Josh Herman

Broadcast Journalist

My Recent Work

Wales Online •

Plans for major leisure resort on former coal mine move forward after decade

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More infoPlans to develop a major leisure resort including a large hotel and dive centre on the site of a former coal mine have taken a step forward more than a decade after they were first announced. Last month Welsh Ministers approved an application made by site owners Celtic Energy, now known as Avalon Glen, to deregister common land around the East Pit former c...
Wales Online •

Developer challenges decision to reject plans for huge solar park

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More infoA developer has challenged First Minister Mark Drakeford’s refusal to allow planning permission for a solar park in Newport to go forward. Rush Wall Solar Park, originally set to be developed on the Gwent Levels in Redwick, south east of Newport, was refused planning consent in June, despite approval from the inspector’s report. The Rush Wall Solar Park pr...
Wales Online •

The mythical huge stone steeped in legend that's puzzled people for centuries

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More infoUnmarked by modern-day maps but submerged in legends around magic, worship, King Arthur and St David, Arthur’s Stone sits overlooking a stunning Welsh view of countryside and sea on the top of the Cefyn Bryn Common. Known as Maen Ceti, or ‘The Stone of Ceti’, it measures seven feet high and is 300 yards north of the main road on Cefyn Bryn that goes betwee...
Wales Online •

New 18-bed apartment complex for young people at risk of homelessness in Cardiff

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More infoAn 18-bedroom apartment complex is set to be built in Cardiff and will offer accommodation to young people at risk of homelessness. YMCA Cardiff Group expects to start building the flats this August. The complex, in Bedford Place, Roath, will house on-site support services. The site neighbours YMCA Cardiff's main 81-bed hostel in The Walk and is near 42-b...
Wales Online •

The tramlines that used to run across Cardiff that are still being rediscovered

Taking people to work and home across Cardiff during the first half of the twentieth century, trams once ran northward to southward through the city from Pier Head to Mynachdy Road, and westward to eastward from Victoria Park to Roath Depot. Following the unveiling of the new South Wales Metro tram trains which will provide a link between Cardiff and the rest of the South Wales valleys, we've taken a look back at Cardiff’s tramlines - transporting us back to a time when it was once a singularly...
Wales Online •

Man returns to Swansea after incredible six-year, 19,000-mile walk

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More infoA man from Swansea has just completed an incredible six-year journey that has helped him find love, a new family, a beloved pet and just as importantly himself - as well as earning almost £400,000 for charity in the process. It was the morning of August 11, 2017 when Chris Lewis, from Three Crosses, Swansea, left Llangennith Beach with nothing but a backp...
Redbrick •

Top UK Universities Ban Chat-GPT | Redbrick News

Top universities across the UK have announced a ban on the use of Chat-GPT, and AI program. This comes after universities fear students will use the AI software to write up assessments. Since Chat-GPT entered the picture in November, 8 of the 24 Russell Group universities have officially announced a ban on the program, including Oxbridge, Manchester, Bristol, and Edinburgh.  
Unlike other AI software, Chat-GPT’s output is very precise, providing sophisticated language, length, and quick answers....
Redbrick •

Guild Elections 2023: Guild President Candidate Interviews | Redbrick News

On Thursday 16th, two candidates for the Guild President role accepted an invite from Burn FM to be interviewed by Briony De Witt, Lily Ellis, and Josh Herman about their campaigns. This is what they had to say. The candidates are listed in alphabetical order by their surnames. 
Being interviewed by Briony De Witt and Lily Ellis, Amira was firstly asked why she thought she would make a good Guild President. Amira discussed the importance of seizing opportunity to make change, and that as a chari...
Redbrick •

Guild Elections 2023: Activities and Employability Officer | Redbrick News

On Thursday 16th, one candidate for the Activities and Employability Officer role accepted an invite from Burn FM to be interviewed by Robbie Sweeten to talk about his campaign and manifesto. This is what he had to say.
Harry Brooks, or as he is known by his campaign name, ‘Harry the Horse’, is now on his second campaign to become Activities and Employability Officer. When asked about why he is running again for the role, he told Robbie, ‘I’ve got a real passion for the student experience, I’ve...
Redbrick •

University of Birmingham Fails to Pay Postgraduates on Time | Redbrick News

Whilst University staff continue to strike over disputes concerning pension funds and wages, Redbrick spoke to postgraduate students who are also facing similar problems because of the University of Birmingham’s failure to pay them on time for on-campus work. 
Alongside their studies, postgraduate researchers work on-campus, in labs, and assist with seminar prep to help them fund their living costs whilst undergoing their PhD. Whilst working for the University of Birmingham, postgraduate student...
Redbrick •

