Latest news with #Llanidloes-based
Powys County Times
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Powys hockey player Leanne Davies shines in red of Wales
A POWYS hockey player is celebrating after a stellar summer. Leanne Davies is one of the most recognisable names in the local hockey scene having played for hometown club Llanfair Caereinion for more than two decades. And, it seems the 45-year-old is in no mood to slow down after enjoying her best season to date and a summer she will not forget for a while. Last week the Llanidloes-based player was part of the Wales squad which took part in the Veteran Home Nations in Scotland and played a key role for her country. Wales beat Scotland 3-0 before losing to Ireland and England to end third in the rankings. Davies was also nominated most improved player of the tournament and received an an award from Wales coach Andy Holland. She said: 'This moment means more than just putting on a jersey. It represents years of dedication, passion, and resilience.' Earlier in the summer the veteran was also part of the Wales squad to take part in the European Masters in Spain when ex-Newtown player Karen Bubb was also selected. Wales ended sixth after defeats to Ireland and Belgium. She said: 'I am so proud and feel so lucky to be able to play for Wales.'
Rhyl Journal
31-07-2025
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
Anheddau shares struggles in wake of employer NIC changes
Anheddau, which supports adults with autism, learning disabilities, and other needs, uses funding provided by the county councils which commission its services, but it also subsidises those services itself. Now, the charity's annual wage bill has had an extra £400,000 added to it. Chief executive Claire Higgins said: "From April this year, Chancellor Rachel Reeves raised the rate of NICs which employers have to pay for employees from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent. "In addition, the Chancellor reduced the level at which employers have to start paying NICs from £9,000 to £5,100 per year. "This financial burden coincided with the Welsh Government raising the Real Living Wage rate – the minimum which employers are expected to pay employees – to £12.60 an hour. "It is a double whammy. "We anticipated and planned for staff pay rises but the NICs were a devastating blow. "Finding £400,000 with little warning would be challenging for any business. "For a small charity like Anheddau it is catastrophic. "We have been supporting people with autism, learning disabilities, mental health, and other needs for more than 35 years. "The fact is that if we were not providing this service then the local authority would have to do it themselves in-house or commission private providers. "I see no benefit in either option since the cost of re-provision will increase and costs will be passed on to the wider population. "The whole situation is hugely disappointing. "If the local authorities agreed to pay for the extra NICs, this would require each to increase Anheddau's funding to 8 per cent since our costs have risen by 11 per cent. "We have made a compelling case to them to do so but, so far, most of them have offered less than half of this. "Denbighshire is reconsidering its original rise of only 4.3 per cent and Ynys Môn has revised its offer from 4.2 per cent to 5.8 per cent, which is still too low." Cymryd Rhan, another charitable organisation, folded in March. The Llanidloes-based organisation provided support for about 2,000 people in Flintshire, Wrexham, Ceredigion, Merthyr, and Powys. Its board concluded that "closure was its only option because the sums didn't add up," in the words of a third party spokesperson. Mario Kreft, chair of Care Forum Wales, which represents hundreds of care homes, nursing homes, and other independent health and social care providers across Wales, warned of the possibility of "history repeating itself."
Leader Live
31-07-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
Anheddau shares struggles in wake of employer NIC changes
Anheddau, which supports adults with autism, learning disabilities, and other needs, uses funding provided by the county councils which commission its services, but it also subsidises those services itself. Now, the charity's annual wage bill has had an extra £400,000 added to it. Chief executive Claire Higgins said: "From April this year, Chancellor Rachel Reeves raised the rate of NICs which employers have to pay for employees from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent. "In addition, the Chancellor reduced the level at which employers have to start paying NICs from £9,000 to £5,100 per year. "This financial burden coincided with the Welsh Government raising the Real Living Wage rate – the minimum which employers are expected to pay employees – to £12.60 an hour. "It is a double whammy. "We anticipated and planned for staff pay rises but the NICs were a devastating blow. "Finding £400,000 with little warning would be challenging for any business. "For a small charity like Anheddau it is catastrophic. "We have been supporting people with autism, learning disabilities, mental health, and other needs for more than 35 years. "The fact is that if we were not providing this service then the local authority would have to do it themselves in-house or commission private providers. "I see no benefit in either option since the cost of re-provision will increase and costs will be passed on to the wider population. "The whole situation is hugely disappointing. "If the local authorities agreed to pay for the extra NICs, this would require each to increase Anheddau's funding to 8 per cent since our costs have risen by 11 per cent. "We have made a compelling case to them to do so but, so far, most of them have offered less than half of this. "Denbighshire is reconsidering its original rise of only 4.3 per cent and Ynys Môn has revised its offer from 4.2 per cent to 5.8 per cent, which is still too low." Cymryd Rhan, another charitable organisation, folded in March. The Llanidloes-based organisation provided support for about 2,000 people in Flintshire, Wrexham, Ceredigion, Merthyr, and Powys. Its board concluded that "closure was its only option because the sums didn't add up," in the words of a third party spokesperson. Mario Kreft, chair of Care Forum Wales, which represents hundreds of care homes, nursing homes, and other independent health and social care providers across Wales, warned of the possibility of "history repeating itself."
