Author: Rhys Gregory

Work is underway to extend and improve buildings at a comprehensive school in Swansea to meet the growing demand for Welsh medium education places in the city. The investment at Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr will also provide new outdoor sports facilities. Kier Construction has been appointed as the main contractor for the work that is being jointly funded by Swansea Council and the Welsh Government. The work will be phased, with the school remaining open and it is anticipated to be complete at the end of next year. Cllr Jennifer Raynor, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Education Improvement, Learning and Skills,…

Swansea residents who would like to raise funds for community projects are invited to a virtual workshop hosted by crowdfunding specialists. The free event, to be run twice – on July 15 and 22 – through online video conferencing facility Zoom, will be run by specialist funding organisation Spacehive. Those who log in will be shown how to make best use of Crowdfund Swansea, a partnership between Spacehive and Swansea Council. In its first few months, the initiative has attracted more than £64,000 of funding pledges from more than 330 backers. Four groups raising funds through the scheme have hit…

A UK-wide art awards originally launched in 2011 is making a welcome comeback to provide a creative outlet for those with special education needs struggling to cope during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Create! Awards have been brought back by popular demand by organisers Beechwood College following a four-year hiatus. Attracting thousands of entries from across the UK and overseas, as well as winning its own UK Award for Autism Best Practice, the originally titled Create! Art for Autism awards proved to be hugely popular amongst the autism community. Now known as Create! to reflect a wider inclusivity, the awards have…

A chef at a Michelin star restaurant who has brought Italian style and vintage vehicles to the world of mobile catering has kept his business going through the Covid-19 lockdown by switching to home delivery. Alex Vincenzo Miraglia runs Altieri Catering from the Lock Stock Storage Park on Saltney’s River Lane and after just 12 months in business had already built up an impressive list of clients including the Leeds Festival, Stafford Classic Motorcycle Show and Kelsall Steam Rally. Alex, from Naples, the home of pizza, has worked in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Milan and five-star hotels in Italy before…

Principality Commercial has provided £10m in funding to Family Housing Association, to support the development of affordable housing in south and west Wales. The financing from Wales’ largest building society will assist Family Housing Association’s plans to deliver many more affordable homes for communities who need it most. Based in Swansea, Family Housing Association currently manage over 2,800 quality affordable homes, as well as providing tenant services. In line with the Welsh Government’s housing agenda, the funding will also enable plans to develop low carbon homes of the future. The latest funding demonstrates Principality’s commitment to affordable housing in Wales.…

Staff at not-for-profit housing and care provider Pobl have been celebrating the launch of Pobl Homes & Communities with the help of family run Welsh sock manufacturer, Corgi.  The new business, which launched on July 1st  manages almost 15,000 homes across 14 Local Authorities in Wales, spanning from Monmouthshire in the East to Pembrokeshire in the West.  Corgi were commissioned to supply staff with a pair of their traditional luxury socks but with a Pobl twist. With most staff still working from home under lockdown, they were connected by the surprise delivery of bespoke socks featuring the colourful Pobl logo. Pobl Homes & Communities has been created via the coming together of three existing registered social landlords, Charter Housing Association, Derwen and Tai Gwalia, with almost 50 years’ experience of helping people…

A campaign by philanthropist and businessman Steve Morgan to help charities affected by Covid-19 has now handed out £5m. The Steve Morgan Foundation’s Covid-19 Emergency Fund has clocked up another milestone after making more than 500 awards to charities in North Wales, Cheshire and Merseyside. The founder of the Steve Morgan Foundation announced in March he would be giving up to £1m a week to local charities faced with a cashflow crisis as a result of the pandemic and recently announced he would be extending it until the end of September. In addition to the £5m, Mr Morgan has also committed to give up to another £1m in match-funding…

Jazz singer Nia Lynn is the next special guest to hold a live online event for the Willow Globe at Llanwrthwl near Rhayader on Monday, July 13 from 7pm to 8pm. Originally from the Brecon Beacons, Nia is one of the UK’s leading vocal coaches who has worked with the Donmar Warehouse and Young Vic. Resident voice coach at the Royal Shakespeare Company(RSC), she is one of the UK’s pre-eminent vocalists and songwriters. Nia has been a jazz singing tutor at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama since 2005 and has a flourishing song writing career, having released two…

The Welsh Government will provide an additional £29 million to schools to boost support for learners at crucial stages in their education from September. The equivalent of 600 extra teachers and 300 teaching assistants will be recruited throughout the next school year, targeting extra support at Years 11, 12 and 13, as well as disadvantaged and vulnerable learners of all ages. This will support learners taking their A level and GCSEs in 2021 and those known to have been affected most while many schools have been closed since March. Professional learning resources will be provided to support the new and…

Award-winning Welsh homebuilder Llanmoor Homes has called on the Welsh Government to follow England’s lead by cutting the Land Transaction Tax to kickstart the housing market. Chancellor Rishi Sunak today announced the stamp duty threshold would be increased to £500,000 as part of the UK Government’s coronavirus recovery package. The measure will take effect immediately and last until March 31st 2021. It is hoped the measure will offer support to those looking to enter the housing market and encourage the housebuilding industry to continue building to protect the economy from potential recession. However, the measure will only apply in England as…