Author: Rhys Gregory

This World Mental Health Day, Towergate Insurance Brokers is calling for health and wellbeing support in businesses to evolve to address the 45% of workers now hybrid working. Louis Britton, Employee Benefits Consultant at Towergate Insurance Brokers, wants businesses to acknowledge the changing nature of the workplace and how that affects the delivery of health and wellbeing support. Louise said: “After the pandemic, many businesses have changed the way that they work, moving away from the traditional workplace and into either a hybrid or completely remote structure. “Without the daily office environment, there is no hub for the delivery of…

Supermarket retailer, Asda, has held its first conference focussing on Welsh food and drink and the value of Welsh produce. Jointly organised by Asda and the Welsh Government Trade Development Programme, the supplier conference included more than 40 Welsh food and drink producers – including existing and potential Asda suppliers. The event featured well-known Welsh brands and producers of all sizes and gave them a valuable opportunity to meet with Asda representatives, including the Wales Buyer, Head of Local Buying, and the Vice President of Stores. The conference was held at Hensol Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan, where suppliers…

Changing a single setting to make your combination boiler work more efficiently can save around £112 a year in energy bills for a typical household, making it one of the most effective free energy saving measures, according to new research published today by the innovation charity Nesta. Nesta is launching a new simple step-by-step online tool to help guide people through quickly and easily turning down their combi boiler flow temperature. The tool is supported by campaign partners Which?, Energy UK, EDF, E.ON Next and Octopus Energy. If just over half a million Welsh households with combi boilers reset their…

A charity running aid convoys to Poland and Ukraine says it has been asked to supply 3,000 body bags to the war-torn nation . The grim request was revealed on GB News during a live interview with Nikki Turnbull and Lauren Barclay of Giving to Ukraine, who are currently in a horse box crammed with supplies and heading for Poland. Nikki said: “I’m heading into Germany, we need to get through Germany by the end of today (SATURDAY), so we’re hoping to get to the Polish border tonight. Lauren added: “We’ve got a lot of warm clothes and blankets, bedding…

New insights from Wales’ most influential think tank, the Bevan Foundation, reveals that the holiday let industry is having a dramatic effect on homes for rent The growth of the holiday let industry in Wales is having a dramatic effect on homes for rent as well as homes to buy in many communities in Wales. In a unique analysis, the Bevan Foundation reveals that the number of properties listed on one major lettings platform, Airbnb, has increased from 13,800 in 2018 to 21,718 listings in May this year. Gwynedd, Pembrokeshire and Powys have the largest number of properties listed. The…

Preparations are well underway for the Royal Welsh Winter Fair at Llanelwedd on November 28 and 29. As one of the finest prime stock shows in Europe, the winter fair draws crowds from far and wide to enjoy two-days packed full of competitions, festivities, food and drink, and shopping. Livestock schedules are available at www.rwas.wales/winter-fair/ and exhibitors can enter competitions online until  October 19. This year’s event will be officially opened at 10am on November 28, following which  there will be presentations of the John Gittins Memorial Award 2022, the RWAS Oxford Farming Conference Bursary 2023 and the Nuffield Farming…

FOOD and drink companies in Wales can access free one-to-one support to capitalise on major procurement opportunities in the public sector. As part of its innovative Larder Cymru project, Menter Môn is targeting up to 50 producers and processors from across the country and rolling out mentoring and guidance sessions for successful applicants. Funded by Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), the scheme is focused on coordinating and strengthening relations within local supply chains to position regionally produced food and drink as a compelling proposal for large contracts nationwide. Larder Cymru Project Manager Dafydd Jones…

The Oswestry Balloon Carnival proved to be a huge fund raising success with over 20 hot air balloons of all colours and shapes taking to the skies. The two-day event in August was one of the most successful yet in its five-year history, raising over £34,000 for patient care at Nightingale House Hospice in Wrexham. Organised in partnership with Oswestry Town Council, Spirit Operations and supported by Oswestry Business Improvement District (BID), an array of hot air balloons was on show with family entertainment and food stalls for those attending the event at Cae-Glas Park. Oswestry BID Manager Adele Nightingale…

EVENTS designed to promote health and wellbeing, charities and small businesses will take place in Ruthin over the coming months. Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council (DVSC) has lined up online and in-person activities – held at the town’s revamped Market Hall – to support the local community post-pandemic. Supported by the UK Government’s Community Referral Fund, they include four virtual health, fitness and nutrition workshops beginning (October 6) with Elen Lloyd, a certified exercise and holistic lifestyle coach with the CHEK Institute, an award-winning education provider. “I’m a working mother and farmer’s wife so life is always busy, but I believe…

A new project, Gower Fields to Forks, is bringing together several local farms with Bishopston Comprehensive School and food distributor Castell Howell in a ground-breaking series of activities that will see food grown on local farms being delivered to the school for a nutritious meal on Friday October 21. The project will teach the pupils about local food production, sustainability, cooking, marketing, and agriculture. They have been visiting the farms and will learn about cooking, the importance of farming, the value of local sourcing, seasonal eating, and how to market local food to other pupils at the school. The project…