Author: Rhys Gregory

A ground breaking ceremony has signalled the start of a new housing development in Pencoed which will deliver 40 much-needed affordable homes on the site of the former Pencoed Primary School. [aoa id=”1″] Hafod, Bridgend County Borough Council and Bridgend based contractor, Jehu Group are working in partnership to redevelop the site which will help to meet a high demand for homes in the area. Hafod has invested over £20m in building new homes in the county borough in the past five years and is pleased to see this latest development underway. Jas Bains, Hafod Chief Executive, said: “The site…

Rusty – a gorgeous six-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier – arrived at RSPCA Bryn-Y-Maen Animal Centre back in June but he entered into RSPCA care back in April. [aoa id=”1″] RSPCA animal centre manager Victoria Williams said: “Rusty is such a sweetheart – but unfortunately he has struggled adjusting to kennel life. “At the moment he spends his time residing in the office, keeping a watchful eye on the staff at the centre. Rusty loves sleeping and can often be heard snoring in the office! We just love him – but we’d love nothing more to find a forever home for…

Grey Trees Brewery, based in Aberdare in South Wales, has won silver in the Champion Beer of Britain competition, one of the most prestigious and well-recognised beer awards. Hosted by CAMRA, judging takes place on the opening day of the Great British Beer Festival (6-10 August, Olympia London). [aoa id=”1″] Afghan IPA was a previous winner of the Strong Bitters category, taking first place in 2017. Made from Cascade, Citra and Simcoe hops, the ale has a tropical hop aroma and a crisp taste. The Champion Beer of Britain is the culmination of almost a year of local tasting panels…

Swansea-based Internet of Things (IoT) company, Vortex IoT, has appointed a new Head of Sales as part of its ambitious expansion plans.

The animal welfare charity was contacted yesterday (5 August) after the gull was found covered in blood in a garden at Broad Street. [aoa id=”1″] RSPCA inspector Gemma Black said: “When I got there I discovered a gull that couldn’t stand with a nasty wound on its wing. “It was immediately odd as it was confined to a garden with no access in and out. Based on its injuries I suspected the gull had been shot – likely mid flight or whilst on a nearby roof. [/aoa] “I took the gull to nearby vets who sadly immediately made the decision…

A nurse at Wales’ largest Emergency Unit is the first nurse in Wales to receive Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) accreditation from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM). [aoa id=”1″] Ponnie Jayakumar, who has worked at the Emergency Unit at the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) since 2003, started her journey towards the new RCEM accreditation in 2015 after qualifying as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in 2013. Ponnie started her nursing career in India in 1992 and came to Wales to join UHW in 2003 working as a staff nurse before becoming a sister in 2008. With 24 years of…

A WREXHAM schoolboy braved an encounter with some giant creepy crawlies at a summer holiday event raising money for a charity centre which is a lifeline for his brother. Callum Edwards-Owen met an array of African mini beasts which invaded Eagles Meadow shopping centre in Wrexham as part of a series of free summer school break activities. He overcame his fears to help raise money and awareness for Dynamic, a Wrexham-based centre for children and young people with disabilities. The unusual ‘meet and greet’ was part of a four-week programme of family events hosted by Eagles Meadow shopping centre to mark…

Roller derby is a cultural phenomenon and one of the fastest growing sports in Europe. It is a sport created by, and for, women and in Hell on Wheels, the Cardiff-based Tiger Bay Brawlers take on the biggest challenge of their sporting lives. [aoa id=”1″] Focusing on the fortunes of the Brawlers, the programme charts the lives of Wales’ first and best roller derby team as they compete in the European Continental Championships. Laura Kemp, a member of the Tiger Bay Brawlers, said; “When we started this journey we didn’t know what to expect other than we wanted to share our experience of…

A quick search online will bring up a multitude of options for improving and maintaining good mental health. Minimalism is a buzzword that’s often thrown around these days, but it’s far more than a concept that simply helps us to reorganise our homes and achieve more space in an effective and visually pleasing manner. In fact, minimalism can be an extremely useful way to combat mental illness of any severity level, from anxiety and depression to schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder. Minimalism means that there are fewer things to distract or trigger you, positively impacting your mental health and giving…

Sandy James, 61, is manager of NatWest’s Queen Street branch in the Welsh capital and is currently the longest serving member of staff at any of the bank’s branches in Wales. [aoa id=”1″] She started working for NatWest in 1974 at her home-town branch in Penarth when she was just 16. Her first jobs included printing cheque books and folding statements, yet she quickly rose through the ranks and in a distinguished career has worked in marketing, insurance and branch banking for NatWest. She has spent the last 12 years of her career managing Wales’ biggest NatWest branch in Cardiff…