Author: Rhys Gregory

A generous donation of 200 mobile phones to Cardiff Council’s homeless service is supporting vulnerable individuals on their journey away from the streets. Tesco Mobile have provided the devices, each with pre-loaded credit, so that individuals in emergency accommodation can keep in touch with their support workers. The current health emergency has presented services with a unique opportunity to better engage with homeless individuals in the city. More than 140 people are now staying in the additional emergency accommodation the Council sourced to safeguard those who had been sleeping on the streets during the  COVID-19 emergency and many more clients…

A free online booking and appointment app launched by Cardiff-based digital company Zipporah is helping the Vale of Glamorgan Council reopen its recycling centres and reduce waiting times for the public. First Minister Mark Drakeford announced last month that recycling centres could reopen as part of the easing of coronavirus restrictions. More than 3,000 bookings were made on the first day when they reopened in the Vale of Glamorgan – 10 bookings were made every minute. The Zipporah app called ‘Generic’, is helping people in the county to book an appointment. This is proving vital in helping recycling centres manage…

Applications for the new Welsh dairy support scheme will open on 18 June, supporting farmers hardest hit by the recent exceptional market conditions due to Covid 19, Rural Affairs Minister, Lesley Griffiths, has confirmed. The sector, which plays an important role in feeding the nation, felt the immediate impact of the pandemic with the closure of the food service and hospitality sectors. The Welsh dairy support scheme, developed by working with the industry, has been designed to support dairy producers to maintain production capacity during this challenging period. The scheme application window will be open until 14 August 2020. Through…

Wales’ leading health and social care charities have today called for greater support and better communication for people most at risk from Covid-19, following changes announced to lockdown guidance at the weekend. In an open letter to the Welsh Government, 32 charities have called for clearer and more consistent advice on ‘shielding’ measures during lockdown for those considered ‘extremely vulnerable’, and for clarity on what support will be available to help people protect themselves as lockdown measures begin to ease. In Wales, around 130,000 people in at risk groups have been advised to shieldi, and thousands more are choosing to…

UWTSD’s Swansea College of Art has supplied 500 visors to Swansea BID for distribution amongst shops and organisations in the city centre. The UWTSD team, led by Dr Ross Head, have been using the facilities at Swansea College of Art to produce the visors and have already supplied many care homes across the region. They have been working long hours laser cutting and assembling these vital face visors to help address any gaps in the supply of PPE. Swansea BID has been busy supporting the businesses in the BID area through these challenging times, and these visors will be offered…

Eastside Insurance have ‘signed up’ ex Swansea captain and Welsh rugby international Stuart Davies as a Business Development consultant. The agreement sees one of Swansea’s most well established and respected insurance brokers joining forces with one of the city’s great sporting sons. Managing Partner Anthony Fox said: “This is an important appointment for us and we view Stuart’s credibility and standing as a person, a professional and a sportsman as being perfect for assisting us with existing client relationships and helping to grow our business. “Stuart has worked at a very senior level in a number of sectors and disciplines,…

Hospital Innovations is supporting South Wales Police with an ongoing deal to supply essential non-sterile, fluid repellent gowns to the force.

Following yesterday’s announcement, McDonald’s will reopen a further 497 restaurants for Drive Thru across the UK and Ireland today. McDonald’s in Bridgend saw hundreds of people queue in their cars as the first restaurants opened in Wales, since closing in March due to the pandemic. Restaurants in Swansea, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Pembrokeshire, Caerphilly and North Wales will open. However, a number of restaurants including close in Newport and Cardiff remain closed. The full list of restaurants open as of today: Gateway Services A55 in Mold Holywell Road in Flint A55 Junction 31 in Flintshire Foundry Road, Swansea heads of the…

All children will have the opportunity to return to school this month, the Education Minister Kirsty Williams has announced today. It is proposed that all schools will start the next phase on 29 June, with the term extended by a week, therefore ending on 27 July. In the next academic year, beginning in September, the intention is that the autumn half-term break will be expanded to two weeks. Kirsty Williams said: “My announcement today gives schools three and a half weeks to continue preparing for the next phase. “We will use the last weeks of the summer term to make…

All children will have the opportunity to “Check in, Catch Up, Prepare for summer and September”, the Education Minister Kirsty Williams announced today as she published details of the next phase for schools in Wales. It is proposed that all schools will start the next phase on 29 June, with the term extended by a week, therefore ending on 27 July. In the next academic year, beginning in September, the intention is that the autumn half-term break will be expanded to two weeks. In each school there will be a phased approach. Year groups will be split into cohorts with…