Author: Rhys Gregory

A trade body has welcomed recognition by the Welsh government of the important role of builders’ merchants in its plans to ease the lockdown. The sector is specifically mentioned in the traffic light roadmap, which sets out how Wales could exit the coronavirus lockdown Available to view online, the document was unveiled on Friday (15 May) by First Minister Mark Drakeford. The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has already produced operating protocols for the safe operation of merchants during Covid-19, which adhere to the roadmap’s requirements. The BMF’s 18-page document sets out guidelines and additional precautions for builders’ merchant staff to follow…

There has been a boost to the numbers of adults learning Welsh during lockdown, with over 8,000 learners starting new digital learning courses with the National Centre for Learning Welsh. New national ‘blended learning’ courses, which combine tutor-led distance learning on video conferencing platforms with independent online study, have attracted 1,300 beginners. The free, 10-week courses have just started, with learners from Wales and beyond joining 89 virtual classes, which are taught by enthusiastic and experienced tutors based in all parts of the country. Since mid March, almost 7,000 learners have also followed the Centre’s free online ‘taster’ courses, which…

Cardiff bus users will now be able to seamlessly travel around the city thanks to a collaboration between leading bike share operator nextbike, the Cardiff Bus app and its developer Passenger. nextbike will feature on the app, which allows its 53,000 monthly users to find out everything they need for travelling around the city by bus, from journey planning to live times and purchasing tickets. The addition of nextbike will give passengers the option to hop off a service and grab an available bike to travel on. Bosses at nextbike, Cardiff Bus and Passenger, believe this move allows essential workers travelling…

KIND-HEARTED college staff are making hundreds of scrubs bags for frontline workers while in lockdown. Nichola Evans, Joanne Breeze and Rachel Harrison are among the Coleg Cambria employees manufacturing items to support hospital and care workers in their battle against the Coronavirus pandemic. The trio have been sewing scrubs bags in self-isolation, while colleagues from Deeside and Wrexham continue to produce vital PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) using 3D printers and laser-cutting technology. And the college’s work-based learning team donated more than 300 toiletry products to patients at Mold and Deeside community hospitals who were running out because family are unable…

With international travel all but banned for non-essential trips, NAT Group has announced it will discontinue its overseas operations and focus all of its efforts on running high quality bus services and private hire throughout the UK. NAT Group Managing Director Adam Keen said: “Following the latest Government guidelines that foreign holidays are unlikely for the remainder of 2020, along with increasingly stringent social distancing measures being placed on transport operators, NAT Group has taken the decision to cease our international work with immediate effect. “The current pandemic is a huge factor in this decision, but our coach commitments on…

A new online service will launch on May 26 for small and medium sized employers to recover Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) payments they have made to their employees, the Government has announced today. The Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme was announced at Budget as part of a package of support measures for businesses affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. This scheme will allow small and medium sized employers, with fewer than 250 employees, to apply to HMRC to recover the costs of paying coronavirus-related SSP. Employers will be able to make their claims through a new online service from May…

Residents are being asked to begin using their brown kerbside food caddies again from this date, and to make sure all their recyclables go into their green bags for collection. Waste collected in the black bin or red striped bags will now go back to being collected once every fortnight and residents are reminded that any side waste will not be collected. Green garden waste, bulky collections and the glass bottle and jar trial, however, all remain suspended until further notice. Cllr Michael Michael, Cabinet Member for Clean Streets, Environment and Recycling, said: “Firstly I would like to thank our…

Everyone in Wales with symptoms of coronavirus can now request a test as a new online booking service becomes available. Wales is joining a new UK-wide system for ordering home testing kits, in line with the Welsh Government’s Test Trace Protect strategy. Earlier on Monday, the four UK Chief Medical Officers confirmed the loss or change in smell or taste (anosmia) has been added to the list of symptoms of coronavirus. This means that people will need to self-isolate if they have a loss or changed sense of normal smell or taste. They will also be able to request a…

William Hill’s CEO of the North American Market, Joe Asher, is hopeful the crisis being felt as a result of Coronavirus shall come to pass. When asked about its impact on the sportsbook industry, Asher noted things have deteriorated to the point that he’s had to give up his salary to help over 600 furloughed employees. “This too shall pass,” Asher told the USA Today recently. William Hill furloughed over 600 employees after all land-based casinos and sportsbooks were shut down in the heat of the pandemic early April. But being a caring CEO, Asher took a 100% salary cut…

The family of a man who died when the motorcycle he was travelling on was in collision with a blue Dacia Sandero in Porth on 6th May, 2020, have paid tribute to him. Mike Parsons, 61, was from Rhydyfelin – they said:  “Tragically, on the 6th May we lost Mike in a motorcycle accident and our son Joe was critically injured. “Mike was a lifelong motorcyclist from the age of 16 who loved to ride his bike daily. It was his passion and his life. “He was a devoted husband to Clare, loving father to Joe and Jed, grandfather to…