Author: Rhys Gregory

Two former secondary school friends who reunited after a decade to launch a successful 3D printing firm are targeting major growth after a strong first three years in business. Cowbridge-based Lunia 3D was established in early 2020 by Founding Director Ken Pearce and business partner Yousef Ahmed, both aged 26 and from Newport. Experimenting with 3D printing techniques to make everyday items such as toys and car cup holders was initially a hobby Ken practised from his garden shed. However, the entrepreneurial product design graduate quickly spotted the technology’s potential when he learned of the shortage of PPE shields for…

People in Swansea are being urged to learn first-hand about the exciting proposals to develop a world-class leisure destination at Kilvey Hill at a series of public consultation events. Global leisure and tourism experts, Skyline Enterprises, is holding a series of drop-in sessions in March to share their vision for Skyline Swansea which they say will open up Kilvey Hill for all, with people of all ages and abilities able to enjoy the various attractions, nature and views from the top of the hill. The company, which identified Swansea as part of its ongoing worldwide search for new sites, says…

A family connection inspired a Swansea Bay team to raise thousands of pounds for a children’s centre in India. The Charles Pinto Centre in Thrissur in the southern state of Kerala, treats children with craniofacial birth defects. It was founded in 1990 by Dr Hirji Adenwalla – whose son Dr Firdaus Adenwalla is consultant physician with the Neath Port Talbot Acute Clinical Team (ACT). During his career of around 60 years, Dr Hirji Adenwalla performed more than 21,000 cleft lip and palate repair surgeries, right up until the age of 88. He was still operating until six months before he…

900,000 more households across England, Scotland and Wales will benefit from the Government’s £400 help with energy bills, as an online application portal opens today. Households without a direct relationship to an electricity supplier, such as those living in park homes and care homes, can now apply via a secure online portal to receive the support as a one-off, non-repayable lump sum under the ‘alternative funding’ route of the government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS AF). For those without online access, a dedicated customer helpline is available to assist eligible customers. The launch of applications follows months of close work…

As daffodils emerge in the grounds, toads return to the Top Terrace of the Walled Garden and the castle reopens its doors following its annual winter clean, there could be no clearer sign that spring has arrived at Penrhyn Castle. Penrhyn Castle reopens its doors on 1 March and visitors are invited to celebrate St.David’s Day by taking a spring walk among the hundreds of daffodils starting to emerge that surround the Keep and spill into the Lime Grove. Inside, they can explore the luxurious Victorian family rooms, wander through the Victorian Kitchens and discover the locomotives cared for in…

Transforming young lives through music – Anthem Music Fund Wales & the Atsain Fund supports 27 organisations across Wales to engage with young people in 12 months. Anthem. Cronfa Gerdd Cymru Music Fund Wales has announced the Atsian Fund will continue to support a further 12 organisations in addition to the previous 15 recipients in 2022. In one year, 27 organisations will now benefit from over £220,000 funds to help them deliver young music projects to help address barriers to music for young people in Wales. Anthem Music Fund Wales believes that every young person deserves the opportunity to engage and…

A national campaign to stop criminals offering children illegal tobacco has been launched after a new survey revealed over a third of children that smoke in Wales had been approached by sellers. The Wales-wide survey of over 1,000 11 to 16-year-olds showed that 32% of current smokers had been offered cheap illegal tobacco and 25% had gone on to buy it. According to latest research from ASH Wales, illegal tobacco makes up 10% of the entire tobacco market, funds criminality in the community and makes it easy for children start smoking. The NEMS survey, which is the largest of its…

Nando’s will donate £108,000 to 36 charities across Scotland and Wales to support relieving food poverty in the communities in which its restaurants operate. Each charity, as members of the Nando’s ‘No Chuckin’ Our Chicken’ initiative, will receive a total of £3,000. The initiative was established in 2013 to help local charities feed communities in need while reducing food waste – with each Nando’s restaurant selecting their own charity partner. The donations, announced today, have been funded by the mandatory 10p and 5p charges for single-use paper carrier bags in Scotland and Wales respectively. Nando’s has collected these charges in…

Bridgend based new start-up Hawkstone Commercials records a staggering £2.5 million in turnover in its first 10 months of trading. Founded in January 2022 from a kitchen table by co-directors Oliver Lewis and Paul Rickets, Hawkstone Commercials is an award winning van and commercial leasing vehicle broker. Hawkstone launched with an initial turnover target of £150,000 for year one. It quickly became apparent that all expectations were hugely underestimated, with each month surging further past target. Hawkstone also modestly hoped to open its first office and employ one extra member of staff. By December this also proved to be way…

A major new project that will improve parts of Hafod-Morfa Copperworks, The Strand and Swansea Museum will be worth an estimated £9.4m a year to the city’s economy. Led by Swansea Council, the Lower Swansea Valley improvement project is also expected to create 69 new jobs while helping support more than 100 existing jobs. Aimed at celebrating Swansea’s industrial heritage, the project is being made possible thanks to the council successfully bidding for £20m of levelling-up funding from the UK Government. The project includes: Restoration of the former laboratory building at the copperworks to create restaurant and food and beverage…