Author: Rhys Gregory

A monument on Bedwas Road, Caerphilly has been given a ‘facelift’, 20 years after it was installed. Caerphilly County Borough Council employed the skills of local expert stonemason Paul Horne to transform the monument that had become damaged, caused by wear and tear. Funding for the work was provided from the Council’s Caerphilly Homes team, responsible for delivering housing services, and its Business Enterprise and Renewal Team that supports regeneration within the borough Cllr Jamie Pritchard, the Council’s Deputy Leader, said “Residents had raised concerns about the decaying structure, so we were keen to do something about it.  We were…

Blaenau Gwent Council has this week signed the Welsh Government’s Corporate Parenting Charter, strengthening its commitment to ensuring the best services and opportunities for children and young people who have experienced care. Welsh Government’s Corporate Parenting Charter ‘A Promise for Wales’ was developed in collaboration with care-experienced young people. A care experienced children or young person is someone who has been or is currently in care or from a looked-after background at any stage in their life, no matter how short, including adopted children who were previously looked-after. The Charter was signed at the General Offices in Ebbw Vale today…

Media Cymru has published a new interactive tool for media professionals as well as those looking to innovate and grow their creative businesses. The “What kind of innovator are you?” assessment tool draws upon a large body of research literature to outline seven key characteristics or “roles” we play to drive forward innovation.  The tool was developed by the Media Cymru research team – who lead innovative research in the creative media sector in Wales – after receiving feedback from media companies that found they needed help with developing areas within their businesses and identifying the skills gaps.   After completing…

A work scheme to replace and upgrade the pictured traffic signals at Penywaun will start from Sunday – scheduled in the school summer holiday to minimise disruption. The signals are located at the junction with A4059 Hirwaun Road and Arfryn, and the replacement scheme will last around a week from Sunday, August 11. The new LED signals will be more environmentally-friendly, while the existing monitoring equipment is in need of replacement. To facilitate the work, temporary three-way traffic signals will be used while the permanent signals are upgraded. There will also be a temporary pedestrian crossing in use. Please note…

This year’s Powys Business Awards finalists have been announced by the organisers who have praised the “exceptional calibre” of entrants. A dozen category awards, together with the overall Powys Business of the Year and Judges Award, will be presented at a ceremony held at Dering Lines, Brecon on October 4.  Organised by Mid Wales Manufacturing Group (MWMG), the awards showcase the diverse range of successful enterprises within Powys. The new Business in the Community Award was particularly popular. Sponsored by Radnor Hills, last year’s overall Powys Business of the Year, the award recognises businesses that put something back into their…

Plant construction innovator Nathan John is hoping his virtual reality, remote-controlled mini excavator will put his business on even firmer foundations. Powerfab, based in Cardiff and Swansea, has been supported by a £50,000 investment from Tata Steel subsidiary UKSE to help him develop and market his new generation of environmentally-friendly mini-excavators. Within three years, he plans to have a network of service agents around the UK selling and maintaining the machines, and a staff of ten and a company turnover of £2 million. The new range of battery-powered machinery is, according to Mr John, cleaner, safer, quieter and more efficient…

A talented young conductor from North Wales who rejected a teacher’s advice to become a dentist is making his West End debut with singing star Lucy Thomas. Robert Guy, 36, who was recently appointed as the new principal conductor of the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, will conduct a 30-piece London orchestra at Lucy’s concert on October 22 at Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London. Singer Lucy Thomas was catapulted to global fame after appearing on the ITV show, The Voice Kids UK,  at the age of 14 in 2018, finishing as a semi-finalist. The 20-year-old has since released…

The largest cultural festival in Europe, The National Eisteddfod is held in a different part of Wales each year and is currently taking place until Saturday 10th August in Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd. Just down the road is an award-winning craft distillery located in the cellars of the 400-year-old, Grade-I listed Hensol Castle. Hensol Castle Distillery recognises the importance of the Eisteddfod to Welsh culture and the team has created a Limited Edition Gin with 100% of the profits going towards the Eisteddfod fund. Castle Hensol Jin Myfyr Morganwg is a twist on the distillery’s award-winning Welsh Dry Gin, infused with…

MORE than 50 schoolchildren enjoyed a skills day amidst the creature comforts of Coleg Cambria Northop. Pupils from Ysgol Owen Jones, based in the Flintshire village, took part in a range of activities centred on Maths, English and Digital Literacy. They also had the opportunity to view and handle some of the wide range of species at the site’s Small Animal Centre, which houses more than 200 types from reptiles, fish and amphibians to mammals, birds and invertebrates. Cambria lecturer Paul Williams hopes the skills day will become an annual event. “It was great to have pupils with us from…

Members of a pioneering food partnership in Gwynedd heard how a leading restaurant chain spent £1.3 million with local artisan producers last year. Dylan’s, which serves 400,000 customers a year at its restaurants in Menai Bridge, Criccieth, Llandudno and Conwy, specialises in locally produced food and is now looking for more suppliers closer to home. David Retallick, Dylan’s Marketing, Media and Community Relations Manager, issued the appeal at a Gwynedd Food Partnership event at the business’s Criccieth restaurant. The event was organised as part of the Anglesey and Gwynedd Food Partnerships, run by Menter Môn, a social enterprise based in…