Author: Rhys Gregory

Art gallery the Glynn Vivian has successfully secured almost £650,000 in new funding. The funding came from Arts Council Wales (ACW) and the Imperial War Museum (IWM) – and will help our city centre gallery to put on top class new exhibitions and to further engage with local communities. It will be discussed at a meeting of the council’s ruling cabinet on March 21. Elliott King, cabinet member for culture, equalities and human rights, said: “It’s great that one of our city’s cultural treasures has secured this valuable external funding.” Almost £400,000 of the new funds came from ACW. This…

Over 280 talented young people from across Wales have been recognised for their outstanding vocational skills at this year’s Skills Competition Wales awards, securing 96 gold, 92 silver and 97 bronze medals. The announcement follows a series of competitions that took place in January and February, where a record-breaking 1,129 representatives from every corner of Wales competed to be named the ‘country’s best’ in their sector. Competitions covered skill areas including culinary arts, web development, aeronautical engineering and renewable energy. This year’s competition also saw a steady and encouraging rise in female participation in the traditionally male-dominated construction categories, including…

A number of leading homelessness and housing organisations in Wales have expressed grave concerns about the impact of proposed new laws on people facing street homelessness.  The organisations have written to a Senedd Committee to caution against plans in the UK Government’s Criminal Justice Bill. UK ministers are proposing new police powers around so-called “nuisance rough sleeping” and “nuisance begging” in England and Wales. If passed, these powers would include the ability to move on, fine up to £2,500, or imprison a person who is, or appears as though they are intending to, sleep rough or beg.   The letter, addressed…

Lisvane and Llanishen Reservoirs in North Cardiff is adding cold water dipping to its water activity programme, due to popular demand. Cold water dipping is an invigorating and fun activity that can boost mental and physical health and is enjoyed by professional athletes and the public alike. The brand-new sessions, which launch this month at Dwr Cymru Welsh Water’s visitor attraction, include an initial compulsory two-hour induction to ensure that participants learn how to dip as safely as possible. This two-hour course, which is accredited by the Institute for Outdoor Learning, is delivered by experienced instructors, followed by a guided…

Some of Wales’ best known food and drink companies have recently returned from Japan, where they have been promoting the best of what Wales has to offer at Asia’s largest food and drink exhibition. Supported by the Welsh Government, seven food and drink producers from Wales attended Foodex Japan, under the Cymru/Wales banner, with many returning having made important new contacts, that will hopefully lead to lucrative orders. Among the Welsh exhibitors were Calon Wen, Castle Dairies, Edwards – The Welsh Butcher, Glamorgan Brewing, Hybu Cig Cymru, Mydflower and Ty Nant. Welsh food and drink exports to non-EU countries were…

Dear Editor I am writing to you today to invite your readers to put the kettle on – and hold their very own fundraising tea party for Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice to mark our charity’s first 25 years in operation. Every year Tŷ Hafan provides vital care and support for more than 350 children with life-shortening conditions and their families in our hospice in Sully and in homes and communities across Wales. Currently this costs £5.6m per year with only 12% coming from statutory sources and, unfortunately, our running costs are only continuing to go up. Without the amazing kindness,…

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (the Act) became law in October 2023; since then, Companies House has been preparing to implement those changes contained in the Act intended to tackle economic crime in the UK, improve the transparency of corporate information and reform its role as the UK companies registry. These changes will have a knock-on effect for registered companies, limited liability partnerships (LLPs) and limited partnerships (LPs) in the UK. Over recent years criticism has been levelled at the quality of the data and accuracy of the information filed at Companies House. Historically, Companies House has operated…

The RSPCA in Wales has received more than 600 reports about animals found severely injured, trapped, mutilated, choked or even dead from carelessly discarded litter over the past four years. The shocking new data – released today by the charity – also reveals that the figure rises to 12,817 across England and Wales (614 specifically in Wales). In addition on average there were 13 reports per day made across England and Wales last year during the peak months of May, June, July and August, when there is a particular litter hazard for animals. RSPCA Cymru  is urging people to help…

Environmental charity, Keep Wales Tidy, has published its annual All Wales Report for 2023-24, which provides the only consistent and robust measure of street litter data for the whole of Wales.  This year, Keep Wales Tidy surveyed 3,161 streets across Wales between April 2023 and January 2024, with results representing streets adopted by local authorities alone and not extending to parks, beaches or busy roads, meaning results likely present a significant underestimate.  Drinks litter was present on 43.6% of streets, with levels in individual counties ranging considerably from 19.4% of streets to 86.1%.   Aluminium cans are consistently the most common…

A Welsh food wholesaler has launched a new campaign to slash prices and undercut its competitors by up to 38%. Harlech Foodservice, which has bases in Criccieth, Chester, Carmarthen and Merthyr Tydfil, announced the “aggressive” drive at its two-day Food Expo for trade customers at Venue Cymru in Llandudno where record sales topped £1 million. One hundred lines have been added to Harlech’s price comparison package as part of its Trust Our Prices initiative, with nearly 400 top selling lines benchmarked against competitors’ prices. Harlech managing director David Cattrall said: “We are disrupting the established way foodservice companies operate. “We…