Author: Rhys Gregory

With a sudden drop in temperatures expected to hit this week, households in Wales are being urged to check their heating systems are working correctly to avoid being caught out with an unexpected breakdown when the cold weather bites. The warning comes after last year’s ‘Beast from the East’ played havoc with people’s heating systems, leaving many in the cold. Local technicians also struggled to keep pace with the surge in demand from households requiring emergency repairs. To help prevent similar issues this winter, OFTEC, which represents the oil heating industry, is advising homeowners to get on the front foot…

Cardiff and Vale College in Cardiff connected with 50 colleges and language schools across the UK and Ireland this month, as it took part in a national series of birthday parties celebrating the 30th year of the CELTA qualification.  Established in September 1988 by Cambridge Assessment English, CELTA is a qualification for teachers of English as a foreign language. Based on an intensive four-week course, or more extended part-time study, it combines theoretical and practical study with at least 120 hours of face-to-face teaching practice. CELTA courses are available at over 300 approved centres in more than 70 countries, and,…

Swansea Building Society has linked with Mortgage Advice Bureau to offer its products and services through the organisation’s mortgage network. [aoa id=”1″] Mortgage Advice Bureau offers expert mortgage advice throughout the UK from a network of over 1000 advisers. Swansea Building Society’s products and services are now available through the organisation and will include the Society’s latest products, which have been launched following a review of its product range earlier this year. The new products are aimed at those who are self-employed, customers in a role requiring a professional qualification (up to 90 per cent loan-to-value), households whose income is in…

Budget brings few big changes with Brexit on the horizon.

Construction work will begin on two more 3G sports pitches – for school and community use in Beddau and Penywaun – as the Council’s investment in ‘all-weather’ sports facilities continues. [aoa id=”1″] The new facilities will be built at Bryncelynnog Comprehensive School and Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun, with works getting underway on Monday, October 29. These are the 12th and 13th‘all-weather’ surfaces to be delivered in recent years, as the Council continues its ambitious aim to provide residents with a 3G pitch within three miles, no matter where they live in Rhondda Cynon Taf. The new facility in Beddau will be…

Protect Your Family has been launched by Comparison Creator, the software development company who specialise in product comparison. [aoa id=”1″] The service will initially list funeral plans from five well-known brands including the Co-operative, Dignity and Age UK, allowing consumers to compare options from the material of the coffin included through to the features and benefits of a funeral plan. Protect Your Family is an independent comparison service and only compares funeral plan providers who are regulated by the Funeral Planning Authority. It has partnered with financial information company Defaqto, which assess all financial products and awards star ratings, allowing…

Signum Health has been selected as one of only 34 companies to be recognised as offering the highest potential to help NHS England meet the challenges of an ageing population and scarce resources. [aoa id=”1″] The prestigious accelerator scheme, which has already saved in excess of £50 million for the NHS, is designed to work intensively with digital companies to refine, develop and scale their innovation across the NHS and social care sector. This is the first year the Accelerator has been launched outside London, with the South West Accelerator only choosing five companies, Signum Health being one. [/aoa] Signum…

Welsh firms want the Chancellor to take action to create a better environment for skills and development in today’s Budget, according to new research from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. [aoa id=”1″] Lloyds Bank asked Welsh firms what they would like the Chancellor to announce in his Budget to help their business. A focus on skills was the highest ranked priority for one in five (17 per cent) Welsh businesses. Increased investment in transport infrastructure was the priority for 14 per cent, while a pledge for the UK to have the lowest corporation tax rate in the G7 was top of…

Here’s our guide to the top Halloween and Autumn half term events taking place this week in Cardiff. Monday 29th October Circus Workshop – STAR Hub Join No Fit State for circus workshop, children age 5+ 12pm – 2pm. https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/cardiff/star Creepy Crawlies (Oct 29 – 30) The return of our ever-popular Hallowe’en animal sessions. This hour-long session will enable visitors to get close to variety of creepy creatures, from maggots, and frogs to lizards and snakes. Booking Essential.  Please visit www.cardiffcastle.com to book tickets 02920 878 100 Spider Encounter(Oct 29 – 30) What makes people so scared of spiders? Join us for…

The Welsh Government is urging the UK Government to take action now to back up its recent recognition that austerity must end and increase public spending to meet the growing demands for public services. In a letter to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford set out Wales’ priorities ahead of the Autumn Budget today (Monday 29 October 2018). [aoa id=”1″] The Finance Secretary is urging the UK government to make a series of commitments to Wales, including: delivering on its promise that Wales will not lose a penny of funding from the decision to leave the…