Author: Rhys Gregory

Equity release enables homeowners aged 55 and above to release tax-free cash from the value of their property. The amount you can release will be determined by several factors, such as your age and how much your property is worth. Depending on the equity release product advised to you, you may be able to either release your money as a series of smaller amounts, via a drawdown lifetime mortgage plan or in one big lump sum, with a lump sum plan. If you opt to release equity, the good news is you can use the cash for most purposes. Here…

Nick Phillips told reporters the story of his addiction by saying that he once got so addicted to betting that he tried to bet a year’s salary at a bookmaker’s office. This is the same man who urges the British government to solve the problem of gambling and tries to promote the idea of banning gambling. He himself has lost almost £250,000 in all his gambling. Since he began to recover, he has been trying to help other addicts and supports stricter rules on gambling advertising. Nick’s addiction began when online betting was not possible. He used to visit land-based…

Striker Helen Ward, Cymru’s all-time leading goalscorer, has announced her retirement from the international game having scored an incredible 44 goals in 105 appearances. Ward will turn 37 next month and has been a huge source of inspiration to the players who have emerged through the ranks and into the senior Cymru squad since she made her debut against Luxembourg back in September 2008. It could have been a very different story for Ward as she represented England at U23 level prior to making the switch to Cymru, but over the course of the last 15 years she has played…

All 11 units at the new Whitebeam Court employment park at the Ty Du development site in Nelson have now been let and occupied to growing local businesses. Ty Du is south of Nelson with direct access from the A470 onto the A472 which connects Abercynon and Ystrad Mynach, giving it excellent links to Caerphilly, Cardiff and Blaenau Gwent. The units, in four terraces of buildings – 11 lettable units – totalling 1,300 sq m, are part-funded by ERDF through the Welsh Government, with matching investment from Caerphilly County Borough Council and Welsh Government. Property consultancy Knight Frank is the…

Sales Director for the International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales) Danielle Bounds has been named as an Innovator winner in the Smart Women in Meetings Awards for 2023 for her dedication in educating the global events sector on Martyn’s Law (also known as Protect Duty). The annual Smart Women in Meetings Awards, organised by US media outlet Smart Meetings, recognises the top women in the global meetings sector who continue to open new doors for all with creativity, passion, and drive. Since the beginning of 2022, Danielle and the team at ICC Wales have worked tirelessly on creating educational resources…

Most new independent retailers in Swansea city centre are using digital channels to retain and recruit customers – helping them face many of the challenges city centre shops experience. Russell Greenslade, Chief Executive of Swansea Business Improvement District (Swansea BID), said that the majority of the approximately 60 independent businesses Swansea BID has supported in opening in the city centre in the past 18 months have a very strong digital channel presence. “This is backed with intelligence and data, which they use very well to retain existing and recruit new customers,” he said. Swansea Business Improvement District (Swansea BID) has been announced…

Top 100 UK law firm, Hugh James, has secured more than £700,000 in compensation for a former Royal Marine, following an eight-day trial in the High Court. The former serviceman sustained noise induced hearing loss and tinnitus because he wasn’t provided with adequate hearing protection or training by the Ministry of Defence, a High Court judge has today ruled. Mr Justice Johnson concluded that 34-year-old James Barry, from Nottingham, was forced to leave the Military after more than three years’ service due to the MoD’s negligence in providing adequate and appropriate hearing protection and training. As a result, Mr Justice…

Welsh food and drink companies are preparing to attend one of the world’s leading food industry events in Tokyo next week (7-10 March 2023).  Foodex Japan is one of Asia’s largest international food and drink exhibitions, and provides business expansion opportunities and solutions for the industry. Supported by the Welsh Government, six Welsh food and drink companies will attend Foodex under the Cymru/Wales banner, all looking to explore new markets, stay connected to trends and innovation and develop links with overseas buyers. Approximately 1,400 exhibitors from 44 countries and regions from across the world are expected to attend the event,…

FABCO Holdings is approaching completion of 18 units in four self-contained terraces at Felindre Court, part of Pencoed Technology Park near Bridgend. Built on a speculative basis, the units measuring 1,335 sq.ft each have been pre-sold with plans for a second phase under consideration. Funded by the Development Bank of Wales, the units have an energy efficiency rating of A and also feature electric vehicle charging points with good access to Bridgend, Swansea and Cardiff beyond. All have their own separate door and roller shutter access, with the option to include a mezzanine which makes them attractive for businesses seeking…

Start-up numbers in Wales were 352.4% higher in January 2023 than in January 2022, according to new research from insolvency and restructuring trade body R3. R3’s analysis of data provided by Creditsafe shows there were 1,683 new Welsh firms set-up in January – the highest recorded figure since May 2022, and 352.4% more than January 2022’s figure of 372. Wales saw the biggest yearly rise in start-ups across all of the UK regions and nations, followed by the West Midlands (255%) and Greater London (17.1%). Start-up figures also increased 58.8% compared December 2022’s total of 1,060 – the second highest…