North Wales Chronicle
31-07-2025
- Business
- North Wales Chronicle
Anheddau shares struggles in wake of employer NIC changes
Anheddau, which supports adults with autism, learning disabilities, and other needs, uses funding provided by the county councils which commission its services, but it also subsidises those services itself. Now, the charity's annual wage bill has had an extra £400,000 added to it. Chief executive Claire Higgins said: "From April this year, Chancellor Rachel Reeves raised the rate of NICs which employers have to pay for employees from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent. "In addition, the Chancellor reduced the level at which employers have to start paying NICs from £9,000 to £5,100 per year. "This financial burden coincided with the Welsh Government raising the Real Living Wage rate – the minimum which employers are expected to pay employees – to £12.60 an hour. "It is a double whammy. "We anticipated and planned for staff pay rises but the NICs were a devastating blow. "Finding £400,000 with little warning would be challenging for any business. "For a small charity like Anheddau it is catastrophic. "We have been supporting people with autism, learning disabilities, mental health, and other needs for more than 35 years. "The fact is that if we were not providing this service then the local authority would have to do it themselves in-house or commission private providers. "I see no benefit in either option since the cost of re-provision will increase and costs will be passed on to the wider population. "The whole situation is hugely disappointing. "If the local authorities agreed to pay for the extra NICs, this would require each to increase Anheddau's funding to 8 per cent since our costs have risen by 11 per cent. "We have made a compelling case to them to do so but, so far, most of them have offered less than half of this. "Denbighshire is reconsidering its original rise of only 4.3 per cent and Ynys Môn has revised its offer from 4.2 per cent to 5.8 per cent, which is still too low." Cymryd Rhan, another charitable organisation, folded in March. The Llanidloes-based organisation provided support for about 2,000 people in Flintshire, Wrexham, Ceredigion, Merthyr, and Powys. Its board concluded that "closure was its only option because the sums didn't add up," in the words of a third party spokesperson. Mario Kreft, chair of Care Forum Wales, which represents hundreds of care homes, nursing homes, and other independent health and social care providers across Wales, warned of the possibility of "history repeating itself."
Powys County Times
27-06-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Powys bus company wins Welsh Gov contract from Stagecoach
A Powys bus company has been awarded a major route by the Welsh Government. Llanidloes-based bus operator Celtic Travel has been awarded a contract to deliver the TrawsCymru T4 service between Merthyr and Newtown from September. The popular route has been operating for 14 years and is well used by commuters, students, residents, and tourists accessing Bannau Brycheiniog, the Royal Welsh Show, and many of the towns and villages along the route. Celtic Travel has been delivering transport services across Powys and the surrounding areas since 2006 and the news was welcomed by Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates. 'It's good to see Celtic Travel join the Traws network and deliver the T4 from September this year,' said Mr Skates. 'This is an important route linking towns and villages in mid Wales.' Phyl Davies, Director of Celtic Travel, said the company's local knowledge would be an asset for running the service. 'We're excited to be taking on this new contract and will be working with our colleagues at Williams of Brecon to ensure we deliver an improved level of service and reliability for T4 customers using our many years of experience delivering coach and bus services to the people of Powys,' said Mr Davies. 'It's great to be part of the TrawsCymru network, and with our knowledge of the local road network and an appreciation of the geography of this area, we feel we can bring a great deal to this service.' Help support trusted local news Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get Unlimited access to the County Times website Advert-light access Reader rewards Full access to our app The TrawsCymru T4 will continue to be operated by Stagecoach until the end of August, then from September Stagecoach will launch a new X4 service between Merthyr and Cardiff with buses operating up to every sixty minutes, Monday to Saturday. The new X4 service will serve Treforest Industrial Estate, offering improved connections to places of work, education, and leisure. 'We're looking forward to working with Celtic Travel to provide this service. We will be developing the timetable and improving services where we can, including the introduction of new vehicles in March next year,' added Lee Robinson, Executive Director for Regional Transport and Integration at TfW. 'This is a fantastic example of how small and medium-sized operators can work in partnership to bid for tenders and take on new contracts.'
