Author: Rhys Gregory

A local social club has pulled itself back from the brink of closure, to forecasting more than £1m in revenue this year, as support and funding leads to major renovations and new customers. Having served its community for over 100 years, support from Business Wales has helped a rejuvenated Merthyr Tydfil Labour Club to secure thousands in funding that was urgently needed for renovation work. Without support, the future looked bleak for the Club. Like many hospitality businesses, Covid closures, decreased footfall, and energy costs tripling overnight, threatened to close its doors permanently. Not willing to see the Club call…

A Powys-based manufacturing company with a customer base that includes Olympic gold medallists, formula one drivers and celebrity cyclists, is celebrating reaching £2 million sales, a significant milestone for the company since receiving export support from Business Wales. Elliot Tanner launched Stashed Products in 2021, after spotting a gap in the market for his bike storage solutions system. But what started as a lockdown side project, now sees product manufactured in the small village of Abermule, shipped globally. Stashed Product systems allow customers to hang, spin, slide and store their bikes in an accessible, secure, and space-effective way. This innovative…

Female founded Welsh innovation hub Tramshed Tech has announces the launch of a Female Founder Investor Readiness Programme in partnership with British Business Bank. With a predominantly female senior leadership team and CEO Louise Harris at its helm, Tramshed Tech are making moves to better support female founders across Wales in collaboration British Business Bank’s Senior Manager for Wales, Jess Phillips-Harris. The new Female Founder Investor Readiness Programme supported by AberInnovation, Welsh Ice, AccelerateHER and M-SParc is designed to equip female technology founders across Wales with the skills and support needed to successfully raise capital in today’s competitive market. Louise…

As construction work gathers pace on site, award winning creative studio Elfen has been commissioned to look at the values the project represents and develop ideas for a brand identity for the Old College project. Building on introductory stakeholder workshops at the University, Elfen are now extending an open invitation to members of the public to contribute to the next stage of the work. A short online questionnaire has been developed which seeks views on the Old College, its history, location and values, and thoughts and ideas about the main development name and/or individual buildings. Gwion Prydderch from Elfen said:…

The Development Bank of Wales is helping a South Wales home technology start-up to go to market this spring with a £50,000 micro loan to help launch their first smart home locking system Securaki. This home locking system is set to revolutionise the smart home security market, and could result in door keys being a thing of the past. Securaki can be fitted on to most door locks quickly and easily, with no specialist expertise needed, converting any lock into a smart lock – making it ideal for not only homeowners but also properties with temporary residents such as rental…

GRAFMARINE secured a new partnership with a global leader in the decarbonisation of the international shipping industry. Based in Manchester and Anglesey, Grafmarine is at the forefront of developing Nanodeck technology for the maritime sector. The company has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Njord Accelerator to conduct a proof of concept, followed by a pilot installation which aims to fully explore the capabilities of solar tiles in the maritime industry. Njord stands out for its role in enhancing the relationship between ship owners, charterers, vendors, and financiers. The organisation’s primary goal is to increase fuel efficiency of…

A recent survey has revealed that Welsh medium sized businesses in the food and drink sector are performing above national and global averages in terms of employee satisfaction. The Welsh Government’s Food & Drink Insight Programme, in partnership with Sgiliau Bwyd a Diod Cymru / Food & Drink Skills Wales, commissioned and carried out the survey which delved into various areas of the workplace including job satisfaction, wellbeing, organisational culture, management feedback, facilities, training and employee engagement. The survey’s findings were notably positive, including Welsh businesses achieving an engagement score of 73%, surpassing the industry average of 71%. For the…

The Welsh Fitness Expo is delighted to announce the launch of the inaugural Welsh Fitness Hall of Fame at the 2024 Welsh Fitness Expo. The Welsh Fitness Hall of Fame will recognise the Welsh athletes who’ve blazed a trail through the fitness world, putting Wales and their sport on the map! The hall of fame will celebrate athletes from across the fitness spectrum including, Bodybuilding, Strongman & Strongwoman, Powerlifting, CrossFit, Boxing, MMA, and Special Inductees. The first inductee into the 2024 hall of fame is, Amy Meredith.  Amy is one of the greatest bodybuilders to ever come out of Wales.…

Funded by Welsh Government’s Local Places for Nature together with support from the Bridgend Local Nature Partnership, Pyle Community Council is set to receive £50k to transform derelict land that was once tennis courts into an edible forest garden. Situated at the rear of Pyle Swimming Pool, the land is earmarked for broadleaf trees, fruit trees, shrubs and wildflowers, as well as stone dust paths and seating around the site.   All of the plants planned for the space will either be edible or useful in some other way, such as providing shelter for a range of wildlife.  Information about habitats…

Three men from Swansea have been sentenced after riding off-road motorbikes dangerously on public roads earlier this year. Twenty-year-old Joshua Miller and 18-year-old Keiron Paton, both from Penlan, alongside 20-year-old Fraser Saunders, from Cockett, were observed ignoring red traffic lights and driving in a dangerous manner between Swansea Marina and Oystermouth Road on Saturday, January 27. The three riders failed to stop as directed, and during a pursuit, three stinger sites were set up in the Mumbles area, successfully stinging the bikes. The three riders were later arrested. Officers recovered all three bikes. Fraser Saunders admitted to driving whilst disqualified…