Author: Rhys Gregory

Changes to the way waste is recycled in Neath Port Talbot will now not go ahead following a decision by Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet. By next Spring, the Welsh Government’s recycling target rises to 70% as it seeks to achieve zero waste by 2050 with heavy fines for those councils falling short – Neath Port Talbot’s current recycling rate stands at around 68%. At the same time, Neath Port Talbot Council is striving to deliver a balanced budget in 2025/26 meaning all services have been asked to identify a 5% financial saving for next year – this equates to…

Musicians, photographers, filmmakers, and content creators gathered for an inspiring evening of collaboration and conversation at Creative West Wales’ latest event. A well-attended panel discussion and networking event held in Ffwrn, Fishguard last month, focused on the use of social media and digital images to market the music sector. A panel of experts from the music industry including Siân Adler of Trigger Happy Creative, Alun Llwyd CEO of PYST Ltd and Owain Elidir Williams, founder of music magazine Klust, discussed the use of social media platforms as a tool for the creative industries. A speed-networking session enabled those attending to connect…

Newport City Council will fund feasibility work into establishing low carbon heat networks within the city. The funding will come from revenue underspend from the 2023/24 financial year and will fund initial development work for the project over the next two years. A heat network provides heat and hot water from centralised or distributed sources to buildings connected through a network of pipes. They remove the need for individual properties to purchase, service and maintain their own heat source, such as a gas boiler. Gas currently accounts for 28 per cent of the city’s total carbon emissions, with that percentage…

Emergency departments across Wales are being challenged to embrace digital technology in a bid to make patient care more efficient and become environmentally sustainable. As part of efforts to speed up treatment of patients and reduce carbon emission, lab reports at Morriston Hospital are now shared electronically instead of being printed. This has stopped the production of up to 2kg of printed paper daily. This will save more than £1,200 and 1,200kg of carbon emissions annually in paper alone. Sites across Wales are also reducing paper usage through the use of QR codes for patient information, as well as reducing…

HOWDEN, the international insurance group with a growing base in south Wales will be hosting a live kicking competition with rugby legend Jamie Roberts to celebrate the launch of the British & Irish Lions’ 2025 jersey. Howden is the official front of jersey sponsor for The Qatar Airways Lions Men’s Tour to Australia in 2025 and will be helping make history as the first-ever Series Title Partner for the Howden Lions Women’s Tour to New Zealand in 2027. This week’s kicking event will take place outside Cardiff Library today  (Thursday 14 November) from 10:30 am until 7pm. Jamie Roberts will…

October was a busier month for the housing market in Wales as new buyer enquiries increased after a downturn in September, according to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Residential Market Survey. A net balance of 19% of Welsh respondents said that new buyer enquiries rose through October according to the report compared to -45% the previous month. Meanwhile, a net balance of 5% of surveyors in Wales report that house prices rose over the past three months. This is the second consecutive month this balance has been in positive territory, and up from 3% in September. Surveyors…

More than 100 limited time offers and events are available this week for visitors to Cardiff city centre. Up to 25% off your food bill at gastropub Daffodil, 25% off food and half-price cocktails at Walkabout, and a £3.50 pint of the day at Head of Steam, are among the generous offers and events celebrating this year’s City of Arcades Day. City of Arcades Day, Cardiff’s annual celebration of the city’s iconic Victorian and Edwardian arcades and the unique businesses within them, returns this weekend to coincide with the launch of Cardiff’s first Light of Winter Trail on Thursday, November…

David Thomas, from Sarnau, Ceredigion, has been sentenced to twenty months in prison suspended for eighteen months after pleading guilty to charges under the Trade Marks Act 1994 of producing and selling counterfeit DVD’s. David Robert Thomas, 47, appeared before at Swansea Crown Court on Monday 11 November 2024, following a successful case brought by Ceredigion County Council Public Protection’s Trading Standards Service. The Court heard how David Thomas, during the time of the offences, had been making and selling counterfeit DVD’s under the brand names belonging to Netflix, Amazon Technologies, Disney Enterprises, Sony, and Universal City Studios LLC without…

Air Vice-Marshal Fin Monahan OBE DFC PhD takes up position as new Chief Fire Officer of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) is pleased to welcome Air Vice-Marshal Fin Monahan OBE DFC PhD as the new Chief Fire Officer (CFO) of the Service, as he takes up his post today. Fin joins SWFRS after a distinguished and decorated career as a fast jet fighter pilot and senior leader in the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Ministry of Defence (MOD). Fin’s exceptional qualifications include Masters’ degrees from the University of Nottingham and University of…

Popham Kidney Support, the kidney charity based in Swansea, has been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2024. This is the highest award a local voluntary group or charity can receive in the UK and is an equivalent to an MBE. Founded in 2013, Popham Kidney Support provides vital assistance to children, young people, adults, and their families facing kidney disease across Wales. Originally established as “The Paul Popham Fund” in memory of the late Paul Popham, father of current CEO Joanne Popham, the charity offers a range of services, including peer support, counselling, education, awareness programmes, health…