Author: Rhys Gregory

The shortlist for the highly anticipated Wales Director of the Year Awards 2025 has been revealed, celebrating the achievements of outstanding directors from across Wales. The winners will be announced during a prestigious ceremony at ICC Wales on Friday 9th May. This year’s awards will highlight leadership excellence across various sectors, from Skills Development to Sustainability, with nominees demonstrating exceptional leadership, vision, innovation, and impact in their respective industries. Gareth Jarman, Head Judge of the Wales Director of the Year Awards, commented: “From my perspective, it has been truly enlightening to see the breadth of talent and ambition showcased in…

The University of South Wales (USW) is working in partnership with Street Football Wales, a charity that uses the power of football to support individuals facing social exclusion. Street Football Wales holds football sessions across Wales for people from all walks of life. Including those who face challenges such as mental health issues, addiction, homelessness, or social isolation. The collaboration, which involves USW students and colleagues actively participating in Street Football Wales sessions, is helping to break down barriers and foster greater understanding of real-world social issues. Jamie Grundy, Director of Street Football Wales, explained how the charity creates a…

Principality Building Society, Wales’ largest building society, celebrates its 165-year birthday by announcing a commitment to maintaining its high street and community presence until at least the end of 2030. Announced as part of the organisation’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), Principality is extending its commitment to the communities it serves, recognising the importance of a high street presence, access to cash and in-person services for its Members. First established in 1860 in Cardiff, Principality has been a community cornerstone with over 50 branches and 14 agencies across Wales and its borders, partnering with charities and funding affordable home initiatives along…

Over 300 children, parents and teachers took to the streets for a school run with a difference. Organised by Sustrans, the UK’s largest walking, wheeling and cycling charity, children from Cardiff’s Radnor Primary School, Ysgol Treganna and Ysgol Pwll Coch on the biggest ever FRideDays Bike Bus. They were joined by Sam ‘Coach’ Balto, the American PE teacher who became a household name when he convinced Justin Timberlake to join his bike bus in Portland, Oregon. Coach Balto is leading the way in this fast-growing movement. Sustrans supports communities to organise Bike Buses through its FRideDays initiative, which is sponsored…

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has welcomed the BBC’s investigation into the prevalence of fake shops on Britain’s High Streets and highlighting their link with organised crime. Counterfeit shops are becoming an increasing issue for the UK’s Trading Standards workforce and are a scourge of the high street, sometimes used as a front for organised crime activities such as Modern Day Slavery and human trafficking, distribution of weapons and drugs, money laundering and the sale and supply of illegal and unsafe products such as illegal vapes and tobacco, to fund criminal lifestyles and other criminal activities. CTSI has warned…

With the bank holiday Easter weekend fast approaching, Dogs Trust Bridgend and Dogs Trust Cardiff are reminding dog owners to keep chocolate out of reach of our four-legged friends. As Easter eggs and other tasty cocoa treats find their way into homes, the charity hopes to raise awareness of the risk that the consumption of chocolate poses to our canine companions. Chocolate is poisonous to dogs as it contains a substance called theobromine, which dogs and some other animals struggle to metabolise. Symptoms of theobromine poisoning include vomiting, diarrhoea, excessive thirst, excitability, drooling, and potentially seizures and fatal heart problems.…

A timely room inspection by a hotel housekeeper led to the demise of two Cardiff drug dealers. Keiran McCoy, 20, and Zack Tawton, 21, had checked into the Ibis Cardiff Gate hotel for five days under false name on September 5, 2024. On September 7, they left their room only for a housekeeper stumble upon their drugs operation. Cocaine had been left on the hotel dresser and golf-ball-size packages were on the floor, along with more than 100 grip seal bags of the class A drug. Quick-thinking staff at the hotel managed to capture video footage of their whole operation…

Three arrests have been made after two large cannabis cultivations were discovered in Wrexham this week. On Sunday, 6 April, police were notified of a sophisticated cannabis farm at a premises on Conery Lane, Bronnington, Whichurch. A warrant was subsequently carried out by police and upon entering the building, over 2,000 plants were located inside. Two men were arrested at the scene but have since been released. A number of items have been seized whilst our investigations continue. On Tuesday, 8 April, officers carried out another warrant at a premises on Advance Park Industrial Estate in Rhosymedre and discovered another…

The Vale of Glamorgan Council has completed work on the first 10 of an additional 31 new homes on the Clos Holm View development in Barry. The new homes play an important role in the Council’s ongoing house-building programme as it works to address a growing need for housing in the Vale. Cllr Sandra Perkes, Vale of Glamorgan Council Cabinet Member for Public Sector Housing and Tenant Engagement, said: “As a Council, we strive to make the Vale a fantastic place to live, and we want all residents to have access to good quality homes. “The new development consists of…

The countdown to VE Day is on and Swansea residents can get involved by throwing their own street parties. The council has waived road closure fees for locals who want to close off their street for street parties to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The move is part of a range of celebrations and commemorations being staged and supported by the council over the summer between Victory in Europe Day on May 8 and Victory in Japan Day on August 15. Rob Stewart, Leader of the Council, said: “Owing to the Covid pandemic, we…