Operation Santa Appeal 2026
Caerphilly County Borough Council’s annual ‘Operation Santa’ appeal launches today and will remain open until Friday 27th November. Caerphilly County Borough Council’s annual ‘Operation Santa’ appeal launches today and will remain open until Friday 27th November. Hundreds of children across the borough are at risk of not receiving a gift this Christmas. Operation Santa aims…
Letter to editor: Letters from Santa for children with vision impairment
Dear Editor, After a long hot summer, the festive season is around the corner and Santa is already hard at work to make sure that every child experiences the magic of Christmas. Once more, the residents of the North Pole are teaming up with their friends at RNIB Cymru to help Santa reply to children…
Five things you need to know ahead of Making TaxDigital for Income Tax quarterly deadline
Sole traders and landlords earning more than £50,000 must send their second quarterlyupdate for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax by Saturday 7 November 2026. HMRC busts common myths to help customers prepare for the second quarterly update withconfidence.HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is helping sole traders and landlords earning more than £50,000prepare for their…
Pair jailed after arson attempts in Pontypridd and Caerphilly
Two men have been jailed following a South Wales Police investigation into three incidents in Pontypridd and Caerphilly. Eighteen-year-old Yasin Hussain (D.O.B.: 10-04-2008), of no fixed abode, was sentenced to nine years and nine months in prison Nineteen-year-old Adam Taylor-Morris (D.O.B.: 10-05-2007), of no fixed abode, was also sentenced to nine years and nine months…
Four million hours of overtime in Welsh Ambulance Services
The Welsh Ambulance Services Trust (WAST) have carried out almost four million hours of paid overtime since 2017, according to new figures uncovered by the Welsh Conservatives. Figures obtained by the Welsh Conservatives reveal that WAST staff have worked over 36,000 hours of overtime every single month on average since April 2017, costing the taxpayer…
Footpath closures needed for wall repairs at disused coal tip site in Penrhiwceiber
Residents in Penrhiwceiber are advised about a local work scheme starting today to repair a riverside embankment at the toe of a coal tip, which requires a series of footpath closures over the weeks ahead. The Council is undertaking this work using important Welsh Government funding secured to repair and maintain disused coal tip sites…
New teaching block for Aberdare school now being constructed
A Council investment in improved facilities at St John Baptist Church in Wales High School, Aberdare, is now being delivered – as work to install a modern teaching block in time for the next academic year has now started. The project is being delivered in partnership with Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, to…
Welsh Ambulance Service volunteers honoured at National Volunteer Conference
Welsh Ambulance Service volunteers have been recognised at the National Volunteer Awards 2026. This year’s National Volunteer Awards, held at the International Convention Centre, Newport, on 17th October, saw several volunteers from the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust (WAST) receiving awards. The ceremony was held as part of the WAST’s National Volunteer Conference, celebrating the…
Education Tribunal for Wales erred in law in dealing with expert evidence, Upper Tribunal finds
The Upper Tribunal has allowed an appeal brought by a local authority, after finding the Education Tribunal for Wales “materially erred in law” in the way in which it dealt with expert evidence. The case in Swansea City And County Council v DE [2026] UKUT 398 (AAC) (19 October 2026) concerned a teenage child with…
Public invited to have their say on future plans for Afan Forest
NRW is inviting people to have their say on the future management of Afan Forest. The draft Forest Resource Plan (FRP) outlines how NRW proposes to manage Afan Forest over the next 10 years, balancing sustainable timber production with nature recovery, climate resilience and recreation. It covers the Afan, Pelenna, Corrwg and Drysiog catchments and…