Author: Rhys Gregory

Venture underground, make chocolates, paint pottery and shop for unique handmade crafts during February half term at popular Mid Wales visitor attraction, Corris Caverns. Reopening on February 15, the Corris Café will serve delicious, homemade food and feature a pop-up Corris Crafts shop and Welsh Deli. The pop-up shop will open daily from 10am to 4pm and host a collection of unique handmade crafts designed and made at Corris Craft Centre.  Items include handmade chocolates from Chocablock, handcrafted organic furniture from Taran Eco Designs and the much-coveted Dyfi Distillery Gins. Arthurian and dragon themed items from the on-site King Arthur’s…

To mark this year’s Apprenticeship Week Wales, taking place between 10 and 16 February 2025, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in Wales have called for Medr (the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research) to deliver an SME focused strategy to close Wales’ skills gaps by increasing the number of apprenticeship starts and supporting more small firms to take on apprentices. Apprenticeships bring significant value to learners, employers and the wider Welsh economy. However, a cut in the target for apprenticeship starts in this Senedd, plateauing funding in the Draft Budget and a reduction in starts in 2023/4 all indicate…

A man from Swansea has been jailed after pushing another man down a flight of stairs and hospitalising his victim. 35-year-old Stefan Cambriani, from Sketty, committed the offence at a premises in Uplands on Boxing Day 2023. He has been sentenced to nine months in prison for unlawful wounding/inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent. Sergeant Kelly Richards said: “Stefan Cambriani is fortunate that the injuries he caused to his victim were not even more serious. “This is yet another case which highlights the negative effects of consuming too much alcohol whilst on a night out. “We hope that Stefan thinks…

Over half a million pounds has been invested in two Denbighshire Secondary Schools, with both schools seeing updates to their Science Laboratories. Welsh Government grant funding has been used to fully refurbish two Science Laboratories at Denbigh High School in Denbigh and three at Ysgol Dinas Brân in Llangollen. The projects included a full strip-out of the existing Science Labs, followed by the installation of new heating, electrical and gas services, together with new ventilation and the installation of new energy efficient lighting and redecoration throughout. Also included was the installation of purpose made specialist laboratory furniture along with new…

Construction of a new swimming pool at Pentwyn Leisure Centre has begun. Cardiff Council’s appointed contractor is working on a new 25 metre swimming pool, which will feature a split raising floor and new children’s wet play area, alongside several other improvements to the centre. The work, which is currently expected to be completed by the end of the year, will also see the changing facilities and reception area refurbished and other improvements to the building, including a transition to green energy sources. The centre will remain open to the public throughout the construction period. The pool will feature an…

Public transport users to and from the Rhondda Fach can now access a new ‘connector ticket’ covering both their train journey between Cardiff and Porth, and bus journey between Porth and Maerdy. It follows the recent opening of the Porth Bus Interchange, and aims to make local journeys more convenient. Stagecoach South Wales and Transport for Wales have recently announced the new ‘Rhondda Fach Connector Ticket’ – which is now available to buy on the bus, the train, or at local train stations. The ticket enables commuters to use any valid Stagecoach service to travel between Porth and Rhondda Fach,…

Newport City Council has intensified its efforts to combat fly-tipping around litter bins. In recent months, the council has issued 29 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) to individuals found misusing these bins. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to address improper waste disposal and maintain the city’s cleanliness. To raise public awareness, the council has placed informative stickers on litter bins throughout Newport. These stickers serve as reminders that the bins are intended solely for small items of litter, such as crisp packets, drinks cans, and coffee cups. They also caution that depositing household or business waste in or…

A problem property that had been vacant for 15 years has a promising future as a new home, thanks to the efforts of Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Empty Homes team. Since becoming vacant in 2009, the house in Nelson had become a magnet for anti-social behaviour, including break ins and fires started at the property.  Concerns from neighbouring residents led to the Council being called to the property on numerous occasions. Despite multiple notices being served by the Council to secure the property and clear the gardens of overgrowth and waste, problems continued. The Empty Homes team communicated with the owner…

A touring opera and theatre company, based in Powys, was saved from making its final curtain call by an arts transition and resilience grant from the county council. Mid Wales Opera (MWO) was one of 10 organisations that benefitted from awards administered by Powys County Council’s Arts and Culture Service in 2024, after it secured backing from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF). It received nearly £76,000 to draft a new business plan and find new sources of funding after its Arts Council of Wales support – around 60% of its income – was cut. MWO has now secured…

Now open for applications, the ‘Cynllun Pontio’ programme is aimed at attracting Welsh-speaking teachers to secondary schools in Wales. It supports Welsh speakers who are currently teaching in primary schools in Wales, teachers in schools outside Wales, and teachers who have been out of the profession for five years or more, to become secondary school teachers in Welsh-medium schools. Opening on Monday 10 February and closing three weeks later on 2 March, the popular scheme has been running since 2020 and has helped many primary teachers convert to teach in secondary schools – with benefits to both the individuals and…