Tomos Lewis appointed Chairperson of Cardiff Met FC’s Board of Directors.

Cardiff Met Football Club Ltd has confirmed the appointment of its newly established Board of Directors following a rigorous recruitment process.

The eleven-member Board comprises eight Non-Executive Directors, two University-appointed Directors and the Club’s Chairperson. Members bring significant experience across governance, elite sport, commercial strategy, finance, communications and performance.

The move forms part of a refreshed governance framework aligned to the Club’s Five-Year Development Plan and the Football Association of Wales’ strategic pillars.

Members include:

Chairperson

• Tomos Lewis, Partner at a national law firm and former Welsh Gymnastics Non-Executive Director

Directors

• Ben O’Connell, Director of Sport at Cardiff Metropolitan University
• Professor Katie Thirlaway, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost at Cardiff Metropolitan University

Non-Executive Directors

• Dr Kerry Harris, Senior Lecturer and former Cardiff Met Women’s Football Club Performance Director
• Ian Davis, commercial leader at Glamorgan Cricket and former FAW Chief Commercial Officer
• Joanna King, HR leader at the Welsh Rugby Union
• James Williams, Chief Executive of Welsh Athletics
• Emma Smith, strategic communications specialist
• Gwyn Derfel, former General Manager of the JD Cymru Premier
• Adrian Coles, growth finance and board advisor
• Russell Hullett, UEFA A Licensed coach and former Premier League academy leader

Commenting on the establishment of the new Board, Chairperson Tomos Lewis, said:

“The breadth of knowledge and experience across our Board will be instrumental in supporting the continued growth of Cardiff Met FC. The Club holds tremendous potential, and I am honoured to represent it at such a defining period for Welsh domestic football.”

Dr Chris Baker, Director of Football Systems at Cardiff Metropolitan University, added:

“The establishment of this Board represents a defining moment for Cardiff Met FC. Professionalising our structures and processes is central to unlocking the Club’s significant untapped potential.”

The Board convened for the first time last week in Cardiff and will work closely with Club leadership to advance commercial growth, community engagement, operational excellence and performance development.

Further information, including full Board biographies, is available via the Club’s website. 

Researchers at Cardiff Metropolitan University are exploring how illustration can strengthen communication between healthcare professionals and patients, improving understanding and supporting more effective shared decision making (SDM).

Shared decision making is a collaborative process in which healthcare professionals and patients work together to make informed treatment decisions. The approach relies on clear communication and accessible information to ensure patients fully understand their options, risks and benefits.

Led by Amelia Huw Morgan, alongside colleagues from the University’s Health Sciences department, researchers have been investigating how illustration can play a crucial role in enhancing SDM. This project, supported by the Welsh Government, focused on co-producing visual information resources designed to support patient understanding in clinical settings.

As part of the initiative, Master’s students worked alongside patients and healthcare professionals in clinical settings to develop illustrated materials covering:

• The correct administration of hydrocortisone injections (for reducing pain and inflammation)
• Effective steroid management (for example to patients with asthma or eczema)
• The risks and benefits associated with sodium valproate (used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder)

The co-produced resources were designed to be clear, accessible and patient-centred, ensuring that complex medical information could be more easily understood during consultations.

Findings from the project demonstrate that well-designed illustrations can significantly reduce misunderstandings between patients and healthcare professionals. By providing supportive visual materials, clinicians are better equipped to explain treatment options, while patients gain greater confidence in participating in decisions about their care.

Amelia Huw Morgan, Senior Lecturer of Illustration in the School of Art and Design at Cardiff Metropolitan University, said:

“Shared decision making depends on clarity, trust and mutual understanding. Our research shows that illustration can act as a powerful bridge in clinical conversations, helping patients grasp complex information and feel more confident about the decisions they are making.”

The research highlights the potential for interdisciplinary collaboration between health sciences and creative disciplines to improve patient outcomes and experiences, which is being explored further in a fully-funded PhD studentship. The team hopes the findings will inform future healthcare communication strategies across Wales and beyond.

Ramadan has always been a time of reflection, discipline and spiritual growth for me. Observing it while studying at Cardiff Met has added new layers to what the month means in my life. Balancing lectures, deadlines, society commitments and social life while fasting from dawn to sunset has not always been easy, yet it has been one of the most grounding and fulfilling parts of my University experience.

Ramadan at Cardiff Met has taught Muskaan (furthest right) resilience, gratitude, and the power of community

Spending three Ramadans at Cardiff Met has shaped my University journey in ways I never expected. Each year has looked different academically and personally.

