Author: Rhys Gregory

A war memorial in Risca has been given a makeover in time for Remembrance Sunday. The Risca branch of the Royal British Legion (RBL) joined forces with construction expert Willmott Dixon and Caerphilly County Borough Council to transform the St Mary’s Street memorial and surrounding garden area. Volunteers worked together to clear weeds and overgrowth from the garden, plant shrubs, repaint benches and clean the area in preparation for visitors to the Remembrance Sunday event on 10th November. New metal military silhouettes have been added to the memorial, along with a ‘poppy waterfall’ created by Risca RBL and Risca Yarn…

Tammy Ann HART of Central Avenue, Cefn Fforest pleaded guilty on 25/06/2024 and was sentenced by HHJ R KEMBER at the Merthyr Crown Court on the 16 October 2024 for unlicensed dog breeding, Animal Welfare Act 2006 offences and failing to indicate in adverts that puppies were being advertised by a dog breeder contrary to The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. Tammy Hart was given a 16 week custodial sentence suspended for 52 weeks for causing unnecessary suffering to one of the 29 dogs in her possession under section 4(1) of The Animal Welfare Act 2006, 3 counts…

Health Secretary Jeremy Miles is today (Thursday 24th October) announcing £28m to help the NHS cut the longest waiting times. The funding will pay for more evening and weekend appointments and regional working to target waiting times in specialties such as orthopaedics, ophthalmology, general surgery and gynaecology. Health boards will also free-up outpatient appointments for new patients to be seen by reducing the number of automatic follow-ups in cases where they are not needed. These interventions will cut the number of people waiting more than two years for treatment, waiting times for a first outpatient appointment and ensure more people…

A Tudor dance troupe, based at Cadw’s Plas Mawr house, recently won a volunteering award for their work in bringing museum learning to life. Every year the British Museum and the Marsh Charitable Trust recognises volunteers from across the UK who help museums to better engage with their visitors. The Plas Mawr group, who formed before Covid and are aged between 50 and 84, have just been named as the Welsh winners for this year. Plas Mawr, or Great Hall, is one of the best surviving examples of an Elizabethan town house in the UK today. Since 1993 it has…

In today’s fast-paced business environment, collaboration has become a cornerstone of success. Whether it involves teamwork across departments or strategic partnerships with external organisations, effective collaboration fuels innovation, efficiency, and growth. With the rise of collaborative workspace, both physical and digital, businesses are increasingly focused on fostering a culture of cooperation to achieve their goals. However, simply encouraging collaboration is not enough; it’s essential to measure its effectiveness. Businesses need to track the outcomes of their collaborative efforts to ensure they are delivering the desired results. This is where key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics come into play. By tracking…

Roulette is one of the most famous casino games out there, being instantly recognisable thanks to the presence of its unique wheel. The Roulette wheel sets this game apart from the other classic table games, which feature either cards or dice as their central game components. Whether you play a game of online Roulette or a game in a land-based casino, the wheel is always at the centre of its presentation. As it goes, there is a fascinating story behind the design of the iconic Roulette wheel, which wasn’t originally intended to be part of any game. The origins of…

Nestled on The Hayes in Cardiff’s bustling city centre, Gaucho Cardiff stands out with its sleek black canopies, giving the impression of a high-end boutique. But behind its elegant facade lies an Argentinian steakhouse that brings a sophisticated twist to dining in the Welsh capital. Opened just last year, this is Gaucho’s first venture into Wales, and it has already made a name for itself in Cardiff’s thriving culinary scene. Gaucho Cardiff, much like other premium restaurants such as Six By Nico, Terra Mare, and The Ivy Asia, offers an experience that goes beyond the plate. It’s about the ambiance,…

A scheme where pharmacists can help determine whether a sore throat needs to be treated or not is helping people in the community. The sore throat test and treat scheme allows community pharmacists to assess patients over the age of six with a sore throat. As the weather turns colder, it can be more common to experience a sore throat but antibiotics aren’t always the answer. During the assessment, the pharmacist will decide whether it is appropriate to swab the patient’s throat. If the test is required, the result will determine if the sore throat is due to a bacterial…

Wales’s biggest business group has unveiled a package of new measures to help unlock the full potential of Wales’s creative small businesses. The Creative Industries is a growth industry with huge potential for Wales. In 2022 the sector generated a £3.8bn turnover, making 5.3% of total Welsh GDP. The UK Government’s Green Paper, ‘Invest 2035: The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy’, has identified the creative industries as one of the eight key growth-driving sectors. The Power of Creativity report will be launched on Wednesday 23rd October 2024 at Digidol 24 – Wales’ Digital Conference, taking place at M-SParc. The report sets…

Work to turn a redundant call centre in Brecon into offices for Powys County Council and others, as part of a new multi-agency hub, has been completed. Bbi’s (Beacons Business Interiors) renovation for the council has included: Refurbishment of the second floor to create office space for council staff, with zero-carbon flooring and LED lighting, with intelligent controls. A reorganisation of the first floor to allow for multi-occupancy by different agencies. Installation of a passenger lift. It’s part of a major project, backed by £3.5 million in UK Government funding, which has been used to buy the building on Brecon…