Author: Rhys Gregory

A brand-new High Value Engineering (HiVE) facility has been officially opened in Ebbw Vale this week during a visit by the Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens and Welsh Minister for Skills, Jack Sargeant MS. HiVE has been delivered in partnership between Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council and Coleg Gwent and funded by UK Government and Welsh Government. The project marks an exciting new chapter for STEM education and skills development in South Wales. With a substantial investment of over £15 million secured from the UK Government (Levelling up Fund and Shared Prosperity Fund) and the Welsh Government’s Tech…

The Welsh Estate Agency Awards has announced that applications for the 2026 Welsh Estate Agency Awards are now open. After the spectacular inaugural awards this summer, the 2026 awards are being held April 23rd at the iconic Hilton Hotel – Cardiff. The awards are once again hosted by one of Welsh television and radio’s most popular presenters, Sara Edwards. The Welsh Estate Agency Awards shines a light on a key economic industry in Wales, and the incredible work those in the property sector do. The categories for 2026 are as follows: Residential Estate Agency of the Year Commercial Estate Agency of the…

Pupils from Tredegarville C.I.W. Primary School will be helping to light the streets of Cardiff this Christmas after taking part in the second annual Cardiff Kids Xmas Lights project. The switch-on event will take place on the 13 of November from 5-6pm in the Canal Quarter, coinciding with the RSAW awards, and a performance from a local primary school choir. The innovative project has seen light installations, co-designed by pupils at the Adamsdown based primary school, mounted to lamp posts in the canal quarter district. The project was co-created by Founding Director of Architecture of Kids CIC and Design Tutor…

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Wales has welcomed the stability in Welsh Government’s Draft Budget for 2026/27. It includes an uplift in overall funding and leaves £380 million unallocated for cross-party negotiations. However, FSB Wales warns that the budget overlooks the severe cost pressures on Wales’s 200,000+ small businesses. A major concern is the lack of detail on non-domestic rates (NDR). The draft budget says NDR policy will be decided after the UK Autumn Budget on 26 November and assumes revenues will stay the same “in real terms”. This leaves important questions unanswered, such as how will the multiplier…

In his centenary year, Richard Burton’s granddaughter will be in Swansea to provide a unique personal perspective on the legendary actor. Charlotte Frances Burton will deliver this year’s annual Richard Burton Lecture at Swansea University’s Taliesin Arts Centre on Wednesday, November 12 at 6pm. The free event is part of an annual series of prestigious events led by the Richard Burton Centre in collaboration with the Cultural Institute at Swansea University. It is particularly significant as November marks the centenary of Burton’s birth. Charlotte Frances Burton is an actor, director, and writer from New York City, and the family representative…

This autumn, volunteers across the capital once again came together as part of the Big Cardiff Tidy 2025, collecting 1,165 bags of litter. From 26 September to 12 October 2025, Cardiff saw a surge of community action as the Big Cardiff Tidy returned after last year’s success. Organised by Keep Wales Tidy in partnership with Love Where You Live (Cardiff Council) and Cardiff Rivers Group, the two-week clean-up event brought together volunteers from all corners of the city to make a real difference in their local environment. 114 litter picking and clean up events took place in areas around the…

Since March 2024, Faith in Families’ Cwtch Mawr Multibank has freely distributed one million essential items to families and individuals across Swansea Bay. The initiative supplies items to partner organisations, who assess need and give them directly to the people they support. Led by Faith in Families and supported by Amazon UK, Cwtch Mawr connects surplus goods from responsible businesses with community partners who know where help is needed most. Cherrie Bija, Chief Executive of Faith in Families, said: “Cwtch Mawr was built for hard times — and these are hard times. One million essential items given out for free…

Steven Craig Vonk, aged 51 from Swansea, attacked Timothy Matthews outside the Mill public house in Brynmill on July 25 this year. Vonk has been sentenced to three years in prison after appearing at Swansea Crown Court having pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Matthews in a one-punch incident. Detective Inspector David Butt of the South Wales Police Major Crime Investigations Team said: “This case shows what devastating consequences a one-punch attack such as this can have. I would urge others to think about how easily a decision can affect the rest of your life and potentially end someone…

A 34-year-old woman who attacked a man with a broken glass bottle has been jailed. Cassie Evans, of Watery Road, Wrexham struck the victim to the neck with the piece of glass following an unprovoked attack. The incident on Lord Street, Wrexham happened shortly after 7pm, on 18 August. The victim was taken to hospital where he received treatment for his injuries. Evans admitted charges of wounding with intent and possession of an offensive weapon and at Mold Crown Court today, Monday 3 November, she was jailed for two years and nine months. She was also issued a five-year restraining…

Families can now travel more easily and affordably with the launch of family ticketing with Transport for Wales. These new tickets will improve the family travel experience by allowing up to two children (under 16) to travel free of charge with every paying adult. The new bundled family tickets will be available digitally for the first time via the updated TfW app (Version 2.0) and on the web, as well as through ticket machines, ticket offices, and from the train manager on board. Key benefits include: Free anytime travel for accompanied children aged under 16 (available off peak only, until…