Author: Rhys Gregory

The Christmas spirit is well and truly alive in Wales, as 10,037 gifts have been donated to the fifth annual St David’s Toy Appeal, bringing the total amount of toys donated since the appeal began to over 45,000. Supporting over 25 incredible charities this year, the St David’s Toy Appeal ensures that no child in South Wales is left empty handed this Christmas, and thanks to the generosity of shoppers, the initiative has generated thousands of donations for charities across Wales that support ill, vulnerable and inspirational children in our communities. Since the appeal’s launch on November 30th, charitable shoppers…

Swansea people are to have their say on the future of one of the city centre’s key locations. They are to be asked for their views on a number of exciting options for the future of Castle Square. Swansea Council will run the consultation in 2020. The council wants to transform the location into a space that captures the charm of the original Castle Gardens, providing a pleasant public space where visitors will want to spend time and relax. It will retain the flexibility to cater for public events in the way the square currently does. Council leader Rob Stewart…

Today might be one of his busiest days of the year, but Santa Claus took some time out of his hectic festive schedule to make a big entrance at Wales’ hospice for children, Tŷ Hafan. With a little help from the Wales Air Ambulance Charity, Santa swapped his sleigh for the recognisable red and green helicopter for the sixth time, and flew into the Sully-based hospice to surprise the children, families and staff with an extra special visit. The crowds, who had just enjoyed a performance of Tŷ Hafan’s Christmas pantomime, gathered outside of the hospice in anticipation after hearing…

South Wales Police has confirmed the identity of the elderly woman who passed away after being involved in a serious road traffic collision on Friday (20 December). Shirley Hope, aged 84, died after the grey Peugeot she was driving was in collision with a red BMW on Rhigos Road at approximately 3pm. Her family have paid the following tribute to her: “We are completely devastated by her loss and she will be sorely missed. We were very close and loved spending time together. Shirley was a loving mother and grandmother and she was extremely proud of her family. She was…

Software piracy is a global industry worth more than £34 billion. Now a Welsh legal firm is teaming up with the academic sector in this country to develop the skills required to fight back. CJCH is a Welsh business of over 140 employees, with offices in London and Bristol, but the firm’s Cardiff headquarters is the centre of its anti-piracy operations, and the platform for its partnerships with academia in Wales to give students here the intellectual property skills to tackle software piracy across the world. This growth in ‘law tech’ follows Welsh Government support for the cyber sector in…

Swansea University is this week celebrating the success of the first degree apprenticeship graduates in Wales. The 14 students have completed a three-year programme in Applied Software Engineering with the University’s Computer Science department. The Degree Apprenticeship Programme combines traditional academic learning in a university environment with work-based projects allowing the students to apply their newly-acquired academic knowledge within their specific job roles in their companies. This innovative programme allows the students to learn while remaining in full-time employment. Courses are fully funded for the student, with support from the Institute of Coding (IoC) in Wales and the Welsh Government…

A new video sharing system is helping families with premature babies in hospital to stay in touch this Christmas. If they can’t be by their baby’s side, staff in the neonatal unit at Singleton Hospital in Swansea will take a short video and upload it to their secure online account. A text or email alert tells parents when a new video is ready to view, ensuring they don’t miss any milestones. Consultant Neonatologist Dr Maha Mansour said: “It’s great that we’ve been able to launch the vCreate video system at this time of year. “Christmas is a lovely time for…

The driver of a Vauxhall Corsa is said to be “lucky to be alive” after colliding with the gates of Roath Park in Cardiff. South Wales Police were called to the incident 7.30am yesterday morning on Lake Road West. The 22-year-old driver was initially arrested on suspicion of drink driving, but was later released without charge following a second negative reading. The driver managed to escape without injury.

World-class manufacturing facility Sony UK Technology Centre (UK TEC) is ending 2019 on a high, with significant growth across its manufacturing output, team and technology. The Pencoed-based factory’s manufacturing business has seen remarkable results over the course of the year, with the production of new Sony professional broadcasting cameras and accessories. These include the latest 4K broadcasting systems HDC-5500 and HDCU-5500, which are being used to film sporting events around the world. Sony UK TEC’s contract manufacturing has seen similar success, producing the 20 millionth Raspberry Pi in the UK earlier this year. Seven years ago, the factory was approached…

Cardiff Council has put forward budget proposals for consultation that could see an additional £10.4 million invested in schools and a further £7.2 million for Social Services.  The proposals are part of a report that was approved at a meeting of the local authority’s Cabinet today.  This comes after the Welsh Government announcement on Monday that Cardiff Council will receive a 4.1 percent increase in funding, under the terms of the provisional settlement for 2020/21.  The 4.1 percent Welsh Government funding increase for Cardiff represents an additional £18.5 million in cash terms, leaving the council with a budget shortfall of…