Author: Rhys Gregory

A hospital worker determined to highlight the plight of homeless people paraded the catwalk at a top fashion show wearing cardboard boxes, sheets of newspaper and silver foil. Catrin Stace-Jones, an operating department practitioner at Spire Yale Hospital in Wrexham who is also a successful plus-size model, donned the ‘statement dress’ she made herself at a Miss Voluptuous Pageant staged in Warrington and the incredible outfit helped earn her runner’s up position for the Wales area. “I was so pleased, not just for myself, but because raising awareness about homelessness is massively important to me and to my colleagues at Spire…

A GREEN-FINGERED group of schoolchildren have helped a growing food distribution firm plant more than 500 trees as part of an ongoing commitment to reduce the company’s carbon footprint. Harlech Foodservice, which has its headquarters on Parc Bwyd, Llanystumdwy, near Criccieth, enlisted the skills of 10 youngsters, aged between seven and 11 from nearby Ysgol Llanystumdwy to help with the green project to transform a narrow piece of waste ground on the edge of its main site. The growing firm, which employs around 200 people and has a satellite base in Chester, ordered in more than 500 trees and shrubs,…

A key moment in Swansea’s £135m digital arena scheme is due to take place early next month. The overnight activity on February 1 will see around 25 construction professionals – including 6 demolition experts – remove Oystermouth Road’s tired-looking 40-year-old Oystermouth Road footbridge. They will use of two 25m-tall cranes. The bridge will make way – in due course – for a broader, partially covered new landmark bridge. The removal work is being managed – on behalf of Swansea Council – by Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd, the principal contractor on the eye-catching Swansea Central Phase One transformation scheme. The lift of…

Jayne Ludlow’s Cymru will play their first match in Wrexham since 2012 when they face Estonia on Friday, 6 March (KO 19:00). Estonia are managed by former Cymru manager Jarmo Matikainen and it will be the fourth time the sides have faced each other. Cymru have won two matches and drawn one in the previous encounters. The Estonia match is key preparation for Ludlow’s side ahead of the second half of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2021 qualification campaign. Cymru currently sit second in Group C with two key home matches against the Faroe Islands and Norway in April. A return…

COLEG CAMBRIA begins the decade with a new chief executive who plans to take the award-winning institution “to the next level”. Yana Williams has a long-term vision for the north east Wales college and will build on the foundations laid by predecessor David Jones OBE. The former CEO/Principal of Hugh Baird College in Liverpool vowed to put students at the heart of every decision and unite communities and industry behind a fresh strategy that will make Cambria “even more innovative” in the future. Ms Williams was both a student and manager at the former Deeside College – which merged with…

The Cardiff franchise of a global network of part-time performing arts schools has ambitions to grow by 150 per cent over the next five years, after coming under new ownership. Stagecoach Performing Arts Cardiff, which teaches children to sing, dance and act, has been bought by experienced teacher Kate Davies after she secured funding from NatWest. Kate has worked at Stagecoach for over 15 years and decided to purchase the franchise when the existing owner wanted to sell in November. The franchise currently operates from two schools in Leckwith, Cardiff, and teaches 120 children between the ages of four and…

A Bursary to support a young person from Pembrokeshire in their studies has been awarded by PLANED in partnership with Bluestone National Park Resort and the Retreats Group.Former Pembrokeshire College Student Gwenno Davies has been awarded the £1500 bursary to help her in her studies. Gwenno is studying BA (Hons) Hotel and Hospitality Management at the University of South Wales. Speaking about the award PLANED CEO, Iwan Thomas said: “With tourism and hospitality currently employing approximately over 17% of the workforce within the county, we want to help promote what is on offer within the sector, at all levels, which…

Amanda Mealing, WaterAid’s newest ambassador, who plays Connie Beauchamp in BBC One’s Casualty, has given up her three double-espressos a day to drink nothing but water this January to raise money for WaterAid, and is encouraging others to do the same. Amanda is taking part in the international charity’s Just Water challenge which invites detoxers to kick the caffeine, beat the booze, and forgo the fizzy whilst raising money to help transform lives by providing clean water to some of the world’s poorest communities. The initiative offers an ideal way to save money, reduce waste and detox this January while…

Endangered varieties of apples and pears have been saved for future generations thanks to a ‘living museum’ planted by researchers at Aberystwyth University. More than 60 historic Welsh apple and pear varieties feature in a new heritage orchard established at the University’s Gogerddan campus by plant breeder and geneticist Dr Danny Thorogood from the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Science (IBERS). The orchard was created as part of a National Lottery Heritage Fund project managed by the Welsh Perry and Cider Society. It will ensure scientists and growers have access to a genetic resource for all of Wales’s ancient…

Members of the Senedd have unanimously backed the general principles of a law which will ban the use of wild animals in travelling circuses in Wales.  A vote took place on the floor of the Welsh Parliament this week (7 January), with all Members in favour – meaning a ban on the “out-dated practice” draws ever nearer. RSPCA Cymru has long led the campaign to outlaw the use of wild animals in travelling circuses in Wales – with the country now one step closer to joining 45 others across the world who have taken some action on the issue. Travelling…