Author: Rhys Gregory

This week, the Bank of England’s new £20 note comes into circulation with tactile markings to help make it easy for blind and partially sighted people to decipher it from existing £5 and £10 notes. The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has been working with the Bank of England for many years to make money accessible for people with sight loss, with the new polymer note featuring acclaimed artist JMW Turner. The new note has tactile markings on it with three separate clusters of dots along the short edge to differentiate it from the £10 note, which has…

Swansea food and drink venues are being inspired to serve up more local produce. People behind the city’s cafes, bars and restaurants gathered at a special showcase event. They were joined by tourism businesses eager to increase their local food offer – and met food producers and farmers from around Swansea. Producers who attended included Gower Cottage Brownies, Coco Bean Wales, Gower Coffee, Farm Co, Little Valley Bakery, Gluten Free Baking, Gower Gin, Pop Cycle, Gower Fudge and Good For You Ferments. The event, at Ocean View, was organised by the Swansea Bay Tourism and Swansea Rural Development Partnership which…

Wates Construction is inviting local people to pay a visit to its Briardene Walk construction site in Cardiff as part of Open Doors Week (Monday 16 – Saturday 21 March), in a bid to encourage more people to consider a career in the construction industry. With 179,000 additional jobs expected in the UK’s construction sector by 2021, the scheme intends to inspire people to choose a career in construction; regardless of whether they’re school leavers, graduates or career changers and returners. Briardene Walk is one of over a dozen sites that Wates will be opening its doors to and welcoming…

The students are fronting a free six-month creative writing course launched by Swansea Council’s Fusion Project, Swansea University and the Dylan Thomas Centre. Writers of any ability – from newcomers to lifelong enthusiasts – are welcome to attend the classes that are held once a month. Robert Francis-Davies, the council’s cabinet member for investment, regeneration and tourism, said: “We hope attendees will learn skills that can support them with their ongoing creative journey. “The aim is to support creativity and build confidence. We’re investing in a full cultural programme for Swansea and this is a great introduction for our residents.…

Following the success of its first event last year, tech giants Google brought its Google Digital Garage programme back to the Wrexham Enterprise Hub. The free-to-attend digital skills event, hosted in partnership with Google Digital Garage, was held on the 13th of February at the Hub on Rhossddu road. Experts from Google Digital Garage gave free advice and coaching to help local people develop their digital skills, which will help them find a job or grow their business, career or confidence. The event included a masterclass in digital marketing along with a workshop on how to create compelling content for…

Farmers and further education students from across Wales have visited IBERS (Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences) to learn about ongoing precision agriculture technology research at Coleg Cambria Llysfasi and Aberystwyth University. These events were organised as part of the ‘PreciseAg’ (Precision livestock farming for a sustainable Welsh agricultural industry) project which is run by IBERS and Cambria with funding from HEFCW and support from Farming Connect. The project is undertaking essential, early stage development, of technologies and models which will aid livestock production throughout the UK and beyond. The Precise Ag initiative began in 2018 and is focusing…

A local hospice based in Cardiff will hold their annual charity dog walk; Wag this Way on Sunday 29th March in Bute Park. City Hospice will welcome dogs and their humans to this special event, as they raise funds to support palliative care throughout the capital. Wag this Way 2020 will be hosted by local DJ’s Wyburn and Wayne, and also feature a special doggy warmup with the team from the Village Gym, who are sure to get everyone raring to go. Walkers will also enjoy entertainment, refreshments and a variety of dog themed stalls. The 5km route will take…

Waste products from farms could be used to produce a high-energy, low-cost and environmentally-friendly feed for livestock. Scientists from the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University are working with colleagues from University College Cork in Ireland to investigate how slurry and wastewater from the dairy industry could be put to better use. In a £1.375m project funded by the Interreg Ireland-Wales EU programme, the aim is to use farm waste to grow duckweed – a fast-growing plant biomass which can then be used as a protein source for feeding livestock. If successful, the project will…

Work has started to transform two Swansea Bay hospital gardens into beautiful places for patients, visitors and staff to enjoy. A courtyard at Morriston Hospital and the grounds of Gorseinon Hospital are being completely redesigned thanks to funding from the National Lottery People’s Projects. More than £50,000 was awarded to the Healthy Hospital Gardens initiative, led by Keep Wales Tidy, to update the spacious outdoor areas. The funds are being shared across the two sites, as well as Ysbyty Cwm Rhondda in Llwynypia, to create the new gardens. Now, the first volunteers have been getting their hands dirty at Gorseinon,…

Rhondda Cynon Taff Council has announced plans to provide financial support to residents and businesses affected by the flooding following Storm Dennis. The Council will provide support, via a new Community Flood Recovery Grant – Hardship Payment, of £500 for residents and £1,000 for businesses, which have suffered internal property damage through flooding. It is estimated that over 530 homes and at least 300 businesses across the County Borough have been affected by flood waters. With further inclement weather forecast this week, efforts will continue to prioritise actions to protect residents and businesses. RCT Council is also in close contact with Natural…