THE FIRST ever nursing students have graduated from Aberystwyth University.

The students began their studies when the University’s Healthcare Education Centre first opened its doors in September 2022.

The £1.7 million centre located opposite Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth includes high-quality clinical practice rooms and was supported with a grant of £500,000 from the Welsh Government.

Among the almost 40 students who have graduated this year, some studied adult nursing and others mental health nursing. The degree courses have now expanded with 239 studying at the University this academic year.

Students studying for the degree have the opportunity to follow up to half of their course through the medium of Welsh.

A special reception was held after the graduation and students were addressed by key partners and academics.

Speaking after the ceremony, Amanda Jones, Head of Healthcare Education at Aberystwyth University said:

“It is so heartening to see our students at this wonderful moment in their lives – many congratulations to them all. It has been an honour to be part of history, teaching the first ever cohort of nursing students here in Aberystwyth. I wish them all every success for the future.”

Aberystwyth Vice-Chancellor Professor Jon Timmis added: “This is a very special day – I’m so delighted to see the nursing students graduate. As a university, we are extremely proud to train the next generation of nurses for the NHS and the healthcare sector. That is exactly the type of role we as an organisation should be undertaking and want to do even more. It’s at the heart of our agenda to change lives for the better, grow knowledge, build communities and strengthen Wales.”

Students from 10 Usk have combined creativity, teamwork and environmental awareness for their King’s Trust Sustainability Project

PUPILS at Milford Haven School have transformed discarded materials into an impressive dragon as part of a project promoting recycling and sustainability.

Students from 10 Usk wanted their work to leave a lasting impression beyond simply collecting litter, so they set out to educate others about the importance of reusing materials and reducing waste.

The dragon was created entirely from recycled items, while its dramatic “fire” was made using rubbish gathered by pupils during their litter-picking sessions.

Miss Crolla said she was extremely proud of the commitment, creativity and teamwork demonstrated by the group, adding that the pupils had exceeded all expectations.

She said the project showed what could be achieved when young people were passionate about making a positive difference to the environment.

Special thanks were also given to Miss George, whose creativity, support and expertise helped bring the pupils’ vision to life.

The school said the completed dragon demonstrated how, with a little imagination, yesterday’s rubbish could be transformed into tomorrow’s masterpiece.

A CALL to replace a Pembrokeshire village school classroom that had reached the end of its life with a modern facility has been given the go-ahead by county planners.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, the local authority itself, through agent Williams-Architects Ltd, sought permission for the erection of a new modular classroom building at the site of Llandissilio’s Ysgol Brynconin Welsh Medium 3-11 school, along with the demolition of the existing modular classroom building.

A supporting statement said: “In addition to the main school building, some classroom and library facilities are located in a prefabricated hut within the school grounds constructed under the historical HORSA programme.

“Despite various upgrades over its lifespan including insulation and new windows, the building is no longer fit for purpose, and a replacement is required to ensure the school can continue to provide its pupils with modern, suitably equipped and compliant facilities that enable high quality education.”

HORSA buildings were originally designed as temporary structures, typically constructed using prefabricated concrete, timber, and steel to facilitate rapid assembly.

Although intended for short-term use, many HORSA buildings have remained in operation for decades. Over time, these structures have surpassed their intended lifespan, leading to significant structural issues, such as weakened frames, deteriorating roofs and external facades.

The statement added: “The primary use of the replacement building will remain as currently; it will include a single classroom alongside a multifunctional space which will be used as a library, staff and group room as required. It will also include an additional toilet, new accessible toilet, a cleaners’ store and formal classroom storage.

“The intention of the proposed building is to replace an existing classroom facility which is no longer fit for purpose, and whilst a simple replacement will significantly improve the day-to-day experience of the staff and pupils who currently use this building.”

An officer report recommending approval said that, while the proposed replacement building would not result in any greater impact on the visual amenity in terms of its design, scale and overall appearance, the proposal includes the demolition of an existing building which could have an impact on the local amenity during the demolition process.

It said that, since local concerns were raised, a Demolition and Construction statement has set out the proposed demolition methodology and construction process, including details of the sequence of works, hours, and anticipated timeframe, and it is considered that the proposed demolition and construction “will have no significant detrimental impact upon the locality amenity”.

The application was conditionally approved.

Back in July 2025, members of the council’s Cabinet backed approval for a new modular building at Ysgol Brynconin, members hearing that “the external structure has rapidly declined, with the render board failing and allowing water ingress into the areas of external wall insulation”.