Author: Rhys Gregory

Do you know a young person who is changing your community and improving lives? Celebrate their achievements by nominating them for a 2021 Diana Award. This year is especially significant as July marks what would have been Diana, Princess of Wales’ 60th Birthday.  The Diana Award is the only charity in memory of the late Princess and her belief that young people have the power to change the world. Successful nominations will be honoured at a virtual award ceremony in the summer and will pay tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales in the days leading up to what would have been…

A musician-in-residence at a care organisation has revealed how a combination of music and art can provide a new beginning for people with dementia. Nia Davies Williams, who works for the Pendine Park care organisation, has been bowled over at the way her music can transform the mood of residents, triggering their creative juices, tapping into latent memories and firing imaginations. She says the type of music she plays affects the way people with dementia paint and how they paint it. Mum-of-three Nia, a talented harpist, pianist and composer, is based at the Bryn Seiont Care Home in Caernarfon and…

As children under 8 prepare to go back to school as of next week, further education students will also see a phased return to on site learning from Monday (22 February) onwards. Grŵp Llandrillo Menai has announced that it will be reopening parts of its Rhos-on-Sea, Rhyl and Llangefni campuses from Monday, with a small number of classes invited to attend face-to-face sessions for the first time since December. In line with the latest Welsh Government guidelines for the post-16 sector, campus-based learning will be limited to those undertaking vocational qualifications. These include  Construction, Engineering, Landbased, Motor Vehicle and Professional…

For common ailments such as back pain or in-growing toenails Mid and West Wales residents are being told to visit their local pharmacist for advice and treatment rather than contacting their GP or attending A&E to help Keep Wales Safe. The way we access local NHS services has changed to help take the strain off our hospitals, A&E departments and GP surgeries. The Common Ailments Scheme allows pharmacists to assess and treat up to 26 minor conditions, with all medicines being given free of charge without the need for a prescription. The scheme is available at almost 100 community pharmacies…

A ‘cold and dangerous’ man has been jailed for life following a stranger attack on a young woman in Cardiff. Craig Walters, who also goes by Craig Watts and Craig Whites, was identified by using Facial Recognition on a CCTV image taken from a bus he had been travelling on. The 39-year-old was arrested within 48 hours of the attack and last month pleaded guilty to false imprisonment with intent to commit a sexual offence. On Friday, he has been sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court. Officer in the case, Detective Constable Dave Simmons, from Cardiff CID, said: “At around 10.50pm…

A report which recommends plans are progressed to relocate and rebuild a replacement Willows High School will go to Cardiff Council’s Cabinet when it meets on Thursday 25, February. Thereport outlines proposals which could see the new school relocated to Lewis Road, Splott. Italso requests that a non-statutory public engagement on the relocation of the school will take place in Spring, giving members of the public the opportunity to find out more about the proposals for the scheme. In December 2017, the Cabinet approved plans to address those schools in poor condition. Willows High School was identified as a category…

Bridgend County Borough Council has placed a banner thanking NHS and key workers within a community where offensive graffiti appeared earlier this month. Council workers acted swiftly to remove an offensive swear word which had been added to a message saying ‘Thank you NHS and key workers’ on a wall in Sarn. Now, a new tribute has been placed at the Sarn Life Centre to honour those staff and unsung heroes who have worked tirelessly throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. I’m pleased to see that this new banner has been placed to recognise the hard work of our key workers over…

An eight-year-old boy from the Caerphilly county borough has written a book about his two pet cats during lockdown. Joseph Smith, a pupil from Risca Primary School, kept himself busy during lockdown by telling stories all about what he imagined his two pet cats, Chester and Jeff, would get up to at night when he and his family were asleep. Joseph would spend hours with his family talking about these imagined cat adventures. With help from his Mum, he wrote down these stories, and they decided that they wanted to share this positivity with other families by putting them in…

Morphe will open its first store in Wales, at St. David’s Cardiff. The store is set to open in Summer 2021. The Morphe store at St. David’s, will feature many exciting aspects including curated picks of featured best-sellers, influencer product picks and collaborations. Customers will also be able to get expert advice from Morphe’s certified Beauty Artists. Kahla Broussard, Vice President, Retail Sales and Operations at FORMA Brands, said: “Cardiff is a key UK city for Morphe due to its high student population and strong visitor numbers it attracts each year. We are looking forward to bringing our increasingly popular…

COLEG CAMBRIA is to pilot a dance programme for people with Parkinson’s disease. Led by National Dance Company Wales (NDCWales) the free virtual classes will be for those living with the condition, as well as carers, family, and friends. As part of an affiliated hub of English National Ballet’s Dance for Parkinson’s programme, the initiative was launched in 2015 in South Wales and moved online following the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic, with the support of Digital Communities Wales, giving all participants the confidence and skills to use their laptops and tablets to access the sessions. Now targeting new members…