Author: Rhys Gregory

Thomas Gwyn Griffiths, 78, from Duffryn Rhondda, was found guilty of two accounts of sexual assault by penetration of a child under 13, and an additional count of sexual touching over a child under 13. His offences took place across a period of two years. Griffiths’ offences were discovered when his victim made disclosures of his actions whilst in school. This week he has been sentenced to 15 years in prison plus one year on license in the community. He is to serve a minimum of two thirds of his custodial sentence before he will be eligible for parole. Detective…

Contactless tap in, tap out ‘Pay As You Go’ rail payment option has now been extended to the Maesteg line from this week. Making it faster, easier and cheaper to travel, Transport for Wales launched the scheme in January on journeys between Cardiff Central, Newport and Pontyclun. It was then extended to the Ebbw Vale line in March and following its success it will now be expanded to an additional nine stations on the Maesteg line (including Llanharan, Pencoed, and Bridgend). By the end of 2024 TfW aim to expand the scheme to all 95 stations across the South-East Wales…

A Ruthin nature space has been recognised for its contribution to supporting local nature. Llanrhydd Street Nature Space was honoured at the recent Wales in Bloom 2024 awards ceremony held at Abergavenny. Denbighshire Countryside Services alongside Denbighshire County Council’s Climate Change Team and volunteers originally breathed life into the old school field next to Ruthin Hospital in 2022, both for nature and for the enjoyment of the local community. Local school children rolled up their sleeves to help plant nearly 800 trees on the site as part of the part of the Council’s continuing effort to reduce carbon emissions and…

A striking new sculpture has been unveiled in Swansea along a section of its historic canal. More than 800 horseshoes have been used to create a life-size sculpture of a horse, which now stands proudly along a section of the Swansea Canal in the community of Clydach. Horses were used to tow barges along canals throughout the UK for hundreds of years and as late as the 1960s. The incredible piece of art is the work of sculpture Ollie Holman, who was commissioned by Swansea Council to create the piece. The latest artwork to be unveiled in Swansea is part…

NEATH PORT TALBOT Council’s Cabinet has agreed a five-year extension of Celtic Leisure’s contract to run leisure services in the county borough. The council decided in 2022 to bring leisure services back in-house but the move has been ruled out as the extra costs could have led to cuts across other parts of the council and might even have led to the closure of some leisure services venues. Trade unions have also now recognised that insourcing is unaffordable. At their meeting on October 2nd, 2024, Cabinet members were asked to consider these three options: •    Proceed with the insourcing of…

The latest chapter in Narberth Library’s story has started with a soft opening at its new purpose built premises. The informal opening at the recently redeveloped Old School site happened on Thursday, 26th September, with a formal opening to come later in the year. The library was previously housed in a former Wesleyan Church on St James Street and now enjoys a much better position, with ample parking available at the adjacent Town Moor car park. Building the library to a basic shell and core standard was incorporated into the construction works for the whole Old School site, led by…

A support hub set up by Newport City Council to help people live independently in their own homes has moved into the city’s central library building. The Smart Hub, which was previously in Newport Market, is the place to go to find out more about assistive technology. Assistive technology is anything that helps people live safely and independently in their own home. Some of the tech on display includes the Komp, an age-friendly video screen that enables elderly people to connect with those most important to their health and wellbeing. The Komp is easier to use than any tablet or…

At the Abergavenny Food Festival on Sunday, September 22, 2023, students from four Monmouthshire primary schools showcased their culinary talents, impressing judges and audiences with their innovative chickpea korma. The event, presented by Kate Humble and judged by Masterchef winner James Nathan, highlighted Monmouthshire County Council’s commitment to serving sustainable and delicious lunchtime meals for schools across our county. Pupils from Osbaston, Kymin View, Raglan, and Undy collaborated with Size of Wales in partnership with the Council, The Co-op Foundation, and The ‘Cookalong Clwb’ to create a deforestation-free recipe. Their efforts demonstrated the creative potential of vegetables, emphasised the importance of sustainable meal…

First Minister Eluned Morgan and Health Secretary Jeremy Miles have officially opened the North Wales Medical School. The first direct intake of medical students have started at Bangor University this semester – this includes a mix of school leavers and graduate entrants. They will be the first to have all their medical training delivered in North Wales. This year the school will take 80 students, but numbers will increase steadily to reach 140 a year from 2029-30 onwards. Planning for the new medical school began in 2020, when Bangor University, Cardiff University, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and the Welsh…

Welsh Government funding for schemes throughout Wales will help support communities and alleviate child poverty, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Jane Hutt has said. The projects to benefit from funding support the aims of the Child Poverty Strategy which outlines how the Welsh Government will work with partners and organisations to tackle the issue. The Cabinet Secretary recently visited a project supporting Cardiff’s Somali community, which is one of many across Wales being funded by the Welsh Government’s Child Poverty Innovation and Supporting Communities Grant. The Empowering Somali Families project, which is led by Hayaat Women’s Trust on behalf of…