Author: Rhys Gregory

House prices in Wales have remained steady in Q2 2020 (April – June) despite the coronavirus pandemic, with the average house price now £191,880. The figures have been released from Principality Building Society’s Wales House Price Index, which demonstrates the rise and fall in house prices in each of the 22 local authorities in Wales. The new average house price for Wales represents a 2.2% annual rise but a quarterly drop of 0.7%, although the number of purchases is lower than normal due to lockdown measures that were in place. Transactions were down by 66% in Q2 in which the…

A Cardiff teenager will be heading to the states this September to kickstart his dream career in economics after securing a place at one of the top universities in the world. Donte Day, 18, from Pentwyn, has secured his spot at the University of Chicago to study economics after achieving an outstanding 4A*s in his Biology, Chemistry, Economics and Maths A-levels. The former deputy head boy at Llanishen High School had his interest in studying Stateside sparked by attending a prestigious summer school at Yale University last year through Seren – a scheme funded by Welsh Government which is designed…

A temporary court room has been set up in the council chamber at Swansea’s Civic Centre. It comes at the request of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) as part of a solution to help the courts system respond to the pandemic. HM Courts and Tribunals Service officials worked with Swansea Council officers to make the new arrangements. Lord Mayor Mark Child visited the new facility to mark its opening. Cllr David Hopkins, council joint deputy leader and cabinet member for delivery and operations, said: “I’m glad that the council and courts service has been able to work hard together to…

Baird Capital, the direct investment arm of Baird has this week acquired an interest in eCube, a leading provider of storage, disassembly and parts re-use and recycling services to global aircraft owners in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, including major airlines and aircraft leasing companies. eCube was one of Bro Tathan’s first tenants, and their base provides a unique combination of offerings – access to the south Wales pool of aviation talent, a regulated airfield with permanent Air Traffic Control, a runway which accommodates aircraft of all sizes, easy access to Cardiff, Cardiff airport and the motorway network. This…

Cardiff and Vale College has welcomed back its talented Sports Academies students for socially distanced, non-contact pre-season training. Learners from the Football, Netball and Rugby Academies were able to come back for training at the College’s specialist Cardiff International Sports Campus in Leckwith. Students from the Cricket Academy CAVC runs with Glamorgan CC will be returning shortly to Sophia Gardens for training. CAVC Sports Academies are made up of students from across the College who are studying either A Levels or one of the College’s many career focused vocational courses. The Academies enable students to balance their studies with first-class coaching, outstanding specialist…

A new support package to help Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) to grow and prosper in Wales has been announced by Tyfu Cymru, working in partnership with Social Farms & Gardens.  CSA is a partnership between farmers and consumers in which the responsibilities, risks and rewards of farming are shared. The new support package will be available to around 40 established and emerging CSAs in Wales together with those considering CSA as a viable option for their farm or community growing project. Together with Social Farms & Gardens, Tyfu Cymru will be delivering a range of support. This includes training delivery and workshops, a suite of resources, including…

A South Wales-based coffee business is hoping to ‘take the commercial coffee industry by storm’ with its latest expansion. Coffee Blue is a mobile coffee franchise headquartered in Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly. Founded in 2018, the company provides opportunities for people to start their own mobile coffee van business. Now, Coffee Blue has ventured deeper into the commercial coffee industry by launching a coffee machine rental and wholesale coffee service. The new expansion will provide machine rental and wholesale coffee with flexible rental packages appropriate for today’s financially uncertain climate. Company Director, Martin Jones, said: “Coffee Blue is growing rapidly, and we…

One of the most popular annual events in Rhondda Cynon Taf’s festive season has been pushed back a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.  RCT Theatres were due to stage Dick Whittington as its pantomime this year at both the Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare, and the Park & Dare Theatre, Treorchy, but it has now been rescheduled to Christmas 2021. RCT Theatres pride themselves on being theatre makers; creating and producing their own panto. They had assembled their fabulous cast, built the set and made the costumes. However, Social Distancing measures which are vital for the wellbeing of cast, audiences and…

Communities in Rhondda Cynon Taf – which saw some of the worst flooding when storms Ciara and Dennis struck Wales earlier this year – are set to benefit from a further £1.1m in emergency funds, to cover the immediate repair of damaged flood alleviation measures. The funding is in addition to £540k given to the local authority to work on repairs and remediation to flood alleviation assets, bringing the total funding provided to the borough council for such work by the Welsh Government to £1.6million. Lesley Griffiths, the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, will confirm the additional funding…

In modern times, golf has become more accessible to everyone. It is no longer a rich man’s sport because there is a wide variety of equipment that you can choose from, and still become a pro. Golf has a lot of benefits, such as reducing stress, improving your mental health, aiding in weight loss, and providing you with a unique social experience. This is why you shouldn’t walk away from it just because you think you cannot afford it. You can lower your expenses by familiarizing yourself with the kinds of gear you can purchase on a budget if you…