Author: Rhys Gregory

The first COVID-19 vaccinations have been given by Swansea Bay University Health Board. The programme got underway at Morriston Hospital on Tuesday morning following the delivery of the first batch of 975 Pfizer/BioNTech vaccinations. As the vaccine needs to be stored at a very low temperature and cannot be transported easily, frontline staff in the hospital will receive it first. Consultant cardiologist Geraint Jenkins was among the first 10 staff to be vaccinated. He said: “It’s quite a privilege really. We have been waiting so long for this and it’s poignant that the same day as we are having the…

Students from three universities in South Wales have had the honour of meeting Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Cardiff Castle this morning. As part of a 48 hour whistle-stop tour, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have visited Cardiff to meet local university students to hear about some of the challenges they have experienced during the pandemic, with a particular focus on mental health. Students from Cardiff University, Cardiff Metropolitan University and the University of South Wales met Their Royal Highnesses to discuss their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and how the universities and the…

Is a cashless society just around the corner? There is certainly some evidence to suggest that this may be the case. In 2020, the number of people withdrawing cash from ATMs has decreased by a whopping 11.6 percent. The problem is, though, that 2.2 million people said they still solely use cash, and 1.3 million people don’t have a bank account. There is certainly a worry that people and businesses in the rural areas of Wales could be at risk of failing to move with the times when it comes to payment methods. https://www.youtube.com/embed/TgwdTCoKQEM Varied Payment Methods Boosted by Online…

Nearly a quarter of the UK (23%) understands the need for a VPN. That’s 4% more than the US, where only 19% of the population knows how a Virtual Private Network works. Interestingly, 44% of Internet users interviewed in a recent study in the UK have used a VPN for personal or business reasons. Why are VPNs getting popular so fast? For starters, people are more wary of data privacy after the launch of the Investigatory Powers Act in 2016. In case you’re wondering, this new law allows the UK government to spy on its citizens and visitors with uncontrolled…

A North Wales local authority has become the sixth council in Wales to pass an RSPCA-backed motion aiming to mitigate the risks posed by fireworks to animals. Gwynedd Council debated the motion on Thursday (3 December) – including support for advertising public displays in advance, a public awareness campaign, and urging local suppliers to stock less noisy fireworks. The local authority’s Communities Scrutiny Committee will now consider what steps the local authority will take next to implement these measures. There was also support from Councillors for limiting the use of fireworks to being on or near certain days of the…

TRANSPORT for Wales customers are being urged to check their journey details and plan ahead with a new timetable coming into effect next week and services likely to be busy over Christmas. The UK rail industry’s winter timetable change comes into effect on Sunday 13 December and on the Transport for Wales network there will be a number of changes to departure times, to provide customers with more consistency moving forward. Over Christmas, services will run into the evening of Thursday 24 December and as is standard, there will be no service on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. Services will…

NatWest is bringing Welsh entrepreneurs closer to its team of business growth experts by moving its Entrepreneur Accelerator Hub into its Welsh headquarters. The bank hopes the move will lead to it being able to support more entrepreneurs throughout Wales with more tailored support. The switch to Cardiff’s One Kingsway building means that entrepreneurs will get the same access to sector experts and finance specialists that the bank’s other accelerator hubs enjoy throughout the UK. Unlike Cardiff, the majority of these hubs are based in NatWest offices giving entrepreneurs better opportunities to directly meet with key banking leads. The move…

BUSINESSES and event organisers forced to move a celebration of local food and drink online due to the Coronavirus pandemic thanked customers and communities for their support. Taste North East Wales was held virtually this year and featured a series of interactive tours, tasting sessions and a successful bilingual social media and video campaign showcasing the best of local produce. Viewers from across the UK – including Bristol, Hertfordshire and Pembrokeshire – joined in the celebrations, from the popular cheese and chutney and gin-tasting evenings, to cookery demonstrations and more. The businesses involved have been food heroes in 2020, but…

A viewing platform has been installed as part of a wetland restoration project. Work is continuing on the Morfa, a 35-acre wetland in Prestatyn which was purchased by Denbighshire County Council after securing Welsh Government funding to protect its status as a natural wetland resource. The land had previously been in private ownership. As well as the wooden viewing platform to allow enhanced access to the site, further work will include the excavation of ponds, which will attract a host of wading birds and insects, while grazing will be extended to other parts of the site to bring down the…

Welsh salami producer, Cwmfarm Charcuterie has received a top award in the 2020 National Pig Awards winning the Marketing Initiative of the Year category for social media use to promote their business. These awards recognise and reward excellence, foster innovation and inspire creativity and information sharing. It is the only awards competition exclusive to the British pig industry. Based in Swansea, Ruth and Andrew Davies started their business over a decade ago with two pigs; they now have 44 breeding sows consisting of rare breed saddleback and large blacks, which they rear outdoors and free range on their 40-acre land…