Author: Rhys Gregory

A mum-of-two is hoping to return to the rugby pitch after tackling cancer. Ruth Wearing was a member of Bryncoch RFC’s women’s touch rugby team when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer last year. But her team-mates have continued to share the values which the game prides itself on, supporting her throughout her time on the sidelines. Ruth said: “I had a pain in my stomach last July and then felt a lump, so I went to my doctor who referred me for an ultra-scan which discovered a cyst. “Doctors suggested I had a hysterectomy which I had at the…

Families in Wales urged to claim up to £200 per child for school essentials before application window closes Thousands of parents are still able to claim the School Essentials Grant for 2024/25 Education is an important part of every child’s development, but the costs can be difficult for some families to manage. Uniform, stationery, music lessons, sports kit and equipment for after school clubs – it can all add up. Fortunately, the School Essentials Grant can offer help to parents and carers struggling financially, with £125 available for eligible learners and £200 for learners entering year 7. Currently, 90% of…

Following the successful return of more than 10,000 reusable cups in just six months, FOR Cardiff’s Cardiff Refill Return Cup pilot scheme has been extended for a further two months to maximise the insights and benefits gained from the initiative. The additional time will allow the pilot to continue supporting Cardiff residents and businesses to reduce single-use cup waste, while generating further data and learnings to inform future reuse schemes across the UK. To date, it’s estimated the Cardiff pilot has saved 178kg of CO₂ – the equivalent of 1,272,337km of car travel. The scheme – the first of its…

The use of external finance among smaller businesses in Wales grew substantially in late 2024 to 57% from 49% in late 2023, finds the 2025 Wales SME Access to Finance Report published today. The report by British Business Bank and Economic Intelligence Wales, aims to track the supply of, and demand for, finance across smaller businesses in Wales within the broader Welsh economic context, and sub-regional economic contexts. It is based on a bespoke survey of 500 smaller businesses in Wales, undertaken for the second time in October 2024. Credit cards were identified as the most commonly used finance type…

Nearly a year after construction started on the new Velindre Cancer Centre (nVCC), the major contractor has marked the milestone with a video showcasing the project’s incredible progress. The video by Sacyr UK shows the progress of the build since May 2024 when the groundworks on site began. Since then, the earthworks to prepare the site and drainage systems to support the building have been put in place. A permanent compound for the site’s offices, welfare facilities for the workers and storage areas have also been built. Formwork and rebar installation have also taken place, alongside concrete works. Foundations and…

Dog owners urged to keep pets on leads to protect birds as breeding season begins Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and RSPB Cymru are urging dog owners to play their part in protecting ground-nesting birds this spring by keeping pets on leads during breeding season. The environment body for Wales has joined with the bird conservation charity to call on dog owners to help safeguard species such as Curlews, Skylarks, Nightjars and Oystercatchers during this critical nesting period, which runs from March to August. Such birds are susceptible to disturbance from unsupervised dogs at this time of year, which can cause…

South Wales Police is investigating a fatal road traffic collision which happened shortly before 5:00pm on Tuesday April 1, 2025, on the A48 near Bonvilston in the Vale of Glamorgan. The collision involved two vehicles, a blue Ford Puma car and a red and black Scania tipper lorry. As a result of the collision a 51-year-old man from Porthcawl, a 34-year-old man from Bridgend and a 48-year-old man from Ferndale have died. The carriageway remained closed for several hours and officers would like to thank the local community for their patience and understanding at this time. Police are appealing for…

The ‘Voices of Grangetown’ exhibition at Museum of Cardiff has been extended until April 26th 2025. The exhibition, which shares the stories of people living in the community today, is the culmination of the museum’s ‘Young Curators’ project. The project, which ran from September to December 2024, gave control of the exhibition to members of the Grange Pavilion Youth Forum, with the aim of diversifying the stories told in the Museum. Funded by the Association of Independent Museums (AIM) and the Welsh Government Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan saw the Museum meet regularly with the ‘Young Curators’ group to provide training…

Restaurants and fast-food outlets in Swansea are being urged to take allergies linked to certain food ingredients more seriously. The call to businesses in the city follows action taken by Swansea Council’s Trading Standards Team, which has seen three food business owners fined by Swansea Magistrates in March this year. Trading Standards carried out a series of test purchase exercises in early 2024. Posing as customers, they placed food orders with a number of restaurants and takeaways, declaring they were allergic to specific food ingredients, including milk, gluten and egg, and asked the businesses to reassure them that their order…

Castell Group, in partnership with Pembrokeshire County Council, have completed the sale for the redevelopment of the former Cleddau Bridge Hotel site. The site in Pembroke Dock was acquired by Castell unconditionally in April 2024. Planning and Sustainable Drainage Approving Body approval has since been secured, enabling completion to be finalised and move to the next phase in bringing the site back to life. The site has been vacant following a fire in 2019, which has left the building badly damaged and a blight on the local landscape. The new development is set to revitalise the site, bringing fresh investment and…