Author: Rhys Gregory

Care homes in North Wales should be allowed to refuse to hire staff who have not had a Covid jab unless they have a legitimate medical reason, say social care leaders. Care Forum Wales, which represents nearly 500 independent providers, says it’s vitally important to protect vulnerable residents who are particularly at risk because they are mostly elderly and frail with serious underlying health conditions. The latest figures show that since March 1 last year there have been 1,709 care home resident deaths in Wales with suspected or confirmed Covid-19. According to chair Mario Kreft MBE, care homes were duty…

Staff and children from Enfys Hapus Nursery in Cardiff did 100 steps in memory of Captain Sir Tom Moore and raised £635 for the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital Charity. The nursery, based in Canton, wanted to do something to honour the inspirational Captain but also wanted to support a charity close to their hearts. Initially, they set their fundraising target as £50 but ended up raising £635. The children, aged between 1 and 7, enjoyed going out in all weathers to do their steps, alongside nursery puppy Rosie. Paige Webbley, nursery manager said “We wanted to do something to honour…

South Wales Police is investigating a fatal road traffic collision which occurred in Gorseinon, Swansea, yesterday morning (Tuesday, February 23). Emergency services were called to the two-vehicle collision near the CEM Day car dealership on Swansea Road at approximately 11.15am. The driver of a silver Honda Jazz vehicle, an 84-year-old local man, was taken to Morriston Hospital with serious injuries. Despite the best efforts of medical staff and those at the scene he has since died. His next of kin has been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers. The 39-year-old driver of the second vehicle, a black…

The first ever hospice on Anglesey is due to open on St David’s Day, 1st March following outstanding community fundraising efforts and generous grants from trusts and foundations. Local charity St David’s Hospice is now ready to welcome its first patient and families to its satellite unit in Ysbyty Penrhos Stanley, Holyhead. For the last three years, St David’s Hospice has aspired to opening more beds in North West Wales, bridging the gap in inpatient end of life care services across Anglesey, Gwynedd and Conwy. The four-bed inpatient unit, which utilises a redundant ward of the community hospital, now provides…

New legislation has been passed in the Senedd, which will give tenants more protection, stability and security in their homes.  The Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Bill will also bring greater clarity on landlord and tenant responsibilities, helping to avoid disagreements and difficulties. The changes mean that from spring 2022, rental contracts in Wales will change so that: Tenants will have the security and stability of a minimum 12 month contract; Minimum notice periods will be extended from two to six months in the case of “no fault evictions” – with landlords only able to serve notice six months after tenants…

‘Green walls’ have been installed on two council-owned buildings in Cardiff to improve air quality and biodiversity in areas where there is little or no green space. The Ivy filled screens, which help to remove harmful pollution from the air, and support a wide range of native pollinators by providing them with hibernation sites and a source of winter food, have been fitted to Dusty Forge Community Centre in Ely and Kitchener Primary School in Canton. Additional climbing plants including honeysuckle, clematis, and sweet peas will be added to the screens through the year, enhancing the benefits to biodiversity. Cabinet…

Flood alleviation work will start at Mill Street in Pontypridd this week, to install green features such as tree pits and rain gardens to tackle surface water in a sustainable way – while also improving the area’s aesthetics and biodiversity. The scheme, which is being wholly funded by Welsh Government, aims to tackle the localised issue of surface water during periods of heavy rainfall. Tree pits and rain gardens provide an adaptive form of flood alleviation that are resilient for the future and take into account the effects of climate change. The work started this week and follows initial ground investigations…

With more people working from home during the coronavirus pandemic, Welsh Government is exploring options for a network of remote working hubs in towns and communities across Wales. It wants to work with organisations to support a long-term shift to more people working remotely, with benefits for local economies, businesses, individuals and the environment including: a reduction in travel time and expense more flexibility and better work/life balance increased productivity less traffic, especially at peak times less air and noise pollution the opportunity to redesign our towns and city centres As part of this, Welsh Government is looking into options…

Isn’t it funny how things work out sometimes? Back in the 1890s when Charles D. Fey was first putting the finishing touches on his seminal Liberty Bell machine he wasn’t even legally allowed to advertise it, due to the fact that gambling at this point was illegal in the US. The influential mechanical engineer instead had to skirt around the shadows, taking his pioneering gambling machine to shady taverns and bars. And here’s the truly amazing thing: just over a century on Mr Fey’s invention can be played pretty much everywhere. Down the pub? There’s bound to be a slot…

With the sudden and fast-paced success of online slots, gamers can forget the origin of slots. Slots like Kingdom slots became popular when they were first introduced in 1894. Since then their popularity has risen and they have adapted and developed to meet the demands of the 21st century. Have classic slots remained popular? Classic slots have remained popular and successful. Gamers are drawn to the simplicity and traditional style of classic slots. What classic slots have remained popular? There has been a wide range of classic slots that continue to succeed. Here are a few of the most classic…