Latest news with #AledRhysJones
Powys County Times
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Royal Welsh Show urges visitors to have fun and take care
A safety campaign is encouraging visitors to 'have fun, take care and stay safe' during the Royal Welsh Show. The campaign will take place in and around Builth Wells during the week of the show and will include posters, banners and other messaging across licensed venues and public areas. Organised by the Builth Wells Events Safety Group, the campaign aims to reduce public risk and promote a safe environment through 'creative and humorous' messaging. Cllr Richard Church, Powys County Council's cabinet member for a safer Powys, said: "The Royal Welsh Show is a highlight in many people's calendars, and draws in tens of thousands of visitors to Builth Wells and the surrounding area every year. "Following the launch of the Have Fun, Take Care, Stay Safe campaign in 2022, it's great to see that it's returning for this year's show as a humorous way to communicate an important message for those in and around Builth Wells during Royal Welsh Show week. "Of course, we want our visitors to have a great time. "It's a social occasion and a perfect opportunity to meet up with those you may not have seen for a while, but please drink and behave responsibly and look after yourselves and your friends". Additional safety measures will include the Green Route safe walking path, a medical and wellbeing centre at Strand Hall operated by St John Ambulance Cymru, and a pop-up help point at The Groe run by Powys County Council's youth service. Street pastors and youth workers will also be on hand to offer welfare support late into the night. Visitors will have access to free mobile phone charging, water donated by Radnor Hills, and drug amnesty boxes at key entry points. Aled Rhys Jones, chief executive of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, said: "As we look ahead to the 2025 Royal Welsh Show, we're proud to continue our strong partnership with the Builth Wells Events Safety Group.
Business News Wales
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business News Wales
Safety Campaign Returns for 2025 Royal Welsh Show
A series of safety measures including a campaign encouraging youngsters to Have Fun, Take Care and Stay Safe will return ahead of this month's Royal Welsh Show. The campaign will see a series of posters, banners and other media displayed at licenced premises and throughout Builth Wells during show week, encouraging people to behave responsibly in a creative and humorous way. The campaign is being implemented by the Builth Wells Events Safety Group. The measures introduced by the safety group, which was formed in 2017 and led by Powys County Council, aim to reduce public risk and improve the safety of those in and around Builth Wells during the period of Royal Welsh Show. Other safety measures that will also be in place includes: Safe walking route known as the Green Route Medical and wellbeing centre, known as the Help Point, operated by St John Ambulance Cymru from the Strand Hall 'Pop up' Help Point providing guidance and welfare support, operated by Powys County Council's Youth Service from the Groe Welfare support to be provided by Street Pastors and Youth Workers at night Free mobile phone charging at the Help Point Free water, kindly donated by Radnor Hills Drug amnesty boxes will be placed on approaches to venues in and around Builth Wells Cllr Richard Church, Powys County Council's Cabinet Member for a Safer Powys, said: 'The Royal Welsh Show is a highlight in many people's calendars, and draws in tens of thousands of visitors to Builth Wells and the surrounding area every year. 'Following the launch of the Have Fun, Take Care, Stay Safe campaign in 2022, it's great to see that it's returning for this year Show as a humorous way to communicate an important message for those in and around Builth Wells during Royal Welsh Show week. 'Of course, we want our visitors to have a great time. It's a social occasion and a perfect opportunity to meet up with those you may not have seen for a while, but please drink and behave responsibly and look after yourselves and your friends. As long as people Have Fun, Take Care and Stay Safe then they will have a memorable time during Royal Welsh Show week. 'We understand that some of the measures that will be in place may cause some disruption for residents living in Builth Wells. However, they are necessary to ensure we keep visitors and residents safe throughout Royal Welsh Show week.' Aled Rhys Jones, Chief Executive of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, said: 'As we look ahead to the 2025 Royal Welsh Show, we're proud to continue our strong partnership with the Builth Wells Events Safety Group. The work of the group ensures that everyone attending the show and visiting the town can enjoy a welcoming and safe environment. Our sincere thanks go to the Chair, Greg, and all members of the group for their ongoing commitment.'
