Author: Rhys Gregory

Tom Cave’s return to top-level national rallying for the first time in more than two years resulted in a resounding victory on the Visit Conwy Cambrian National Rally on Saturday. The talented driver, whose family owns the Trefeddian Hotel in Aberdovey, led the event from start to finish, showing he had lost none of his former pace by going on to win by a margin of 21.5 seconds.Based in Llandudno – the town that hosted the last running of the Wales Rally GB in 2019 – meant the day brought back fond memories for Tom, who finished 11th overall and top…

Last week the world’s leading accountancy body and one of Wales’ most respected universities celebrated a remarkable half-century educational partnership. ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and the University of South Wales (USW) came together for a special event at the Newport City Campus on 26 October to mark 50 years of training finance professionals in south Wales. Since introducing the ACCA course in 1973, the University of South Wales has become an ACCA Platinum Approved Learning Partner, the highest level of accreditation that a tuition provider can obtain, in recognition of its excellent pass rates and support for…

Cardiff Capital Region City Deal (CCR) has announced a £9.7m Strategic Premises Fund investment to finance the completion of the 146-bed Ty Newport Hotel, just off the M4 corridor. The hotel will form part of the wider Celtic Manor Resort’s umbrella, the business established by Welsh-born entrepreneur, Sir Terry Matthews, who has founded over 100 successful technology businesses, including Mitel and Newbridge Networks. As well as the 146 beds, the hotel will include a full-service restaurant, bar area, business meeting room facilities and electric vehicle charge points. A new Costa drive-through coffee shop has been built at the entrance to…

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in Wales hosted their annual South Wales Small Business Conference on the 26th of October at the Village Hotel in Cardiff. Hosted by esteemed broadcaster Sian Lloyd, the event, sponsored by NastWest Cymru, brought together business leaders and tackled topics like mental toughness, business continuity, customer experience, along with useful insights to help attending SMEs grow their digital marketing skills and improve their branding.  The event also highlighted how being a responsible business can help both businesses and their communities. The event saw over 130 small businesses come together to network with peers and…

Aberystwyth University has announced the first Fellows of a new programme launched to mark its 150th anniversary, with their research spanning AI, migration and Mars. The four Fellows will receive between two and three years of funding for their specific research project. The scheme was launched to foster research within existing or burgeoning areas of strength within the University. The four Fellows are: Dr Eli Auslender, Departmental of International Politics – a migration scholar whose work focuses on the rights of asylum seekers and refugees, and the structural hinderances raised to deter them. His project will examine negotiation tactics used…

Dock Solutions, the UK’s largest manufacturer of loading bay equipment, is pleased to announce the completion of a management buyout led by General Manager Joshua Hale in a deal advised on by the Cardiff-based GS Verde Group. With a strong trading history of nearly 20 years, Dock Solutions offers bespoke manufacturing of levellers, lifts, industrial doors, and shelters, as well as product maintenance carried out by their expert team. Joshua Hale has been an integral part of the company’s growth in recent years. Starting as an apprentice in 2016, Joshua quickly became committed to Dock Solutions’ ethos and vision, building…

Business confidence in Wales rose 11 points during October to 45%, the highest level since September 2021, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. Companies in Wales reported higher confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, up 14 points at 48%. When taken alongside their optimism in the economy, up nine points to 43%, this gives a headline confidence reading of 45%. Welsh businesses identified their top target areas for growth in the next six months as investing in their teams (38%), entering into new markets (35%) and evolving their offer (31%). The Business Barometer, which surveys…

This weekend, Proud Mary Cardiff celebrated one year since it threw open its doors on St Mary’s Street following a £1.2million transformation by operators REKOM. Since 29th October 2022, the venue has sold a staggering 1.5m drinks, 194,205 photos have been taken on the light booth and Mary’s Wheel of Fortune, where guests can win a number of prizes such as a bottle of spirit, has been spun 7,785 times. Paloma De Souza, Manager of Proud Mary Cardiff commented: “It’s been amazing to welcome everyone to Proud Mary Cardiff over the past 365 days – we’ve served both visitors and…

Nearly one in five older people in Wales (18%) say public transport is a challenge for them, according to Age Cymru’s fourth annual What matters to you? survey of almost 1200 older people across Wales. Crucially, respondents said reduced or unreliable services impacted on their ability to attend health appointments, especially those with mobility issues. One respondent told us “I don’t know how to get to my hospital appointments because I no longer drive, and there are only two buses from my village a day.” Older people in both rural and urban areas in equal measure report experiencing cuts to bus…

As Wales take on the Barbarians at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Saturday 4th November, Cardiff Bus is alerting customers to city centre diversions. There will be changes to usual bus stop locations and road closures which are set to come into force between 10:30 and 19:00. Services 13, 17, 18, 25, 61, 62, and 63 will start and end at Fitzhamon Embankment. Services 4, 92, 94, 95 and 96 will start and end at Tudor Street. Service 9 will be split at the city center to operate in two sections, Sports Village to the City Centre and City Centre to…