Author: Rhys Gregory

When schools in Wales finally start reopening their doors later this month, they will welcome pupils back to a very different educational experience. Fewer sessions, smaller class sizes, staggered start and finish times, limited physical contact with their friends and regular hand washing are just some of the changes pupils can expect when they return to the classroom as schools ramp up health and safety measures to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus. But as important as it will be to look after pupils’ physical health and personal safety, of equal importance will be protecting their emotional wellbeing and…

Around 10,500 jobs will be lost in the tourism and hospitality industry in North Wales even if it’s allowed to start trading again on July 1 – with another 2,000 at risk if it’s a month later. That’s the stark conclusion of a survey conducted by North Wales Tourism with support from the North Wales Mersey Dee Business Council. More than 320 businesses from across the region responded to the survey this week about the dire impact of the Covid-19 lockdown. The analysis showed that when they’re allowed to open, 60 per cent of them will be trading at 50…

Dozens of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 in Swansea have volunteered for a clinical trial which has already seen life-saving results. So far, more than 50 people admitted to Morriston or Singleton hospitals have agreed to take part in the UK-wide Recovery trial. This tests a range of potential treatments against the virus. The study team at Oxford University has now confirmed that one of the drugs, the low-dose steroid dexamethasone, cuts the risk of death by a third for those on ventilators and by a fifth for those on oxygen. It has also shown that a treatment which had been…

With the majority of the population in Wales still at home, many are using this time to improve their health and fitness.  Here, Dr Peter Herbert, a Physiologist at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and a leading authority on fitness in the older generation discusses why it’s the middle aged or elderly that will benefit the most from leading a more active lifestyle. If any good comes from this pandemic it will be highlighting the importance of physical activity. In 2015, my research colleagues and I, presented four scientific papers from my work with elderly people, presented at…

Savills Cardiff has announced the acquisition of a 2.75 acre site at Plasdwr by family-run operator, Lewis Homes. Part of Cardiff’s Garden City development, to the north west of the Welsh capital, Lewis Homes will deliver a scheme of 56 new homes and apartments. The scheme, known as Dol Werdd, will form one of five distinct neighbourhoods within Plasdwr, each with its own individual identity. Lewis Homes has now secured reserved matters approval a mix of two and three story homes. The new homes will take a contemporary design and will be arranged over intimate streets and around high quality…

A careless driver who ploughed in to a cyclist before driving off and leaving him with life-changing injuries is today starting an eight-month jail term. Keaton Richards was driving his black Seat Leon over the bridge on Wood Street in Cardiff city centre at around 11.20pm on August 22, when he was in collision with a cyclist. Panicking, the 23-year-old and his passenger left the scene, abandoning the car on Sevenoaks Road, before returning home and reporting the car stolen. When interviewed by police Richards denied being the driver of the car at the time of the collision, insisting the…

When you’re searching for a new car, there’s a lot of factors you’ll want to consider. It is one of the biggest investments you’re going to make so you need to ensure you get it right. It’s important to think about buying a car as a future investment. After all, it’s going to be with you for at least the next three years. Here, you’ll discover a brief guide to buying a car as an investment for the future. Always research your options There are so many options when it comes to buying a car. Are you going to buy…

One of Wales’ leading medical supply company Hospital Innovations has been generously assisted by Sony to securely store thousands of safety gowns at its UK Technology Centre in Pencoed. Hospital Innovations recently secured a significant deal to supply 100,000 disposable medical gowns to one of the UK’s largest private hospital groups. To fulfil the contract, the Talbot Green-based distributor took an immediate shipment of 40,000 non-sterile, waterproof gowns from its European manufacturing facility, and liaised with Sony to safely store the excess gowns before they are distributed to recipients. https://twitter.com/HospInnovations/status/1257327160920084486 Hospital Innovations specialises in delivering innovative solutions to hospitals and…

The winners of Wales’s national St David Awards 2020 were announced last night by First Minister Mark Drakeford. This year’s awards were originally scheduled to be held in March but were postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. In a message to all the St David Awards recipients, the First Minister said he hoped the “everyday but extraordinary” winners will find comfort in their recognition. The award categories are: Bravery, Humanitarian, Community Spirit, Young Person, Innovation, Science and Technology, Business, Culture, Sport and the First Minister’s Special Award. This year’s special award winner is former international rugby player Gareth Thomas, who…

The Welsh Government Duty of Care campaign to encourage people to help tackle fly-tipping relaunches today. To remind householders in Wales that they must always use a registered waste carrier to remove unwanted household items and excess rubbish from their homes. With over 70% of fly-tipping incidents in Wales containing household rubbish, The campaign, in partnership with Fly Tipping Action Wales, calls on people to take responsibility for their excess rubbish, keep their local area clean and avoid fines and prosecution by using their duty of care to ensure they know where their waste is going and not put it…