Powys County Times
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Powys County Times
School term dates 'jeopardise Royal Welsh Show for pupils'
Changes to school term dates meaning pupils and families from outside Powys miss the opening days of the Royal Welsh Show have been "strongly opposed" by organisers of the national event. The Welsh Government announced on Wednesday (June 25) that following a consultation into school term dates and holidays, the summer term in 2027 will end on Tuesday, July 20. Only schools in Powys will have finished the term by Friday, July 16, which is three days before the opening day of the Royal Welsh Show in Llanelwedd, near Builth Wells. The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society's chief executive, Aled Rhys Jones, said: 'We are strongly opposed to schools in Wales being open during the week of the Royal Welsh Show. "The Show has always been held during the first week of the school summer holidays and is a highlight of the national calendar. It attracts thousands of visitors - including families, schoolchildren, exhibitors and volunteers - from across Wales and beyond. 'Thousands of young people take part in competitions and activities, gaining hands-on experience and valuable vocational learning. 'While we welcome the decision for schools in Powys to close the week before, it's vital to recognise that the Royal Welsh Show is a national event, not just a local one. 'Its significance to Welsh culture, education, and rural life must be protected.' Education Secretary Lynne Neagle said variations in school term dates and school holidays could cause difficulties for many families and businesses across Wales, and she fully acknowledged there were both advantages and disadvantages to aligning school term dates. 'Reduce footfall' The changes have been met with criticism from the Welsh Conservatives who are calling for it to be scrapped completely because every pupil and family hoping to attend the "culturally significant" show should be able to do so from the start to the end. Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education, Natasha Asghar MS, added: "These plans will undoubtedly reduce footfall at the Royal Welsh Show by restricting the number of families who can attend its first two days. 'As the Royal Welsh was a major barrier to Labour and Plaid Cymru implementing their deeply unpopular school holiday reform, making this small change now feels like they are laying the groundwork to implement their original plans to rob our children of their summer holidays in the future. The very best livestock attend the Royal Welsh Show. It's a place for champions. (Image: RWAS) Hundreds of thousands of people attend the show every year. 'The Welsh Government cannot ignore the opposition from every teachers' union, as well as the farming, tourism and business sectors. We need a rethink on these dates immediately, and the school holiday reform must be scrapped completely not just postponed." Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Samuel Kurtz MS, said: 'Any changes that jeopardise that ability for young people to enjoy it should be confined to the bin. 'This decision adds to the narrative that agriculture and rural communities are an afterthought for Labour, and never a priority.' A spokesperson for the Welsh Government said: 'We believe there are benefits to having the same term dates across Wales, including helping to eliminate difficulties for parents and school staff who may work and live in different local authority areas. 'The dates for 2026-27 were proposed by the majority of local authorities in Wales, including Powys, Ceredigion and neighbouring local authorities and were supported by a large proportion of respondents to our recent consultation.
Wales Online
12-06-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
The disease rife in England causing major issues for one of Wales' largest events
The disease rife in England causing major issues for one of Wales' largest events A ban on travelling animals has been put in place for the Royal Welsh Show A major change has been announced for the Royal Welsh Show (Image: John Myers ) A disease carried by midges which can kill livestock has led one of Wales' biggest events to take the step of banning some animals from its flagship event. Bluetongue is a viral disease which is spread by biting midges, and affects sheep, cattle, goats and deer, llama and alpaca. It is circulating in England and Wales. Rarely, it can affect dogs and other carnivores but it does not affect humans and poses no risk to public health or food safety. Now, the Royal Welsh Show, a huge event to both the farming community and Powys, has banned livestock from England from this year's event following the spread of the bluetongue virus. