Author: Rhys Gregory

A pioneering manager who helped develop the first and only independent living refuge for domestic abuse victims in North Wales has won a prestigious award. Alison Hamlington, who recently retired from Welsh Women’s Aid Wrexham (WWAW), has spent the past 21 years ensuring survivors of domestic abuse receive the best level of care and support they need to recover from their experiences. As the organisation’s Service Delivery Manager, Alison was part of a multi-agency team behind the launch of a pioneering refuge facility providing five two-bedroom units in Wrexham with additional communal areas to ensure families receive the space and…

A Mid Wales guest house, which opened less than six months ago, has been named the Best Hotel in Wales 2019 by The Sunday Times. [aoa id=”1″] The Royston, on the outskirts of Llanbrynmair, near Machynlleth features prominently in the newspaper’s 100 Top British Hotels, Best Places to Stay 2019. Considering it’s their first foray into hospitality, owner/managers Clive Sweeting and Rob Perham are delighted to have been awarded such an accolade for their guest house. The Royston is a unique, laid back, seven-room contemporary guest house set in 10 acres of rural pastureland. Offering a welcome respite from daily…

VOLUNTEERS from Coleg Cambria took part in a clean-up of streets and rivers in north east Wales. The Big Dee Day saw more than 50 work-based learning staff from the college spend hours tidying up areas of Deeside. Focusing on the River Dee, they picked up litter, pulled up weeds and dragged plastic bottles and other items out of the water. During two shifts, the volunteers spruced up parts of Saltney, Sandy Lane, Broughton and Sealand. Their incredible efforts saw more than two kilometres of riverbank and cycle paths cleared, 40 bin bags filled and a new access route to…

Swansea shoppers will see local green charity, The Environment Centre, take over Lush this weekend, as the store host’s the charity pop-up on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th October. This weekend, Lush on Oxford Street will host a pop-up stall with The Environment Centre, who will be raising awareness of local environmental issues, and how people from Swansea can get involved. Shoppers will also be able to purchase plastic free alternatives to everyday items, all proceeds of which will directly support the charity.  Phil McDonnell, Environment Centre manager, said: “It’s great to see businesses in Swansea, like Lush, supporting charities like ours…

The Incurable Optimist, which aired on BBC 2 Wales in March, tells the story of 24-year-old Amy-Claire Davies who, despite living every day in pain and fear of sudden death, retains overwhelming positivity and hope for the future.Originally from Swansea, Amy-Claire, who was born with an unknown genetic disease, spent some time during her earlier years at Ty Hafan children’s hospice, where doctors thought she would die, before latterly moving to Lewis Martin Court, Cardiff, where she currently lives. The documentary gives an insight into her optimistic outlook on life living with her complex medical needs. Speaking after the BAFTA…

JCP Solicitors has signed up to the first national campaign in Wales designed to end the stigma around mental health issues, by giving its support to Hafal as its Charity of the Year. JCP recently signed the Time to Change Wales pledge, a campaign being delivered by Hafal in partnership with Mind Cymru, aimed at improving people’s understanding of mental illness and diminishing the discrimination and stigma that surrounds it. One of Hafal’s Time To Change champions, Stephen Lewis, spoke movingly at the signing event, about his own ongoing struggles with mental health issues, and about how a supportive workplace…

Police officers carrying out searches of rivers and waterways near Trelewis as part of the investigation into the disappearance of 22 year-old Brooke Morris, sadly located the body of a woman in a stretch of the River Taff earlier this afternoon (16 October, 2019). Formal identification has not yet taken place, but Brooke’s family have been informed and continue to be supported by officers.

A family-run Hungarian food and drinks company in Ceredigion has received a £20,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales to help them to grow their business and meet the public demand for healthy and organic food. Mother and son duo, Monika Gyenes and Zoltan Kopacsi, are the owners of wholesale food store Best of Hungary based in Ceredigion. Having lived in Wales for the past 12 years, they bring premium quality Hungarian fine food and wine from the heartland of Hungary straight to their customers’ doorstep. Zoltan Kopacsi, Managing Director, looks after the day-to-day running of the business as…

LUXURY Lodges has announced it is creating up to 110 new jobs to support the £15million investment in its Laugharne Resort & Milkwood Spa in Carmarthenshire. The current 77 lodges at the resort are being expanded to 125, and a state-of-the-art £6million clubhouse, boasting an infinity swimming pool, outside hydrotherapy pool, a panoramic sauna, and an elevated restaurant and bar, will be unveiled in the New Year. Now the company is recruiting dozens of staff to work at the new facilities, and is holding a recruitment day next month. Sharon Hurley, founder of Luxury Lodges, said: “These are obviously extremely…

Three Welsh landmarks were lit up Green and Blue to celebrate World Cerebral Palsy Day (6th October) and Bobath Wales’ Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month during the first week of October October is the charity’s ‘Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month’ (CPAM) and to launch their pan Wales awareness campaign, City Hall in Cardiff was magnificently lit up Blue and Green on the 1st October. This illumination was made possible thanks to a kind donation of lighting gels by Andrew Hicks from Stage Sound Services, whose goddaughter has cerebral palsy and attends Bobath Wales for specialist therapy. October 6th 2019 was World Cerebral…