Author: Rhys Gregory

Making sure that students can continue to access mental health and wellbeing services during the lockdown period whilst they continue to learn from home is vitally important, says Wales’ largest further education provider. By adapting some of the ways in which support services are delivered, Grŵp Llandrillo Menai is continuing to meet learners’ welfare and counselling needs as part of their overall response to the coronavirus pandemic. This week, as part of Mental Health Awareness Week 2020, the Grŵp has launched a Wellbeing Calendar with daily activities to promote positive mental health. This is one of several initiatives put in…

A four-year-old girl will complete her 20km in 20 days on Saturday (23rd May) and has raised over £2,000 for the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital Charity. Evie Docherty from Penarth chose to run 20km – the distance between the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales to her house. Her brother, Evan, who is five months old was treated in the Children’s Assessment Unit (CAU) and on Island Ward when he was a few weeks old. Mum, Danielle, is really proud of Evie and said: “She took on the challenge to say thank you to the hospital staff and to help…

With face masks becoming part of normal and everyday outfits for the foreseeable future, a former tailor to the stars who lives in north Wales, Patrick Joseph, who received National Lottery funding for a previous project, has turned his hand to designing beautiful and striking protective garments for key health workers. Through the ‘Telling a Story Through Tailoring’ project, Ruthin-based artist, Patrick – whose previous work includes designing for the stylists of Cheryl Cole, Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams – has adapted his National lottery funded project to create PPE face masks dedicated to nurses, doctors and those working in…

A social care leader is demanding a public inquiry into the lack of Covid-19 testing which turned some care homes into  “coronavirus warzones”. According to Mario Kreft MBE, the chair of Care Forum Wales, it was imperative to understand the reasons how and why the policies adopted by the UK, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Ireland governments had been so misjudged. Mr Kreft was speaking after a survey from Care Forum Wales revealed that 42 per cent of care homes felt they had been pressurised into accepting hospital patients who were either Covid-19 positive or had not been tested. Until recently…

A HOT TUBS company has smashed predicted records as warm weather coupled with the Coronavirus lockdown led to a surge in sales. And Gareth Jones, Managing Director of UK Leisure Living – a past winner and runner up for Spa Retailer of the UK – is encouraging people to support local firms when restrictions are lifted as the hospitality and tourism industry in particular will take a long time to recover from the impact of the pandemic. The St Asaph and Mochdre-based business was 70% up on sales in comparison to the previous April, and May has been the busiest…

A leading Swansea University clinician is among a group of experts calling for the introduction of a risk assessment for frontline health professionals treating coronavirus patients. Their study – Risk stratification for healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic – examined the demographics of those who had been hospitalised and ultimately died due to COVID-19 compared to the general population. Its authors¸ a group of clinical academics and clinicians who belong to the British Medical Association, include Dr Angharad Davies, clinical associate professor in medical microbiology at Swansea University Medical School. Dr Davies said: “Figures show that healthcare workers are at…

Cardiff’s recycling centres are to re-open for the disposal of limited items, but for safety reasons, residents will have to book a timed appointment Cardiff Council has revealed. Bessemer Close Recycling Centre will re-open next Tuesday, May 26th, followed by Lamby Way Recycling Centre on Sunday, May 31st. An online booking system has been set up and anyone that needs to visit a recycling centre will have to make an appointment. The online booking system will be available for the public to use from 12.30pm tomorrow – May 22nd The only items that canbe brought to the recycling centres for…

Morrisons is the first supermarket to offer a safe space where victims of domestic abuse can contact support services.  Morrisons is joining forces with the charity Hestia’s UK SAYS NO MORE campaign because a trip to a supermarket is such a routine activity it’s unlikely to alert an abuser. From Monday consulting rooms in pharmacies in 117 Morrisons stores will be designated safe spaces where Morrisons pharmacists – who have been specially trained – can direct those seeking help to the support they need. Information about the safe spaces and where to get help will also be shared on posters…

A South Wales whisky distillery based at the foothills of the Brecon Beacons has secured a multi-million finance facility from HSBC UK to aid its ambitious growth targets over the next five years. Penderyn Whisky, which produces award-winning single malt whiskies and spirits, is using the funding to secure its production levels and to build and equip its new visitor centre in Llandudno, North Wales. The new visitor centre, which will open on the site of a former school, is expected to be complete by spring 2021 and attract up to 100,000 people a year once open. The centre and…

The average age of those looking to put income protection (IP) in place has dropped dramatically since the outbreak of Covid-19, according to protection insurance broker and comparison service ActiveQuote. Enquiries via the ActiveQuote site from those under 25 rose by more than 400%, by more than 300% from those under 30 and by more than 250% among those under 35 year in March 2020, compared to the same time last year. Signs the crisis is already beginning to affect a new post-Covid generation of employees are beginning to emerge after the number of enquiries from customers aged 20 and…