Author: Rhys Gregory

A new online platform designed to tackle the gap in support for the families of those suffering from cancer has launched. ‘CancerPal’ offers guidance and insight into the practicalities of caring for loved ones, as well as providing hard-to-source products and support boxes that help alleviate symptoms of the illness and its treatments. Eventually, its founder Jo Riley hopes to develop the platform into a community, where friends and families can share experiences, advice and support. Based in Welsh ICE in Caerphilly, the platform launched in November following support from TownSq and the TownSq Accelerator Programme. The community platform and…

The head of a criminal gang which sold crack cocaine and heroin across Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil has been jailed. Yousef Woolcock, 36, from Pendine Close, Barry, was jailed for 17-and-a-half years at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday, 11 December, 2019. Kevin Skinner, 37, of Wyndham Street, Barry, described as a runner in the operation, appeared alongside him and was jailed for five-and-a-half-years. They are the last known members of the Barry-based drugs gang to be jailed – one by one, they have been sentenced over the past 12 months following a protracted police investigation. Operation Blue Pearl…

The husband-and-wife team behind pioneering Spanish bar and restaurant group Ultracomida have announced plans to open a second site in Cardiff city centre. The independent boutique operators – who already run popular pinxtos bar Curado, and two, award-winning Ultracomida deli-restaurants in the coastal towns of Narberth and Aberystwyth, are leaders in bringing a casual dining style influenced by Northern Spain to Wales. The new venue in the Welsh capital, which will be called Vermut (the Catalan for vermouth), will specialise in the sale of sherry, wines from Montilla-Moriles and vermouth, both hugely popular aperitifs in Spain. Modelled on the small, casual…

Kind-hearted directors and staff at an award-winning training provider are helping the homeless in communities across Wales this Christmas. When Loz Gaskin, staff development and Online resource officer at Welshpool headquartered Cambrian Training, suggested supporting theHelping Our Homeless Wales Christmas Shoebox Collection, she was encouraged by the support from within the company. Twenty-three shoeboxes full of essentials, such as hats, gloves, scarves, socks, books, food and chocolate treats, have been collected together with 30 brand new jackets, 15 second hand warm jackets and bags of food. “Within our qualifications, all apprentices complete a module on wellbeing and we encourage them…

Representatives from specialist medical law and serious injury law firm Simpson Millar attended the Headway Annual Awards ceremony in London last week to officially deliver a cheque for over £32,000 which has been raised through staff-led fund-raising initiatives throughout the year. Part of the firm’s commitment to its role as 2019 ‘baton holder’ for the brain injury association charity Headway, the money will be used to support its work helping people who have been directly and indirectly affected by brain injury. The funding efforts from the Cardiff team, and from across Simpson Millar’s network of 11 offices, included taking part…

Project staff usually come in the form of humans – but that isn’t always the case, as the Celtic Rainforests Wales LIFE project uses the services of Connor, a black Highland steer, as an essential member of their team! Working with a pair of red Highland cattle, known as ‘The Twins’, the three have been grazing the RSPB’s Coed-y-Parc site in Dolgellau, and recently moved to RSPB’s Coed Garth Gell reserve inorder to improve the conservation status of these internationally important ancient oak woodlands. These woodlands have a long history of grazing, which has led to the development of many…

The Welsh Varsity will return to Swansea next year with the university sporting showpiece taking place on Wednesday, April 29. Varsity is a festival of sport and sees students from Swansea University and Cardiff University battle it out in over 30 sports including both the men’s and women’s rugby matches. Next year’s event will also see Swansea host Varsity in the same year that the University celebrates its centenary year. Varsity has been an ever-present on the sporting calendar for both Swansea University and Cardiff University since it began in 1997 and has gone from strength to strength each year.…

A group of people with learning difficulties have launched a new recycling service for a care home in Caernarfon. As well as helping Bryn Seiont Newydd to be more eco-friendly, the aim of the innovative scheme organised by Arfon Community Link is to combat social isolation among the people they support. The team come to the home every day to pick up recyclable plastic, tins and cardboard and takes them away to be recycled instead of them going to the local council’s incinerator. They then return the collection boxes to the home ready to be filled up again for collection…

According to a major new study from AncestryDNA, most of us are a lot less Welsh than we think. Research into the genetic makeup of Brits has shown that the average UK resident is in fact only 36.94 percent British, with some particularly interesting ancestry found among those living in Wales.  Looking at the nation’s ethnicity stretching back 500 years, the study into our history covered 26 different global regions, with most of us found to have not only British DNA, but Irish, French, German, and – in the case of Welsh people – strong ties to the Iberian Peninsula. Diverse…

Stuart Price gives his thoughts on what needs to be done to encourage the 4.96 million self-employed workers to save for their pension.