Author: Rhys Gregory

“We are committed to creating a Wales that is a great place to grow older.” That is the message from the Minister for Social Care, Dawn Bowden, after hearing first-hand how Welsh Government funding is benefitting people to live and age well. The Minister met with members of the community group Dementia Friendly Pontypridd during a visit to the Eisteddfod. She also met with members of the Older Persons Advisory Group (OPAG) at Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council. The local authority is one of six councils in Wales to join the World Health Organisation (WHO) Network of Age Friendly…

A Gwynedd-based hydro scheme aimed at boosting a key Welsh Government renewable energy target has received support from high-profile politicians. Three brothers have submitted a planning application for a proposed hydro electric scheme on their land in Cwm Cynfal located close to Llan Ffestiniog. The brothers, Dafydd, Elis and Moi also run their family farm near Bala in Eryri National Park. Consultation at key stages has included Ffestiniog Town Council, which has confirmed its support, Cadw, Natural Resources Wales, Gwynedd Council, the National Park Authority, interest groups, and the public, who were invited to a drop-in event in February hosted…

Pembrokeshire County Show, Wales’ largest county agricultural show, promises it will have something for everyone during the two day event on 14 and 15 August. Visitors to the show, which takes place on Pembrokeshire County Showground in Haverfordwest, can marvel at the variety of livestock classes, including the long-awaited return of the poultry competition, be wowed by the showjumping, explore the horticulture, arts and crafts competition entries, be enthralled by the dog agility and shop until they drop. Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society (PAS) are pulling out all the stops as it celebrates its 240th anniversary. The two-day show will be an…

A young woman from Merthyr, who was unsure about her future career pathway, has now secured a place on the course of her dreams after embarking on the Jobs Growth Wales+ programme with Whitehead-Ross Education. Seventeen-year-old, Scarlett, felt despondent about her future after realising that the Public Services course she was studying at Coleg Gwent was not for her. She had secured a place on the course through a rugby scholarship and had her heart set on becoming a police officer. However, when she realised the course was not what she thought it would be, she started to question her…

The Development Bank of Wales has exited Camtronics, six years after funding a management buy-out of the Tredegar-based contract electronics business. An equity investment of £450,000 from the Development Bank’s Wales Management Succession Fund enabled Managing Director Paul Macleur to lead the management buy-out from Photonstar LED Group plc alongside colleagues Chris Gulliford and Linda Sterry in January 2018. Turnover has since doubled to £4 million and the business has had the strategic support of Mark Pulman as a Non-Executive Director. He was introduced to Camtronics by the Development Bank and remains with the business. Based on Tredegar Business Park, Camtronics offers…

A Cardiff man who was caught with drugs and cash when police raised his flat has been jailed. Caerion Chapman was showering when officers turned up at his apartment in Blaenclydach Street, Grangetown, on July 8 (2024). They carried out a search warrant under the misuse of drugs act and found 13.8 grammes of cocaine in street deal bags and £2480 in cash, stashed in a kitchen cupboard. Officers also seized and analysed mobile phones which put Chapman at the head of a drugs line which distributed cocaine to users. On Tuesday (August 6) – just weeks after his arrest…

Knighton town centre is to see improvements, that should make it a more attractive place to visit, after a funding bid submitted to Powys County Council was successful. Knighton Town Council is to receive up to £66,759.20 towards the cost of refurbishing 15 business frontages on High Street, Broad Street, West Street, Market Street, Bridge Street and Wylcwm Place. The funding is being provided in the form of a Welsh Government Placemaking Grant, through its Transforming Towns programme, for up to 70% of the total cost. The town council is working as a facilitator for the scheme, in partnership with…

House prices in Wales fell through the month of July according to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Residential Market Survey, but both supply and demand are reported to have increased and respondents therefore expect sales to rise. A net balance of -20% of surveyors in Wales reported that prices have fallen over the past three months. This balance is largely in line with the UK average which is reported to be -19%. This may be weighing on Welsh surveyors’ outlook for prices as a net balance of -34% of respondents anticipate that prices will fall over the…

This Saturday’s Llanfyllin Show is on course to be a record-breaker with entries in virtually every section well up on last year which set new records. Show secretary Sian Lewis has had to order more sheep pens because of the rising entries while she expects there to be around 900 entries in the horticulture, cookery classes and handicrafts. Horse and children’s riding entries, which increased last year, have risen again. Sian stressed that entries for the horses section and dog show will still be taken on show day. The number of trade exhibitors is also expected to set a new…

Bouygues UK has begun works to transform an old retail store in Carmarthen into a state-of-the-art health, wellbeing, educational and leisure hwb that will include a high-spec family entertainment centre. As lead contractor on the project, Bouygues UK are now working closely with Carmarthenshire County Council, in partnership with Hywel Dda University Health Board and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, to repurpose the building that will deliver a wide range of facilities under one roof – it will be called Carmarthen Health and Wellbeing Hwb. Once complete, Carmarthenshire residents will be able to access community health services at…