Author: Rhys Gregory

Today, 26 education professionals in Wales have been revealed as finalists of the fourth annual Professional Teaching Awards Cymru. After what has been an incredibly challenging year for teachers, staff, pupils, and their families, it has never been more important to recognise the commitment and hard work of our education professionals across Wales. With the original ceremony postponed due to the pandemic, celebrations will now be held virtually on Sunday 29th November. Over 100 nominations were collated earlier this year from pupils, colleagues, and parents who want to celebrate the extraordinary teachers in their lives. The nominees have now been…

Additional funding of over £500,000 has been agreed to support several regeneration projects in the Caerphilly county borough. The funding was unanimously approved by Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Cabinet, during a remote meeting held on Wednesday (11th November). The investment, which forms part of the Regeneration Project Board Development Fund, will be used to support previously agreed projects including improvements to town centres in response to Covid-19, the regeneration of Caerphilly town centre, funding to help unlock  Plateau 1 Oakdale Business Park for development, a contribution to the refurbishments to Caerphilly Workmen’s Hall & Institute, and funding to explore the…

A new temporary mini bus service is being introduced by Swansea Council to help transport residents between Gorseinon and Pontarddulais. The council has stepped in to fund the new shuttle service following confirmation by Network Rail that they are closing a bridge to carry out maintenance. The bridge, along Pentre Road (B4296) usually carries First Cymru and Adventure Travel bus services between the two communities, however, the existing bus services will terminate at Grovesend during the works and not continue on to Pontarddulais due to the lengthy diversion route involved. The council has since been in talks with Network Rail…

Cardiff Bus remains an accredited living wage employer for the fifth year in a row as it continues to pay its 550 members of staff an hourly rate that is above the standard living wage. The bus operator has shown its support for Living Wage Week, which runs from Monday 9th to Sunday 15th November, as one of 263 accredited employers in Wales who are committed to ensuring staff wages meet the true cost of living and covers everyday needs. The living wage is an hourly rate of pay calculated by the Living Wage Foundation charity based on what people…

The Cardiff office of global property consultancy Knight Frank has recruited Rohan Short as a senior appointment in its expanding Business Rates advisory team in South Wales and the South West. He joins after spending 14 years at CBRE in Bristol, acting for many companies including Lloyds Banking Group, TSB, PWC, Pret a Manger, B&M and Sports Direct. Rohan has acted for, and advised, a wide range of landlords and occupiers of commercial properties throughout the region, reducing rates liabilities and saving many millions of pounds by prosecuting appeals against Rateable Values, and negotiating temporary reliefs and allowances. He said:…

Learna, the Cardiff-based provider of postgraduate online education, has experienced its highest student intake to date with 63% more students enrolling for 2020-21 than this time last year. Learna’s online courses span specialist Postgraduate Diploma’s and MSc’s for medical professionals, to a new portfolio of Executive MBA’s. Delivered in partnership with The University of South Wales and The University of Gibraltar, Learna courses offer an online alternative to standard postgraduate courses, providing a way for business and healthcare professionals to grow their skills from home. The significant growth in student numbers is accompanied by 16 new full-time hires for the…

A blind woman from Bridgend has been shortlisted for an RNIB See Differently ‘Coronavirus Heroes’ Award after she used her singing talent to help lift the spirits of her neighbours, as well as strangers far and wide, during the pandemic. Anne Wilkins, 67, has been blind since birth due to retinopathy of prematurity, a condition that can develop in premature babies. In May, during a ‘clap for the NHS’, Anne sang a mesmerising rendition of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ on her doorstep. She was accompanied by her great friend Sian Davies on keyboard and her neighbour, West End actor Alyn Hawke, filmed her recital and shared it online.…

House parties, large outdoor gatherings and breaches of travel restrictions have all been the focus of enforcement action by South Wales Police in the last few days. In line with forces throughout the UK, the force has worked to maintain a consistent approach of policing by consent regardless of which coronavirus restrictions are in place. While the majority continue to do their bit to support the collective effort to slow the spread of the virus, officers have been left with little option but to enforce the regulations on a number of occasions both during and post the firebreak period. In…

After 205 days, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (UHB) has formally left Ysbyty Calon Y Ddraig, Dragon’s Heart Hospital. The hospital will now complete its decommissioning plan to allow for the reinstatement of the Principality Stadium. Ysbyty Calon Y Ddraig, Dragon’s Heart Hospital, the second-largest field hospital in the UK, was constructed as part of NHS Wales’ response to Covid-19. The hospital is an example of how Cardiff and Vale UHB worked collaboratively with a wide range of partners including Cardiff Council, Welsh Rugby Union, Cardiff Blues, The Armed Forces, Mott MacDonald, Archus, Q5, BDP and ES Global. To…

A joint initiative between Bouygues UK and Cardiff Blues Community Foundation to engage secondary school pupils in career discussions was launched this week at Pencoedtre High School in Barry. Cardiff Blues Tackle scheme is a sport engagement programme linked with essential and life skills workshops aimed to engage, inspire and motivate young people through an alternative curriculum experience. The eight-week course aims to engage pupils from years 8 to 10 initially, through workshops and practical sessions geared towards career aspirations and higher education avenues. It aims to give children the chance to develop their employability skills and develop prospects by…