Author: Rhys Gregory

Learners at Pembroke Dock Community School are being inspired to think of a future in renewable energy as they found out more about how the energy sector is changing in Pembrokeshire. The whole school focused on the topic and discovered more about wind turbines, energy testing areas, combating climate change, solar power, and more, in a number of engaging and practical workshops. Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum and the Darwin Centre brought the subject to life and learners enjoyed getting involved in researching and testing their work. Some groups designed and built model floating platforms for offshore wind turbines as well as…

Running from 2pm to 5.30pm on Saturday, November 16, Countdown to Christmas will feature live music, fairground rides and celebrity guests, culminating in the official switching on of Newport’s city centre Christmas lights and a breathtaking fireworks display. Pop star and West End actor Gareth Gates has sold more than three million singles in the UK and topped the charts four times since finishing as runner-up to Will Young on the original Pop Idol talent show in 2002. As a recording artist, Gareth scored number one singles with Unchained Melody, Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake), Suspicious Minds/The Long and Winding…

On Friday 8th November, the Caerphilly Sports Awards celebrated outstanding individuals, clubs and organisations that have made significant contributions to sport in the borough. The event recognised volunteers, coaches, athletes, and clubs whose dedication and commitment inspire and empower local communities. Aaron Ramsey Foundation Young Volunteer of the Year Winner: Valleys Girls Peer Leaders Valleys Girls Peer Leaders of Valley Gymnastics Academy received the Young Volunteer of the Year Award, acknowledging their dedication to engaging young people in active, healthy lifestyles and creating a supportive community for youth sports. Welsh Sports Association Volunteer of the Year Winner: John Helmore  John…

Registered childcare premises will no longer have to pay business rates, saving millions of pounds every year. Estimated to save the sector £3.4 million annually, the now permanent non-domestic rates relief for childcare premises will support childcare providers to invest in staff, create new jobs and reduce fee increases for parents. Since 2019, premises like day nurseries have not paid business rates in Wales thanks to the small business rates relief scheme – helping many tackle rising costs and continue to operate. Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden said: “Childcare settings provide an essential service in Wales, offering…

Wales’ thriving life sciences industry will be celebrated and promoted at one of the largest business-to-business trade fairs in the world during International Trade Week. Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, will lead a Welsh delegation at the MEDICA trade fair, which is taking place in Düsseldorf from Monday 11th November to Thursday 14th November 2024. With more than 30 Welsh companies and 50 delegates attending, it will be Wales’ largest presence at the world’s foremost international medical industry trade fair since before the Covid-19 pandemic. Featuring more than 5,300 exhibitors from almost 70 countries, as well…

Morriston will be transported back to the Victorian era for a festive celebration at the end of November. Morriston Victorian Day 2024, a Christmas-themed event, will take place on Saturday November 23 from 10am to 3pm, with most activities free for all to enjoy. The day will be packed with entertainment, including Santa’s grotto, a Christmas trail, a brass band, and circus workshops. Visitors can also enjoy Christmas carols, history talks, and stilt walkers dressed in Victorian costumes. Confirmed venues hosting free activities include the Tabernacle Morriston Centre, St David’s Church, Aenon Baptist Church, Morriston Library, the Sacred Heart Centre,…

An imposing Newtown chapel which has been a place of worship since 1801 will go under the hammer at a property auction later this month. The Grade II Listed Zion Baptist Chapel, prominently located on the corner of New Church Street with New Road, will be sold at Halls auctioneers’ next collective property and land auction in Shrewsbury on Friday, November 29. Carrying a pre-auction guide price of £100,000 to £120,000, the chapel has a classical front in brick and freestone with a shaped gable above a huge Corinthian façade with portico and pillars. The interior is very lavish with…

A section of boardwalk which forms part of the Wales Coastal Path has had to temporarily close at Rest Bay in Porthcawl after being set alight and destroyed by vandals. South Wales Fire and Rescue were called to Rest Bay shortly before dawn on Saturday 2 November to extinguish the blaze, which they later confirmed had been started deliberately. Around 60 metres of boardwalk located close to Ffynnon-Wen Rocks was destroyed in the attack. Debris is being removed and the site is being made safe so that remedial works can take place, and council officers are currently looking at options…

More than 100 Powys homes will be better protected against water damage by the end of this year, thanks to a £1 million Flood Resilience scheme. Powys County Council has used the money from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund to: Buy two large pumps for use in Bridge Street and New Road, in Crickhowell, to help protect 18 homes from flooding caused by high water levels in the River Usk. Build a bund and make drainage modifications, in partnership with Natural Resources Wales, alongside the A470 in Llandinam, to help protect eight homes from flooding caused by the River…

The campaign to make Blaenau Gwent the first ‘Credit Union County’ in Wales has taken an important step forward. A new Credit Union ‘Champion’ – Blaenau Gwent Councillor Jules Gardner – has been appointed, the new role aligning with his council brief to combat low living standards. The ambitious plan is to boost membership substantially, and in the longer term to enlist half the adult population of the County as members of the Community Bank. As traditional financial institutions continue to close branches, locally based Community Banks and Credit Unions are becoming more important, and their memberships are growing. With…