Maintenance Loan Rise: Government Support Falls Short of Inflation Rates | Redbrick News

On January 11th, the government announced that Maintenance Loans will see a 2.8% rise in England for the 2023/2024 academic year. It has been reported that this rise falls below the current inflation rates of above 10%. Maintenance Loans increased by 2.3% for the 2021/2022 academic year, whilst inflation sat at approximately 10% at the beginning.
Government plans to invest £15 million into university hardship funds have also been confirmed. However, with two million undergraduate students in the...
Redbrick •

Potential Plans to Bar International Students from UK Universities | Redbrick News

International students seeking a place at a UK university may be turned away unless they are accepted into a top institution – this comes after record high levels of net migration was reported.
The Office of National Statistics has reported that 1.1 million people have moved to the UK between the beginning of the year and June. It has since been reported that 502,000 more people have arrived. The ONS report notably states that these numbers come largely from international students and people tra...
Redbrick •

Independent Traders Face a Drop in Business Due to Tramline Extensions | Redbrick News

News Editor Joshua Herman reports on the affects that the Digbeth tramline extensions have had on local businesses in the areaIt has been reported that significant progress on the Birmingham Metro tram extension – with Midland Metro Alliance (MMA) stating that new track extensions have been made in Digbeth. Notable work has been completed along the northern side of Digbeth High Street, and installations are said to commence at the start of next year at Curzon Street. 
The MMA have discussed thei...
Redbrick •

UoB Staff 'Torn by Strikes' as Pay Dispute Continues | Redbrick News

University staff across the UK are to proceed with industrial action. The strikes are planned for the 24th, 25th, and 30th November. Organised by the UCU (University and College Union), these strikes are to be held in response to disputes over pay, working conditions, and pensions.
On October 24th, it was announced that the ballot verdict for industrial action was yes, with 81.1% of people voting in favour of industrial action.
Rallies held on the University of Birmingham campus raised awareness...
Redbrick •

Interview: Delays Continue in University Train Station Construction | Redbrick News

The University railway station that is under construction next to the University of Birmingham campus is now due for completion in Spring 2023.
The new station will be situated next to the current one which was built in 1978, and is hoped to improve accessibility, safety, and comfort. However, economic conditions have slowed down the process, with inflation being one of several causes.
Contacting Amanda White, the Rail Programme Director for Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) for comment on this...
Redbrick •

National Union of Students Respond to 23% Rise in Student Withdrawals from University | Redbrick News

News Editor Joshua Herman reports on the National Union of Students’ response to a 23% rise in student dropouts from UK universities Reported figures from the Student Loan Company show that there has been a 23% increase in student withdrawals from university. Since this statistic emerged during the current cost of living crisis, it is speculated that the rise in dropouts resulted from people’s inability to afford the price of student living.
On September 29th, data published by the Student Loan...
Redbrick •

Liz Truss Announces ‘Six-Point Strategy’ to Alter Britain’s Education System | Redbrick News

The Tory leadership hopeful wants to illustrate herself as ‘the education prime minister’, unveiling her proposal to set up new academies in place of failing ones and heighten maths and literacy performances if she were to become the next prime minister.
Truss’ plans to ‘get Britain’s education system back on track’, announced on July 30th, includes an expansion on successful academies and replacing underperforming schools with new free schools.
Pledging to create a more successful education sys...
Redbrick •

Team England Van Parked in Disabled Parking Bay on Campus | Redbrick News

News Editor Joshua Herman reports on the incident of a Team England van using a disabled parking space without a Blue Badge at the Edgbaston Park HotelA van used to deliver uniforms to Team England athletes was seen parked in one of three disabled spaces at the Edgbaston Park Hotel on the University of Birmingham campus without displaying a Blue Badge.
Ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, athletes were preparing and moving into local accommodation. On July 18th, Redbrick received an email infor...
Redbrick •

Maintenance Loans Due to Receive Real-Terms Cut | Redbrick National

‘The government is quietly tightening the financial screws on students, graduates and universities,’ reports the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), an independent microeconomic research institute. Ben Waltmann, a Research Economist at the IFS, details the ways in which many students will not be granted their full maintenance loan. The publication, released on February 10th, states: ‘Students will see substantial cuts to the value of their maintenance loans, as parental earnings thresholds will...