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Animals that must travel through a restricted zone are also banned, effectively denying entry to any livestock from Scotland. It is expected there will be 40% fewer cattle competing at this year's show. The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society said it had acted as a result of "growing concern". "We recognise the growing concern surrounding the current bluetongue situation and the uncertainty it presents for livestock exhibitors. We want to reassure our exhibitors that we are committed to working with and supporting you as the situation unfolds. Article continues below "We are actively monitoring developments and are in close communication with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and the Welsh Government veterinary team." The statement continued: "This policy has been introduced to safeguard the health of livestock exhibited at this year's Royal Welsh Show and to help reduce the risk of bluetongue spreading. We would like to reassure all attendees that Bluetongue does not affect humans and poses no risk to public health or food safety". Symptoms vary but include fever, lesions, redness of the mouth, eyes, nose, reddening of the skin above the hoof, excessive salivation and nasal discharge. However, animals may show little or no clinical signs. It does not affect humans or food safety – meat and milk from infected animals are also safe to eat and drink. BTV-3 is a relatively new strain, first reported in September 2023 in the Netherlands. Cases have since been reported in Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Denmark and Switzerland. The first case was confirmed in the UK on November 10, 2023. The Welsh Government confirmed the first Bluetongue (BTV3) case in Wales in Gwynedd on September 27. A second case was then found on Anglesey weeks later. There have been no cases of bluetongue in Wales so far this year but show chief executive Aled Rhys Jones told S4C's farming programme Ffermio, external: "It was a hard decision. Naturally we're disappointed and so are a lot of exhibitors who have supported us along the years but it's the responsible decision to follow the science and veterinary advice." The show's chief vet Dafydd Jones said testing animals was impractical with only one testing centre in the UK. He added: "It's possible to test on one day and the animal picks up the virus the following day. The idea of discovering bluetongue on the show field would be a nightmare – the last thing we want." NFU Cymru president Aled Jones told BBC Radio Wales earlier this week the virus was "very concerning" to farmers. "We've had many reports of clinical symptoms of bluetongue and no farmer would wish to see them. I think that there's abroad understanding we need to keep the disease out. "It does not transmit from cattle to cattle or sheep to sheep, it required a vector, and those are midges, small flies that are blood sucking. If they take infected blood from one animal they can then bite another animal and then transmit the disease, so it's a complex disease. "Obviously weather related because midge activity will be low when the temperatures are when low when they're not flying but as temperatures warm up, activity increases quite rapidly and it can be borne in the wind as well. That's why the complexity we have to be wary of." Mr Jones said symptoms are very obvious and those animals will die and abortions may be needed. However, some don't show signs and are carriers. "Dealing with this disease is so difficult, it inevitably means a lot of testing and testing is very expensive." Article continues below
Powys County Times
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Royal Welsh Show 2025 main ring attractions announced
The Royal Welsh Show has announced the main ring attractions for 2025. The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society has announced the list of main ring attractions for the 2025 Royal Welsh Show, which will be held from July 21 to 24 at the showground in Llanelwedd, Builth Wells. The headline act for this year's event is the return of the Ukrainian Cossacks. The Cossacks are known for their daring displays of horsemanship. They will present a 10-minute showcase of traditional Cossack riding in the main ring. The Ukrainian Cossack stunt team, led by founder Oleh Yurchyshyn, has performed at more than 20 prestigious events across Europe and the Middle East. They will perform stunts including flipping beneath galloping horses, forming six-person human pyramids on horseback, and executing somersaults mid-charge. The team rides Ukrainian Warmblood horses, a breed known for its endurance and bravery. Many of the riders maintain the traditional 'oseledets' hairstyle, a topknot on a shaved head that symbolises their cultural heritage. Aled Rhys Jones, chief executive of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, said: "The 2025 Royal Welsh Show continues our tradition of bringing world-class entertainment alongside the very best of Welsh agriculture. "The Ukrainian Cossacks represent exactly the kind of spectacular, culturally rich performance our visitors have come to expect from the main ring. "Their appearance this year carries extra significance as a celebration of courage and resilience." The show will also feature the UK's number one motorcycle display team, Bolddog FMX, who will perform stunts and aerial acrobatics. Meirion Owen and his sheepdogs will demonstrate traditional sheepdog work, while the Regimental Band & Corps of Drums of The Royal Welsh will showcase Welsh musical heritage. The RAF College Band will perform on Tuesday, and the RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team will descend into the main ring on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. The British Army Drone Sports Association will demonstrate military drone operations on Monday and Wednesday. The show will also feature a heavy horse village, celebrating traditional working horses. Visitors can also look forward to a variety of other main ring entertainment throughout the show, including the Inter Hunt Team Relay, Parade of Hounds, and Mounted Games. Tickets for the event are available online at or by calling 01982 553683.
