Author: Rhys Gregory

A retail manager turned care worker who has transformed the lives of her clients by helping them to fulfil their dreams is in line for a top industry award. [aoa id=”1″] Liz Williams, 54, quit her retail management position 17 years ago to follow her heart into social care and “give something back” to the community. The mother-of-two, who works as a team leader for Lifeways Inclusive Lifestyles Ltd in Wrexham, hasn’t looked back since and is now celebrating a place in the final of one of Wales’ most prestigious industry events – the Wales Care Awards 2018. Now celebrating…

A mum from Pontypridd tackled the Great North Run on Sunday 9 September to raise vital funds for Diabetes UK Cymru. [aoa id=”1″] Jen Matchett, 32, chose to run the world’s biggest half marathon in support of her dad David, 56, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1991. Jen, 32, a secretary at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, said: [/aoa] “A colleague mentioned how much water dad was drinking and suggested he get tested. He had just given up smoking so thought that was the reason for his increased thirst. “Dad doesn’t let diabetes affect his life;…

Insole Court, a gothic Victorian mansion and gardens nestled in the leafy suburbs of Llandaff, Cardiff, has been shortlisted for a Heritage Angel Award. The award is in recognition of the tremendous efforts undertaken by the community, campaigners, volunteers, trustees and staff to rescue its historic buildings and bring the once forgotten national heritage treasure back to life. The former home of one of Cardiff’s great coal-merchant families, the Insoles, was originally saved by a community effort and has since been restored to preserve its rich local history. Now in the hands of a charity, Insole Court Trust, the house…

A tweet offering help to teach Cymraeg over a pint has had an overwhelming response on social media. Llio Angharad from Cardiff posted her offer of help to Welsh learners on social media yesterday (12th September 2018). The tweet has since had an unbelievable show of support from the community and at the time of writing, the post has more than 112 retweets and 300 ‘Likes’. [aoa id=”1″] [/aoa] The response has been so great, Llio has decided to set-up a networking and learning event next week. The social and meet will take place at 6pm at The Alchemist in…

34 of the UK’s best surf athletes will be heading to Surf Snowdonia in North Wales this weekend to compete in its unique one-day inland competition: the Surf Snowdonia Pro Surf Challenge. [aoa id=”1″] The Surf Snowdonia event, which is now in its third year, will take place on Sunday September 16th, 2018. The UK Pro Surf Association (UKPSA), organisers of the UK Pro Surf Tour and Europe’s only pro surf competition event to take place inland, has also announced it will introduce equal prize money for male and female competitors from 2019. David Reed, director of the UKPSA…

House prices in Wales edged upwards during August, the latest RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) Residential Market Survey suggests, but data relating to sales activity and the number of properties coming onto the market remained subdued. [aoa id=”1″] The net balance of surveyors reporting rising prices (+39 per cent) picked up from July, but respondents reported a fall in newly agreed sales for the second consecutive month. A key factor in the market in Wales is the constrained supply, with a higher proportion of surveyors saying that there were fewer instructions to sell in August than in any UK…

Award winning mezzo soprano Katherine Jenkins reveals Wales’ Armistice Cantata education project as a winner in the National Lottery Awards. [aoa id=”1″]Welsh singing sensation Katherine Jenkins has surprised Cardiff-based project, Armistice Cantata, with the news that they have won Best Education Project in the National Lottery Awards 2018. The mezzo soprano broke the news of the win to pupils at Thornhill Primary School in Cardiff, who piloted the intergenerational education project which commemorates the Centenary of the end of WW1 (November 11 2018)![/aoa] The National Lottery Awards are the annual search for the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects and celebrate the inspirational…

The new £18m neonatal intensive care unit for North Wales located at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd has been officially opened by First Minister Carwyn Jones. The Sub Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Centre (SuRNICC) is a 20-cot unit caring for the most poorly and premature babies born in North Wales and is part of the North Wales Neonatal Network, which links special care units in Wrexham and Bangor. It includes a transitional care service to help parents of newborn babies spend more time with their infant, a neonatal transport service to ensure babies born across North Wales can access facilities at the…

Butchers Arwyn Morris and Ramos Vernys like premium beef jerky snack products made by a Mid Wales company so much that they have bought the business. The workmates purchased Trailhead Fine Foods from Jason and Nilgun Howard of Welshpool and are committed to growing the business and developing the ‘Get Jerky’ brand. [aoa id=”1″] Trailhead Fine Foods was launched seven years ago by Kevin Bigland of Cradley Heath who sold the business in 2013 to Mr and Mrs Howard who rebranded and further developed the company, leading to coveted Great Taste Awards in 2016 for the Original and Spicy…

A team of ABMU Health Board staff and their families will be lacing up their running shoes to take part in the Swansea Bay 10K to raise money for Golau Cancer Foundation. [aoa id=”1″] Twenty-Five people will form ‘Team Golau’ on Sunday, September 16, in a bid to raise as much money as possible. The Golau Cancer Foundation supports the South West Wales Cancer Centre in Singleton Hospital, Swansea – the second largest non-surgical cancer centre in Wales. [/aoa] Sian Morgan, fund manager at Golau said: “It’s down to the generosity of our supporters and work colleagues that we are…