Author: Rhys Gregory

Volunteers in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan are needed to take part in a research study that is looking at how effective it is to give a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as the seasonal flu vaccine. Public Health Wales is recruiting over 18s who have had their first dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine – and who have received an appointment for their second dose at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board’s Bayside Mass Vaccination Centre – to take part in this research study. The Combining Influenza and COVID-19 Vaccination (ComFluCOV) Study, which is being run by…

The Brains and Marston’s pub operator has confirmed that all of its pubs across Cardiff and local surrounding areas will be able to reopen for both indoor and outdoor service from Monday 17th May. All pubs will adhere to government guidance when they reopen. Table service will take place, but guests will also have the option to order via Marston’s online ordering system called ‘Marston’s Tap’. The online platform is available across the majority of Marston’s pubs and a full rollout is underway following its success. Brains’ pubs will also operate an online ordering system, named ‘Brains Tap’ for guests…

For a small former mining village on the edge of the Brecon Beacons, a community wellbeing project has brought neighbours together as never before. Supported by £20,255 from People’s Health Trust raised by Health Lottery Wales, Lee Gardens Pool in Penrhiwceiber has seen a neglected community swimming pool, built decades ago with money from hard-working miners of the local colliery, reborn as a thriving community focal point championing wellbeing, solidarity and mutual aid. Initially, Lee Gardens Pool was just that; a wonderful rejuvenation project which utilised external funding with internal grit to polish up the local swimming pool. Over a…

NatWest is unveiling a new enterprise team for Wales along with enhanced support for SMEs and entrepreneurs. Blessing Mutamba and Evan Williams join the bank as Entrepreneur Acceleration Managers and will give businesses the specialist guidance they need through expertise, coaching and networks relevant to each business’ location and sector. They will work alongside Gemma Casey, NatWest’s Ecosystem Manager for Wales, as well as Local Enterprise Managers Lee Morgan and Julia Perry, who offer tailored support to businesses across Wales as they start up and grow. The move comes as NatWest looks to unlock business potential outside of London. It…

As we prepare to enjoy holidays at home in the UK, one new business on Anglesey could be posed to take advantage of the growth in the popularity of cycling, by helping local people and visitors to enjoy cycling on the island. Green Lane Bike Tours were about to launch when lockdown struck last Spring. Now they are even more keen to help more people to enjoy cycling, by offering guided and self-guided bike tours on Anglesey. They promise to deliver ‘a great day out on a bike’ and explain that what they do is lead people on specifically designed,…

Swansea University is playing a leading role in a new UK-wide consortium to bring together vital mental health data. DATAMIND – the Data Hub for Mental Health Informatics Research and Development – is the latest of a series of centres of excellence launched by Health Data Research UK. Funded by the Medical Research Council, its aim is to maximise the value of the UK’s rich mental health data assets to provide co-ordinated research, with the ultimate aim of improving lives. Professor Ann John, of Swansea University Medical School is the hub’s co-director and principal investigator. She said: “We want to…

ASH Wales is calling for pregnant smokers to be offered financial incentives and additional support to quit the habit after new figures show an alarming rise in those smoking throughout their pregnancy in Wales. According to Welsh Government’s latest Maternity and Birth Statistics around 5,000 babies were born to smoking mothers in 2020. Smoking rates were highest among pregnant 16 to 19-year-olds with one in three (35%) smoking throughout their pregnancy – an increase of five percentage points since the previous year. There has also been a rise of five percentage points in the number of women aged 40 to…

One of Wales’s leading food companies is helping staff beat the blues by launching a ground-breaking mental health support service. Harlech Foodservice, which has bases in Criccieth in Gwynedd and Chester, now has a team of three trained mental health champions ready to provide the right assistance and ask the right questions if a colleague is showing signs of feeling under pressure. And one of those questions is ‘Are you having suicidal thoughts?’ as the Covid-19 pandemic puts people in Wales under unprecedented levels of stress, at home and in the workplace. But Harlech was looking at upping their support…

A new police boss has pledged to pull out all the stops to combat the growing tide of online crime. Tech savvy Andy Dunbobbin, 46, was speaking this week (Thursday, May 13) on his first  official day in office as North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner after succeeding Arfon Jones in the job. Standing for Labour, father-of-two Mr Dunbobbin said that winning the election was one of the proudest moments of his life and he vowed to represent everyone in North Wales, regardless of their political affiliations. A native of Connah’s Quay in Flintshire, he is the son and grandson…

McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Bridgend will be welcoming guests back to enjoy a meal at one of their many eateries from May 17th, in line with the easing of government restrictions. Following the reopening of the centre’s much-loved retailers last month, guests at McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Bridgend will now be able to dine in at one of the centre’s 12 eateries, including Wagamama, Costa Coffee and Sidoli’s. Richard Garratt, Centre Manager said: “Following the successful reopening of our retail partners at McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Bridgend last month, we’re thrilled to once again be able offer our guests a meal at one…