Author: Rhys Gregory

A Swansea based manufacturer of zero waste circular plastics, which boasts clients including Mercedes Benz, is on track for international business growth following an injection of angel investment finance led by Green Angel Syndicate. Smile Plastics raised £980k from Green Angel Syndicate members, the GAS Climate Change Fund, the British Business Investments funds committed to GAS through its Regional Angels Programme, the Angel CoFund and a number of other private investors. The company manufactures products from recycled materials, including discarded chopping boards, cosmetics bottles and yoghurt pots. These are made into decorative, durable, moulded panels that have numerous applications, ranging…

As of the 20th June, Wales’ largest coworking space, the Welsh Innovation Centre for Enterprise (ICE) will appoint Llinos Neale as its new CEO. Llinos, 32, formerly the Community Manager at ICE, will now take the leading role and work with the board to manage the business and its 700-strong community across its Campus and online platform. Llinos originally joined Welsh ICE in 2017 as its receptionist, and over the past five years has grown her understanding and impact on the business, taking the lead on a number of key projects. Prior to being the Community Manager at ICE, Llinos…

THE Welsh Ambulance Service is appealing for information after one of its vehicles was vandalised as it tended to a patient. The ambulance was parked on Quantock Close, Risca, at around 2.20am on Sunday, when vandals let down the tyres, removed the safety lugs from the wheel nuts and snapped the heater exhaust from the underside of the vehicle. The vehicle remains off the road for repairs. Kevin Crowther, the Trust’s Service Manager in South East Wales, said: “While dealing with a patient nearby, the ambulance vehicle was deliberately sabotaged. “It’s hugely irresponsible for people to vandalise emergency vehicles of…

The confidence in the long-term prospects of the hospitality sector in Wales has been given a massive boost with the sale of a 95-strong pub portfolio to a London-based investor. The investment sale of the pub portfolio to Song Capital & Partners from Cardiff based S.A. Brain, is one of the most significant in recent years, says Peter Constantine, managing director of Avison Young in Cardiff, who advised on the portfolio sale. “To attract a London based investor to acquire a Welsh based portfolio at this level of yield (sub 6%) is a good sign that the hospitality sector is…

Fans of iconic Welsh brand Joe’s Ice Cream gathered to help one of Wales’ best-loved brands celebrate its 100th birthday in style on Friday 10 June. Joe’s Ice Cream revealed new branding and a beautifully renovated flagship parlour on St Helen’s Road, Swansea, at a grand reopening. The new brand represents both a celebration of the firm’s 100-year heritage and a return to its remarkable roots. To celebrate the occasion, the company gave away a free ice cream to all its customers, just as its founder, Joe Cascarini, did in 1945 to celebrate the end of World War II. It…

Parents looking for fun ways to entertain their children during the summer holiday are being encouraged to check out an enticing offer by a popular Mid Wales escape rooms attraction. As part of Powys County Council’s ‘Summer of Fun’ programme, Beyond Breakout in Newtown will be making its Outdoor escape games available to play for free on certain dates. Each outdoor game is for a team of up to six people and lasts two hours. To qualify for ‘Summer of Fun’ funding, at least one team member must be aged between 10 and 25 years. Beyond Breakout’s Outdoor escape games…

The managing director of the company that is organising the first ever GWCT Welsh Game Fair is hoping to attract 20,000 visitors to the event at Vaynol Estate, near Bangor from September 9-11. James Gower, from Stable Events Ltd, has revealed that visitors to the three day event, held in partnership with The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, will include a delegation from Abu Dhabi who will be looking to buy from Welsh businesses. His company also organises The Game Fair at Ragley Hall, Warwickshire and The GWCT Scottish Game Fair at Scone Palace, Perthshire. The Games Fair, which has…

Award-winning comedy The Play that Goes Wrong has opened at the Wales Millennium Centre (WMC) in Cardiff, brought by the wonderful Mischief’s company. If the last two years has made you forget what a joy it is to visit the theatre and share in the laughter alongside an auditorium full of people, then this could be the play for you. If you’ve ever taken part in a school production before or have been part of amateur dramatics, then you’ll know, not only of the wonderful characters that you meet but also that inevitably, something always goes wrong. Whether it’s a…

Stereophonics and Tom Jones will be performing at Principality Stadium on Friday June 17th and Saturday June 18th and to facilitate these events, a full city centre road closure will be in place on health and safety grounds to ensure people can safely enter and leave the stadium after the concerts. On June 17th, there will be a full city centre road closure from 2.30pm until 12.30am. On Saturday June 18th, the road closure will be put in place slightly earlier, from 12 noon until 12.30am. Those attending these concerts are strongly advised to travel into the city early, leave large bags…

Construction of Swansea’s new £135m Copr Bay destination has led to a major boost for local workers and businesses. New figures show over 8,000 person weeks of employment, apprenticeships and trainee placements were secured throughout the build of the new district, which includes Swansea Arena. Developed by Swansea Council and development managed by RivingtonHark, Copr Bay includes Swansea Arena as well as the 1.1-acre coastal park, the new bridge over Oystermouth Road, new car parking, new apartments and new spaces for food and drink businesses. Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd are main contractors for the scheme, with the arena being part-funded…