My first Ramadan at University was an adjustment. Waking up for suhoor in student accommodation, quietly making breakfast while my flatmates slept, and heading into lectures without my usual caffeine fix felt surreal. What could have felt isolating instead became an opportunity to build new connections. The Islamic Society played a huge role in that transition. Through it, I met fellow Muslim students navigating the same balance of coursework, deadlines and fasting. There was comfort in that shared understanding.

What has made Ramadan truly special at Cardiff Met is the sense of community. Breaking fast alone can feel isolating, but being surrounded by other Muslim students transforms the experience entirely. Whether gathering for iftar on campus, praying together, or simply checking in on each other during long days, there is a shared understanding that creates an instant bond. Even friends who do not fast often show support in thoughtful ways, from adjusting group meeting times to asking genuine questions about what the month means. Those small gestures remind me that Ramadan is not just about abstaining from food and drink, but about strengthening character, patience and gratitude.

One of the most meaningful parts of Ramadan at Cardiff Met has been iftar on campus. Breaking fast together transforms an ordinary University evening into something deeply meaningful. Sitting in a circle, counting down the minutes to Maghrib, sharing dates and water, and praying side by side creates a sense of unity that is difficult to put into words; it is not just about the food, it is about collective gratitude.

Over the years, those iftar gatherings became something I genuinely looked forward to. They transformed campus into a space that felt like home. Even during busy academic periods, pausing at sunset reminded me that faith does not need to be separated from student life – it can be woven seamlessly into it.

Volunteering during Ramadan also became an important part of my journey. Whether helping organise iftar events, supporting Islamic Society initiatives, or contributing to charity efforts, giving back added another layer of meaning to the month. Ramadan emphasises compassion and service and practising that within the University community made the experience even more fulfilling. It shifted my focus from just personal reflection to collective impact.

By my third Ramadan at Cardiff Met, the experience felt different once again. I was no longer just adjusting; I was contributing. I understood the rhythm of balancing University responsibilities with spiritual commitments. I came to appreciate the early mornings, the quiet walks to campus, the shared exhaustion and the shared joy at sunset. Ramadan had become less about managing challenges and more about embracing growth.

Looking back, three Ramadans at Cardiff Met have been about far more than fasting. They have been about belonging, about meeting people who remind you of home while creating new memories together.

Ramadan at Cardiff Met has taught me resilience, gratitude and the power of community. And for that, I will always be thankful.

Muskaan Ali is a final-year student at Cardiff Met’s School of Management and the SU Activities & Communities President-elect for 2026/27. She is widely recognised within the University’s international student community, having served as an International Student Ambassador and SU International Student Officer.

A research project at Cardiff Metropolitan University is investigating the potential of plant-derived essential oils as new treatments for chronic wound infections, a growing but often overlooked health challenge affecting more than 3.8 million people across the UK.

Chronic wound infections place a burden on patients and healthcare systems comparable to conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. But treatment options are becoming increasingly limited due to the rise of antimicrobial resistance; so with few new antibiotics in development, researchers are turning to nature for alternative solutions.

Dr Sarah Hooper, Reader in Microbiology and Infection at Cardiff Met, said: “For centuries, plant-based remedies have been used in traditional medicine to treat infection. Modern research has confirmed that many plants contain complex mixtures of bioactive compounds capable of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity. Essential oils extracted from plants in the Lamiaceae family, such as thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary, and sage, have consistently shown strong activity against harmful bacteria in laboratory studies.”

Despite these promising results, essential oils are not currently used in clinical wound care. The obstacles include limited human data, inconsistent results in studies, safety concerns, and challenges associated with standardising extraction methods.

To address these challenges, the Cardiff Met team screened ten essential oils from the Lamiaceae family for their effectiveness against two common wound pathogens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The study aimed to identify which chemical components were associated with the strongest antimicrobial effects and to determine whether the most effective oils could be successfully incorporated into a topical hydrogel suitable for wound application.

Dr Hooper said: “Our findings move essential oil research beyond traditional laboratory testing by linking detailed chemical composition with functional performance in a realistic wound model. Even oils that come from closely related plants can work very differently against bacteria. The effectiveness of an oil doesn’t just depend on its main ingredients, but also on tiny amounts of other compounds, how the oil is prepared, and how it’s applied or delivered. Our next step therefore is to grow plants in the lab in very precise conditions, so that we can hopefully develop a standardised oil that is sustainable to produce.”

