Bangor University's website has been voted one of the best university sites in the UK, by prospective students. A report published on Thursday August 19th in the 'Times Higher Education' ranks Bangor's website amongst the most effective sites in terms of providing potential students with the information they need to decide where to study.

The 'Times Higher Education' survey on the effectiveness of university websites asked a sample of sixth form students from different colleges to rate a range of university websites on a number of criteria. The Bangor site scored top marks for most of the categories, placing Bangor University's website amongst the best performing sites in the UK.

Amongst the areas in which the Bangor website achieved top marks were ease of navigation, how easy it was to find contact details for further information; and, for providing a student perspective on studying at Bangor, through effective use of profiles and interviews with current students. The Bangor site also scored highly for giving prospective students an insight into life on campus, especially through the use of videos and interviews on Bangor TV.

Leading rural and farm retailer SCATS Farm & Country is set to open its first store in Wales and its 20th store within its portfolio. Due to open this autumn, the Farm & Country store will be located within a prominent position on the Brackla Industrial Estate in Bridgend with easy access from Junction 36 of the M4.

The 3.2 acre site will feature a large retail shop stocking everything for the farmer and rural dweller, including animal health and husbandry items, a Mole Valley Farmers' Farm Service customer desk, pet and equine departments and a Welsh food and drink department. A large, yard area will hold good stocks of timber, fencing, gates and fuel tanks, with a separate garden area stocking outdoor furniture, planters and pots.

The store will offer a separate, large animal feed store with a dedicated sales office where customers can make purchases and obtain specialist advice on all feed and yard products.

SCATS Farm & Country has made a significant investment in the site in order to transform the former bath and tiles outlet into a one stop shop for the farming and rural community in Bridgend. The country lifestyle brand is in the process of recruiting more than 25 full and part time staff together including an experienced Store Manager to lead the team.

A new section of a walking and cycling path constructed alongside the riverside in Newtown has been officially opened, Powys County Council has announced. The linear Riverside path is a shared use walking and cycling route which is suitable for wheelchairs. It follows the River Severn from the Trehafren side of Newtown and connects to the existing riverside by a new footbridge.

The £175,000 project was funded by the Welsh Assembly Government's Safe Routes in Communities Transport Grant and the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW).

The path is proving to be very popular with locals with many short local trips now being made on foot and by bike that otherwise would have been made by car. It is now possible to cycle from Newtown to Abermule in a completely traffic-free environment.

Councillor Geraint Hopkins, Board Member responsible for Highways and Transport, said: "Cycle route development is progressing well and it is great to see so many new routes being built across the county. This route in Newtown is a very well used section of route and is an attractive location to try out cycling and stay active."

An alumni and student event will be held in Kowloon, Hong Kong, on Saturday, August 28th, to mark Swansea University's 90th Anniversary. Professor Alan Speight, the University's Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Student Experience and Academic Quality Enhancement, will lead the proceedings and welcome more than 100 alumni, current students, new students, and their families, to a reception at Kowloon's Mira Hotel.

The event, which is jointly organised by the University's International Office, Alumni Office, the University's Hong Kong representative, and the Hong Kong Student Union, will include a pre-departure briefing for new students starting their courses at Swansea this September.

Guests will also be updated on the University's recent success and new developments including the latest increase in the University's core research funding by 40 per cent, as a direct result of the independent Research and Assessment Exercise 2008, and details of world-leading research projects, such as the Bloodhound SSC Supersonic car, which aims to take the Land Speed Record to an incredible one thousand miles an hour.

The winner of a recent competition, inviting students from Hong Kong who will be joining the University in September to make a video about why they chose to study at Swansea University, will also screen their film during the evening.

Streets in Powys contained no litter or were predominantly litter-free, a latest inspection survey has revealed. Keep Wales Tidy released the results of their latest inspection of the standards of cleanliness of Powys streets. They carry out the inspections twice a year on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government when a randomly selected four per cent of streets across the county are checked for litter.

The latest inspection examined a selection of streets in 17 towns across Powys, and revealed that 100 per cent of the streets inspected contained no litter or were predominantly free of litter.

Keep Wales Tidy rated Powys streets of a high or acceptable standard of cleanliness with none of the litter bins encountered found to be overflowing. Analysis of the minimum amounts of litter encountered during the inspection revealed that smoking-related waste, plastic drink bottles and dog fouling remain issues in some areas.

