Author: Rhys Gregory

Today’s customers are more demanding than ever and they choose their brands carefully when it comes to purchase decisions. With the internet making it extremely easy to switch to competitors, businesses can’t afford to be complacent when it comes to attracting, converting and retaining customers. It’s therefore important for businesses to focus on improving customer loyalty. Why go the extra mile to satisfy customers? Brands that work hard to understand and satisfy their customers’ needs, wants and desires can help to grow their brand reputation, gain more customers and retain their customer base. They tend to enjoy more referral marketing,…

It may be the smallest room in your house, but updating your bathroom could add some value to your home. Whether you’re thinking of selling immediately or are planning for the future, renovating your bathroom or even adding a new one will almost certainly bump up the asking price you can command. Estimates show a stylish new bathroom could potentially add up to £20,000 to the price of your house. Let’s take a look at what adds value to a house when it comes to bathroom updates, from simple fixes to much bigger projects. Adding an en-suite If your master…

Children would like more space and time to play with their friends in school and at home, according to a new study led by Population Data Science researchers at Swansea University. The study explored 20,000 children’s opinions to play pre and post-COVID-19 school closures. The research included primary school children aged 8 to 11 in Wales who had participated in the HAPPEN Primary School Network survey between 2016 and 2021. The survey captures a range of information about children’s health and well-being, including open-ended questions about what could make them happier. Five themes were identified based on children’s responses. These include having…

A Swansea cultural favourite has been shortlisted for The Best Small Museum Project Award at the Museum Association’s Museums Change Lives Awards 2022.   The awards celebrate the achievements of museums making a difference for people across the UK, and the Dylan Thomas Exhibition is shortlisted for its work with Swansea’s Your Voice Advocacy Group. The Dylan Thomas Exhibition, run by Swansea Council at the Dylan Thomas Centre,  has been hosting the group’s weekly sessions for five years, predominantly focusing on giving voice to local learning-disabled adults. The partnership has seen positive change to service delivery at the venue, creating…

THE cream of skills and industry will lead a business summit focused on ways to prevent talented youngsters leaving Wales to pursue career opportunities over the border. Hosted by Antur Cymru Enterprise, up to 80 decision makers and learners are expected to attend the event, which takes place on Thursday October 20 at Canolfan yr Egin, Carmarthen. The programme will be chaired by Mid and West Wales MS Cefin Campbell, and topics to be discussed include youth entrepreneurship, the Young Persons Guarantee, the national recruitment crisis and ‘old perceptions vs new realities’, helping young people navigate their working lives. Among…

The planning application (A220712) for the Perthyn Project, a Heritage Collections Centre, has been withdrawn by Ceredigion County Council. The possible development of a Heritage Collections Centre is an aspiration for the Council because we hold a valuable collection of artifacts that are an essential part of Ceredigion’s history and culture. However, the submission of the planning application did not follow due process and was not signed off at the appropriate level of management. In a statement release this week, Ceredigion Council said: “We would also like to confirm it has no intention of reducing the external tennis court area…

A Welsh homelessness charity has won a national award for its unique social enterprise, Lucie the Porthcawl Land Train. Bridgend-based charity Emmaus South Wales, which offers accommodation, support, training, and work opportunities to people experiencing homelessness, was named Social Enterprise of the Year at the 2022 Social Business Wales Awards this week (Monday 10 October) for its community tourism land train enterprise, Lucie. Based in the seafront town of Porthcawl, Lucie the Land Train is staffed by a team of formerly homeless people living in the charity’s accommodation, who work alongside an experienced driver to look after passengers and provide…

Swansea Building Society’s Chief Executive Officer, Alun Williams, has been named the new Non-Executive Chair of Swansea-based housing provider, Coastal Housing Group. Alun Williams replaces outgoing Non-Executive Chair Roger Williams on the board, who steps down following his five years in the position. Alun Williams comes to the role at Coastal with vast experience of the housing and financial sectors, having recently been named as the longest currently serving CEO of a building society. During his 21-year tenure at the helm of Swansea Building Society, it has become one of the most profitable building societies of its size in the…

Swansea University has introduced beehives to its campuses as part of a project to enhance student and staff wellbeing. Swansea Employability Academy (SEA) and CampusLife have partnered with Bee1, a Welsh-based company that educates the public on the importance of bees for the environment and our mental health, to create Bee Together. Developed as part of the University’s commitment to wellbeing and workplace learning, Bee Together allows the community to come together and work on a project rooted in sustainability. With the help of expert training from Bee1, students and staff are being given the opportunity to learn new skills and build confidence through…

Menter a Busnes has welcomed several new members to its Board, including, for the first time, two Young Non-Executive Directors. Earlier this year, the leading independent economic company created a post to give an ambitious person under the age of 30 valuable board and governance experience and the opportunity to contribute to the direction and development of the company. Following a rigorous selection process, the company’s Board appointed two Young Non-Executive Directors – Elin Havard and Erin Gwenlli Thomas. The Board’s chair, Fflur Jones, said Menter a Busnes had recently reviewed its governance arrangements. “As part of that review, we…