Author: Rhys Gregory

Talk Training, which provides apprenticeship training to most of Wales’ University Health Boards as well as many public and private sector companies, has transitioned into Employee Ownership (EO). Managing Director Jon Hughes, Operations Director Alison Anthony and Financial Director Steve Evans, have now sold their interest in the company to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), which owns the shares on behalf of all 32 employees. Jon, Alison and Steve will remain at Talk Training supporting the new Trust Directors – Tanya Parmee, Sales manager, Lisa Harris, Operations manager – and an independent Trustee Director, who is yet to be appointed.…

If your New Year’s resolution to stop smoking has already gone up in flames, it’s not too late to try again. Smokers looking to give up for good are up to three times more likely to do so with the support offered by a dedicated service. The Help Me Quit service offers 12 weeks of free behavioural and emotional support through individual or group meetings. Patients can access weekly sessions, either over the phone or face-to-face, where discussions involve why they smoke, behavioural changes and stresses. They are also provided with 12 weeks’ worth of stop smoking medication, such as…

GS Verde Group, the multidiscipline corporate advisory business, has acquired Integral Finance & Technology, to continue its ambitious, acquisitive growth strategy and broaden the business’ footprint in Ireland and the EU. Founded by John Slevin and Sinead Leech in 1997, Dublin-based IFT provides a full suite of finance and accounting solutions to its clients via its technology and software-enabled systems and platforms; supporting start-ups, international businesses and owner-managed growth companies with services including management reporting, financial controls, and project finance. IFT will integrate with the GS Verde Group offering in Ireland, adding an additional 12 employees to the GS Verde…

National law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has made three senior appointments as it looks to build on its most successful year ever.   In September Clarke Willmott reported revenues of £59.6 million for 2021/22 – up 12 per cent on the prior year – and recently announced the election of Peter Swinburn as its new CEO from 1st May 2023 in succession to Stephen Rosser, who will step down after 13 years.    The firm has appointed Karen Higgins as Head of ESG (Environment, Social and Governance), reflecting its long-term strategic importance to the firm. Karen spent 18 years at Grant Thornton…

Opportunities for learners are adding up as two brand new qualifications are added to the Jobs Growth Wales+ programme: the AAT Level 1 Award in Business Skills and the AAT Level 1 Award in Bookkeeping. Specialist Wales-wide training provider, Itec, is the first organisation to deliver the two new qualifications under Jobs Growth Wales+, which will open up exciting opportunities for 16-19 year olds such as placements with a diverse range of local employers. Learners undertaking the qualifications will gain a broader understanding of the world of work, alongside basic accounting techniques and principles, giving them essential business skills to…

Popham Kidney Support, the kidney charity based in Swansea, is excited to announce its marquee event of 2023, its Spring Ball, which will take place on Saturday, March 25th at the Coal Exchange, Cardiff. The charity is now calling on businesses to support its Spring Ball –the first major event of its tenth-year celebration – hoping to raise considerable funds for children with kidney disease. The anniversary ball is set to take place at the Coal Exchange, Cardiff, and will feature the charity’s ambassador, TV personality, Sian Lloyd, and Welsh band, Who’s Molly, along with over 200 guests, volunteers, health…

A Welsh man whose life was saved by teammates when he had a cardiac arrest at a walking football tournament is backing a new campaign urging people to learn lifesaving CPR.  Alan Owen, 51, from Carmarthen, collapsed on the sidelines of a match at Caldicot Leisure Centre in April last year. It was thanks to his quick-thinking teammates who were trained in CPR, plus the leisure centre staff, that he survived.   Now Alan is supporting the British Heart Foundation this Heart Month as the charity encourages people to learn CPR in just 15 minutes using its free innovative training tool,…

A MAN from Bridgend has praised the ‘amazing’ team at the town’s Specsavers store, after a cancerous tumour on his eyelid left him at risk of losing his sight. Brett Exton, a 55-year-old IT database manager, spotted the pimple-sized growth while on holiday in August last year. But within three weeks, the growth had taken over his entire eye. The father-of-three, who had to have both his top and bottom eyelid removed after developing the cancerous tumour, initially sought medical advice from a pharmacy where he was staying, as the tumour was tearing his eyelid and causing him extreme pain.…

Aberystwyth University is establishing a new Engineering Unit to deliver cutting-edge teaching and research and equip students with the skills to provide innovative solutions for the future. Engineering is already a well-established area of study at Aberystwyth University that spans several academic departments. Students can currently study engineering subject areas including software, robotics, and space engineering, as well as an MBA in Engineering Management. The new Engineering Unit will combine existing subject areas with those being developed over the coming years. Plans are already in place to introduce new electrical and electronic engineering degree courses. The new Unit will form…

RCT Council’s Cabinet Member for Education has visited Bodringallt Primary School to take part in its community garden clear-up, which has helped rectify vandalism damage thanks to the excellent effort of a team of volunteers. Councillor Rhys Lewis took part in the event at the school in Ystrad Rhondda on Wednesday, February 15. The school has suffered repeated damage to its garden, including a fire during the Christmas break. The school has received fantastic support from the local community since the incident, including offers to help clear the damage as well as cash donations towards the repairs. Wednesday’s group of…