Author: Rhys Gregory

A new charity shop has opened its doors on the High Street in Bangor this month, all to raise funds for national disability charity, Sense. This has come as a welcome addition to the high street as it prepares for the festive period and will play a part in bringing the community back together. The Sense shop has opened as the high street in Bangor gets ready for the festive season and comes back to life post lockdown. The shop is set to be integral part of the local community and an important part of the high street. It will provide…

A care home in Mid Wales continues to expand despite the huge challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Oaks Care Home in Newtown now employs 118 full and part-time staff – an increase of almost 30 since the summer. Since opening in January this year, the 73-bedroom home has been in high demand, helping to meet the area’s growing care needs for the elderly and those affected by dementia. The Oaks provides residential, nursing and dementia care tailored to the precise requirements of its residents in a safe, secure and friendly environment. Staff at the purpose-built home have risen to…

Work has started on the construction of a 16 bedroom boutique hotel at Oyster Wharf, Mumbles. Nextcolour Developments Limited is behind the latest development which is expected to open in 2021. With a £2 million investment from the Development Bank of Wales through funding from  the Wales Tourism Investment Fund and the backing of Visit Wales, the 16 bedroom hotel has been designed by Lawray Architects and Holly Keeling Interiors, who previously worked on The Watergate Hotel in Cornwall. South Wales based Bridgeport 360 are the appointed contractors. Positioned as part of the successful Oyster Wharf development that opened in…

Over 200 vehicles were stopped and fines issued for Coronavirus offences during a policing operation in South Wales at the weekend. Eight people were issued with fixed penalty notices as part of a roads policing operation utilising new powers which was implemented at 9am on Friday 27th November. A further 25 people were warned and instructed to leave Cardiff. Those travelling in breach of Covid legislation included a couple travelling from Essex who told officers they were headed to the capital to give family Christmas presents, and a group of nine people who were travelling in convoy to visit friends…

‘Lives have been transformed by the introduction of a soft opt-out system of consent for organ donation in Wales and we should be proud of what we have achieved’ – Health Minister Vaughan Gething said on the fifth anniversary of the scheme’s introduction. Five years ago today (1 December) Wales led the way in the UK by introducing a soft opt-out system of organ donation, where presumed consent was given for organ donation unless the person had opted out. The system has been so successful that England have now introduced an opt-out system, Scotland will next year and Northern Ireland…

As the virtual Winter Fair gets underway, the Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths has announced financial support of £200,000 for the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society for 2020-21. The funding for Wales’ flagship and largest Agricultural event, the Royal Welsh Show, will help improve the environmental impact of the Society activities and support the resilience of the Society by covering some of the costs incurred as well as helping with the reinstatement of future events. Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths said:  “On the day we would traditionally have been gathering in Builth Wells for the opening day of the Winter Fair,…

Charities and volunteers aiming to transform lives by helping to put food on the tables of families facing hardship have the chance to do even more for their communities. Swansea Council has set up a £100,000 fund aiming to make a difference by directing cash to projects tackling food poverty or addressing food insecurity.  Applications supporting community growing projects are also welcomed. In a year dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic, groups awarded grants in the last round of funding stepped-up to make a difference supporting families and vulnerable people through the lockdown and firebreak. Alyson Pugh, Cabinet Member for Supporting…

Neath Port Talbot Council has issued improvement notices to two local pubs after checks by council staff found non-compliance with Covid-19 safety guidelines. The Crown Inn at Neath Road, Briton Ferry and the Smiths Arms in Main Road, Neath Abbey, will now be monitored to ensure they put the appropriate measures in place and failure to do so will result in Neath Port Talbot Council issuing a Premises Closure Notice to those licensed premises. Regarding the Crown Inn, licensing officers found there was a failure to take reasonable measures to ensure: • There was a person controlling entry to the premises…

People living in Neath Port Talbot are being asked for their advice on plans to improve cycling and walking (Active Travel) routes in towns and villages throughout the county borough. By upgrading and creating new walking and cycling routes, the council plans to make Active Travel the “normal” way to make local journeys, improving air quality, promoting healthier lifestyles and increasing the attractiveness of local communities as places to live and work. Neath Port Talbot Council is currently working with Sustrans Cymru as part of Neath Port Talbot’s Active Travel Network Map consultation (ATNM). The Active Travel Network Map is…

Thousands of pupils at Merthyr Tydfil’s comprehensive schools spent yesterday (Monday, November 30) getting tested for Covid-19. Rapid turnaround tests were offered at Afon Taf High, Bishop Hedley High, Cyfarthfa High, Pen-Y-Dre High and the Ty Dysgu Pupil Referral Unit as part of the county borough’s mass coronavirus testing programme. All five reported an uptake of around 80%, with more pupils due to be tested tomorrow. Around 90% of pupils at Afon Taf High School were being tested today. Of the remaining 10%, many are in classes that are currently self-isolating due to four positive cases last week. Headteacher Stuart…