Author: Rhys Gregory

The average house price in Wales reached a new peak of £249,076 at the end of 2022, but cost of living pressures, higher interest rates and stagnant earnings are expected to contribute to a market slowdown. The figures have been released from Principality Building Society’s Wales House Price Index for Q4 2022 (October-December), which demonstrates the rise and fall in house prices in each of the 22 local authorities in Wales. Despite an almost double-digit price rise – 9.9% – when compared to the same period the previous year, this is the weakest annual price rise in Wales since early…

A Welsh travel boss has revealed there’s a massive demand for sunshine holidays with bookings up by 25 per cent on pre-Covid levels. According to Hays Travel North West managing director Don Bircham, January is the peak period for the industry with families desperate to escape the cold, wet and gloomy weather. This year the numbers are 25 per cent up on January 2020 – two months before Covid lockdown hit in March that year – as customers beat a path to the doors of their 47 shops across North Wales and the North West on the first Saturday of…

A Cardiff-based global online car rental web-application business has secured the backing of a syndicate of four business angels led by lead investor Eamon Tuhami and venture capital company Fuel Ventures. The six-figure investment has been matched by the Development Bank of Wales’ Wales Angel Co-Investment Fund. Based at Tec Marina in Penarth, Finalrentals is the brainchild of Ammar Akhtar who is orginally from Pakistan but relocated to the UK from Poland with an Innovator Visa as part of the UK Government’s Global Entrepreneur Programme. He then took part in FinTech Wales’ Foundry – the no equity accelerator programme that…

Professor Cara Aitchison to retire in January 2024 as President and Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff Metropolitan University. Professor Cara Aitchison has announced that she will retire as President and Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff Metropolitan University in January 2024. Appointed in 2016 to lead a major transformation of the University, Professor Aitchison will depart having overseen the successful completion of a range of ambitious targets and projects that she and the Board of Governors set out in 2017 for delivery by 2023. Professor Aitchison joined Cardiff Met having been Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Plymouth Marjon University. She previously held leadership roles and…

This Wednesday, as Wales celebrates Dydd Santes Dwynwen, shoppers in Cardiff will be in for a treat as hundreds of love notes offering exclusive Morgan Quarter discounts, will be handed out around the city. Marking the age-old Welsh celebration of St Dwynwen – which is celebrated in much the same way as Valentine’s Day, as cards, gifts and messages of love are exchanged on 25 January in celebration of St Dwynwen – the promotion hopes to spread the love and help people to treat themselves. Designed by students and recent graduates from both Cardiff University and Cardiff Metropolitan University, the…

The search for new cancer treatments in Wales is to receive a major funding investment providing future hope for people diagnosed with the disease. Cardiff’s Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) will receive up to £2,184,783 over the next five years to help doctors and scientists find the cancer treatments of the future for both adults and children. The funding has been made possible by a partnership between Cancer Research UK, Health and Care Research Wales and the Little Princess Trust specifically for children’s cancers. Cardiff is part of a network of 17 ECMCs across the UK, funded by Cancer Research…

Following a strong year in sales, the International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales) has appointed Sarah Ameson as its newest Sales Manager, the second to be recruited in the past 12 months. Sarah has worked within the sector for more than 12 years and joins ICC Wales from Brightelm, where she was Commercial Sales and Marketing Manager. Prior to this, she worked as a Business Development Manager at RA Venues, part of the Compass Group, and she has extensive experience in retail, as well as event coordination and management. In her new role, Sarah will be supporting the venue’s sales…

A talented young chef from Wrexham has been chosen to represent Wales at a Global Chefs Challenge European heat next month. Sion Hughes, 25, head chef at The Spa at Carden Park, near Chester, will be competing against some of the best chefs in North Europe in the competition, organised by Worldchefs, in Rimini, Italy. The top two chefs in his heat will qualify for the global final at the Worldchefs Congress & Expo 2024 in Singapore. A former Junior Chef of Wales winner, Sion is no stranger to international competitions, having been a member of the Junior Culinary Team…

CONSUMERS must ensure they are not in the dark when buying solar panels and energy products following a rise in cowboy installers. Gareth Jones, Vice President for the Federation of Master Builders Wales and Managing Director of Carbon Zero Renewables, is concerned unlicensed and inexperienced companies and individuals are entering the market and capitalising on a boom in green energy due to the increasing cost of gas and electricity. Carbon Zero Renewables – which has sites in Deeside, Mochdre, St Asaph and a new Old Colwyn headquarters – has experienced a surge in business and taken on staff to meet…

Canolfan Yr Atom in Carmarthen has welcomed a new tenant to its premises recently.   Affinity Financial is the latest company to become tenants in Yr Atom. As well as being a location to hold activities for all ages, and Welsh lessons as part of the provision of the National Centre for Learning Welsh in Carmarthen town, Yr Atom is also home to a number of organisations and community groups, such as Menter Gorllewin Sir Gâr, Menter a Busnes, Cylch Meithrin Myrddin and Merched y Wawr. Caffi’r Atom is also being run by Alfie’s Coffee, who have won several  prizes for…