Author: Rhys Gregory

John Fowler Holidays, one of the UK’s largest family-owned holiday park businesses, has purchased Cardigan Bay Holiday Park in Pembrokeshire thanks to a multimillion-pound finance package from HSBC UK. John Fowler Holidays, a third-generation family business established in 1953 in North Devon, now owns 13 holiday parks. Cardigan Bay Holiday Park, located on the West coast of Wales in Pembrokeshire, is the business’ second purchase in the last two years following the acquisition of Llanrhidian Holiday Park in December 2019. The addition of this new park is estimated to contribute another 3,000 holidays (6%) per year for the business and…

It was in 1922 that Francesco Dallavalle first started selling his ice cream around the Amman Valley on a horse and cart. The Italian art of making ice cream has since been passed through the generations with grandsons Renaldo and Giulio Dallavalle, Directors of award-winning Frank’s Ice Cream, having now opened a new gelateria and innovation centre alongside the company’s existing manufacturing site in Capel Hendre. Funded by a £500,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales, the new purpose-built facility houses the latest in ice cream making machinery and technology. Built by lead contractors Malpross Services of Cross Hands,…

AS world champion mountain bikers, the Atherton family know a thing or two about success. Between siblings Dan, Gee and Rachel, they hold 49 world cups and eight world championships. But their latest venture – setting up a manufacturing plant in Machynlleth, Wales, to produce bikes using Formula 1 technology and aerospace engineering – is set to shift the family business into a different gear. After over two years of crowdfunding, support from Dragons’ Den star Piers Linney and Development Bank of Wales’ angel network, Angels Invest Wales, the family is set to launch a new website selling a range…

Thackeray Group, the real estate investment, development and asset management company owned by Antony Alberti and Brett Palos, has acquired out of receivership the landmark Howells Building in the centre of Cardiff with plans to carry out a sensitive repositioning of the building as a mixed-use destination. The Howells Building is a 275,000 sq ft Grade II*-listed building on a 1.7-acre site, fronting St Mary Street, Wharton Street and Trinity Street in the city’s prime shopping district near to the St David’s Centre, Queen’s Arcade and The Hayes. It comprises an array of building forms, including the original 1800s’ stone…

RSPCA Cymru has welcomed the publication of the Welsh Government’s new Animal Health and Welfare Implementation Plan 2022-2024 – and hopes the document will pave the way for “big improvements” at a “critical juncture” for animal welfare in Wales. Calls come after the Welsh Government published the final Implementation Plan under the current ten-year Framework. The plan expands on the Welsh Government’s Animal Welfare Plan for Wales – including more detail on proposals for a national model for regulation of animal welfare, improving the qualifications for animal welfare inspectors and requiring CCTV in all slaughterhouses. It is also hoped the…

Ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs) registrations across Wales shot up nearly 76% between July-August compared to the same time a year before. The Department for Transport’s (DfT) figures show that at the end of August, 12,900 vehicles belonged to Welsh residents, up from 7,330 on July-August 2020. The data shows the pace of moving to electric vehicles has also stepped-up, with Q3 2019 to Q3 2020 recording a 50% increase, up from a 33% rise on the year before. Merthyr Tydfil – 113%, Neath Port Talbot – 108% – and Torfaen – 92% – had the strongest take-up of electric…

AB Glass, the Swansea-based award-winning architectural aluminium specialist, has appointed a new Head of Finance as it embarks on a new chapter for the business. Kirsty James takes on responsibility for overseeing all financial aspects of the business reporting to Managing Director Nigel Harvey. She will be responsible for creating forecasting models, developing financial strategies, managing budgets and calculating risk. James has previously held senior financial positions with several organisations in sectors including electrical engineering. She brings a wealth of experience to her new role, primarily critical and analytical thinking around finance and a strategic approach to risk. She steps…

People and organisations are heading for a new web page to help Swansea tackle the climate emergency. A range of individuals and groups are making their actions and wishes known on Swansea Council’s online Climate Pledge Wall. It allows citizens to take a swift and simple step to tell others how they’re helping the planet. Each online pledge explains how the signatory is playing their part in helping Swansea become greener and carbon net zero. Many are pledging to ditch their cars in favour of public transport, with many cycling or walking for shorter journeys. Some want to cut down…

More than £13.6m has already been committed to fund over 50 projects as part of a Swansea Council scheme to help businesses and communities recover from the impact of the pandemic. Projects funded by the council’s economic recovery fund include a free bus scheme to help local shopping, the provision of free outside public space use for businesses to expand, and the installation of extra Christmas lights in the city centre over the festive period. The economic recovery fund has also enabled free use of sports pitches for many football, cricket and bowls clubs in Swansea. Grants of up to…

Haverfordwest High V.C. School is pleased to announce it has been removed from the list of schools requiring Estyn review. The school was removed from the list in December, after inspectors decided that HHVCS had made appropriate progress towards the targets in place since the last core inspection. Headteacher Jane Harries said: “The HHVCS team are delighted that staff dedication towards school targets have been reflected in the report. I would like to thank everyone for their support, including the hard work by governors, staff, students and our wider community. We are looking forward to continuing these high expectations as…