Author: Rhys Gregory

A young cornet player from Ruthin whose great-grandfather switched his shift for band practice and escaped the 1934 Gresford Colliery Disaster has joined fast-growing North Wales law firm Swayne Johnson as part of their private client team. Eleri Roberts is one of two new recruits as the firm, which has just announced the opening of its first Flintshire office in Mold, continues to expand. The opening of the office in Mold created vacancies in Denbigh and Eleri, who lives in Llanfwrog, and colleague Winter Loseby, from Chichester, in Sussex, have been added to the strength. Eleri, 24, a member of…

The first of Cardiff Council’s new build state-of-the-art Community Living developments for older people has been officially launched this week. Cardiff Council Leader, Huw Thomas, and Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, were joined by Welsh Government Minister for Climate Change, Julie James MS, and Wates’ Regional Managing Director Edward Rees with Development Director Stuart Jones at Addison House to unveil a plaque marking the official opening of the new scheme – the first of ten new build schemes being delivered by the Council as part of itsinnovative development programme. The new schemes respond directly to the needs identified…

A project aiming to teach Swansea people with learning difficulties how to cook healthy, low-cost meals is in need of funding donations. Amanda Roberts, of Your Voice Advocacy, is looking to raise at least an extra £2,300 in the next month or so to ensure the project can go ahead. The plea for more funding donations follows Swansea Council already pledging close to £2,500 to the project through its Crowdfund Swansea Fund. Led by Amanda, weekly cookery workshops are planned for project participants, where they’d learn skills including cooking, food hygiene and healthy low budget meal options. If the project…

More than 280 young people have been presented with Bronze, Silver or Gold awards at the 2023 Neath Port Talbot Duke of Edinburgh’s Award presentation evening held on December 14th, 2023 at Port Talbot’s Princess of Wales Theatre. Cllr Nia Jenkins, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Early Years, said: “The Neath Port Talbot, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme provides an excellent opportunity to discover new interests, gain confidence, build new relationships, work as a team and much, much more. “Award scheme winners gain an experience they will never forget, it’s something which will have an impact…

The second phase of work to establish the Rhondda Fach Active Travel Route is underway – with phase one, a new shared path between the old colliery site and the gateway memorial in Maerdy, due for completion before Christmas. The overall project will create a 7km shared pedestrian and cycle route between Maerdy and Tylorstown, with its delivery split into five main phases of work. The Council has currently secured Welsh Government funding to construct the first two phases, and to progress the design and development of the remaining three phases which will be constructed in the future. This investment…

Meals Direct staff have teamed up with Caerphilly Cares to deliver a supply of beautiful crochet blankets, handmade and donated by volunteers from the Caerphilly Miners Centre. This forms part of the wider response to the cost-of-living crisis where CCBC funded the provision of a supply of warm packs to support vulnerable residents to stay warm in their home or when venturing outdoors this winter. Co-ordinated by the Council’s Caerphilly Cares Team, approximately 900 packs have been distributed so far during this Autumn and Winter period, with each pack including items designed to “heat the human, not the home”, such…

Monmouthshire will soon boast a new family volunteering programme. Family Volunteering Club makes it easy for children aged 0-9 and their grown-ups to help at important causes on their doorstep. Monmouthshire County Council wants to help create a society in which every child grows up feeling connected to their local community and understands the positive role they can play in helping change issues that matter to them. The programme will include eight fun and impactful child-friendly volunteering sessions hosted by local charities. Sessions will be free and suitable for ages 0 – 9, plus their grown-ups, bringing local families together…

Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire County Councils have organised an engagement event about transforming the disused Cardi Bach railway line into a new walking and cycling route. Both local authorities have been collaborating with Sustrans Cymru, the charity making it easier for everyone to walk, wheel, and cycle, to study the disused route with the aim of building a new, shared-use walking and cycling path. The long-term aim is for the path to connect Cardigan in the north to Whitland in the south, creating a traffic-free route for locals and tourists to use. Aoife Blight, Project Manager for Sustrans Cymru said, “We…

Work to improve the footpath and accessibility to Priory Church in Wales Primary School is due to take place early in the New Year as part of a Welsh Government funded Safe Routes in Communities Active Travel project. Identified on the Active Travel Network Maps (ATNM) by the community and school, the existing footpaths were described as poor or unsuitable for making journeys by foot, particularly for those travelling to and from the school. The project has been designed to address these issues and improve access to the school and will be the first step in developing a wider local…

An independent opticians are investing in their practice and team on Blackwood’s High Street, celebrating with a reopening event at their newly refurbished practice. Julian Davies Opticians have been at the heart of the Welsh community since 1992, since forming strong ties with patients across each of the communities they serve. In December of 2023, Julian Davies Opticians announced a merge with Bateman Opticians, a well-known high street group with practices in Cardiff, Newport and Blackwood. Bateman Opticians had been placed into administration and the rescue package added their four practices to the Julian Davies Opticians group; allowing them all…