Author: Rhys Gregory

Face coverings will become mandatory in indoor public places across Wales from Monday as rules are tightened to prevent a fresh coronavirus crisis. First Minister Mark Drakeford will announce a new limit on the number of people who can meet indoors as evidence shows indoor gatherings are the main source of transmission for the virus in Wales. People will also continue to be encouraged to work from home wherever they can to limit person-to-person contact and local authorities will be given new powers to shut down premises and events on public health grounds. The latest changes will come into effect…

Businesses across Wales and England like pubs, restaurants, hairdressers and cinemas, are being encouraged to have NHS QR code posters visible on entry, so customers who have downloaded the new NHS COVID-19 app can use their smartphones to easily check-in. The move comes ahead of launching the NHS COVID-19 app across Wales and England on Thursday 24 September. Checking in with the app will enable people to keep a diary of the locations they have visited, which will be held securely in the app. If there is a COVID-19 outbreak linked to their visit, users will get an early warning…

RCT Council has provided an update on the significant scheme to replace the Brook Street footbridge at Ystrad Railway Station – with the design phase now complete and work on course to begin on site in the New Year.  The bridge, now at the end of its design life, provides an important link from Ystrad to Nant-y-Gwyddon Road, and is the only ramped access to the railway station’s northbound platform. The demolition and replacement scheme is very complex as it must contend with several factors including the day-to-day operation of the station, while work must also take place above a…

People who are terminally ill in Wales can now have their benefits applications fast-tracked online thanks to a campaign by Macmillan Cancer Support. Before this change, people with fewer than six months to live had to apply for some benefits they were entitled to by post. This was usually through a health professional, such as their clinical nurse specialist, who then posted the forms to benefits advice teams to process and send on to the Department of Work and Pensions. This sometimes led to delayed claims – or claims that got lost in the post – and some claimants sadly…

Today, Grangetown residents are celebrating raising nearly £2m towards building a new community facility in partnership with Cardiff University’s Community Gateway project with a digital celebration. The partnership between the university and resident groups Grange Pavilion Project and Grangetown Community Action was first formed in 2014 and secured major funding from the National Lottery Fund, Welsh Government and additional supporters to help transform an old bowls pavilion into a thriving community space. Located in the heart of the most ethnically diverse ward in Wales, Grange Pavilion will provide residents with opportunities to take part in community-led activities that increase education,…

Wolfberry Cyber is recognised as one of Wales’ leading cyber security consultancies, providing services across the UK and the rest of the globe, helping organisations in all sectors to identify and manage the risks they face. The Corporate LiveWire Innovation Awards recognise the pioneers, ground-breakers, trailblazers and out-of-the-box thinkers from the corporate world who have made a global impact in the past 12 months. Judge Andrew Walsh said: “With their innovative VIPER VS technology, Wolfberry has made a huge difference to the world of cyber security.” Wolfberry CEO Damon Rands said: “To be named the UK’s Most Innovative Cyber Security…

A Welsh company has nearly doubled its permanent workforce to 127 staff in just four months after switching part of its operations to create personal protective equipment (PPE) in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Based in Ystrad Mynach, Transcend Packaging specialises in providing sustainable packaging products to quick service restaurants including McDonalds and Starbucks. Converting some of its production lines and assistance from Life Sciences Hub Wales has allowed the company to supply over 15 million protective face shields to the NHS and UK Department of Health and Social Care since April. The switch has helped to safeguard the jobs…

A young entrepreneur from Llantrisant has opened a design house making bespoke bridal, prom, and evening gowns by hand. Leigh Panes, 27, studied Fashion Design at the University of South Wales before starting her business, Leigh Alexandra. Her first occasion collection was unveiled in September 2019 and Leigh is now launching a bridal collection and working on another occasion wear collection for later in the year. Leigh Alexandra is just one of thousands of businesses in Wales that has been affected in some way by the coronavirus pandemic. Leigh has been unable to do fittings with new or existing customers,…

Gareth Evans, 44, is celebrating the one-year anniversary of his liver transplant, following years of alcoholism. The successful media professional became hooked on alcohol beyond his greatest fears in 2012 after self-medicating to shield mental health issues, which led to a life-threatening addiction. He said: “I was drinking a lot. Before it was too late, I was on at least 2 litres of spirits a day; drinking for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I remember one evening, a colleague and I went out after work – I was living in Manchester at the time, and I had consumed so much alcohol…

Aspiring artists, school children, retired people and creative folk of all ages in Wales are being given a chance to have their names etched in history. Design ideas are being invited to appear on the stone centre-piece obelisks of new COVID-19 memorial gardens which are being created at Llanelli, Aberystwyth and Langstone Vale crematoria. The crematoria are run by Westerleigh Group, the UK’s largest independent owner of crematoria and cemeteries, who are building memorials in tranquil gardens at over 30 sites across the UK with members of the public invited to contribute to their design. The memorial gardens will be…