Author: Rhys Gregory

Vale of Glamorgan Council has worked in partnership with DEF Software, the specialist provider of planning and building control solutions for local authorities, in order to create and implement a new housing module that will streamline the management of housing grants in the local area. The module, which is first of its type, enables the housing team to manage the grants application process from start to finish, beginning with the initial application all the way through to monitoring the works, inspecting the site, and performing regular checks. The data from these different stages is stored on an internal database which…

Welsh rugby star and HIV campaigner Gareth Thomas has been named this year’s Postcode Hero at the annual People’s Postcode Lottery Charity Gala. The Postcode Hero award recognises an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to society through their charitable and campaigning work. The prestigious prize was presented to Bridgend born Gareth in recognition of his work to tackle the stigma around HIV. During the ceremony at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Gareth also received a cheque for £250,000 on behalf of Terrence Higgins Trust, the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity. The money was raised by the…

The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) has shared its vision for The Innovation Matrix, the next phase in the University’s Innovation Quarter, part of the transformational SA1 Swansea Waterfront Innovation Quarter which includes the IQ and Y Fforwm buildings.  The aim is to create a vibrant neighbourhood where the University can collocate and collaborate with innovative businesses and research centres. The Innovation Matrix is central to the University’s ambition and will provide a new platform for UWTSD’s research and knowledge exchange to connect with, and support, cross-sector MNEs, SMEs, micro-enterprises, entrepreneurs, and investors to stimulate commercial growth for…

Wild Beauty, the award-winning organic skincare brand from Rhug Estate, will be accepting payments via MATIC cryptocurrency online and in the farmshop from the end of May 2022. This new digital move underpins Lord Newborough’s drive to make Wild Beauty a truly global brand.  By joining other forward-thinking companies, Rhug is enabling customers to shop via an alternative payment method that is faster, more secure, and less expensive on a global scale. Wild Beauty is a carbon neutral high performance skincare brand inspired by the wild beauty of Rhug Estate.  A unique story of organic security, provenance and sustainability, the…

Hundreds of Hungarian and Welsh visitors gathered in Montgomery over the weekend, as the Mid Wales town celebrated its unique literary connection with Hungary. Montgomery’s long-awaited Hungarian Day saw the unveiling of a trilingual memorial plaque dedicated to poet János Arany, whose 1857 ballad ‘The Bards of Wales’ brought the Powys town to fame in Hungary. The famous poem, which tells of the fate of 500 Welsh bards executed by Edward I for not singing his praises at a banquet held in Montgomery Castle, has been taught in Hungarian schools for generations. The milestone event on Saturday was organised by…

National Chef of Wales 2020 winner Sam Griffiths plans to cut short his honeymoon – with his prospective wife’s blessing – to represent Wales at a prestigious competition to find the world’s best chef. Sam has been encouraged by his fiancée Bryony Holmes, whom he is to wed on May 23, to compete in Global Chefs Challenge Final at the Worldchefs Congress and Expo in Abu Dhabi from May 30 to June 2. He flies out to the Middle East five days after the wedding and competes against chefs from 19 countries on June 1. He will be representing the…

A 23-year-old entrepreneur from Sully who started a dog walking business at the age of 13 is now celebrating the first anniversary of opening a dog outdoor activity centre, and has his sights set on long-term business growth. Sean Mayor launched Dog Adventure Land, a stress-free, outdoor activity centre for dogs in June 2021 in response to the social and separation anxiety experienced by puppies and young dogs born during the height of the Coronavirus pandemic. Developed to be a home-away-from-home for up to 25 dogs from across the Vale of Glamorgan each day, Dog Adventure Land offers beloved pets…

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in Wales is delighted to confirm that its second annual conference, this year focusing on business growth, will take place at the Orbit Centre in Merthyr Tydfil on Friday 24th of June. Hosted by broadcaster Sian Lloyd and with a strong line-up of speakers, this unmissable event will bring together businesses and experts to focus on how small businesses can accelerate their growth. Businesses will be able to hear from a range of speakers and businesses who have achieved sustained growth and ask questions. There will also be opportunities to network with other businesses…

A teenager from Pontypridd has been crowned the UK’s top young student pastry chef after winning a national competition. Eighteen-year-old Josie Wheeler, who is currently studying a Level 3 professional patisserie course at Nantgarw campus – Coleg y Cymoedd, beat seven other budding patisserie stars from across the UK to take home the title at the 2022 Young Student Pastry Chef of the Year competition. She scooped the top prize after impressing a star-studded panel of industry leading judges, including Bake Off the Professional’s Benoit Blin, with her creations at the grand finals held at the Hotel Café Royal in…

Dullan, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Wrexham is today unveiled as one of four acts chosen to visit, write and perform at Paul & Mike McCartney’s childhood home (20 Forthlin Road) in “The Forthlin Sessions”, a performance that will be filmed on 17th June 2022, the eve of Paul’s 80th Birthday. The National Trust this week (17 May 2022) announced the four acts chosen to play in The Forthlin Sessions, which launched last month to find unsigned musicians to play at 20 Forthlin Road, with the aim of inspiring new generations of creativity through the story of ‘an ordinary house, in…