Author: Rhys Gregory

Construction of improved athletics facilities in Clydach Vale is now complete. The King George V athletics track has benefitted from £800,000 #RCTinvest funding, which has delivered a series of upgrades – including a new and improved athletics track surface, enhancements to field event areas, drainage improvements to the existing football pitch and the introduction of floodlights. The facility has been closed to the public since last summer to ensure works were completed safely. The final weeks of the scheme were undertaken with contractor South Wales Sports Grounds adhering to social distancing, due to the Coronavirus emergency. All work has now…

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council will expand its emergency childcare provision from the start of June – by increasing the number of hubs from 13 to 25 in response to the ever-increasing demand for key workers and vulnerable learners.  In response to the Coronavirus national emergency, the Council has been operating 13 very successful childcare hubs, to help key workers who are parents/carers of pupils aged 4-14 in mainstream and Pupil Referral Unit settings and aged 4-19 in special school settings. This provision is in addition to the childcare offer for 0-4 year-olds delivered in a range of settings. Key workers…

While many people still work as an employee at a small, medium or large company, it is becoming increasingly popular for people to be self-employed. This is especially true in the UK, where the number of self-employed people has been growing steadily over the last decade-plus. Being self-employed can offer several benefits from greater freedom to do what you want in life, to being your own boss and controlling your own destiny. While it might seem difficult to some, there are a ton of tools and technologies that can make life as a self-employed person easier. For example, you can…

Swansea and Newport Council has agreed a deal with department store Debenhams to help secure its long-term future in those cities. Unlike most city centre shops, Debenhams is not covered by the new Welsh Government retail, leisure and hospitality rate relief scheme. The decision will enable Debenhams to continue discussions with the Welsh Government which could reduce its liability and enable Debenhams to access the Covid-19 retail rates relief support scheme in line with other retailers. The company has also been advised to apply to the Economic Resilience Fund. Mark Gifford, Chairman of Debenhams, said: “I have been overwhelmed by…

WORK is set to start this Tuesday on an essential £250,000 refurbishment of the busy Loughor Bridge. The essential maintenance upgrade is being planned to take up to six weeks and will mean the bridge will be reduced to a single lane controlled by traffic lights in each direction. At peak times staff will be on site at the bridge to manage the temporary traffic lights to help improve traffic flow. Mark Thomas, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure at SwanseaCouncil, said: “Loughor Bridge is a busy route and is used by hundreds of vehicles every day. “Due to the…

Satisfaction levels among public transport passengers using Traveline Cymru’s suite of information services have reached 94% thanks to its ease of use and helpfulness, according to its latest report. The research, which was conducted by independent organisation Finger on the Pulse, reveals that customers found its ‘one stop shop’ for travel information to be highly regarded and valued over the past 12 months. Customer feedback suggested that staff helpfulness, accuracy of information and ease of use were among the reasons users rated the bilingual service highly. The research found that the public transport information provider’s website scored an overall satisfaction…

A PhD student from Bangor University has launched a new website to open the door to Welsh literature for youngsters during the coronavirus crisis. The Sôn am Lyfra (Talk About Books) website created by Morgan Dafydd offers bilingual reviews of Welsh children’s books to help them develop a passion for reading in Welsh. The former primary school teacher said children studying Welsh as a second language often struggled to grasp Welsh literature which affected their confidence and enjoyment of reading. The aim of the website is to make it easier for parents and young people to find the perfect book.…

The Welsh Government has announced a £150,000 fund for healthcare firms to find new ways to use digital technology to combat coronavirus. The challenge fund aims to quickly trial solutions in health and care to improve remote diagnostics, data collection and monitor PPE availability. It is hoped projects applying to the Covid-19 Digital Solutions Fund will change the way people are diagnosed, treated and managed by the health service. The fund will support the rapid piloting and evaluation of new digital platforms, apps and technologies to determine their long-term use and potential in the health service. Health Minister Vaughan Gething…

This week it was announced that Cocorico Patisserie head chef, owner and 2017 Bake Off: Crème de la Crème finalist Laurian Veaudour will be competing in this year’s Great British Bake Off alongside his Pastry Chef Thibault Courtoisier, who came second in the UK Sugar Championships in 2017. Since 2010, Cocorico Patisserie on Whitchurch Road has been creating delicious French delicacies in the Welsh capital; from praline and hazelnut cream-filled Paris-Brest, to salted caramel-filled tarte au chocolat. However, due to the continued social distancing measures in place across Wales, the café had been closed for business. With new systems in place, the patisserie…

RSPCA Cymru has issued a reminder about the importance of responsible angling, after a herring gull was trapped by an unattended, fully-baited rod in North Wales. The warning comes with recreational fishing activity expected to increase in Wales amid an easing of Covid-19 restrictions. The Welsh Government has confirmed that local, socially-distanced fishing has been allowed under regulations previously passed into law – and with people now allowed to exercise more than once a day, it is anticipated that fishing activity may increase. Officers from the animal welfare charity were alerted after a gull was caught on a fishing hook,…