Author: Rhys Gregory

The Welsh housing market is expected to considerably outperform the rest of the UK over the next five years, according to research by Savills. The analysis also shows that while the market remains relatively weak, the outlook is improving. The analysis, published by Savills UK residential research, looks at the housing market and supply across Wales in 2023 and forecasts expectations for 2024 and beyond. Sharp increases in mortgage rates constrained affordability and demand, resulting in average price falls of 1.9 per cent in the year to December 2023, according to Nationwide. This is slightly higher than the UK average…

THE husband-and-wife behind a celebrated greetings card company are making their mark with a new printing business. Carly and James Brands have opened PersonaliseMe Print Ltd on Abergele Road in Colwyn Bay. The owners of risqué card and gifts firm LimaLima unveiled a new headquarters less than 100 yards away on Erw Wen Road and now want to help breathe life into the town centre and local economy. Employing up to 10 people across the two businesses, PersonaliseMe will utilise the space to sell branded workwear, promotional merchandise, customised gifts, and print, serving up seasonal displays and collections throughout the…

The National Football League has announced its International Player Pathway (IPP) programme Class of 2024, featuring 11 athletes from around the world and a first-ever group of five specialists from England and Ireland. Established in 2017, the IPP program aims to provide elite international athletes with the opportunity to compete at the NFL level, improve their skills and ultimately work to earn a spot on an NFL roster. The IPP Class of 2024, including the program’s first-ever specialists, spans talent from eight nations and represents a total of 16 players transitioning to the sport of American football. Athletes come from…

A Swansea University historian will play a key role in a new research project which aims to use humanities and social science expertise to help bring patient voices into healthcare research and practice. The six-year interdisciplinary project, which has been awarded a grant of £2.8 million by the Wellcome Trust, will see Dr Michael Bresalier, from the Department of History, Heritage and Classics, partner with academics in Britain and Italy. Epistemic Injustice in Healthcare (EPIC) is a partnership between researchers at Swansea, Bristol, Nottingham, Birmingham and the universities of Ferrara and Bologna to study how disparities in healthcare knowledge affect health experiences,…

A GLOBALLY RENOWNED scaffolding company opened a new US base and secured contracts on the country’s first two offshore windfarm sub-stations. BGB Renewables and BGB New Energy Taiwan – part of the larger BGB Scaffolding Group based in Chester and Port of Mostyn, Flintshire – added Providence in Rhode Island and Taichung City in Taiwan to its growing list of international sites. Now employing up to 100 staff, last year saw them start on the construction phase of the first two offshore substations in the USA, as well as completing the construction phase of the first large scale far shore…

The Institute of Directors (IoD) Wales, in partnership with Cardiff Business School has launched its annual search for the nation’s highest achieving business leaders. The Director of the Year Awards 2024 seek to reward the successes of directors representing a wide spectrum of businesses, organisations and sectors the length and breadth of Wales. Applications for this year’s awards are welcomed until Friday 23 February 2024. A shortlist will then be released prior to the awards ceremony which will take place on Friday 17 May at ICC Wales, Newport. With sponsors including Sony Technology Centre, Portal Training, Welsh Government, Copa-Data UK,…

Engineering apprenticeships ambassador Megan Christie’s career is flying with GE Aerospace Wales, Nantgarw where she is member of a team that repairs, maintains and overhauls commercial aircraft engines. Megan, 21, who lives in Georgetown, Tredegar, won an Inspiring Skills Wales award and a team silver medal at the WorldSkills UK National Finals in 2022 and an Apprenticeship Award at Coleg y Cymoedd last year. She was rewarded for her dedication when she received distinctions for each of her 40 assignments during her Apprenticeship in Aeronautical Engineering at Coleg y Cymoedd. Now, Megan has been shortlisted for the prestigious Apprenticeship Awards…

68-year-old Welshman and former Royal Marines Commando, Dave Thomas from Port Talbot has marked the poignant 1,000 km milestone in his attempt to set a new Guinness World Record by becoming the oldest person to reach the South Pole unassisted, beating the previous record by an impressive four years! With ‘just’ 130km left to go – and weather permitting – Dave and fellow former RM Alan Chambers MBE expect to reach the Pole on or around 19th January. By then, they will have been on the ice for close to two months having ski-ed, unassisted, the 1,130 km from Hercules…

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has welcomed the announcement that support payments will be made available to all fully-certified organic producers in Wales this year, providing much-needed certainty for the sector. Speaking in response to the announcement, FUW President Ian Rickman said: “This is welcomed news for the Welsh organic sector following the end of the Glastir Organic Scheme and especially for those who continue to face inflationary pressures. “This support, which will be administered through the SAF process, should enable organic producers to maintain their certified status for this year as we consult with our members on the final…

New small-scale technology is set to be introduced to help Swansea city centre become smarter and better connected. The technology will be put in place on a number of lampposts and some other street furniture in the city centre to benefit businesses, shoppers and visitors. It’s aimed at helping improve mobile coverage and data speeds in the city centre at times when it’s particularly busy there. It could also support the further introduction of smart bins to reduce the risk of litter, as well as sensors to monitor air pollution. Supporting the Swansea Bay City Deal Digital Infrastructure Programme’s ambition…