Author: Rhys Gregory

Parents doing jobs critical to Wales’ response to coronavirus will get free childcare during the pandemic. The Welsh Government is launching a coronavirus childcare assistance scheme to support Wales’ critical workers. Under the new plans, councils will be able to use funding from the Welsh Government’s Childcare Offer to support registered childcare providers to care for pre-school-aged children of critical workers. Children who are considered vulnerable will also be included in the scheme. The changes will cover the next three months and provide care for children under five. Wales’ existing childcare offer provides 30 hours of early education and childcare to the working parents of three and…

Locked down care home residents are getting creative to keep their spirits up during the coronavirus crisis. The team at the Pendine Park  care organisation are using everything from music and art to videos and social media technology to counter the emotional and practical impacts of dealing with daily life in the national emergency situation. Artist in Residence Sarah Edwards said: “It might sound crazy but in some of our art sessions residents were encouraged to create models of what they think the virus looks like which they made out of  papier maché, balloons, plastic cups and paint. “The use…

Musical Theatre students at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) have created an alternative online version of a project they’d planned to perform on stage. As part of their first year studies, the students had been working on a ‘Musicals Through the Ages’ project but after learning that they wouldn’t be able to perform their end of year project on stage, students on UWTSD’s BA Musical Theatre course set about creating a very different type of performance online. Under the direction of Musical Director, David Laugharne, the students had been rehearsing a range of pieces from Cole Porter…

A training programme designed to develop the food and drink processing and manufacturing industry has hit a major milestone, having supported 100 businesses with their training needs within its first year of delivery. The Food Skills Cymru programme is delivered by Lantra and supports businesses of all sizes within the Welsh food and drink sector, ensuring employees have the right skills and training for their business and the wider industry as a whole. Working across all sectors within the industry, it helps employees adapt to future economic and environmental challenges and capitalise on opportunities for business development and growth. Commenting…

A blind campaigner is supporting RNIB Cymru in calling for supermarkets and Welsh Government to recognise that people with sight loss need priority access to online shopping. Rachel Jones, 35, from Powys, says she has found it impossible to book a delivery slot in April and worries that people living with sight loss across Wales will struggle to keep their cupboards full during lockdown. Rachel said: “I live in mid Wales so am quite isolated anyway, but now I am suddenly not able to go to the supermarket at all. The nearest Sainsburys is 30 miles away. I can’t use…

Final year medical students from Swansea University will be joining NHS staff in the fight against Covid-19. The General Medical Council is offering early provisional registration to students who wish to sign up to begin duties and help respond to the pandemic. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Head of Graduate Entry Medicine at Swansea University Medical School, said the students would be contacted individually by the GMC in the next week to invite them to apply for early pre-registration. She said: “Swansea Medical School is proud of its excellent final year students, most of whom have already volunteered to work clinically in…

One of the UK’s largest recruitment agencies, Smart Solutions, has reported surge in the use of its virtual workforce management portal as ‘safe distancing’ companies scramble to recruit in sectors under demand. The Newport-headquartered company has responded to the increase in employment issues created by the Covid-19 pandemic with a series of measures to support both employers and employees across the UK. Staff have been working around the clock as many sectors have been affected by the pandemic. Huge reductions in operations have been made in some areas, where others, especially waste and recycling, logistics and food retail have launched…

LEADING South Wales security company Specialist Security has offered advice to those with vacant commercial property. As many businesses adapt to working remotely, hundreds of thousands of commercial properties are being left vacant. During this time, it is important for business owners and building managers to ensure all commercial property is appropriately secured, says Specialist Security managing director Rachel Fleri. Failing to secure a commercial property properly can lead to it being broken into, vandalised or its contents, including stock and essential equipment, damaged. Not only does this have the potential to further delay the business being able to return…

The Together for Cardiff volunteer force is now a 1,000-strong group of residents from across the city who have pledged to give their time and services to help people in need during the COVID-19 emergency. In only two weeks, the scheme has been flooded with offers of support and assistance as the city gets to grips with the challenges presented by the Coronavirus crisis and seeks to ensure that vulnerable people are able to get the provisions and support they need at this difficult time. Hosted on the Volunteer Cardiff website, Together for Cardiff acts as abrokering service, matching people…

Up to 7,000 extra hospital beds are being created by NHS Wales as it prepares for an increase in coronavirus cases, Health Minister Vaughan Gething today revealed. Critical care capacity has more than doubled across Wales and 1,000 new ventilators are on order. The plans have been bolstered by a massive response from recently retired NHS staff ready to return to work – 1,300 healthcare professionals have already responded and 1,200 registered GP locums are preparing to enter the NHS Wales workforce. They will be supported by thousands of trainees. Health Minister Vaughan Gething said: “I have been overwhelmed by…