Author: Rhys Gregory

NatWest, the UK’s biggest bank for business with 40,000 agriculture customers, has today confirmed an additional £1.25billion lending package to the UK farming community. This is to help it deal with a variety of cost pressures, and to aid them in making the transition to more sustainable practices. The announcement builds on an earlier set of measures for the sector that was announced in June. Businesses in the UK agriculture sector are facing inflation of over 25% and price hikes in the region of 200% for fertiliser, gas and fuel, and a raft of other cost pressures on feed, electricity,…

The South Wales Business Awards is pleased to announce that applications for the 2022 South Wales Business Awards are now open. Returning after a two year hiatus due to the pandemic, the South Wales Business Awards is once again ready to recognise and celebrate the best of Welsh business. Since 2008, the South Wales Business Awards has shone a light on our truly special business community. The 2022 South Wales Business Awards are being held Friday 30th September at the iconic Hilton Hotel in Cardiff. Sara Edwards, one of Welsh television and radio’s most popular presenters is once again set…

GMB Union has delayed strike action for talks with RCT leader Andrew Morgan, with the first date of strike action scheduled for 30 July Eleventh hour talks have been scheduled for Wednesday 20 July between GMB refuse workers and Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council. If the talks fail then it could see 130 refuse workers strike in July, leaving around 108,000 homes without refuse collections. GMB members at RCT CBC refuse and recycling dept have voted overwhelmingly to support industrial action with a majority of 95 percent back in May. There has been some movement in recent weeks, but…

Bovine Tuberculosis experts have briefed Welsh Government Ministers at the Royal Welsh Show about the next steps in efforts to control the infection in cattle (Monday 18 July). Aberystwyth University academics met the First Minister, the Minister for Rural Affairs and the Education Minister in Llanelwedd to discuss the latest position with the disease. The discussions follow the Welsh Government’s update on the bovine TB eradication programme. As part of the update, Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths MS announced the appointment of Professor Glyn Hewinson from Aberystwyth University as Chair of the new Technical Advisory Group on bovine TB. Established…

One of the UK’s leading independent insurance brokers, Towergate Insurance Brokers, has teamed up with Ammanford Cricket Club for their current season. The partnership sees Towergate Insurance Brokers sponsor the upcoming Premier League match at home against Neath on 30 July, receiving exclusive access to one of the club balconies for 12 invited guests, featuring in the coin toss and appearing on the website and in match day programmes. In return, Towergate Insurance Brokers is providing essential funds to help cover the costs of running the club, maintaining the playing surface and ground at Ammanford Park, as well as donating…

Work is underway to almost double the number of new nurses being recruited to Swansea Bay. Hundreds of nurses from overseas, known as internationally educated nurses, are being targeted to join the health board. Healthcare support workers are also being encouraged to up-skill and expand their roles. Swansea Bay UHB has a dedicated nurse recruitment team in place to ensure everything possible is being done to boost nurse numbers. Staff consultations and surveys have repeatedly raised concerns around staff shortages, which have left many employees feeling over worked and under pressure. There are now a number of initiatives in place…

A serious injury specialist at national law firm Clarke Willmott LLP who have offices in Cardiff has called for the introduction of tighter regulations around the use of e-scooters.  Electric scooters have become an increasingly common sight on the streets of several major UK cities in recent years.  Currently their use is legally limited to recognised rental schemes, but in the recent Queen’s Speech the Government indicated that the new Transport Bill will seek to make e-scooter use legal.  While e-scooters provide a safe and convenient means of transport for many people, the number of related injuries and deaths is…

Forty primary schools in Swansea took part in the Enterprise Challenge Market Day in Castle Gardens in Swansea on Thursday June 23. Over 1000 children, aged from 3-11, sold products they have been making throughout the year as part of the drive to encourage enterprise amongst young people. The products ranged from cards and candles to pebble pictures and plants. The event was organised by Young-Dragons CIC in partnership with Craigfelen Primary School. Director Sue Poole said: “We are delighted to be back in Castle Gardens after two years away.  We’ve seen so much creativity but more importantly the children…

A unique pilot project has been approved in Pembrokeshire that will bring together students and companies that specialise in the renewable energy sector, creating an industry led framework on Blue-Green Energy which will prepare young talent for upcoming local job opportunities. This is the first pilot project to be approved by the Regional Learning and Skills Partnership (RLSP). This is part of the £30 million Swansea Bay City Deal Skills and Talent Programme where Pembrokeshire College, Pembrokeshire County Councill and local businesses will work in collaboration to deliver the Pembrokeshire Passport to Employment. Starting in September 2022, students aged between…

Doctoral researchers and academics linked to two Centres of Doctoral Training (CDT) in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science came together to share ideas at the 2022 Artificial Intelligence Conference. The free two-day event,  at Swansea University’s Computational Foundry, was attended by doctoral researchers, supervisors, Research Council, and commercial partners associated with the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) CDT in AI, Machine Learning and Advanced Computing (AIMLAC) and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) CDT in Data-Intensive Science. Also in attendance were researchers linked to the CDT’s partner universities, including Swansea University, Aberystwyth University, Bangor University, Bristol University and…