Author: Rhys Gregory

A new, fully-funded project has been launched in Monmouthshire with the aim of inspiring 500 new or established businesses to start or grow. Running over the next two years, the Elevate Monmouthshire project will use a combination of start-up programmes, bespoke business acceleration and one-to-one coaching to support and grow the local business community. Figures from the Office for National Statistics indicate that over 300 businesses start in Monmouthshire each year with a survival rate of over 90%. Monmouthshire has a higher-than-average number of high-growth businesses, outperforming many other parts of Wales. The Elevate programme will set out to have…

Celvac, the UK’s leading industrial cleaning and waste recovery services specialists, has made the decision to transition into Employee Ownership (EO), 30 years after it was first founded. Established in Pembrokeshire in 1993 by Kim, Joan and Nigel Beynon, Celvac will now be owned by its 68 staff members via an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). The company has its main manufacturing facility and head office in Tenby, but also has bases in Port Talbot, Connah’s Quay and Slough, as it works throughout the country providing expert services to the UK water, petro-chemical, construction, manufacturing, refining and food industries. Over the…

The New Saints FC (TNSFC) secure the JD Cymru Premier League Title, one of the most iconic looking trophies in world football,  for a record 15th time. TNS secured the league title in March, becoming the first team in Europe to do so, but lifted the trophy this weekend after their last fixture of the league season, following a 4-1 win against Connahs Quay Nomads at Park Hall. TNS have had an unbelievably successful campaign, securing a points per game record of 2.59, which puts them up there with the very best in Europe (including Barcelona and Celtic). The incredible…

St John Ambulance Cymru are offering free charity running spaces to individuals for the Swansea, Cardiff and Llanelli Half Marathons. If you are a running fanatic, or if you just love a challenge, you can enter the half marathons for free with St John Ambulance Cymru, as long as you pledge to raise a minimum of £220 in support of their charitable work in communities across Wales. When you sign up, the organisation can provide you with everything you may need to help you fundraise. The funds you raise will go towards lifesaving first aid training in schools and community…

The National Trust is encouraging people to celebrate the fleeting seasonal spectacle of blossom in its first ever “Blossom Week”, a seven-day celebration of all things blossom, building on the success of the charity’s #BlossomWatch day, a previous highlight in its annual campaign. Blossom Week is inspired by the Japanese tradition of ‘Hanami’, the popular custom where people of all ages get together to enjoy the transient beauty of cherry blossom. Blossom Week has been designed as a natural peak to the campaign when the majority of the country will have some sort of blossom in bloom – from blackthorn…

GlobalWelsh, the non-profit Welsh diaspora organisation, announces today that it’s founder and CEO Walter May is launching a fundraiser to raise funds for GlobalWelsh’s Charity Partner of the Year (2022-2023), Urdd Gobaith Cymru. Setting off from Porto, Portugal, on 4th May, Walter will be walking a 196 mile coastal route along the Camino Portugues (Portuguese Camino), an ancient pilgrim’s route that runs along the Portuguese coast finally ending in Santiago de Compostela, the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. These walks, carrying a sizeable backpack, are challenging and avoiding leg or foot injuries, especially blisters is a…

The effectiveness of sport as a tool to tackle youth crime has been analysed by Welsh academics and their findings will now be used to help inform police leaders. Experts at the Welsh Institute of Physical Activity, Health and Sport (WIPAHS), examined four programmes which supported almost 4,000 young people across Wales to see how they could be optimised to help reduce young people’s involvement in crime. Among their findings was the need for forces to share best practices and improve communication about lessons they have learned by offering physical activities. WIPAHS is a pan-Wales network which sees all eight Welsh…

The independent members association and champion of the FinTech and Financial Services industry in Wales, FinTech Wales, has welcomed one of the largest professional services networks in the world, PwC, as its newest Enterprise Member. By joining the organisation, PwC will have full access to the FinTech Wales community and the resources it provides. PwC will sit alongside several key Welsh financial services organisations including Admiral, Confused.com, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Principality Building Society, Hodge, Yoello, Sonovate, Sero, Delio, Go.Compare and many more as fellow members. Founded in 1998, PwC has offices in 152 countries with 350 team members based in…

A mother of two from Caerphilly has won an award in recognition of her bravery and dedication to her studies after returning to college as a mature learner with Coleg y Cymoedd while battling cancer and acting as the main carer for her disabled son. Emma Hughes, 36, from Blackwood, has received the ‘outstanding commitment to study’ award at this year’s Agored Cymru Access to Higher Education Learner of the Year awards. The awards celebrate the achievements of individuals who have completed Access to Higher Education diplomas – qualifications which prepare people without traditional qualifications to study at university. Diagnosed…

Neath Port Talbot Council is tackling the “blight” of derelict homes in valleys, villages and towns across the county borough by allocating a contribution of £240,000 to a Welsh Government empty homes improvement scheme. The Welsh Government Empty Homes Scheme is designed to reduce the number of long-term empty properties in Wales – believed to number around 22,000. It is also aimed at increasing housing supply by offering grants to owners of long term empty properties to make improvements to bring the properties back into use. Neath Port Talbot Council’s £240,000 contribution to the scheme, approved by the council’s Social…