Author: Rhys Gregory

Businesses recruiting full time disabled apprentices over the next year can expect to receive an additional incentive of £2,000, Economy Minister Vaughan Gething has announced today. The Welsh Government Employer Incentive Scheme for disabled apprentices, which was designed to encourage employers to get first-hand experience of the benefits of recruiting disabled people, is being extended from April 1st 2022 until the end of March 2023, and increased by £500. The commitment supports the Welsh Government’s new employability plan, Stronger, Fairer, Greener Wales: A Plan for Employability and Skills, published earlier this week, which prioritises supporting those people who are furthest…

UK citizens will start receiving “danger to life” alerts on their phones informing them when they are in mortal danger, including advising them on what to do to stay safe. This service will be included in the list of government-provided services and is set to launch later this year after successful trials were conducted last summer. Basically, “danger to life” alerts are messages sent to your phone by emergency services as long as you are within mobile phone network coverage. Once the phone receives the alert, it makes a loud siren noise even when it’s on silent mode. Unfortunately, one…

FIFA has confirmed that Cymru’s 2022 FIFA World Cup Play-off Semi-Final against Austria in Cardiff on Thursday, 24 March will go ahead as planned. Ukraine’s request to postpone their play-off semi-final against Scotland on the same evening has been granted by FIFA. The FAW supports FIFA’s decision in this matter and stands in solidarity with Ukraine and reiterates its condemnation for the use of force and the atrocities being committed by Russia. If Cymru win against Austria, they will play the winners of the Scotland v Ukraine play-off semi-final at Cardiff City Stadium on a date to be confirmed in…

Lee Whitlock, 53, from Barry, has today been sentenced for the murder of Robert Farley. Yesterday, March 7, Whitlock pleaded guilty to killing Robert, after leading officers to his dead body on September 3rd, 2021. Upon arrest, Whitlock claimed that Robert, known as Bobby, was his friend and acted as though he knew nothing about his death. CCTV footage shows him walking past Robert’s home and staring at the window, after he had murdered him. Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Lewis said: “The show that Whitlock put on for officers at the scene, claiming to know nothing of…

THE UNDERTONES have confirmed a run of rescheduled UK live dates throughout March and April 2022. Supporting them will be Hugh Cornwell and Neville Staple (Sheffield date only) The Undertones emerged from Derry in 1976, the result of five friends (John O’Neill, Damian O’Neill, Fergal Sharkey, Billy Doherty and Michael Bradley) learning how to play basic rock and roll.Even by the standards of that decade Derry was not the rock and roll capital of anywhere. With no live bands worth watching, they learned by listening to mail order records, reading one of the few copies of NME that made it…

The family of a Swansea sprinter who now has a way named in his honour have visited the city to celebrate the milestone. Cupid Way – which links the city centre with the Copr Bay district – has been named in recognition of Cyril Cupid, a record-breaking athlete of the 1930s. Cyril was the Welsh champion over 100 and 220 yards from 1930 to 1934. He was the first Welshman to run the 100 yards in under 10 seconds, clocking a time of 9.8 seconds. Family members to have now visited Swansea to celebrate the way naming include Sonya Aleksic,…

Family-owned business Leekes Retail & Leisure Group, which celebrates its 125th year in 2022, has agreed a new bank finance package split equally between HSBC UK and Barclays. The funding is earmarked to support growth plans across the fourth-generation family business’ divisions: Leekes Retail, the Vale Resort, Hensol Castle Distillery, and its property arm. The group continues to invest across all areas of its operations, with short term priorities including the £12m renovation of Leekes Retail’s longest-standing department store in Llantrisant, South Wales which is currently underway. In addition, £5m of the funding will contribute to the development of new…

To support International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8, an organisation that represents training providers across Wales is to host three discussions during the month focused on achieving gender balance and diversity in apprenticeships. The National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW) discussions will focus on finding sustainable solutions to address gender imbalance in apprenticeship opportunities in sectors including construction and engineering. The Welsh Government has tasked the NTfW with providing more apprenticeship opportunities for females in male dominated sectors and males in female dominated sectors. The global #IWD2022, which has #BreakTheBias as its theme, celebrates the social, economic, cultural and…

Aber Falls Whisky Distillery is expanding internationally and taking its award-winning Welsh whisky from Abergwyngregyn – a rural village between the foothills of the Snowdonian mountains and the Menai Strait – to countries worldwide. The distillery, which launched its Inaugural Release in May 2021, has started a phased expansion plan to make its Single Malt Welsh Whisky available through the on and off-trade in more than ten countries globally including Australia, Germany, Denmark, and Canada. The expansion is a long-term strategy and as part of the roll-out, Aber Falls will also be educating importers and retailers in the new markets…

A national business awards programme is open for entries from Wales ahead of its tenth anniversary, searching for success stories of entrepreneurship and innovation. The Great British Entrepreneur Awards (GBEA), in partnership with Starling Bank, acknowledges and champions the hard work and uplifting stories of business owners across the UK, with an emphasis on their journey and resilience over financial achievements. Following a hugely successful return to in-person celebrations at the 2021 awards, which saw 1,200 guests gathering at The Grosvenor Hotel in London for the first time for two years, the organisers are appealing for the next cohort of…