Author: Rhys Gregory

Swansea International Jazz Festival is set to return and celebrate 75 years of live jazz music in the city with a line-up packed with legendary musicians, special performances, and familiar favourites. Swansea Council has once again joined forces with Swansea Jazz Club, now in its 75th year, to present this year’s jazz festival, which will be held at venues across Swansea’s Maritime Quarter from Thursday 13 to Monday 17 June 2024. The festival opens with a special gala dinner at Morgans Hotel on the Thursday evening, which will start the celebrations for the 75th anniversary of Swansea Jazz Club and the 80th birthday…

Significant progress is being made on site in the creation of Y Storfa, Swansea’s new city centre public services hub. Contractors Kier, working on behalf of the council in Oxford Street’s former BHS store, have spent several months expertly stripping the huge property back to its shell and core. Their work has revealed the expansive spaces that, from next year after work is complete, will be a welcoming space to the thousands who’ll visit every week. As part of the city’s ongoing £1bn regeneration, it’ll become home to Swansea’s main library the West Glamorgan Archive Service and a number of…

Neath Port Talbot Council has announced the rollout of a one-year pilot programme for a 24/7 mobile response service designed to enhance the support available to users of its Lifeline service. This innovative programme ensures that Lifeline service users facing non-medical crisis situations, such as a non-injurious fall, have prompt access to trained responders who can provide quick assistance within their own homes. The introduction of the mobile response service aims to ensure individuals can get the right help quickly when needed, particularly in addressing non-medical emergencies. By addressing urgent situations at home, this service enhances safety and security, and…

An ambitious £300m school building programme which could transform education across Powys over the next 10 years has taken a step forward after Cabinet gave the go-ahead to submit plans to the Welsh Government. Powys County Council has prepared a new Strategic Outline Programme (SOP) to submit to the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning’s nine-year rolling programme. Yesterday (Tuesday, May 7), the Cabinet agreed approved the programme for submission to the Welsh Government. If approved by the Welsh Government, the programme will help the council deliver its Transforming Education Programme, which was relaunched in 2022 along with an updated…

Wales’ Chief Veterinary Officer has urged farmers in Wales to be alert to signs of Bluetongue as we enter a period where animals are at an increased risk of contracting Bluetongue virus from midges. Bluetongue does not affect people or food safety. The virus is primarily transmitted by midge bites and affects cattle, goats, sheep and camelids such as llamas, and midges are most active between April and November. Bluetongue is a notifiable disease, so any suspect cases must be reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Further information on the clinical signs of Bluetongue and action to…

In a speech in the Senedd, the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning outlined her key priorities for her new portfolio. Addressing the Chamber, The Cabinet Secretary said: “My new portfolio of Housing, Local Government and Planning, brings together the key elements required to deliver my top-most priorities; tackling homelessness and the commitment to deliver 20,000 additional homes for rent in the social sector.” To achieve these priorities, the Cabinet Secretary intends to formalise the strategic relationship between local government and the Welsh Government. The Programme for Government outlines the Welsh Government’s ambitious target of delivering 20,000 homes…

Cardiff charity City Hospice’s popular, award-winning Forever Flowers campaign will return to Cardiff Castle for a fourth consecutive year this summer. Supporters are invited to purchase a limited edition ‘Remember Me Rose’ to remember and celebrate the lives of family members, friends and colleagues. This year’s choice of flower symbolises love, affection and respect, while the colour also pays tribute to the charity which is marking its ruby anniversary this year. Expertly crafted by the British Ironwork Centre, the unique and lasting tributes will feature in a beautiful display within the grounds of Cardiff Castle from Saturday 3 to Sunday…

Chief executive officers (CEOs) and chief financial officers (CFOs) need to build trust in artificial intelligence (AI) by taking steps in their organisations to manage the associated risks. As AI plays a greater role in the accounting and financial reporting of businesses, CFOs and financial controllers will have to be confident about the adequacy of oversight and controls of AI systems. In the first in a series of insights, AI monitor: trust, ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) urges finance professionals to ensure that AI governance and AI risk management is in place, beginning with: Investing in AI literacy…

INSTEAD of finding a location and then securing a home Paul Fosh property auctions are offering a mobile investment and all you need to do is to find a suitable setting. In a first for Newport-based Paul Fosh Auctions, more used to selling lots of bricks and mortar in situ, the leading property agents are offering a mobile glamping hut. When the virtual hammer falls the new owner of the glamping hut will literally have bought themselves a takeaway. Angie Davey, of Paul Fosh Auctions said:”Normally the lots we sell are in situ. This one, a fitted glamping hut is…

Pupils at Cwmdar Primary School are jumping for joy after their playground has undergone a transformation. After receiving funding from local energy company Pennant Walters, Headteacher Marie Evans wasted no time in setting the wheels in motion to transform the largely concrete area into a fun-filled space for pupils to enjoy long into the future, with pupil voice at the heart of the decision-making. As part of the transformation a track has been painted in the yard, whilst bikes and trikes have been purchased. The funding is allowing an outdoor classroom pod to be installed, whilst other yard games have…