Fifteen NFU Cymru staff members are to walk a total of 150 miles to raise money for The Stroke Association Wales. The NFU Cymru staff team will complete a total of 10 miles each on Thursday, 9th September, along the coast in Pembrokeshire, in aid of the farming union's chosen charity for 2010, The Stroke Association Wales.

Sarah Jones, NFU Cymru's Public Relations Officer said, "We're raising money for a good cause, so, to anyone following, please do give as generously as you can to help us hit our sponsorship target of £1,500. The Stroke Association Wales, provides a wide range of services; it is not just researching and preventing strokes; it also helps to rehabilitate people who have had a stroke; and, helps stroke patients directly through its community service which includes communication support, family and carer support and welfare grants."

Bridget Stadden, The Stroke Association's Fundraising Manager for Wales said, "So far NFU Cymru staff and members have raised thousands of pounds for our charity and we are extremely grateful to them for this. I wish them the best of luck in completing their costal path walk."

NFU Cymru plans to organise and take part in various events to help raise funds for The Stroke Association Wales. Keep an eye on the Union's website: http://www.nfu-cymru.org.uk for an event happening near you.

People can support the challenge by donating at www.justgiving.com/NFUCymru2010

This year has been an exceptional year for applications. Such is the demand that Aberystwyth University has experienced a 14 per cent increase in applications, and successful applicants are accepting Aberystwyth as their first choice in greater numbers than ever before.

In April of this year the University announced that it would not consider any new UK/EU applications received after the 15th April 2010 and that it would not be offering places in UCAS 'Extra', nor would it be participating in 2010 Clearing. Aberystwyth University is the only Welsh University to be in this position.

More recently the Director of Admissions wrote to all students holding an offer, to say that the University can only guarantee acceptance this year if the terms of the offer (the grades achieved) are met squarely.

Clwyd YFC has received a financial boost of £200 to help fund county training and activities from NFU Cymru members in Clwyd. The Clwyd Federation has 15 clubs across the county, with almost 500 members. The county organises a large number of events each year including county sports and competitions, training, foreign exchanges, entertainment evenings and balls.

On presenting the cheque to the movement at the recent Denbigh and Flint Show, Ceiriog Jones, Clwyd NFU Cymru County Chairman said, "NFU Cymru is proud to offer its support to the young farmers of the county. Young farmers are the future of the industry in the region and it's so important to support their development. The federation is a vital part of the rural community here in Clwyd and we're delighted to be working with them and recognising the good work they do. It's also about ensuring that the training and activities they offer can continue."

Accepting the cheque, Mari Jones, Clwyd YFC Vice-chairman said, "The partnership between NFU Cymru and Clwyd YFC goes back decades and for that we are very grateful. The continued support from the NFU Cymru ensures that young people in rural communities are gaining the skills needed to move the industry forward. It also furthers their own personal development and opens up and improves job opportunities, for those members not exclusively from farming and agricultural families."

www.nfu-cymru.org.uk/

Efforts to improve the iconic Welsh Black cattle breed have been given a boost thanks to a new scheme funded by Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales. The Welsh Black Cattle Society will receive £60,000 under the Rural Development Plan for Wales to performance-record animals in terms of growth and ability.

HCC Project Executive Dewi Hughes said: "This is an excellent opportunity for the Welsh Black Cattle Society to naturally develop the genetic progress of the breed by exploiting the latest technology through ABRI performance recording and integrating linear assessments of cows to identify the best performers and the best of breed type."

This new project also involves the selection of 12 top young bulls to be monitored for growth and muscle over a six month period at IBERS' Gogerddan site near Aberystwyth.

Semen will be taken from the best bull on trial and offered to Society members free of charge to artificially inseminate their cows.

"Using a bull with superior performance figures can result in the value of any subsequent calves increasing by up to £47, so it makes sense for farmers to improve their herds in this way," said Mr Hughes. "Cattle breeds have steadily improved over hundreds of years thanks to selective breeding programmes instigated by farmers," he said. "This new scheme introduced by HCC will enhance and accelerate this natural process for members of the Welsh Black Cattle Society."

Notes:

The project will involve identifying the best possible cow on phenotype and breeding from them. The project forms part of the work carried out by HCC under the Rural Development Plan 2007-2013, which is financed by the European Union and the Welsh Assembly Government.