Author: Rhys Gregory

THE Welsh Ambulance Service is appealing to people to use 999 responsibly this Bank Holiday weekend. Traditionally, the service will see an increase in demand on Bank Holidays as people take advantage of the long weekend – and this weekend is expected to be no different. Lee Brooks, the Trust’s Director of Operations, said: “More people are out and about socialising with family and friends on the Bank Holiday weekends, and this can lead to more people becoming ill or suffering injuries and requiring medical attention. “While there are plans in place to deal with the increase in demand, we…

Tuesday (25 August) saw the visit of the Welsh Government Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths to the Wye Valley Meadery to see at first hand the work undertaken by the Wye Valley Producers Group during the COVID-19 pandemic. The group is a collaboration of the Wye Valley’s finest, award winning food and drink producers who have come together to offer a no contact, click & collect farmers market for a Friday drive through collection service, giving local residents easy and safe access to local products. Angharad Underwood from The Preservation Society, one of the Wye Valley…

Business confidence in Wales rose 19 points during August to -12%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank. Companies in Wales reported higher confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month at -13%hen taken alongside their views of the economy overall, this gives a headline confidence reading of -12%, above the UK average of -14%. The Business Barometer questions 1,200 businesses monthly and provides early signals about UK economic trends both regionally and nationwide. When asked about the impact COVID-19 was having on their business, the majority of firms continued to see demand negatively affected during August, but with…

A police boss is warning people to be on their guard amid fears of a surge in sex attacks as the coronavirus restrictions are eased. The region’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Arfon Jones, revealed the number of reported cases had dropped during lockdown as a result of people having to stay at home. But Mr Jones fears the number of assaults will start to rise as the night time economy opens up once more. The commissioner is also concerned that victims are suffering more mental health problems as a result of being isolated and courts falling behind in dealing with…

Cardiff Bus is set to reintroduce services and increase route frequencies, as it continues making improvements following the coronavirus pandemic. From September 1st, a number of the operator’s services will be reintroduced and improved following travel restrictions being eased across Wales. Commercial Director at Cardiff Bus, Gareth Stevens said they were delighted to be reintroducing these much-needed services to support our customers across our network. He said: “Here at Cardiff Bus we are extremely pleased to be returning to a more frequent level of service, which will ultimately benefit our loyal customers. “We are reintroducing a number of services which…

As schools return in Wales, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding working parents they could save up to £2,000 per child per year to pay towards after-school clubs and other childcare services. Around 70,000 families in Wales are eligible for Tax-Free Childcare, which can cut thousands of pounds off childcare bills. All families have to do is pay into their Tax-Free Childcare account and for every £8 that they deposit, the UK Government immediately makes a top-up payment of an additional £2. The scheme is open to working parents, including the self-employed, who earn between the minimum wage and…

Local residents spotted the hedgehog on the pavement near their Beechleigh Close home, last Tuesday (18 August). Tasha Jack and her nine-year-old son Jake went to check on the hedgehog soon afterwards – only to find the animal had got himself wedged under a nearby fence. She said: “I was out walking with my son Jake, and we spotted the hedgehog on the street. My son was very excited, and we took some photos so he could show his friends. “He checked on the hedgehog soon afterwards – and wanted to leave some food and water out for him. But,…

Indoor visits to adult and children’s care homes have been given the green light to resume from today, one day earlier than previously announced, Minister for Health and Social Services, Vaughan Gething has confirmed. The Minister reiterated the reopening date is a guide and it is for each institution to determine exactly when they would be able to begin safely facilitating visits again. Official guidance – which will also issue tomorrow – has been prepared in conjunction with the sector and aims to support homes to manage risk and put tailored arrangements in place suitable for their premises and residents’…

You’re making an investment when you buy a property to let. The general expectation is that the money you initially expend will eventually turn into a consistent form of profit. However, like any investment, there is an element of risk vs reward involved when letting a property. Becoming a landlord isn’t a sure-fire way to financial success, as many unfortunate stories on the internet will tell you. So, how can one mitigate the risks involved with lettings to ensure they’re making a return on investment? Well, we have the answer to this question. Read this article if you’d like to…

Rhymney Integrated Health and Social Care Centre, at Lawn Industrial Estate, has now become a collection point for food bank donations. Donations will be used to help local people accessing support from Trussell Trust registered food banks across the Caerphilly county borough, including Upper Rhymney Valley, Risca, Blackwood and Caerphilly.  Additional donation points can be found at: St Tyfaelog’s Church, Pontlottyn (Thursday 10am-12noon) Tesco, Ystrad Mynach Morrisons, Bargoed St Peter’s Church, Aberbargoed (Wednesdays 12:30pm-2:30pm) Tesco Extra, Risca Morrisons, Rogerstone Aldi, Risca One Stop, Risca Asda, Blackwood Tesco, Crossways, Caerphilly Oasis Christian Centre, Bryn Road, Cefn Fforest (10:00am-12:00pm) Asda, Caerphilly Connect…