Author: Rhys Gregory

A group of staff working at the University of South Wales (USW) have been helping to spruce up a community garden as part of the institution’s civic mission work. The nine-strong squad from the Careers Team in the University’s Learning Services department spent an afternoon clearing a path through woods and cutting up branches at the Meadow Street Garden, which is close to USW’s Treforest Campus. Colleagues working at USW can now take five days’ leave each year to carry out voluntary work in the local community as part of the University’s civic mission, which aims to offer support to…

An adrenaline-fuelled adventure centre has ploughed £5 million into upgrading its facilities to tap into the lucrative business tourism market. Adventure Parc Snowdonia says it now has “the complete package” to attract more conferences, team building courses, away days and other corporate events to the trail-blazing complex in Dolgarrog in Conwy. One of the final pieces in the jigsaw was the opening of the on-site, 106-bedroom Hilton Garden Hotel last year offering first class accommodation. The hotel includes four conference rooms catering for events with up to 175 people or smaller meetings for around a dozen people. All of them…

Schools from all over Ceredigion have been busy over the past few weeks preparing for the National Eisteddfod of Wales. In addition to the rehearsals for the stage competitions, they have taken part in various creative projects, including decorating their schools to welcome the event. Depicting an area One project where all primary and secondary schools in the county have taken part in is the ‘Cynefin y Cardi’ project. The schools learned about famous tales or heroes from their area, and then illustrating them for a comic book and large panels that will be displayed in Pentre’ Ceredigion at the…

Principality Building Society has re-opened its innovative headquarters in Cardiff city centre to colleagues for the first time in two and half years as the business embraces its new hybrid model. Iain Mansfield, chief operating officer at Principality said: “The pandemic gave us time to reflect on how we wanted to work as a business, based on the views of our colleagues. Thanks to their cooperation, we have created a modern and dynamic working environment that will help us attract and retain talent heading into the future, and truly embrace what genuine hybrid working means. “We have not made it…

The “Rolling Stones” of early music are returning to North Wales to perform at an international music festival. Red Priest, named after flame-haired priest Antonio Vivaldi, wowed the audience at St Asaph Cathedral four years ago and the quartet are looking forward to returning to the North Wales International Music Festival in the autumn. The concert on Friday, September 23, is part of an exciting and varied programme at this year’s festival which is celebrating its 50th anniversary and runs from September 17 to October 1. Among the other highlights are performances by Welsh folk favourites Calan, the spectacular Mugenkyo…

Law firm Blake Morgan has rewarded the work of its lawyers in Wales with a raft of promotions. Eight individuals have been promoted in recognition of their efforts to support the continued success of the firm over the last year and the excellent legal counsel they provide to clients. Four lawyers in the firm’s Cardiff team have been promoted to Legal Director, with one lawyer promoted to Senior Associate, two promoted to Associate level and one to Senior Solicitor. Following a successful year, Commercial Litigation specialists Joanna Corbett-Simmons and Sarah Whittle have been promoted to Legal Director, along with Corporate…

A team of talented Welsh butchers is stepping up training and honing skills in preparation for the World Butchers’ Challenge in the United States this autumn. Craft Butchery Team Wales will make its debut at the global competition, which will be contested by 14 countries in Sacramento, California on September 2 and 3. Defending champions are Celtic cousins Ireland. The team, formed in 2020 and managed by retired butcher and experienced competition judge Steve Vaughan from Penyffordd, is a division of the Culinary Association of Wales. Team captain Peter Rushforth from Innovative Food Ingredients, Lytham St Annes, is joined by…

As the pinnacle event in the agricultural calendar, the Royal Welsh Show, returns next week (18-21 July), the Welsh Government’s Food & Drink Wales will be hosting a Business Trade Lounge in the Food Hall, giving food and drink companies across Wales the opportunity to meet buyers from all sectors, including foodservice, retail, wholesale, public procurement and hospitality. The Business Lounge will provide a showcase of the 60 producers exhibiting in the Food Hall at this year’s Show alongside very many quality Welsh food and drink products. It is a crucial place for the industry when it comes to meeting…

The events arena welcomed thousands of people over the weekend from all over the country to enjoy live music in the sun on the North Wales sea front. The coast was buzzing with excitement as Legendary Manchester band James kicked off the three-day music festival on Friday with support from The K’s and crowd favourite The Lightning Seeds, followed on Saturday by powerhouse Beverley Knight and headlining act Jack Savoretti. Tom Grennan finished the star-studded weekend on the Sunday with back up performer XFactor star Ella Genderson, as well as performing together. No seats were spared at Rhyl Pavilion as…

Aberystwyth Storytelling Festival returns in 2022 (Friday 2 September – Sunday 4 September) with a weekend of folk tales, myths, folklore, fairytale films, workshops, story walks, talks, book events, discussions, and special events on the subject of borders, migration and a sense of the otherworld, centred in Wales but travelling round the world. Aberystwyth Storytelling Festival is the vision of Peter Stevenson, Storyteller, folklorist, illustrator, artist – a unique festival which merges his eclectic career and interests delivering a festival which merges exhibition, performance, literature and film. The programme will include Daniel Morden & Hugh Lupton, Cath Little & Chandrika…