Author: Rhys Gregory

A Talbot Green mother-of-two has been jailed for almost four years, after defrauding residents of nearly £200,000 via an unlawful PPI claims company.  [aoa id=”1″] Emma Meredith Hughes, of Heol Miles, was sentenced the year after she was ordered to pay £10,000 compensation to the victims of her previous business, who had paid for work that either never began, or was shoddy. She appeared before Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on November 12 for sentencing, after admitting at an earlier hearing a charge of participating in a fraudulent businesses,  namely NM Training Ltd, an offence under the 2006 Companies Act. The…

Ysgol Glan Morfa in Splott, Cardiff has been officially opened by the Leader of Cardiff Council, Cllr Huw Thomas and Cabinet Secretary for Education, Kirsty Williams. Headteacher, Mr Meilir Tomos, was joined by the children, staff and governors to welcome the guests, who also included Deputy Leader of Cardiff Council, and Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, Cllr Sarah Merry, local politicians, and those who played a key part in the school’s construction. The new school has been funded by Cardiff Council and Welsh Government, through the city’s £164m, Band A 21st Century Schools and Education programme. Primary Welsh-medium…

Take a magical ride in Santa’s Sleigh at Mermaid Quay in Cardiff Bay this Christmas time and let Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner & Blitzen whisk you away on an adventure like no other! Santa, his sleigh and all 8 reindeer are all made with LEGO bricks – a total of 750,000. The incredibly detailed, full contact models, which took 3 months, to build will be on display in Tacoma Square in the heart of Mermaid Quay from today (1 December 2018) to 3 January 2019. Visitors can sit alongside Santa for the perfect Christmas selfie! FREE to…

The winners of Wales’ first Sustainable Academy Awards were announced today at an Awards Ceremony in the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.  Organised by Cynnal Cymru and RenewableUK Cymru, the Sustainable Academy Awards, which has Wales & West Utilities as its headline sponsor, celebrates sustainability excellence, innovation and leadership across Wales and recognises work being done by individuals, community groups and the public sector, as well as small and large businesses. The nine category winners were: SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPION sponsored by Natural Resources Wales Kiri Howell from Pembrokeshire SUSTAINABLE VENUE OR SPACE Wye Valley Sculpture Garden SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT OR SUPPLY CHAIN sponsored…

The Prince of Wales, Patron, will visit City Hospice and meet with patients and families as well as staff and volunteers at Whitchurch Hospital Grounds, Park Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff. The Prince of Wales has been Patron of City Hospice since 1998. During the visit His Royal Highness will meet with volunteers who give their time to support the hospice including gardeners, the counselling team and those who provide complementary therapies such as reflexology. The Prince will also meet Luan and her children Lara and Connor. Luan lost her husband to cancer earlier this year and the counselling and bereavement team…

A charity cookbook that charts the very personal journeys of cancer patients and their families in south east Wales, through their love of food, has been selected to represent Wales in the prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Considered as the Oscars of the culinary writing world, the Velindre Cookbook scooped the award for the best cookbook in Wales in the category of Family and Fundraising. The book will now represent Wales in the ‘Best in the World’ event held in Macau, China on 3 July 2019. The book was the brainchild of Ceri Harris from Velindre University NHS Trust who…

The Welsh Government is considering the introduction of a vacant land tax to encourage the development of vacant or stalled sites in Wales. [aoa id=”1″] RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) representatives met with Welsh Government officials to discuss all avenues of this contentious issue. In 2015, Welsh Government-commissioned research showed that over 400 sites were stalled across Wales at the time; these residential developments equated to at least 7,600 homes being tied up across Wales. As a means to tackle this trend, and increase the delivery of more affordable homes – a key priority for the Welsh Government –…

Local charity, SEWREC Ltd is to be placed in liquidation, following a decision by the organisation’s trustees to cease trading.  The Board of Trustees instructed Insolvency Practitioners at accountancy firm, Menzies LLP, earlier this month to assist them in placing SEWREC into liquidation. The charity ceased trading on Monday 19 November and its 18 employees were made redundant on the same day.  Notices of a decision procedure to appoint a liquidator are being issued to creditors this week and the Board of Trustees will formally place the company into liquidation on 17 December 2018.    Bethan Evans, insolvency partner based at the Cardiff office of accountancy firm, Menzies LLP, said:  “The charity is insolvent with insufficient incoming funds and outstanding debts. Based on…

Some 160 pupils from vulnerable and disadvantaged groups have celebrated a major milestone for a revamped Cardiff University academic programme. Step Up is a free, two-year scheme to equip sixth-form and college students with the skills and knowledge required to succeed at university. It features activities, events, workshops and practical support to help young people fulfil their potential. The new look Step Up has been further strengthened to include a mini university course and the opportunity to attend a two-day residential summer school. Cardiff University held a celebration event at Cardiff Business School’s Postgraduate Teaching Centre on 28 November for…

Your wedding is one day that you’ll be reminiscing about for years to come, a fact that makes choosing a professional photographer an integral part of your pre-wedding preparations. Videography however is fast becoming a priority for many marrying couples who look forward to sharing their special day with loved ones, including future children and grandchildren. The perfect way to relive your special day, photography and videography are now working together in harmony on the wedding scene. With photography capturing the spectacular stills of all those moments you shared as newlyweds and video completing these special memories with the words…