Author: Rhys Gregory

Schools and colleges across Wales are set to benefit from £60m in funding to make buildings more energy efficient. The Minister for Education and Welsh Language Jeremy Miles has announced £50m for schools and £10m in funding for Further Education colleges. The new funding will help schools and colleges with energy efficiency and decarbonisation priorities. Work being funded includes replacement of roofs, heating and ventilation works introducing efficient low carbon solutions and electrical systems including LED lighting. The Minister recently visited Perthcelyn Community Primary School in Mountain Ash. The school has received just over £66k in Welsh Government funding this…

Two teenagers who averted a serious car accident thanks to their quick thinking and the owner of a wig service for people suffering hair loss, are among those shortlisted for this year’s St David Awards. The St David Awards are Wales’ national awards, which recognise people who have done extraordinary things. This year’s awards celebrate people who have been nominated by the public in nine different categories, including bravery, business and community spirit. A special award will also be given by First Minister Mark Drakeford. Announcing the shortlist First Minister, Mark Drakeford said: “I would like to thank everyone who…

More than 90% of young care leavers who are eligible have signed up for the Basic Income pilot scheme in the first six months since it was launched. Early feedback from care leavers point to the many ways in which the income is being used to enhance their lives, including learning how to manage their money and saving. Although the pilot scheme is still in its infancy and will be rigorously assessed by an independently appointed evaluation team, one person working with care leavers said it had ‘empowered them to be able to make decisions they weren’t able to before’.…

Early March is the period where many of us start planning our summer holiday. For those who are not attracted by tourism hotspots, a good alternative is to visit a less touristic destination. If this is your case, what about visiting Pennsylvania, in the United States? This part of the country has a lot to offer and is particularly linked to Welsh culture, as the Welsh were among the first settlers to colonise Pennsylvania. In this article you will find some of the most interesting things to do in Pennsylvania and some advice to prepare your trip, like how to…

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…