Author: Rhys Gregory

This Christmas M&S has called on communities around the UK to nominate their local heroes to receive a surprise festive treat. Community ambassador Lilly Price (11) lives in Porth, Wales, and was nominated in recognition of her outstanding fundraising efforts. Lilly was nominated by her parents for her compassionate spirit. At just 11 years-old Lilly has taken on amazing fundraising challenges, including running 10 miles for Cancer Research, donating her hair for wigs and hiking the highest peak in Wales, Pen Y Fan, to raise funds for a community defibrillator. Her parents partnered with M&S for the top secret mission…

AS THE UK’s top 10 favourite Christmas films for 2018 are revealed, streaming sites are disrupting tradition, with the majority of Brits shunning DVDs in favour of streaming sites and two Netflix Originals in the top five this year.  [aoa id=”1″] According to a survey of 1,024 UK adults, carried out by LaptopsDirect.co.uk, an incredible 73% of those watching Christmas movies this year said that they’ll be getting their festive fix from streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu. This is compared to only 27% who’ll be favouring the traditional method of heading out to buy a DVD…

Culinary Team Wales manager and pastry chef Toby Beevers is retiring from both positions after leading the team to silver and bronze medals at the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg last month. [aoa id=”1″] Toby, who works for PSL Purchasing Systems and lives near Chester, has been a member of the Welsh team for 19 years and plans to carry on supporting the team in any way he can. He will continue to serve the Culinary Association of Wales as a director and treasurer. “I actually really enjoyed competing at the Culinary World Cup, but it’s time to stand down…

The people of the ancient market town of Montgomery have made it a festive season to remember this year by contributing to their first Live Advent Calendar. Every evening between December 1 and Christmas Eve, at 6.15pm, a door in the town opens and those gathered outside experience something related to Christmas for a few minutes in that doorway. Each evening, a group of more than 50 people gather around a door in expectancy, not knowing what will happen when it opens. Then bells are rung, the door is knocked on with a shepherd’s crook and there is a shout…

Teams of local volunteers in South Wales are hard at work packing up hampers of seasonal eats and treats, ready to hand-deliver them to older people in need. Thanks to support from the Asda Foundation, volunteers from Royal Voluntary Service, the national volunteering charity, will be hand-delivering hampers packed with festive fayre to people that are supported by the charity at home and in the community.  Karyn Morris, Commissioned Services Operations Manager for Royal Voluntary Service in South Wales, said: “Loneliness can be a real problem for those without family or friends nearby, particularly older people, at Christmas.  In recent…

A kind-hearted Mid Wales and Shropshire company has ensured that 50 children from struggling Newtown families will receive a gift this Christmas. [aoa id=”1″] As Rees Astley Ltd, Independent Financial Advisers and Insurance Brokers, will be celebrating its 50thbirthday in 2019, the company decided to donate a toy for each year it has been in business. The donation was made to Newtown Salvation Army’s Christmas Toy Appeal which is supporting local families who are struggling to buy gifts for their children this Christmas. “So far this winter the Salvation Army in Newtown has received 160 referrals for children’s toys, so our…

COLEG CAMBRIA is going for gold after celebrating a year of Duke of Edinburgh Award success. [aoa id=”1″] The north east Wales organisation has 20 times more DofE participants than it did two years ago and has just announced a record number of entrants into the gold award scheme – double the amount they had in 2017. This year also marks Alan Lowry’s 30th as a coordinator for the DofE; he says the resurgence of the scheme reflects the college’s culture of health, fitness and wellbeing as part of the Active Cambria programme. “The DofE has just grown and grown…

A children’s charity has revealed that more than 140 referrals were made to authorities over child neglect concerns in North Wales over the last year. According to NSPCC Wales Appeal Board Chairman Alan Peterson, it is contacted on average 55 times a day by adults from across the UK worried about neglect. The charity’s helpline hears from concerned adults with reports ranging from children being left unsupervised or with inadequate clothing, to being screamed at or living amongst mouldy food and animal faeces. Many of these concerns were so serious that they were referred to agencies including local authorities and…

Broadcaster and writer Guto Harri, who worked for former Mayor of London Boris Johnson, has received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of South Wales. [aoa id=”1″] Guto received the honour during USW’s annual winter graduation ceremonies, held at the Treforest Campus. Born in Cardiff, Guto studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University before undertaking a postgraduate course in Broadcast Journalism. He started his career as a journalist at the South Wales Argus, before moving into Welsh-language radio, national radio and television. [/aoa] He became the BBC’s chief political correspondent in 2002, before moving onto the role of North…

Promising Christ College 1st XI player Beth Wood has won a prestigious Hockey Writers’ Club National Youth Award for her contributions to hockey for school, club and country.  Beth, who joined the College from Brecon High School in September 2017, played a key part in the U18 side that retained the Welsh National Championship title in March and is the current 1st XI team’s top scorer, with an incredible 24 goals in 10 matches (a school record)! She also plays for one of Wales’ leading club sides at Cardiff Metropolitan University – Cardiff Met Hockey Club – and has also…