Author: Rhys Gregory

Nisha Thomas will enjoy a traditional celebration with her family on Christmas Eve and then she gets to do it all over again with her “second family“, the residents who she looks after at the 40-bedroom Plasgeller care home at Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale. Plasgeller is part of the Caron group, a specialist provider of residential, nursing and dementia care, operating 14 care homes across mid and south Wales. Mum of three, Nisha has worked at the home for nearly 16 years and for most of them she has volunteered to work Christmas Day. She says she never hesitates for one…

Three people in Port Talbot are celebrating this weekend after scooping a £1,000 cash prize each thanks to their lucky postcode. The Station Terrace neighbours netted the windfall when SA12 6BZ was announced as a Daily Prize winner with People’s Postcode Lottery on Tuesday 17th December 2019. People’s Postcode Lottery ambassador Danyl Johnson sent his congratulations to the winners. He said: “What a great surprise for our winners with Christmas coming up! I hope they go out treat themselves with their winnings!” A minimum of 32% of ticket sales goes directly to charities and players of People’s Postcode Lottery have…

Kind-hearted bakery staff jumped to it and put on their festive finery in aid of a much-needed hospice. The Christmas Jumper Day at the Village Bakery in Wrexham was organised by Kath Ashcroft, the company’s supply chain manager, to raise money for the town’s Nightingale House Hospice. Nightingale House is celebrating its 25th anniversary next year when they will need to find more than £3 million – the equivalent of £8,382 a day – to run the hospice and their outreach services. With only 20 per cent coming from statutory sources, they have to raise all the rest themselves, with…

A project aimed at giving disadvantaged young people in Flintshire the chance to play sport has been expanded to thanks to money seized from criminals. The programme run by the not-for-profit organisation, Aura Leisure and Libraries, has increased the number of sites where it operates from six to 10 as a result of a £10,000 grant designed to combat the threat of County Lines which sees vulnerable youngsters recruited by big city gangs to traffic drugs. The money came from a special fund set up by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones who went with Assistant Chief Constable Sacha…

Tributes have been paid to a World War Two Spitfire mechanic who has died at the age of 93. Ernest Simmonds, who prepared two of the iconic fighter planes that went over to France on D-Day, lived with his wife of 72 years, Gwyneth, also 93, at Pendine Park’s Hillbury House Care Home in Wrexham. He passed away after a short illness at Wrexham Maelor Hospital on Monday, December 9, and his funeral will be at Pentrebychan Crematorium at 10am on Monday, December 23. Earlier this year he spearheaded a call to support the annual Poppy Appeal In the run…

It’s Santa’s busiest time of year but that didn’t stop him taking a morning off to send some Christmas cheer to Morriston Hospital’s children’s wards. But while the man himself couldn’t come down from the North Pole, with a little technological magic, Saint Nick’s team of tech-savvy elves set up a live video link from his workshop direct to the hospital. Four-year-old Yanni was the first to speak to Santa with mum Pearl Newton, from the playroom on Ward M. After asking Yanni about how he helped his family and what his favourite things were, Santa whipped up an early…

Following the first anniversary of the launch of the Welsh Government’s Disability Action Plan for Apprenticeships, an award-winning 26-year-old apprentice from Thornhill, Cardiff, praises his apprenticeship for helping to turn his dream of a career in the creative industry into a reality. In 2017, Thomas Watkins achieved a Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship in Creative and Digital Media (Interactive Media Pathway) while working for White Hart Multimedia, a company that specialises in corporate video production. Two years on, he’s now completed his apprenticeship and has secured a role as a lead designer at Caerphilly-based sports teamwear company Belief Sports. Thomas said:…

Swansea University is pleased to announce that Bleddyn Phillips has been appointed as its new Chair of Council. Mr Phillips, who joined the University’s governing body in May 2017, has been appointed Chair for a four-year term replacing Sir Roger Jones, whose term of office came to an end in September 2019. Mr Phillips said: “It is a great honour to be appointed Swansea University’s Chair of Council. As a Welsh-speaker, with strong roots in Llanelli and Gower, and with both parents having studied at Swansea, I have long felt an affinity with the University and have been delighted to…

A Welsh-speaking Llandudno Junction man has joined an award-winning house-builder as their new Quantity Surveyor. Robert Williams, 28, now has to walk just 10 minutes from his front door after being appointed by Beech Developments to join their team. Robert, who has lived in Llandudno Junction all his life, will now take a lead role at the growing property development firm, helping to manage current projects and assisting the Company with the growth of their contracting arm, alongside the company directors. Robert said: “I’ve always looked on Beech Developments as a very progressive and forward-thinking developer and I’ve admired their…

A reverse advent calendar has been set up by a group of nursery workers with the help of babies and their parents this December. In the run-up to the festive period, the staff at Chestnut House, in Saughall, Chester were keen to put their thoughts to those who face Christmas without a home in Chester. Lead by deputy manager Lauren Hassall, from Deeside, North Wales, the dedicated team has set up a ‘reverse advent calendar’ which encourages donations of vital items such as toiletries and non-perishable food, which they will then hand over before Christmas to Chester Aid to the Homeless…