Author: Alice Gregory

Howden, the international insurance group, has announced the opening of a new office in Swansea. This strategic expansion is part of Howden UK & Ireland’s commitment to further strengthen its foothold in the South and West Wales region, providing risk advisory services to businesses. The new office is located at Axis Court, Riverside Business Park, Swansea. Under the leadership of Gary Stevens, Regional Managing Director, who has over four decades of industry experience, the Swansea office aims to become the leading competitor in the commercial broking sector in South and West Wales. Stevens, previously of Aston Lark, which was acquired…

A mum’s dream of seeing her two-year-old boy Theo swim has come true thanks to the hard work of staff at Hope House Children’s Hospice. Laura Williams, from Wrexham, has always dreamed her little boy Theo would be able to one day go swimming, something which has seemed out of reach since he was born. But Laura asked the physio team at Hope House to investigate how Theo could get to swim and after lots of research, working with Theo’s consultant at Alder Hey and purchasing a specialist swimming suit, Theo was able to get in hospice’s hydrotherapy pool with…

PEOPLE are being invited to kick start the New Year by signing-up for Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life in Cardiff. The charity’s much-loved events, which raise funds for life-saving research, are returning to the city. Anyone who joins this January can claim 50 per cent off the entry fee as part of a special ‘early bird’ sale by using the code RACE24NY.*  Every year around 19,800 people are diagnosed with cancer in Wales**.  Money raised at Race for Life enables scientists to find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer - moving closer to a world where everyone can live longer, better lives free from the fear of…

James Douglas, the estate agency which bought Nuttall Parker less than two years ago, has increased its presence in Newport by launching its lettings arm into the city at the same time as making changes to its branding and acquiring a smaller competitor. The business, which is part of the Seraph Group employs 60 people across south Wales and will see turnover increase to £3m following recent growth. Speaking of life in one of Wales’ youngest cities, Douglas Haig, Managing Director of James Douglas, said: “Newport is an attractive place to buy with house prices significantly cheaper than Cardiff and…

Cult ramen joint Matsudai Ramen is teaming up with renowned MasterChef Champion, cookbook author and Japanese food authority Tim Anderson for two exclusive supper club dates next week. Following on from their second charity Ramen Kit collab last year, the Matsudai & Tim Anderson team-up will continue with two supperclub dates at Matsudai’s Cardiff restaurant on the 16th and 17th January. There will be a ‘fire theme’ to the supperclub menu – incorporating small plates and ramen bowls infused with chilli heat, and dishes cooked using a Konro Japanese grill – with many inspired by Tim’s most recent recipe book, Ramen Forever: Recipes for Ramen Success. Small plates…

Gwynfor Jones struggled to focus in school and feared the social isolation during the Covid pandemic would hinder his adult development, but he credits work-based learning for achieving “the impossible”. The 18-year-old from Treherbert has completed a Foundation Apprenticeship in Environmental Conservation with Welcome to our Woods (WTOW), a community partnership in the Upper Rhondda Fawr connecting residents with nature. Now Gwynfor has been shortlisted for the prestigious Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2024 as a finalist in the Foundation Apprentice of the Year category. Highlight of the year for apprentices, employers and work-based learning providers and practitioners, the awards are organised…

Could your dog be a lifesaver? Pet Blood Bank UK has announced that they are starting to run lifesaving blood donation days in Penyffordd and Prestatyn, and they need local dogs to come forward. This is the first time Pet Blood Bank has ever held donation sessions in North Wales. Just like humans, dogs often need lifesaving blood transfusions and Pet Blood Bank runs donation sessions across the UK to help ensure this blood is always available. Every donation a dog gives can help to save the lives of up to four other dogs. Dogs in North Wales, as well…

Are you looking for things to do this Blue Monday? Dubbed the most depressing day of the year – with the population all cold, broke and riddled with guilt that new year’s resolutions have fallen by the wayside, Golf Fang has got the people of Cardiff covered in their mission to raise people’s spirits without breaking the bank. The hospitality operator’s Golf Fang site is located on Cardiff’s Mary Ann Street, near to John Lewis and Cineworld. On Monday 15th January, Golf Fang Cardiff is offering an exclusive pick-me-up for Blue Monday – with free walk-in golf on offer to…

Businesses in Wales remain optimistic despite trade challenges and a continued hesitancy to invest in both equipment and training, according to Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid’s latest Quarterly Economic Survey. In Q4 of 2023, half of Welsh businesses stated that they believe that turnover will improve over the next 12 months while 42% predicted that profitability would improve, a small rise of 2% since the previous quarter. However, investment and trade challenges persist, affecting business plans for long-term growth. Over the last quarter, only 23% of businesses in Wales increased their investment in plant and machinery or…

A South Wales based social enterprise is preventing over 1,000 tonnes of household items from going into landfill each year, while saving families hundreds of pounds. Wastesavers is a social enterprise and charity that collects six times the weight of an average house in unwanted household furniture from across Southeast Wales and diverts it from landfill. Items are then stored and displayed in one of its ten re-use centres for people to purchase at low cost.  It also offers customers the chance to buy large household items at a fraction of the price of something new, saving customers hundreds of…