Author: Rhys Gregory

Blockchain will now be used to improve rail possession planning for the first time in the UK. The news comes following a unique partnership between infrastructure consultancy Amey Consulting and tech firm Finboot. The technology will be pioneered by Amey alongside Transport for Wales on its transformation of the Core Valley Line rail network.   Blockchain, an immutable ledger which digitally records transactions, will be used to agree access times for engineers to safely access rail tracks for maintenance, renewals and enhancements.   Blockchain’s ability to securely and independently record decisions provides a marked improvement on traditional planning systems, which…

The Railway Industry Association (RIA) Wales & Western has welcomed today’s news that a consortium of universities, including Cardiff and Swansea, has been awarded £15 million by the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF) to establish a new world-leading railway research and innovation centre in South Wales. UKRPIF investment will enable Cardiff, Swansea and Birmingham universities to establish a new Centre of Excellence for Railway Testing, Validation and Customer Experience at the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) site, currently under construction near Onllwyn in the Neath Valley. Industry partners include: Siemens, Atkins, Unipart, RSSB, GCRE, Knorr Bremse, Aegis, Angel Trains, Eversholt Rail,…

South Caernarfon Creameries (SCC) has had its best year at the International Cheese Awards (ICDA) claiming five golds, one silver and four bronze awards for its wide range of Cheddar cheeses, Double Gloucester, Red Leicester and Caerphilly cheese. Attracting over 5,500 entries every year, the ICDA is the world’s biggest platform championing world class producers of cheese and dairy products and success brings high profile recognition not only with UK retailers but on the international stage.  After recently winning the prestigious ‘Food Producer of the Year’ award at the 2023 Wales Food and Drink Awards, the farmer owned dairy co-operative…

Hawkstone Motor Finance is delighted to announce that it has been named as “Automotive Finance Brokers of the Year 2023”. After closing out a truly staggering first year of business, Hawkstone Motor Finance struck gold at the Corporate Livewire Innovation & Excellence Awards with their recent success. This victory adds to earlier success with Hawkstone shortlisted for the Great British Entrepreneur Awards – Welsh Start-up Entrepreneur of the Year. Hawkstone Motor Finance was born out of Hawkstone Commercials, which is a Bridgend based commercial leasing vehicle broker that has shattered all initial targets in spectacular fashion. Starting with a projected…

A lucky grandad from Cardiff was in disbelief after claiming a massive jackpot of £28,000 at Grosvenor Casino Cardiff earlier this month. The 67-year-old auto-mechanic, who is a dad of five and grandad of seven, was rejoiced to discover he’d won big on the Progressive Jackpot on three card poker. The auto-mechanic is a regular at his local Grosvenor Casino at The Red Dragon Centre in Cardiff Bay and has been going to the casino for almost a decade. David was in his local casino in Cardiff for a night out with his grandson as the two are regular visitors at the…

Emma Landek , a fourth-year student at UWTSD’s Swansea College of Art has an exciting summer ahead as this month (July) she starts a paid internship at Rolls Royce. Emma is the second Surface Pattern and Textiles student to have been offered a 13-month internship with the Bespoke Interiors Colour and Trim team at their Goodwood Design and manufacturing HQ. Emma, who will graduate next year with her Master of Design in Surface Pattern and Textiles said: “I don’t think I can put into words how overwhelmed I feel to have such an incredible opportunity to work with such a…

Boulders, the Cardiff-based indoor climbing centre, and Cardiff Mind have recently announced their new partnership aimed at improving mental health and wellness in Welsh communities through climbing.   In today’s world where we have fewer face-to-face interactions; with work often being hybrid or remote, counselling and therapy sessions held over a laptop or phone, and where we find ourselves scrolling social media for hours on end, finding ways to switch off and prioritise our mental health has never been more important.  As the UK grapples with a growing mental health crisis, more and more people are looking for alternative ways to alleviate stress and anxiety. One such activity is indoor climbing, and while many people might see climbing as a physically demanding sport, it’s also the perfect activity for beginners.…

Communities across the county borough will receive funding from the Town and Community Capital Grant Scheme, allowing the development of community projects to go ahead. With funding of up to around £100,000, the Cabinet of Bridgend County Borough Council has approved a number of grant applications for projects that directly align with Council’s Community Asset Transfer (CAT) programme, as well as the council’s Decarbonisation, Net-Zero 2030 agenda. Areas in Porthcawl, Pyle and Coychurch have been granted funds to support initiatives ranging from upgrades for children’s play parks to an edible forest garden.  Any funding that is left will be rolled…

Plans to accelerate the completion of the International Sports Village will take a step forward when the Council’s Cabinet meet on the 13thJuly. Following the acquisition of all undeveloped land at the ISV peninsula, the Cabinet agreed in principle to enter into an option agreement with Cardiff Peninsula Consortium Ltd last December. Work to develop the legal agreements has now been completed and the Cabinet will be asked to sign them off. A report published ahead of the meeting also revealed further details about the energy strategy for the site, which subject to successful funding applications, could see a low…

A sustainable future for St David’s Hall has come a step closer with the publication of a report recommending that Cardiff Council protect the iconic venue by entering into a 45-year lease with Academy Music Group (AMG). If the recommendation is accepted by Cardiff Council’s Cabinet at a meeting due to be held on Thursday, July 13th, AMG would take on full responsibility for the building, operating it as an independent commercial enterprise and removing the need for any financial contribution from the Council towards its maintenance, upkeep and operation. The agreement would also commit AMG to providing a long-term…