“There are still a lot of challenges to overcome, but by linking detailed chemical testing with how these products perform, and by exploring improved ways to deliver them, we could develop new plant-based wound treatments that may help support healing and reduce dependence on traditional antibiotics.”

This project is part of a collaborative effort with Prof Chris Wallis, an expert in sustainable compounds of natural origin, and Matt Bates an expert in chemical analysis of plant oils.

Britain’s landscape is highly fragmented by roads, with researchers from Cardiff University finding that more than 70% of the UK’s roadless areas are smaller than 1 km².

The researchers say that more than 60% of roadless patches in the UK are smaller than the typical area many common UK mammals needs to survive, meaning species such as badgers and red foxes likely face a high risk of wildlife-vehicle collisions.

Dr Sarah Raymond, who completed the work during her PhD at Cardiff University School of Biosciences, said: “Roads cover 20% of land globally, fragmenting land into almost 600,000 patches.

“Because of this, roads have a wide range of impacts on wildlife, including reduced habitat connectivity and wildlife-vehicle collisions. Wildlife-vehicle collisions are estimated to cause millions of animal mortalities on roads every year and are a leading cause of population decline and biodiversity loss.”

The researchers extracted and mapped roads across Great Britain from OpenStreetMap, an open-access geographic database, to calculate roadless areas in Great Britain. Both areas covered by roads and ‘road effect zones’ – the areas around roads that experience ecological effects – were mapped. The roadless areas were defined as patches of land unaffected by roads, beyond the road effect zones.

The researchers found that the total number of roadless patches across Great Britain was 6,138 with a 1km road effect zone, 29,164 with a 500m road effect zone, and 93,561 with a 100m road effect zone. The majority (71-74%) of roadless patches were smaller than 1km² in size, and a small minority (0.002-0.014%) were greater than 100km².

Roadless patches were significantly larger in Scotland than England and Wales, with Scotland having the greatest percentage of roadless area and larger individual patches, primarily coinciding with the Scottish Highlands and Cairngorms National Park. England had the largest number of individual patches, but the lowest overall percentage of land that is roadless.

The researchers found that 53% of all roadless areas were not covered by existing protected habitat designations, highlighting a need to increase protection of roadless areas and connectivity between them.

Dr Perkins, who runs Road Lab at Cardiff University, added: “Nearly half (47%) of roadless areas overlap with existing protected sites, but often only partially. Protecting and connecting roadless areas offers a practical route to expanding our protected area network while reducing wildlife‑vehicle collisions.”

The findings of the study emphasise the extent to which Great Britain is fragmented by roads and the extent of their effects.

“The European badger has a home range greater than the majority – 73% – of roadless patches, putting them at high risk of wildlife-vehicle collisions compared to other species with smaller home ranges,” added Dr Raymond.

Cardiff Metropolitan University has been recognised nationally for excellence and creativity in student recruitment, scooping two prestigious awards at the 2026 HELOA Awards.

Cardiff Met won Best Practice in Student Recruitment for the University’s ‘Help! I’m Going to Uni’ podcast and Best Undergraduate Initiative for ‘Get Cardiff Met Ready’.

The HELOA Awards celebrate outstanding work across UK universities in student recruitment, outreach and access, and are voted for by peers from other higher education institutions.

These latest successes come hot on the heels of Cardiff Met’s silver award for Best Use of Content at the Heist Awards for ‘Help! I’m Going to Uni’.

Cardiff Met’s ‘Help! I’m Going to Uni’ podcast uses innovative ways of supporting prospective students and tackles the real anxieties of starting university with honesty, humour and authenticity.

Featuring diverse student voices, the podcast has become a standout tool for the University to connect with applicants and has been woven into Cardiff Met’s campaigns, live events and prospectus content.

The ‘Get Cardiff Met Ready’ pre-enrolment event recognises its impact on helping new students feel confident, connected and prepared to begin university life.

Held on campus before enrolment, the event offers practical sessions, student-led talks and interactive activities to ease anxieties and build belonging. Over 880 students attended in 2025, a 14% increase on the previous year, and 94% said they felt more prepared to start their studies.

Rebecca Lever, Chief Marketing, Communications and Student Recruitment Officer at Cardiff Metropolitan University said: “Both initiatives show our creative thinking and commitment to continuous improvement.

“These latest wins highlight Cardiff Met’s commitment to innovation, collaboration and putting students at the heart of everything we do. Well done and thank you to everyone involved.”

‘Help! I’m Going to Uni’ is available for streaming on major platforms, including YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.