of domestic abuse. He controlled the use of her phone and social media and punched, slapped and strangled her on multiple occasions. O’Marah continued to call and message her every day even after he was arrested and given conditions not…

To celebrate its grand opening on Thursday 10th July, the new Queen’s Market in Rhyl will be hosting a packed weekend of free to attend events and entertainment, running from the opening day on Thursday 10th July to Sunday 13th. The Market will be open from 10am-10pm every night for the opening weekend, with vendors showcasing their delicious food and drink all weekend long. Featuring a variety of free entertainment offerings throughout the weekend, opening night will host a night of music, which will feature Mike Andrew as Robbie Williams and spotlight local artists Sarah Price and Marney Bailey from…

An innovative Human Library that aims to create fresh connections in rural areas between school children and older people in their communities is being boosted by a grant from Swansea Council. The Human Library initiative run by Bantani Cymru CIC aims to create new connections where older people and younger children in rural communities can share stories and learn from each other. The project is one of 13 schemes to have benefited from grants worth £200,000 as part of the council’s rural anchor project being funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Hazel Israel, a director…

Cabinet has approved proposals for school improvement in Milford Haven including preferred options for redevelopment and establishing a new 3-11 Welsh medium school. A combined new primary and secondary school building is proposed on the existing secondary school site, with some sharing of services such as kitchen and sports areas, along with a 40 place Flying Start centre and 36 place secondary Learning Resource Centre. This replaces previous options for refurbishment of both Milford Haven School and Milford Haven CP School. A Strategic Outline Case (SOC) will be submitted to Wesh Government for the development of a 3-11 Welsh medium…

An unscrupulous dog breeder who caused suffering by the barbaric “cropping” the ears of puppies was successfully prosecuted by Newport City Council. Moheiz Adam of Newport, pleaded guilty to four offences of carrying out a prohibited procedure, four charges of causing unnecessary suffering and one fraud offence of possessing canine passports. At Cardiff Crown Court, he was given a two-year suspended prison sentence, 240 hours community service and 15 hours rehabilitation. He was banned from owning animals for 15 years and ordered to pay £2,000 costs. At a previous hearing, Adam pleaded not guilty to participating in a fraudulent business,…

The Senedd has this week voted to give councils the choice to introduce a small visitor levy on overnight stays to raise and reinvest vital funding into local tourism. The landmark law – the Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill – establishes the first local tax designed and legislated for in Wales. Councils will now have the option to introduce a levy on overnight stays, which will raise money which can be re-invested in tourism-related expenses – such as improving toilets, footpaths, beaches, visitor centres and activities. Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said: “Visitor levies are used successfully all…

Culture Minister Jack Sargeant joined Hollywood actor Rhys Ifans and community groups from across North Wales last weekend to celebrate the redevelopment of Theatr Clwyd, Wales’s largest producing theatre. The £50 million transformation, designed by world-renowned architects Haworth Tompkins, includes £26.5 million of Welsh Government funding and represents one of the most significant recent investments in cultural infrastructure in Wales. The economic impact of the redevelopment for north-east Wales is estimated to reach over £20 million per year, nearly tripling the theatre’s previous economic contribution and creating a minimum of 100 additional permanent jobs. The newly redeveloped building, which remained…

The fantastic environmental focus of pupils and staff at Pennar Community School is being celebrated once again as they pick up an award in Keep Wales Tidy’s Climate Challenge Cymru. The school recently won the innovation challenge in the Build a Waste-Free World category, with an inspiring film documenting their campaign to tackle waste in school and at home. They were presented with their award, at a special ceremony in Cardiff last month. The awards, founded by First Minister Eluned Morgan, showcase environmental work from schools all over Wales. Each class took on a different aspect of waste to focus…

Whether it’s your regular commute, weekend excursions with pals, or simply horsing around in town, your car can start to become like an extension of you. Here’s the catch, though: getting it a new look or upgrading how it runs doesn’t need to take all the money in your purse. Most drivers will assume that upgrading their vehicles means flashy alloy wheels or pricey tech packages. There exists, however, an entire galaxy of inexpensive concepts that will make your car or truck shine like new again, but will come with a terrifying price tag. Let’s get into it. Start Afresh…