Author: Rhys Gregory

Staff and volunteers at a cancer support charity have received a donation of £1,000 from the Amazon fulfilment centre in Swansea. Macmillan Cymru Wales supports people in Swansea and across Wales living with cancer by offering emotional, physical, and financial advice. The charity cares for people from diagnosis through to treatment and also helps patients receiving follow-up care. Macmillan Cymru Wales works with patients to explain different treatment options, helps with side effects and gives recommendations on how to eat healthily and stay active. The charity also helps patients plan their finances and offers grants and specialist advice. The donation…

A newly-launched cold storage business backed by a £250,000 investment package is aiming to create jobs in the Valleys as the area fights back against the effects of Covid 19. Celtic Cold Storage Ltd, a new venture in Merthyr Tydfil, offers a complete packing, cold-storage and transport service  to leading supermarkets, as well as to smaller food suppliers. The business has been launched by a team of three  – Andy Phillips, Jayne Bowen-Davies and Marion Jellings – who together have 60 years’ complementary experience in the industry. Ten people are presently employed at the newly-created facility, and in three years…

Aldi stores in Wales are building on the supermarket’s successful festive food donations programme this year by donating meals on New Year’s Eve as well. For the last few years, the supermarket has donated unsold fresh and chilled food to charitable causes after stores close on Christmas Eve. For the first time, stores in Wales will also be inviting charity partners to collect unsold food on New Year’s Eve, when Aldi expects to donate a further 200,000 meals throughout the UK. With the help of Neighbourly, a community giving platform that links businesses to charitable organisations, Aldi is also launching…

CPT has today announced that Josh Miles has been appointed as the first full time Director of CPT Cymru.   Taking up his post in early February Josh will be responsible for leading CPT’s work across Wales, including engagement with Welsh Government to help deliver CPT’s policy goals for the industry. Josh is currently the policy manager at Federation of Small Business (FSB) Wales and manages the policy and research agenda for its 10,000 Welsh members. He has experience of high level engagement with Welsh Government and has previously worked for an MP representing a Welsh constituency. Commenting on Josh’s…

South Wales Police can confirm that a 48-year-old woman who was the victim of a serious assault in Mayhill on December 1 has sadly died in hospital. Helen Bannister was a loved mother of two children who will be dearly missed by her heart broken family. A murder investigation has now commenced and her family continue to be supported by specialist officers. They have asked for privacy at this sad time. A 37-year-old man has previously been remanded by the court after being charged with GBH with intent. We would like to remind people of the importance of not posting…

A £55 million investment that will help future-proof the Swansea Bay City Region’s digital infrastructure has taken a major step forward. The Swansea Bay City Deal’s Joint Committee has approved a programme of digital infrastructure and connectivity improvements which will now be submitted to the UK Government and Welsh Government for final approval. The City Deal digital infrastructure programme will benefit residents and businesses in all parts of the City Region, which includes Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Swansea. It’s estimated to be worth £318 million to the regional economy in the next 15 years. Led by Carmarthenshire County…

A health expert has warned coronavirus levels in the Swansea Bay area could soon reach catastrophic levels unless people follow the rules on social distancing during the Christmas season. Swansea Bay University Health Board Director of Public Health Dr Keith Reid warned that if people don’t do the right thing and keep their distance from others as much as possible, the virus will have a stranglehold and risk bringing health and social care services to their knees. Neath Port Talbot has record levels of Covid-19 infection rates which are the highest in Wales and numbers are rising rapidly and Swansea…

Communities in the Caerphilly county borough are set to benefit from new outdoor gym equipment, thanks to investment through a Council home improvement programme. Caerphilly County Borough Council is delivering the brand-new outdoor gyms as part of its Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) programme.  The WHQS programme will see around £260 million invested into tenants’ homes and their communities, including environmental improvements such as new play areas, skate parks and outdoor exercise spaces. New outdoor gyms have already been installed as part of the programme in Penyrheol, Gilfach Park Estate, Fochriw and Aberbargoed.  A contract for an investment of around…

Caerphilly County Borough Council is reminding horse owners that the deadline to microchip their animal is approaching. The Equine Identification (Wales) Regulations 2019 sets a legal duty for owners and keepers in Wales to ensure that their horses are microchipped by 12th February 2021. Mandatory microchipping will allow local authorities and Police to track the owners of abandoned, lost or stolen horses, so that they can be reunited with their owners more easily. Registered keepers should have received a letter informing them of what they need to do to comply with the Regulations.  More information can also be found at:…

Schools in Rhondda Cynon Taf will only be open to high priority vulnerable learners and staff on December 17 and 18. All other learners will be provided with digital or distance learning opportunities and wellbeing support in the home setting on December 17 and 18. This decision has been taken in consultation with headteachers and is deemed essential to keep our learners and staff safe. While our schools have well-established preventative measures in place, the rise in COVID-19 in our communities is having an impact on our schools and a number of key actions are now required These arrangements will support…