Author: Rhys Gregory

Housing market activity in Wales remained weak last month with falls in buyer demand and agreed sales according to the latest RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) Residential Market Survey. However, more homes were reported by respondents to be coming onto the market for sale. A net balance of -46% of Welsh respondents was reported for new buyer enquiries in February, indicating sharp falls in demand. Meanwhile a net balance of -52% of respondents was recorded for newly agreed sales. Looking at supply, a net balance of +12% of respondents was reported for instructions to sell, the second month in…

Donations from Wales to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal have reached £3.5 million, including a donation of £300,000 from the Welsh Government. The appeal has raised £112 million UK-wide, including £5 million in match funding from the UK Government. The funds are already providing urgent relief for people affected by the devastating earthquakes which have killed more than 50,000 people, injured more than 100,000 and displaced hundreds of thousands of families.  According to the UN, 1.5 million people have been made homeless in the south of Turkey. DEC charities have been helping people in both Turkey and Syria by…

FinTech Wales, the not-for-profit members organisation empowering Wales as a globally recognised hub of FinTech excellence, has teamed up with charitable organisation and campaigner for women’s rights, Chwarae Teg, to offer exclusive training and employment opportunities for females in Wales. Despite progress in recent years, women still remain critically underrepresented in tech roles, as is highlighted in PwC’s Women in Tech Research Report, which claims that just 23% of the people working in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) roles across the UK are female.” To address this, FinTech Wales and Chwarae Teg have partnered with Code First Girls, a…

CanSense – a Swansea company which has developed a blood test that aims to save lives by diagnosing bowel cancer at an early stage – has raised £1.5m from Mercia, the Development Bank of Wales and liquid biopsy company Nonacus. CanSense’s test, which combines laser spectroscopy with artificial intelligence, is faster, less expensive and less invasive than a colonoscopy procedure and more acceptable for patients than a faecal blood detection kit. It could help detect bowel cancer at an early stage when it is much easier to treat and the chance of survival is much higher. Studies have shown that…

The British Business Bank is on course to launch a £130 million investment fund this autumn, aimed at driving the growth of small and medium-sized businesses in Wales. The Investment Fund for Wales is one of a series of Nations and Regions Investment Funds being launched by the British Business Bank which will deliver a £1.6bn commitment of new funding to smaller businesses across the UK. The fund will offer a range of commercial finance options with loans from £25,000 to £2m and equity investment of up to £5m. By increasing the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for smaller…

Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has announced the sale of Erwhir Care Home in Carmarthenshire. Founded in 1986, Erwhir Care Home is a well-established residential care home registered with the CIW to accommodate up to 15 service users aged 65 years and over who require personal care. The business occupies a substantial Edwardian property in Carmarthen, approximately 30 miles northeast of Swansea and 16 miles north of Llanelli. This well-regarded care home has an enviable reputation for delivering excellent quality care and has a good reputation within the local area. The home maintains a very high occupancy rate…

TwentySix is Cardiff’s newest outdoor neighbourhood hangout – promising all-day brunches at the weekend, and a spot to enjoy coffee & cake from Wednesday to Sunday. A custom-built, weatherproof seating area – complete with booth seating, cute festoon lighting, and timed wall heaters means that the new venue – housed at The Bone Yard creative community in Canton – boasts a total capacity of more than 90 covers. The venue is the brainchild of established street food trader Helen Gorman; her TOAST brand (previously seen at festivals around South Wales) will be responsible for serving up weekend breakfasts, freshly squeezed OJ and coffee…

As firms of all sizes seek to measure and reduce their carbon footprint, one company has called on companies to do more to improve their environmental footprint by embracing the principles of the circular economy when refitting or reimagining their workplaces and to ‘design out’ waste as much as possible. Ministry of Furniture, one of the most forward-thinking suppliers of loose and fitted furniture in Wales, has called on companies to plan further ahead and think outside the box when redesigning their workplaces – as many have post-COVID as they embrace hybrid and more collaborative working models and the changing…

Swansea’s coastal park is to be named the Amy Dillwyn Park in memory of one of the city’s most accomplished novelists and businesswomen. Developed by Swansea Council and located next to Swansea Arena, the park first opened to the public 12 months ago. The council announced the naming on International Women’s Day – a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. Born in Sketty to a prominent family, Amy Elizabeth Dillwyn (1845 to 1935) wrote six novels on themes including feminism and social reform. After her father’s death in 1892, she inherited and personally managed…

A Ukrainian mum of four who courageously escaped Russia’s invasion of her homeland will play a key role in a concert celebrating cultural diversity. Polina Horelova, 34, will conduct two Ukrainian songs performed by NEW Sinfonia orchestra’s community vocal ensemble NEW Voices at St Giles’ Church, Wrexham on Saturday, April 1. At least 20 Ukrainian refugees have found solace singing with the NEW Voices which has one hub in Wrexham and another in St Asaph. While the concert itself has received funding, a Just Giving page has been set up to raise money for the wider NEW Voices programme and…