Author: Rhys Gregory

The Vale of Glamorgan Council, Parkwood Leisure and Legacy Leisure have unveiled a new ‘Strength Gym’ at Barry Leisure Centre. Wales’s Strongest Man Jacob Brook – who is also a member and current user of the leisure centre – attended the official opening of the facility. The highly-anticipated space was made possible thanks to funding from Parkwood Leisure, the Vale of Glamorgan Council and the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.This significant upgrade has repurposed an existing space to the side of Barry Leisure Centre, transforming it into a modern state-of-the art Strength and Functional training zone. The 600 metre-square space…

Aimed at removing floating litter and debris, a sea bin at Swansea Marina is helping to improve the cleanliness of the water there. The technology is being trialled, thanks to Swansea Council teaming up with environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy. Sea bins are bucket-shaped devices that rise and fall with the tide, collecting floating litter and debris. As water is drawn in by a pump, it passes through a catch bag which then traps the waste. Clean water is pumped back out, while litter and debris are safely contained for proper disposal. Powered 24 hours a day, the sea bin…

Pembrokeshire County Council is currently reviewing the implementation of 20mph speed limits across the county, following valuable feedback gathered during its recent listening exercise. This review comes in the wake of the Welsh Government’s introduction of a default 20mph speed limit in built-up areas—a policy that has generated considerable discussion across Wales. In Pembrokeshire, many residents, businesses, and community representatives have expressed concerns that a one-size-fits-all approach may not be appropriate for the county’s diverse and predominantly rural road network. The listening exercise took place between May and October 2024. Councillor Rhys Sinnett, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, confirmed that…

The artist behind some iconic Caerphilly public art installations has officially reopened two Caerphilly town squares following a regeneration project. Stockland Square and Windsor Square, on Cardiff Road, were built in the late 1990s featuring now-familiar sculptures of jackdaws and geese, connecting residential streets to one of the town’s main shopping streets. The squares have undergone a full regeneration project under the Caerphilly Town 2035 Placemaking Plan to create a more open social space while introducing more greenery, seating, and improve bin facilities for local businesses. Artist Julie Westerman’s ‘Jackdaws of Caerphilly’ and ‘Gossiping Geese’ bronze works, which have been…

A sauna manufacturer is planning to ramp up production after moving to a new site in Powys that is three times as big as its previous premises. Heartwood Saunas was helped to move from Pantperthog on the Powys/Gwynedd border to the village of Glantwymyn, on the other side of Machynlleth, by a £25,000 Powys County Council Business Growth Grant. It was one of 71 companies supported last year, through the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund-backed scheme. The council grant was put towards the cost of fitting out its new purpose-built workshop and offices, while the company invested a larger amount…

Welsh, Cornish, Scottish Gaelic and Irish language speakers have been part of a pioneering exchange programme celebrating their shared linguistic heritage. The Celtic Exchange programme, developed by the British-Irish Council, brought together young creative professionals to learn new media skills and co-create multilingual content while exploring their common cultural roots. Participants travelled through the Western Isles and met with filmmakers, content creators and musicians to learn how these ancient languages are an intrinsic part of their modern creative work. They discovered more about the similarities between their languages and cultures and built a new and fresh network to develop ideas…

Wales’ £3.7billion aerospace and defence industries are going from strength-to-strength, with around 285 companies now manufacturing in the country, the Welsh Government has revealed. Whilst visiting the prestigious Paris Airshow, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, also reinforced the Welsh Government’s commitment to growing the closely integrated aerospace and defence sectors. Combined, Wales’ aerospace and defence sectors support 16,000 jobs, with a turnover of more than £3.7billion, and contributes around £1.5billion in GVA to the Welsh economy. Eight of the world’s top eleven global aerospace and defence companies maintain significant operations in Wales, including: Airbus, RTX…

Two new members have joined the Board of Cardiff and Vale College Corporation. Sally Davis, Principal of Howell’s School in Cardiff and Dr Jaqui Boddington the former Pro-Vice Chancellor of Cardiff Metropolitan University have both joined the Board as full Governors. Catrin Bennett, Deputy Headteacher of Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Morganwg and Alex Kennedy of Lightcast have become co-opted Governors in their respective specialist areas of expertise in Welsh Language and Educational Data Analytics.  The Board of Governors of Cardiff and Vale College is recruited by Louise Thomas as Head of Group Corporate Governance and Chaired by Geraint Evans MBE .…

GS Verde Group, the award-winning multi-discipline dealmaking business, has announced the opening of its new, larger office in Bristol’s Temple Quay. The new office, sees dealmaking business GS Verde take over the Mezzanine floor of ‘One The Square’, a prime, Grade A office location in the heart of Temple Quay, a sought after location near to Temple Meads train station in the centre of Bristol. The move reflects the firm’s significant growth and increasing demand for its specialist services across the South West, as the new office space is substantially larger than the previous Bristol premises, providing room for GS…

Businesspeople across Wales have gained exclusive behind-the-scenes access to JCB Transmissions to learn about its new hydrogen generator technology, workplace culture, and future developments. Organised by the Institute of Directors (IoD) North Wales, attendees toured the facility in Wrexham and received expert insight into the company’s role in manufacturing components for carbon efficient machinery from JCB operations director Craig Weeks. Guests were equipped with professional leadership knowledge as Craig shared his career journey with the multinational manufacturing business, as well as highlighting key decisions made to increase business growth and efficiency. He also revealed practical ways the firm invests in…