Author: Rhys Gregory

Local history, personal stories and even past secrets are being recorded and kept for future generations thanks to a new project launched today across Gwynedd and Ynys Môn to coincide with Global Intergenerational Week. A Menter Môn project, ‘Ein Hanes Ni’ (Our Own History) was first trialled in Llannerchymedd in partnership with the Isle of Anglesey County Council. Local children gathered and recorded stories from the area in conversations with the older generation about their memories of the village. Now, with the help of a £250,000 National Lottery ‘People and Places’ grant, the scheme is being rolled out to communities…

Five years on from a quad bike accident that fractured Beca Glyn’s skull, wearing a safety helmet is programmed into her subconscious, and is as familiar to her as wearing a car seatbelt. On that fateful day in March 2018, when she was thrown from a quad bike while rounding up sheep, the young sheep farmer became a health and safety statistic. Although she continues to live with some of the consequences of that accident, Beca says she is lucky. “I lost my sense of taste and smell, I suffer from migraines and need to take tablets to give me…

A consultation on the potential transfer of residential care services from Tregerddan Residential Care Home to Hafan y Waun Care Home is currently underway, following Cabinet approval on 19 March 2024. The aim of the consultation is to explore the views of residents and their families, staff, and the wider community on the future of Tregerddan Care Home in Bow Street, and the opportunity to transfer the care provision to Hafan y Waun Care Home in Aberystwyth. Following the Council’s decision to take ownership of Hafan y Waun Residential Care Home in late 2023, there is an opportunity to restructure…

A North Wales mum has completed the TCS London Marathon to fulfil a promise she made to her son shortly after he was diagnosed with brain cancer. Catherine Kelly, from Holywell, completed Sunday’s race in six hours and 50 minutes, despite missing weeks of training after a series of setbacks. The amateur runner was forced to halt training after suffering an anaphylactic shock from reaction to medication she was taking for a knee injury. Days later she was in hospital, this time caring for her son Edward – who she made a promise to run a marathon – after a…

The current levels of investment in older people’s mental health and wellbeing in Wales are not meeting needs.  This was the key conclusion from an Age Cymru event called A spotlight on the mental health and well-being of older people held in the Senedd Buildings (Welsh Government) on Thursday 18 April 2024.  The event called for a clearer focus on older people’s mental health backed by adequate and sustainable funding not only for specific statutory and third sector mental health support but also for services that underpin a good quality of life for older people such as the availability of…

The Vale of Glamorgan Council has secured funding from the Welsh Government for various transport initiatives, totalling £3,759,954. The funding is dedicated to enhancing travel infrastructure and road safety, encompassing safer community routes and improved active travel. The Active Travel funding is allocated exclusively for designated transport projects, secured through a competitive bidding process open to local authorities. This investment will enable crucial improvements to the region’s infrastructure, particularly enhancing safety around schools. Projects include pedestrian enhancements near Sully Primary School and the improvement of footways connecting schools, shops, and transportation hubs. Additionally, funding will support the implementation of timed…

The Flying Start childcare offer is set to expand further into Denbighshire, with more areas soon to be covered in Dyserth, Rhuddlan and Denbigh. The offer is set to be available towards the second half of this year. To fully introduce the offer to these new areas and help participants with registration, a series of introductory celebratory sessions will be held over the May half term period. Invites to these sessions will be sent via post to eligible households within the newer areas. These sessions will include valuable information for parents, as well as fun activities for kids including Messy…

Cardiff Wales Airport is delighted that Icelandic low-cost carrier, PLAY airlines, is providing a short programme of direct flights between Cardiff and Keflavík, Iceland, this autumn. It is an excellent boost for Welsh tourism, as people living on the island can visit Wales and experience our world class beaches, coastal paths, castles, golf courses, mountains, and excellent shopping venues. PLAY airlines also provides connections to key cities in the US and Canada, through its Keflavík hub. The service also gives our customers in Wales and the south west of England the opportunity to enjoy Iceland’s incredible natural wonders, including waterfalls,…

Electronic music pioneers Leftfield and Orbital will open the recently announced Cardiff Music City Festival on September 27th  at Utilita Arena Cardiff, signalling the start of three glorious weeks of gigs, immersive music happenings, secret shows, unusual residencies, industry sessions, installations and inventive pop-ups in the Welsh capital. Still pushing boundaries 30 years after their generation-defining headline show at Glastonbury 1994, Orbital’s most recent album Optical Delusion  welds the Hartnoll brother’s trademark modulated synths to the striking vocals of Anna B Savage and the punk-politics of Sleaford Mods. Time hasn’t softened their relentless live shows either – currently in the USA for a headline slot…

The behaviour of pupils attending a Welsh-medium primary in Swansea and their attitudes to learning are excellent, school inspectors have found. A team from Estyn visited Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Bryn-y-Môr earlier this year and have now published a report. It says: “Pupils, staff and parents are proud of the school’s happy and friendly ethos. “Pupils feel very safe within the school’s homely and inclusive feel, where everyone respects and cares greatly for each other. “The Welsh language is at the heart of the school and pupils show pride in their language. They use the language completely naturally both inside and…