Author: Rhys Gregory

North Wales Police Cadets recently carried out checks on the sale of knives to children. Young volunteers, alongside police officers, conducted an under-age sales operation as part of Operation Sceptre, a national, intensive week of action that ran last week to tackle knife crime. The aim was to ensure local businesses are compliant with legislation, and that anyone under the age of 18 are refused knives. A total of 23 shops were tested in areas of Wrexham, Llandudno and Conwy – with nearly half failing to ask for identification from the volunteers before selling knives. Of the eight shops tested…

New national research published by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has found that over two thirds (70%) of beer and wine, checked by Trading Standards professionals, is short measured. The national fieldwork was undertaken by local authorities across the UK. The findings come at a time when the price of alcoholic drinks is at an all-time high: according to the Office of National Statistics, the average price of a bottle of red wine has increased 8% in the last year, while the average cost of a pint of lager is up 5.6%.CTSI’s findings show that there is more work…

Wales is to receive a share of £5.9m to help cancer patients receive ground-breaking new cancer medicines, it was revealed today.  The money is being invested by Cancer Research UK to continue to fund a UK-wide network of Senior Research Nurses.   Wales will benefit from around £265,834 which includes funding for a Senior Research Nurse over the next five years.  Senior Research Nurses play a critical role in helping people affected by cancer gain access to clinical trials which offer patients, some of whom have few remaining treatment options, the opportunity to try new therapies which, if effective, can be…

The housing emergency in Cardiff continues and the need for more permanent and temporary affordable housing remains an urgent and pressing issue. The Council remains committed to delivering rapid solutions to tackle the unprecedented demand for homelessness and housing services in the city and has developed a set of new proposals to create around 250 new affordable homes in the city, as quickly as possible. Some property and land purchase proposals, approved by Cabinet to help alleviate pressures when the authority declared a housing emergency in the city in December, are now no longer available so new plans have been brought…

Swansea Council would like the city’s St Helen’s sports ground to become the new home of top-flight rugby region The Ospreys. The Ospreys are looking for a new home, having stated that they no longer plan to play at the Swansea.com Stadium after the 2024-25 season. A proposal for a new operating model at St Helen’s – currently run by the council – would see it redeveloped as a location for regional and community sport. The council would want any approved plan to accommodate the successful relocation of Swansea Cricket Club in a manner agreed by them and others. Council leader Rob Stewart said: “St Helen’s needs to…

Following the resounding success of his pop-up ventures across Cardiff, Chef Tom Waters is set to open his first permanent restaurant, Gorse today (May 28th, 2024). Having earned his stripes in prestigious London kitchens, including stints at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck, The Square and Bonhams, Chef Tom Waters returned to his Welsh roots with his pop-up concept Gorse, eighteen months ago. Originally hailing from Newport but with long-held ambitions to open a restaurant in the Welsh capital, Tom soon captivated diners with his ‘Modern Welsh’ tasting menus which utilise his close relationships with farmers and producers. Combined with exacting technique and attention to detail, Tom says Gorse…

Visit Wales has launched an innovative campaign showcasing the country as the destination for dog friendly staycations this year… by targeting dogs themselves. Aimed at capturing the attention of dogs up and down the UK, the tourism body for Wales has unveiled a new marketing campaign including a TV ad designed specifically for them, using imagery and sounds that they will love, in the hopes to inspire holidaymakers to choose Wales as their next dog-friendly holiday destination. The unique tourism campaign hopes to reach its four-legged audience with a range of immersive features that will appeal directly to dogs including…

The early jazz music of legendary composer Sir Karl Jenkins will feature at this year’s Swansea International Jazz Festival. As part of his 80th birthday year celebrations, Sir Karl, who is also Patron of the Festival, has arranged the works with bassist and composer Laurence Cottle, whose All-Star Big Band will perform. Returning to the genre for the first time in fifty years, Sir Karl will also introduce the concert. The concert, entitled Back, Down Another Road: The Jazz Music of Sir Karl Jenkins, will feature jazz tunes by Sir Karl including “Down Another Road”, “Elastic Rock” (the title track…

Rhys, 16 from Conwy has won a prestigious national Prince’s Trust and TK Maxx and Homesense Award.  He scooped the Ascential Education Award which recognises a young person who has demonstrated significant personal growth and overcome barriers to improve their future through a Prince’s Trust Education programme.​ He attended a reception at Buckingham Palace to meet His Majesty The King, Founder of The Prince’s Trust, who congratulated the award winners on their achievements. Rhys was honoured on Tuesday at the star-studded awards ceremony, hosted by Ant and Dec, and attended by many celebrity supporters and Ambassadors of the youth charity. He was presented…

Over two decades of conservation work has handed an important lifeline to an under-threat bird. Since the 1990s countryside rangers have worked on Denbighshire Moorlands to provide a helping hand to Black Grouse. The Black Grouse, an upland animal, is a priority species for conservation action in Wales. One of the main reasons the species remains under threat is the degradation of habitat. Black grouse require a mosaic of habitat including young and mature heather, farmland, bog and scattered trees. To safeguard the Black Grouse on Denbighshire Moorland a partnership including Denbighshire County Council Clwydian Range and Dee valley National…