Author: Rhys Gregory

A church in Swansea, a football club in Denbighshire and volunteer centre in Powys are among the 38 projects to receive a share of more than £4.3m support from the Welsh Government. Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice, Jane Hutt visited the Parish of Casllwchwr and Gorseinon in Swansea recently where £300,000 funding will be vital in redesigning and repurposing the historic church building to create a multi-purpose community space. The facility already hosts over 50 community groups and plans are in place to increase this number once renovations are complete. The improvements will include space for gardening and…

This Zero Waste Week (2-6 September 2024), Benthyg Cymru is championing the ‘borrow, don’t buy’ movement. Benthyg (ben-thig), meaning “to borrow or lend” in Welsh, perfectly captures the spirit of what we’re encouraging this September. The Welsh Government and Benthyg Cymru are encouraging people across Wales to find their nearest Library of Things – a community hub where people can borrow items they need, sharing resources that are already in their local area. Instead of purchasing items that can be costly, contribute to household clutter and landfill waste, borrowing offers a sustainable alternative – allowing people who ‘Don’t buy it,…

The first phase of conservation works to the chapels at the iconic Tintern Abbey has begun, Cadw has announced. Tintern Abbey is one of Cadw’s finest monuments with its ancient ruins standing on the banks of the River Wye. Cadw’s specialist masons have worked on the Abbey for the last forty years to conserve it for future generations to enjoy. There have been many campaigns to address the deterioration of the stone due to hotter summers and wetter winters, as well as original stones being put in the wrong way. With the completion of scaffolding, conservation work at Tintern Abbey…

Warsaw, Poland’s capital, is not only an attractive destination for those curious about European history and passionate about culture and art but also for visitors seeking culinary delights. The city boasts numerous eateries serving a variety of cuisines, but La Brasserie Moderne stands out as one of the most highly praised venues by gourmets for its exquisite meals and unique ambiance. Read on to discover why this remarkable restaurant in Warsaw is worth a visit. Delicacies at central Warsaw’s culinary gem La Brasserie Moderne excels in blending traditional and modern culinary approaches, with a particular focus on Polish and French…

Thousands of runners and spectators took to the Welsh capital today (Sunday) for the Brecon Carreg CDF 10K – in what was its largest yet. More than 7,000 people signed up to take part in the race, and supporting 2K event, which took participants on a sightseeing tour of the Welsh capital with highlights including Cardiff Castle, Central Square, the Principality Stadium and leafy suburb of Pontcanna. In the men’s race it was Run 4 Wales 10K serial winner, Omar Ahmed, who took first place and secured a PB at the event with a time of 28:27. Dewi Griffiths (28:28)…

An ancient Egyptian coffin has returned to Swansea after a painstaking 26-year project to bring it back to life. The artefact, believed to date back to around 650 BC, is now at Swansea University’s award-winning Egypt Centre once again after thousands of hours of conservation work at Cardiff University. The coffin, originally made for a man called Ankhpakhered in the city of Thebes, was transported back under the watchful eye of the museum’s curator Dr Ken Griffin. He said: “The coffin had to be painstakingly cleaned, reconstructed, and consolidated to prevent it from deteriorating further and we are thrilled to…

Fifteen social businesses – including a Rhondda-based company helping the next generation of Welsh talent to break into the music industry – will be recognised at the Social Business Wales Awards this October.  The annual Social Business Wales Awards celebrate social enterprises across Wales making a difference locally, nationally and globally in areas such as housing regeneration, mental health and wellbeing, the transition to a net-zero economy, and employability skills training.   Other nominees include the only non-profit in the UK providing court of protection deputyship by qualified and regulated solicitors; an organisation providing employability skills training to young people in…

A “destination” adventure playground attraction made partly of recycled ocean waste and featuring an 8.9m high play tower with climbing walls and a thrilling tube slide is coming to Aberavon Beach. Also boasting a zip wire, swings, an overhead ladder, a carousel and other play equipment,  the new adventure playground is being paid for by the £4.25m ‘green up and clean up’ fund established by Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet. The fund is designed to improve the look of Neath Port Talbot’s towns, valleys and villages. The new adventure playground has been designed by and will be built by Kompan…

Ayrton Senna’s McLaren MP4/4, which first came to Pembrey Circuit in 1988 and dominated that year’s Formula 1 World Championship, will be the centrepiece of a Senna tribute at the Welsh Motorsport & Supercar Festival. The festival takes place on Sunday 22 September, exactly 31 years to the day since the Brazilian F1 driver set the fastest lap around the home of Welsh motorsport. Pembrey will open its doors like never before at the Welsh Motorsport & Supercar Festival, with visitors able to get up close to a collection of historic F1 cars and modern rally cars in the pit…

An emerging biotech start-up from St Asaph is turning the tide on plastic pollution, having successfully closed a significant funding round totalling over £800,000. The pre-seed round includes an equity investment of £220,000 from the Development Bank of Wales, alongside Innovate UK Investor Partnerships funding, Sustainable Ventures and SFC Capital. Using sustainably sourced seaweed from Scotland, PlantSea has developed a unique bio-refining technology to produce a ground-breaking water-soluble seaweed-based flexible film that holds both liquids and dry products such as laundry detergents. It mimics the key characteristics of plastic yet is fully biodegradable. The investment by the Development Bank will…