Author: Rhys Gregory

A widow has remembered her late husband a decade after he died, by shaving off her bright pink hair to support the charity who cared for him in his final days. Carolyne Hunter’s husband Timothy died in November 2010 at the Marie Curie, Cardiff and the Vale Hospice in Penarth after he was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer in September 2009. To mark the occasion, Carolyne decided she would shave her long pink hair off in memory of him, as he had lost his hair due to his chemotherapy a few days before he was admitted to the hospice…

The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has reacted with dismay that support for Welsh Hydropower has been axed and is urging the Welsh Government to look for a long term solution to keep the production of hydropower on farms a viable option. The FUW has consistently recognised the threat represented by climate change and the need to take action and farmers in Wales have been instrumental in helping achieve a more than five-fold increase in renewable energy production in the past 15 years. FUW Policy Officer Charlotte Priddy said: “We are dismayed to hear that the Welsh Government has changed…

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is pleased to announce that all 44 Cymru Leagues clubs are set to receive financial support as part of a unique partnership with The National Lottery. The financial package – established by the FAW and The National Lottery and facilitated by the UK Government – will see clubs in the JD Cymru Premier, JD Cymru North and the JD Cymru South receive funding while matches continue to be played behind closed doors, owing to the current COVID-19 restrictions. Football clubs and training facilities across the Cymru Leagues are often at the heart of their communities. They act…

One of Wales’ leading event planners has joined forces with trusted, local catering partners to try and save this year’s Work Christmas Party, and at the same time help revitalise the Welsh hospitality industry in an eco-friendly way. Zoë Binning, who successfully established Weddings By Zoë as South Wales’ pre-eminent wedding planning service over the last decade, and now operates as a consultant for Welsh wedding venues, has launched ‘Wild Roots Kitchen and Bar’ to provide catering services for events and parties. The party boxes, which can be ordered for any number of people and are delivered direct to each customer’s door, include a wide selection…

A project to re-design mountain bike trails at Margam Country Park funded by a nearby renewable energy biomass plant has been a huge success. Earlier this year, Neath Port Talbot Council allocated funding for the project to the Margam Mountain Bike Club from the Margam Green Energy Community Benefit Fund. Money for the fund comes from Glennmont Partners, one of Europe’s largest and best-known renewable energy fund managers and who are the owners of the biomass plant at Harbour Way, Margam. Fuelled by waste wood, the Margam Green Energy plant provides renewable energy for up to 75,000 homes and employs…

Swansea traders are urging people to continue shopping local through and beyond lockdown. They are working with Swansea Council to launch a #ShopLocalShopSwansea campaign this weekend (November 21) – within current government guidelines. The initiative will embrace the whole area and will begin with a close focus on Morriston to build on existing regeneration work there. Robert Francis-Davies, the council’s cabinet member for investment, regeneration and tourism, said: “Local retailers and hospitality businesses have continued to show their true worth during the pandemic. “They’ve been here for Swansea – and local residents have supported them as they have done for…

Licensed premises across Swansea have been thanked for working closely with the council and South Wales Police during Beaujolais Day. In the build-up to Thursday all businesses that chose to promote Beaujolais Day were provided with information by the council’s licensing team about current coronavirus restrictions. Licensing officers, working with colleagues from the police, were out throughout the day and evening visiting premises including those in the city centre, Uplands, Mumbles, Clydach, Brynmill and Pontarddulais, providing further advice and ensuring the rules were being followed. They have reported that in the vast majority of cases businesses were well-run. Unfortunately having…

The delivery of a new 15,000-capacity indoor arena in Cardiff Bay will move a step closer when Cardiff Council appoints its preferred bidder at a Cabinet meeting scheduled for the 26th November. The planned new venue will cost around £150m to build and will attract more than one million visitors and an estimated £100m into the local economy every year. It will also deliver new jobs for local people, with over 2000 jobs created during its three-year build programme and, once up and running, another 1000 direct jobs and a further 600 jobs supported in the local economy. Since December last year…

The 18 year-old student who died after collapsing at a Cardiff halls of residence at the weekend has been named as Megan Pollitt from Rugby in Warwickshire. Megan’s family has issued the following tribute.  “Megan Pollitt, fondly known as Meg to family and friends, sadly passed away at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff on Monday 16th November. “Meg dedicated her time to everyone around her and was always there for others.  She had recently started studying law in Cardiff and was full of dreams and aspirations. “Having moved away Meg still enjoyed close contact with family and friends, sharing stories…

Dobbies Garden Centres, the UK’s leading garden centre retailer, has opened a new look foodhall in Swansea. This new wholesale partnership with Sainsbury’s brings a range of high-quality food and grocery products to the store. Shoppers at Dobbies’ Swansea can now enjoy a range which includes over 3,000 products, giving customers a choice of food to take home including ambient, chilled, fresh and frozen produce as well as other grocery, household and toiletry products. Graeme Jenkins, CEO of Dobbies, said: “It is fantastic to see our new look foodhall open in Swansea, with a diverse range of Sainsbury’s products now…