Author: Rhys Gregory

DESPITE the amazing support we have received from the public since the COVID-19 pandemic began, our hospice will not be able to continue delivering first-class patient services unless there is a fundamental change to the way we are funded. As a much-loved facility in the heart of Wrexham, we have never sat back and waited for handouts, that is not the way Nightingale House operates. Since the onset of Coronavirus in the UK – with its resulting lockdown and social distancing measures – our traditional fundraising avenues have been decimated, and every effort has been made to seek alternatives and…

The foundational economy is central to Wales and to Wales’ future says Wales’ leading business group. Things such as the food we eat, the nurseries to which we send our children and the pipes that carry water to homes across the country are all parts of the foundational economy. The economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 virus has put this in stark terms – whilst many businesses have been closed, those that we rely on for our day-to-day lives have stayed open. These sectors quite often have large proportions of SMEs that are visible in almost every community across Wales;…

The Football Association of Wales has announced a new brand identity and title sponsors for Tier 3 of the men’s domestic game.   Sixty-four clubs from across the country make up the regional divisions, under a new identity of the Ardal Leagues. Ardal Northern consists of the Ardal NE and Ardal NW divisions, whilst Ardal Southern includes Ardal SE and Ardal SW. In the bilingual naming system, Ardal translates as ‘Region’ and represents the four quarters of the country that feed into the national leagues of Cymru North and Cymru South, which in turn provides teams to the Cymru Premier at the pinnacle of the football pyramid. The Ardal Leagues are being supported by new title sponsor partners that have…

The Ivy Collection is delighted to announce the re-opening of The Ivy Cardiff on Monday, 3 August.  Offering the ultimate dining experience across two beautiful floors, diners can look forward to a host of exciting, creative cocktails including the Dragon’s Fire and Bae Caerdydd as well as a selection of delicious dishes once more, all set against a backdrop of tranquil surroundings, vibrant fabrics and greenery. Whilst service will remain a priority, the restaurant will be implementing the highest standards of health and safety, ensuring both guests and employees will be dining and working in confidence and in a safe…

Penarth-based software testing platform TestLodge has released a major new redesign after consulting with its global userbase. The test case management tool which has users across the globe allows software testers and Quality Assurance (QA) teams to manage, organise and plan their testing efforts with ease integrating with a wide range of issue trackers to create tickets and bug reports automatically whenever a test case fails. Launched in 2013 the cloud-based SaaS (software as a service) TestLodge has enjoyed extraordinary growth since coming out of initial development and is widely regarded as one of the top emerging software testing tools…

An army of volunteers has been praised for helping Swansea Bay University Health Board staff scrub up well for the battle against COVID-19. The kind-hearted group, known as ‘Swansea Bay University Health Board – For the Love of Scrubs’, has almost 2,000 members in its ranks and has made over 27,000 items, ranging from medical scrubs to face coverings, for NHS staff during the course of the pandemic. The items have found their way onto the frontline with deliveries to our hospitals, GP surgeries, nursing homes and care homes. The group, which stays connected through its own Facebook group, has…

A week of two halves will close out July. After a wet and windy start to the week, conditions across the UK will settle down with a hot day for most on Friday. An unseasonably deep area of low pressure crossed the UK at the start of the week, bringing a spell of wet and windy weather, including gusts into the 50s of miles per hour in some places and 35.8mm of rain was recorded in Shap on Monday. This low has now moved away from Britain and in its wake much of the UK will see more settled conditions…

Education Minister Kirsty Williams has today (Wednesday, July 29) set out her proposals for teacher pay in Wales. The proposals follow the publication of the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body (IWPRB) report. The Minister has accepted in principle all of the report’s main recommendations and has also proposed further enhancements to ensure teachers in Wales receive the same increase as those in England. The proposals would see: starting salaries for new teachers increased by 8.48%. a 3.1% overall increase for the teachers’ pay bill in Wales a 3.75% pay rise for teachers on the Main Pay Scale an end to…

A Torfaen man is riding high after receiving Welsh Government support to launch a bicycle repair business during the coronavirus lockdown. Nathan Shephard has benefitted from a grant of £1,500 to secure training qualifications and help make his dream job a reality, at a time when the number of people using bikes has increased across the country. He received advice and support through the Welsh Government’s Working Wales and Communities for Work Plus programmes, and repairs and services bicycles in his garden shed where he follows social distancing guidelines and hygiene precautions when customers drop off and collect their bikes.…

The majority of council-operated toilets in Cardiff’s parks have re-opened, with regular cleaning regimes and social distancing measures in place to ensure public safety. Council-operated toilets in Victoria Park, Roath Park Pleasure Gardens and Roath Park Lake (East), are now available for the public to use. Prior to re-opening, these facilities have been cleansed, tested and risk assessed. Signage encouraging social distancing and good hand hygiene has been installed and twice daily cleaning rotas reinstated. Welsh Government guidance allows indoor toilet facilities to open with appropriate cleaning measures in place and the Council is working with local hospitality businesses, and…