Author: Rhys Gregory

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is calling for families in Wales to take part in a giant virtual reading event next month. The charity hopes that the event will achieve a Guinness World Records title to highlight the need for more positive representations of disability in children’s literature. To take part, families will need to read the RNIB’s reimagining of a fairytale favourite, Little Red Riding Hood, called Red and the Wolf. It includes a young girl with vision impairment as the main character, who uses a long cane and is highly skilled at martial arts. Aimed at children aged three…

Ceredigion County Council is working with Sustrans Cymru as part of Welsh Government’s Active Travel Network Map consultation (ATNM).  In this initial phase, the council are looking for your feedback on where you would like to see improvements to walking and cycling in Aberystwyth, Cardigan and Lampeter. The ATNM is a plan of routes that Ceredigion County Council will use to inform where improvements to walking and cycling should be made within the county.  It will help to make journeys on foot or by bike across Ceredigion easier and safer for everyone, particularly those who don’t currently walk or cycle…

THE Welsh Ambulance Service has set out how it will embrace technology in the future in an ambitious new digital strategy. Recent advances by the service include the rollout of iPads to frontline staff, the move to modern ‘cloud’ services through Microsoft Office 365 and a new electronic patient care record. The Trust’s new strategy details its plans to drive future change through four ambitious ‘digital missions’ – empower the digital patient, build the digital workplace, intelligence through data and digital foundations. Andy Haywood, Director of Digital Services, said: “The Welsh Ambulance Service has undergone significant transformation in the last…

Santa’s annual appearance at the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway has become the latest activity to fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic. The popular event, which brings families together to travel with Santa on the railway’s festive steam trains, was due to start on December 5 and run over three weekends, but has been cancelled for 2020. The railway had its plans for the Santa Specials well advanced and had carefully designed what was hoped to be both a safe and fun event, but the pandemic made it just too difficult to put on. The Llanfair line’s volunteers are usually…

Police will be utilising additional powers this weekend to ensure those visiting Cardiff city centre are doing so within the confines of coronavirus legislation. While rules in Wales have been relaxed, with local travel restrictions removed and hospitality and retail premises now able to open, the public are reminded that the risk posed by Covid-19 has not disappeared. Some restrictions do remain, with those from outside of Wales prohibited from travelling in to the country under both UK Government and Welsh Government rules, and rules around socialising and licensed premises continuing to apply to local residents. South Wales Police will…

Officers investigating a collision between a bus and a bridge in Swansea in which one person died and a number were injured have charged a man. The collision happened in Neath Road, Swansea on 12 December 2019. Jessica Jing Ren who was a passenger on the double decker bus died in hospital from injuries sustained as a result of the collision. Eric Vice, aged 64, of Duvant has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He is due to appear before Swansea Magistrates court on 23 December.

PEOPLE from Wales are being asked by an award-winning care agency in the country to show they care by putting together shoeboxes full of essential for the elderly (November 2020). Abacare’s Bangor and Newtown branches have launched the shoebox appeal, for the sixth year running, for its service users who may not be able to get outside to pick up essentials this festive season. Neil Griffiths, Regional Manager at Abacare, which provides care across Wales, said: “This year has been an extremely tough one and we want to put a smile on our service users’ faces, so thought we would…

Denbighshire County Council is reminding residents of changes to traffic enforcement on Bodfor Street and Queen Street in Rhyl. Work is underway on an 18-month trial of town centre improvements after Denbighshire County Council was successful in its bid for Welsh Government funding. The funding, part of the Local Sustainable Transport COVID Response Fund 2020-21, will be used to introduce improvements that facilitate social distancing and make it easier for people to travel actively within town centres. The loading and disabled bays on the east side of Bodfor Street and Queen Street have been suspended to allow the pavements on…

A hospitality business in Devil’s Bridge has been required to make improvements to safeguard the public’s health and well-being as part of the coronavirus regulations. A Premises Improvement Notice has been served to The Hafod, Devil’s Bridge, Aberystwyth by Ceredigion County Council’s Public Protection Officers due to non-compliance with The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 4) (Wales) Regulations 2020. As part of the Premises Improvement Notice, the Premises must ensure that a distance of 2 metres is maintained between any persons on the premises, and put measures in place which limit close face to face interaction and maintain hygiene. These…

29 victims were killed and 222 victims were seriously injured on the roads in South Wales in 2019 (DfT, 2019) RoadPeace, the national charity for road crash victims will be working with Hugh James to introduce two new support groups in South Wales for bereaved and injured road crash victims. Support group meetings offer bereaved families and injured victims an opportunity to meet others similarly affected and who truly understand the impact of road crashes on those left behind or those suffering from the awful aftermath of being involved in a crash themselves.  “Gaining support after the awful aftermath of…