Author: Rhys Gregory

Small firms in rural areas face a unique set of challenges that will continue to stunt their growth, unless policymakers step in to make serious change, a new Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) report shows. The Growth Belt: Supporting Rural Small Businesses highlights the way rural businesses are struggling against a backdrop of mounting energy costs, poor transport links, and unreliable broadband. It also emphasises the diversity and ambition rural small firms have – and how rural areas hold enormous potential for businesses to thrive and contribute to the wider economy. The Government’s 10-point plan for rural productivity from 2015…

A leading civil engineering company has reached new heights of health and safety standards by landing a prestigious industry award.  Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK has been granted the order of distinction by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).  The Ruthin-headquartered company received the honour having achieved a 15th consecutive gold accolade.  The RoSPA health and safety awards are one of the most prestigious and recognised schemes in the world with almost 2,000 entries every year from 50 countries and a reach of more than seven million employees.  Winners are recognised for very low levels of error, injury,…

M&S is expanding its frozen garlic bread waste initiative to local store, M&S Newport Gwent this April. At the end of each day, unsold baguettes and boules – baked in-store daily – are prepared and filled with garlic butter, and then sold as frozen garlic bread from £1, with an extended shelf life of 30 days. The scheme is currently live in 251 stores and launched in 2020 following a successful trial. Since then, M&S has sold 2.1million of the re-purposed loaves. Due to its popularity, the scheme is now being extended to local store, M&S Newport Gwent and two…

Creative communications agency Folk has bolstered its team with two new appointments following record growth in 2022, a rebrand and new mission to make inclusive comms in the industry the norm. Amy Martin has joined the agency to create impactful and inclusive PR campaigns as Account Director.  She will work across numerous clients which include Veygo (part of the FTSE 100 Admiral Group), Atradius and the Welsh Government. Martin, joined from dash cam brand, Nextbase, where she led the global PR team and oversaw campaigns to drive awareness and launch new products. Prior to that, Martin held in-house and agency…

An £11.6 million expansion at a private hospital in North Wales has created 30 jobs and is enabling it to do hundreds more operations every year. Spire Yale Hospital in Wrexham has just opened a new outpatient and diagnostic centre and is reconfiguring the original hospital to provide six extra bedrooms and additional surgical facilities. The new centre is based in Chesney Court nearby in Croesnewydd Road where Spire Yale hired award-winning architects to remodel two adjacent buildings and turn them into one state of the art unit. The expansion has enabled Spire Yale to develop their services which have…

Green-fingered youngsters at a Gwynedd primary school are growing their own thanks to a grant from a leading food company. Ysgol Y Gorlan, in Tremadog, is expanding its outdoor learning area and will soon be stepping up production of flowers, fruit and vegetables with the help of a £400 grant from Harlech Foodservice, one of Wales’s biggest food distribution companies. The cash comes from the company’s 50th Anniversary Charity Fund which offers grants totalling £10,000 to good causes, organisations, clubs and charities across Harlech Foodservice’s area of operation in Wales and the border counties. The request for help came from…

A Welsh legend of British cycling who rode at the Munich Olympics and went wheel to wheel with Tour De France winners is back on his bike again thanks to the skills of an award-winning surgeon. Dave Lloyd, now 73, had his sights set on the sport’s big time back in the 70s when he left his home in Liverpool to ride alongside greats like Eddie Merckx and Roger De Vlaeminck and leave two-time Tour De France winner Laurent Fignon trailing on the Isle of Man’s famous TT circuit. His pro racing career was cut short though by a heart…

Aberystwyth’s bandstand will showcase a world-first series of photographic collections exploring how people’s life experiences impact on their attitudes to independence in Catalonia, Wales, and Scotland. The pop-up exhibition, Head / Heart: Framing Future Wales, is open to the public between 10am and 5pm over the next three days (13-15 April 2023) and is part of a study led by Aberystwyth academics. The research marks a fundamental shift in how independence has been studied to date. Project leaders Dr Anwen Elias and Dr Elin Royles from the Centre for Welsh Politics and Society at Aberystwyth University are using photography to…

Ynysangharad War Memorial Park in Pontypridd will once again host Teddy Bears’ Picnic on Friday 23rd June from 10am – 2pm. This lovely free event is aimed at nurseries, schools, families, and carers with children aged five and under. While the children enjoy all the activities such as the mini funfair, bouncy castle, arts, crafts and games, adults can pick up essential information on services available to them in Rhondda Cynon Taf. This year there will be a performance area featuring Martyn Geraint, one of Wales’ best known children’s entertainers and Cardboard City will be joining the event for the…

The important scheme to repair and refurbish Imperial Bridge in Porth will resume on site from Monday, April 17. Announced last year, this is the second scheduled phase of work that is required to protect the structure for the future. The first phase of work was carried out throughout 2022, pausing during November to comply with Natural Resources Wales’ seasonal restrictions for working within the river. The overall scheme will carry out steelwork repairs to structural elements of the bridge, repaint all steelwork and parapets, install expansion joints and complete carriageway resurfacing at Pontypridd Road. Contractor Centregreat Ltd made good…