Author: Rhys Gregory

Gowerton secondary school, YG Bryntawe and Swansea’s special schools could be the next to benefit from record investment in school buildings in the city. Swansea Council’s current programme will see spend of almost £170m to improve classrooms and cultural and sports facilities for thousands of pupils. A report to the council’s Education Performance Scrutiny Panel says work is progressing well on four major school investment projects underway in Swansea as part of Band B of the £149.5m QEd / 21st Century Schools and Colleges Programme jointly funded by Swansea Council and Welsh Government. Extensions and remodelling is taking place at Ysgol…

A £20m package of support for our communities aims to ensure no-one is left behind as Swansea emerges from the pandemic. From a freeze on the price of school meals and cheap car parking offers to more make-over grants for shop-fronts, a recovery fund being unveiled by Swansea Council’s Cabinet aims to benefit every community in the city. The move is the biggest-ever package of targeted measures put together to give people in Swansea a helping hand out of the pandemic. Rob Stewart, Leader of the Council, said: “The council was there for the people of Swansea throughout the pandemic…

Port Talbot’s Aberavon Beach has won a prestigious Seaside Award in the 2021 Wales Coastal Awards run by Keep Wales Tidy. The award’s flag is a symbol of quality which ensures visitors are guaranteed to find a clean, attractive and well managed coastal stretch. The 2021 award for Aberavon Beach, one of dozens of 2021 Wales Coastal Awards given out across Wales, was announced by Keep Wales Tidy on Friday, May 14th. In recent years, more than £22m has been invested in infrastructure and facilities on the seafront and promenade by the council’s regeneration team with help from funders including…

Eight new and refurbished benches have been installed around Pwll y Waun Lake in Porthcawl by the Green Spaces team of Bridgend County Borough Council. The work was carried out after the original benches were damaged through natural deterioration and exposure to the weather. The Green Spaces team completed the work after the Covid-19 pandemic prevented a previous restoration proposal put together by a local community group from going ahead. Pwll y Waun Lake is a stunning area of natural beauty and is popular with residents and visitors alike. While well used, the benches which have been installed around the…

Capel Aberfan has been deemed an ‘immediate threat to the public’ and is to be partially demolished this week. The chapel was devastated by an arson attack in July 2015 and has been in a state of serious disrepair ever since. At the time Merthyr Vale councillor Darren Roberts said: “This is devastating for the community as it has so much history” and added that the building had been “totally gutted”. After numerous, unsuccessful attempts by the Council to contact the private owners – and with the front elevation bowing and leaning dangerously, putting the building at risk of collapse…

Councillor Shayne Cook Cabinet Member for Social Care has had his first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine and encourages others to follow suit when they receive their appointment invite. “I’m delighted to say I’ve just had my first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine,” he said. “It was completely painless, I was in and out in no time at all, and the staff did an amazing job – a huge thank you to them and everyone who is helping getting the vaccine out across Caerphilly County borough. Worryingly, I’ve heard that those in my age group, their 30s are not turning…

More than two million people in Wales have said yes to a Covid-19 vaccine in Wales, latest figures released today reveal. The official figures also show that almost three million total doses of the vaccine have been administered in Wales in just six months. This means 80% of all adults in Wales have received their first vaccine and one in three adults have received their second dose to complete the course. Wales’ new Health Minister Eluned Morgan said: “This is a fantastic achievement in such a short space of time. I’m incredibly proud and grateful to the thousands of people…

International travel will restart for people in Wales from Monday 17 May, the Welsh Government has confirmed today. As part of changes to Wales’ coronavirus regulations, people living in Wales will be able to travel to some overseas destinations without the need to quarantine on their return. But additional safeguards will be put in place to help prevent new cases of coronavirus being imported into Wales. A traffic lights system, aligned with England and Scotland, will be introduced. Countries will be classified as green, amber and red, depending on their rates of coronavirus. Mandatory quarantine is in place for all…

A GROWING financial advisory firm is making a bold capital investment as it continues with expansion plans. Mold-based Celtic Financial Planning has unveiled new offices in Canary Wharf, London, and welcomed award-winning Cleona Lira into the fold. A chartered financial planner, Cleona has more than a decade’s experience in the sector and is delighted to be onboard. “I am excited to be a part of Celtic Financial Planning as their commitment to offering sustainable investing aligns well with my own,” she said. “Their processes and support systems are really efficient with a focus on using technology to provide wholesome financial…

A charity in Cardiff has been crowned as the winner of Virgin Media’s ‘Local Legends’ competition by a prestigious judging panel for their selfless efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic. Rumney Forum, which is a community-led charity and FareShare partner, was nominated for Virgin Media’s Local Legends competition which recognises those who have made a significant contribution to their community over the past year. The winners of Virgin Media’s Local Legends competition, which launched to celebrate the switch-on of gigabit broadband services in Cardiff and South Wales, are awarded a tech makeover to the tune of £10,000 as well as Gig1…