Author: Rhys Gregory

Searches for 16-year-old Athrun, who was reported missing in Llandudno on Saturday afternoon continue today. Officers from North Wales Police – including search and drone team officers, along with the Northwest Joint Underwater Search Unit and the Coastguard – have resumed their search in and around the West Shore area where Athrun was last seen at approximately 2pm on Saturday. Athrun is from South Gloucestershire and was on holiday in Llandudno. He is described as having short dark hair and is approximately 6ft tall and of slim build. He was last seen wearing blue and white patterned swim shorts and…

Seventy percent of all Transport for Wales services will be operated on new trains following timetable changes this May. Brand new Class 756 tri-mode trains will also be introduced onto the Coryton and Penarth lines later this summer, further increasing the number of new trains providing services on the Wales and Borders network. Rail customers across Wales and the Borders are being urged to check their journey details prior to travel with a new rail timetable coming into effect on Sunday 18 May. Regular travellers who are used to catching their service at the same time each day should ensure…

COUNCILLOR Wayne Carpenter has been sworn in as the new Mayor of Neath Port Talbot for 2025/26. Melin born Cllr Carpenter (Neath East), is the son of a Metal Box worker father and a mother who helped provide school meals in Neath for a large part of her life. For many years Cllr Carpenter administered youth arts and music for the former West Glamorgan County Council and was the administrator for the annual Margam Festival. A committed Christian, he later became a professional singer, recording four albums and touring the UK, Southern Ireland, the Channel Islands, South Africa and Romania.…

Haverfordwest Youth Club had the pleasure of welcoming 20 young people and their teachers from Oberkirch, Germany, as part of a return visit last month. Oberkirch has been twinned with Haverfordwest since 1989, fostering a long-standing partnership between the two communities. The visit on April 7th followed a successful exchange in August 2024, when 20 members of Haverfordwest Youth Club, and their youth workers, travelled to Oberkirch. Both trips were funded through the Taith programme – an initiative supporting international learning exchanges in Wales, funded by the Welsh Government. The five-day visit to Pembrokeshire offered young people a valuable opportunity…

Following a detailed pre-construction process, works are now underway on the new, £38 million Caerphilly Leisure and Wellbeing Hub. The new facility will be conveniently located close to the town’s public transport hub, providing improved accessibility for residents across the whole county borough. The development is transforming an area of dis-used scrub land into a vibrant community hub that will support and encourage healthy, active lives. Alliance Leisure has been appointed by Caerphilly County Borough Council to deliver the project and will work alongside Morgan Sindall (Contractor), Architect Watson Batty with Hadron Consulting overseeing project management through the UK Leisure Framework, owned and managed by Denbighshire Leisure Limited (DLL). “The…

From this week, individuals and businesses in Wales will benefit from an almost six-fold increase in the amount of subsidy available for accredited training opportunities. With the Welsh Government increasing its investment in the Flexible Skills Programme from £1.3m a year to over £7.5m, support will be in place for employees to take advantage of thousands of individual places on upskilling or re-skilling training courses. The expansion aligns with the First Minister’s commitment to create a future Wales driven by jobs and green growth and follows increasing demand from Welsh employers for support to develop employees’ skills in response to…

Thursday May 1st saw the sixth annual Welsh Fitness Awards take place. 2025’s Welsh Fitness Awards were the most closely contested in its history. The awards were held at the iconic Hilton Hotel in Cardiff and hosted by one of the UK’s leading MMA and boxing MC’s – Jonathan “Voice of the Vale” Millard. The evening was also an opportunity to thank the 2025 sponsors, University of Wales – Trinity Saint David and DNA Definitive. The Welsh Fitness Awards is delighted to announce the winners for the 2025 Welsh Fitness Awards as follows: Female Athlete of the Year Zoe Hodgkinson…

With less than a week to go until the 2025 Royal Welsh Spring Festival, organisers are delighted to reveal an exciting programme of events, competitions and entertainment for visitors of all ages. This year’s Festival marks the first event in the calendar for the 2025 Feature County, Caernarfon, represented by President Mr John Owen and Ambassador, Rhys Griffith. Visitors will notice the Festival’s vibrant new branding, which incorporates the traditional ‘Brethyn Cymreig’ pattern, emphasising the Society’s deep commitment to Welsh heritage whilst appealing to families with bright, welcoming colours. The refreshed name reflects the Festival’s broad appeal to audiences from…

After a year of fundraising activities, not-for-profit housing organisation United Welsh is pleased to announce it has raised over £6,100 for Velindre Cancer Centre. After selecting Velindre as the charity of the year for 2024/25, staff got to work fundraising for the cancer centre.  People across the organisation took part in a range of activities to range funds, including bake sales, running races and walking 30,000 steps a day. Velindre, the Hospital of Hope has been providing specialist treatment and supportive care to cancer patients and families for over 65 years. Money raised for Velindre Charity helps fund ground breaking…

A business leader is driving forward a campaign to encourage more women to take up top roles in the automotive industry after being shocked by its lack of diversity. Laura Hall, the managing director of Maverick Diagnostics, based in Holt, near Wrexham, is a member of The Automotive 30% Club that’s battling for a better gender balance in the sector. She will be outlining her crusade at the next meeting of the Wrexham Business Professionals organisation at the Maesgwyn Hall in Wrexham on Friday, June 27. The influential group is made up of successful businesses and skilled professionals working together to…