Author: Rhys Gregory

Groups involved include Swansea Libraries and Swansea Asylum Seekers Support plus users of the council’s services for lifelong learning and for young adults with additional learning needs or learning disability. Thanks too to South Wales-based artist Natalie Hemingway who helped them – and to Y Storfa contractors Kier who funded the art project. The artwork is inspired by the heritage, humanity and diversity of Swansea city centre. It’s part of the Your Store, Your Story project, telling stories of the building – once a BHS – and the immediate area. Your Store, Your Story is being managed by the council’s…

Alex Norris MP, Minister for Local Growth and Building Safety, announced this week an extra £1.5bn in investment for 75 communities across the UK, with Merthyr Tydfil being one of the chosen towns. Alex Norris MP, Minister for Local Growth and Building Safety, said; “Through the Plan for Neighbourhoods, 75 communities will receive up to an additional £20 million each in investment. This money could go towards anything from revitalising high streets and local parks to supporting the creation of new youth clubs, arts venues or co-operatives. But most importantly, the choice of how that money is spent is up to communities themselves, who will decide through new Neighbourhood Boards. In response to…

Over 48,500 young people across Wales have been helped through employability and skills programmes since the launch of a key Welsh Government commitment. The Young Person’s Guarantee helps 16–24-year-olds by bringing together a variety of programmes to provide the right support at the right time – whether they are looking to enhance their skills, start a business, find employment or continue in education. Speaking in the Senedd today, the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership, Jack Sargeant, will say the programme is not just delivering for the young people of today, but inspiring the young people of tomorrow and…

The Welsh and UK Government have today announced a new £1 million joint research initiative to tackle water quality issues in the River Wye. The Welsh Deputy First Minister, Huw Irranca-Davies, and UK Government’s Water Minister, Emma Hardy, made the announcement during a roundtable meeting in Monmouth with key stakeholders from both sides of the border. The comprehensive cross-border research programme will: Investigate the sources of the pollution and pressures affecting the river Study the impacts of changing farming practices and land management Develop and test new ways to improve water quality Examine what’s driving wildlife decline and water flow…

Two of City Hospice’s business ambassadors, Spiro Borg and Chris Macnamara, have joined forces to encourage other businesses across Cardiff and south Wales to support the charity and its urgent appeal. City Hospice, the only provider of home-based specialist palliative care in Cardiff, is facing an increased demand for its services at a time when its costs are also rising and is hoping to raise an additional £100,000 by the end of March through its ‘Donate today, help for tomorrow’ appeal to ensure that no one in the community faces a terminal illness alone. Motivated by the care that the…

Work has been completed on a new mixed-use business centre on the Festival Park site at Ebbw Vale, South Wales. Owners Birmingham-based Mercia Real Estate Ltd have created 24 industrial units totalling 84,202 sq ft for local and national businesses and logistic operators on the 70 acre site, which was chosen in 1992 to be the last British Garden Festival site.  The 24 units range in size from 958 sq ft to almost 12,000 sq ft and offer a range of business uses including light industrial, trade counter and storage units. The redevelopment work has transformed the site from a…

The BBC has announced it has agreed an exclusive deal to broadcast Wales men’s international football matches in the run-up to the FIFA Men’s 2026 World Cup. Rhuanedd Richards, Director BBC Cymru Wales, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that we’ve signed a deal to bring the action from Wales’ matches to our screens. Craig Bellamy and the Cymru squad are about to start a brand new campaign and I’m so pleased that BBC Cymru Wales will be with them all the way, bringing international football to fans across the nation.” Noel Mooney, CEO of the Football Association of Wales said: “As…

Green Man, Wales’ largest music, arts and science festival, is once again on the lookout for the headliners of tomorrow as applications for the Green Man Rising 2025 competition open, following a record-breaking number of entries in 2024. Now in its 16th year, the Green Man Rising is free to enter and open to all UK bands eager for the opportunity to open the sold-out festival with a performance on its iconic Mountain Stage. The winning act will also receive a professional recording at the festival – which has an international reputation for launching music careers – offering an invaluable…

Goats can process information and solve memory tests better than sheep and alpacas, according to research by Aberystwyth University scientists. In the first study of its kind, experts at the Pwllpeiran Upland Research Centre tested the ability of three animals – sheep, alpacas and goats – to process information. The academics assessed the animals’ ability to understand that objects still exist when no longer visible – a useful skill for tracking herd members or predators in a natural environment. As part of a series of tests, the animals were tasked with finding objects hidden under cups – with food rewards…

A new café bar at a landmark site outside Caerphilly Castle will open its doors to the public this weekend. Rosita’s, inspired by the Italian cafés that brought a rich coffee culture to Wales, is the latest business offering from brothers Jonathan, Richard, and Martin Rees who also own Ten Degrees, Team Rees Gym, Three Brothers Coffee, and Jake’s Ice Cream & Co. Following a soft launch on March 6 with invited guests only, Rosita’s will open to the public on Saturday, March 8. The restaurant will offer a relaxed all-day dining experience from breakfast to dinner as well as…