Author: Rhys Gregory

THE first phase of a new luxury North Wales holiday park has been launched. [aoa id=”1″] Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas AM, Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, joined Acorn Leisure owners Peter and Louise Barlow to unveil the Maes Mynan Park development in Afonwen, near Caerwys. The site will feature 47 lodges around two lakes as part of phase one, with a further 63 static caravans and 70 touring caravan pitches becoming available over the following three years. In addition, a further area has been set aside for boutique ‘eco-glamping’. Peter thanked Lord Elis-Thomas for joining the celebrations and officially…

Swansea’s City Centre retailers are gearing up for the annual Swansea Student Shopping Night, which last year saw businesses take around £400,000 within three hours of trading. [aoa id=”1″] The big discounted shopping event, which is organised by Swansea BID (Business Improvement District) and Quadrant Shopping Centre, goes ahead on Tuesday October 8, between 6pm and 9pm, as new and returning students arrive in Swansea to begin their courses and settle into their accommodation. The shopping event is held annually, to help students prepare for the beginning of the new academic year and to boost footfall for local trade. Brands…

Multi-award-winning creative company The Creation Station is bringing its uber-popular “SLIME” workshops to Mermaid Quay in Cardiff Bay for October half term (Saturday 26 October to Sunday 3 November). [aoa id=”1″]The Creation Station inspires over 16,000 children and families every week in its crafty, and imaginative classes, parties & events.  Last year, it launched its “SLIME” sessions across the UK and saw a huge take up. The Creation Station’s Slime workshops include ‘safe for little hands’ SLIME, which children can embellish and personalise with a selection of goodies, and then take part in games like ‘blowing the biggest bubble’ or ‘stretchy-est strand’. To join in the creative SLIME fun at Mermaid Quay you must pre-book your space on one of the workshops via The Creation Station’s…

Young people across the south Wales valleys have joined thousands across the country in showing their commitment to combating climate change. Hundreds of learners, education workers and union members at Coleg y Cymoedd congregated at the college’s four campuses to demonstrate their support for the global effort to cut carbon emissions by 45% over the next decade. The college-wide stand, which took place in conjunction with the University and College Union (UCU) across its Ystrad Mynach, Aberdare, Rhondda and Nantgarw campuses, saw staff, students and union members all come together to acknowledge their concern about the climate crisis and their…

The Learning Tree, based in Cardiff city centre, is rapidly growing its services to provide vital support for parents whose workday exceeds core school hours. [aoa id=”1″] The nursery which opened just over six months ago, provides dedicated childcare to more than 50 children and continues to demonstrate its commitment to providing a high-quality nursery environment and support for busy working parents. At the start of September, the nursery launched a bespoke school drop-off and pick-up service at four local schools: Glan Morfa Primary School, Tredegarville Primary School, Victoria Primary School, Penarth and St Joseph’s RC Primary School, Penarth. The…

Introducing apprenticeship programmes at award winning Powys spring water and soft drinks manufacturer Radnor Hills in 2017 has had a “trulytransformational effect” on employees and business growth. [aoa id=”1″] The company, which has a workforce of 181 at Heartsease, near Knighton, has seen 20 per cent business growth in the last two years, including a record year in 2018. As a reward for its successful investment in apprenticeships, Radnor Hills has been shortlisted for the Medium Employer of the Year Award at next month’s Apprenticeship Awards Cymru, the annual celebration of outstanding achievement in training and apprenticeships. Thirty-four finalists in a…

Swansea University and Gower College Swansea have teamed up to support students with autistic spectrum conditions as they prepare to make the transition from college to university. They are collaborating on a year-long research project to investigate potential challenges that these students experience when making the change from further education to higher education. Led by student support officer Dr Mohammed Qasim, learner support coordinator Ceri Low and autism spectrum condition practitioner and PhD student Heather Pickard-Hengstenberg, the study included in-depth interviews that sought to identify the challenges students experience when transitioning to university and the development of suitable support networks.…

Joe Peskett’s success on a Higher Apprenticeship (Level 4) in Data Analytics at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has already seen him travel to Europe and America, with a trip to Africa planned for next year. Working at the Data Science Campus, part of the ONS’s Headquarters in Newport, which is home to 2,500 employees, Joe excelled on his two-year apprenticeship and has now stepped into a full-time role as a Data Scientist. Now he has been shortlisted for the new Tomorrow’s Talent Award at next month’s Apprenticeship Awards Cymru, the annual celebration of outstanding achievement in training and…

A housing association has unveiled a £4.3 million plan to transform a 1970s estate in Llanrwst following consultation with residents. [aoa id=”1″] Cartrefi Conwy is proposing to demolish a block of 30 maisonettes and flats at the Glanrafon housing estate and replace it with 14 zero carbon modular homes – creating jobs and work experience for unemployed tenants in the process. As part of the overall scheme, six nearby blocks of 30 apartments are being given a massive makeover to give them a brand new modern look. Work to improve the apartments began earlier this year and the organisation has…

The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) near Machynlleth is seeing huge increases in the number of tourists visiting to learn about sustainable living. Visitor numbers have seen risen by 35% compared to the previous year, with July numbers showing a significant 58% increase on 2018. John Challen, CAT’s Eco Centre head, said: “CAT’s core message of climate and environmental solutions is more important now than ever, so it’s great to see the visitor centre so busy. “There are lots of factors behind the increase – from the increasing attention being paid to the climate emergency, to more people choosing to…