Author: Rhys Gregory

Software specialist Carebeans Limited has­­­ established an office in Monmouth, Wales having secured a significant six-figure equity Investment for their leading social care management software from the Development Bank of Wales and Liverpool based MSIF.  The co-investment includes the trade and assets acquisition of the Software business of Standex Systems Limited and onboarding of five new staff who move to Carebeans from Standex UK. Carebeans was first established by Chief Executive Nick Lawford in 2019. Providing unique benefits and functionalities for different users, Carebeans has a cloud-based system for residential and nursing care homes and the full spectrum of supported living including…

Newport-based Premier Forest Group is predicting further significant rises in both turnover and profit as it continues to successfully navigate the global supply issues in the timber industry, caused by the pandemic. With just four months to go before the end of their financial year in April, Premier Forest Group is confidently forecasting that its annual turnover in the UK will have increased by 35% to circa £120M, and that profits will have jumped from £8.8M to over £20M, a growth of 130% since last year. This is in part thanks to the sale of Premier’s Irish timber group in…

Plans to continue to grow the number of Welsh speakers in Swansea and increase their opportunities to use the language are going before the council’s cabinet next week. During the autumn people and organisations across the city were asked for their views on the council’s 10-year Welsh in Education Strategic Plan. The feedback has been used to update the document which sets out how Swansea will play its part in helping the Welsh Government achieve its target of one million Welsh speakers by the year 2050. Swansea Council aims to increase provision for Welsh-medium education in the city including for pre-school…

Swansea Council has launched a new round of funding for ideas that can bring new vibrancy to local communities. The opportunity is part of Crowdfund Swansea, a scheme that helps deliver innovative community-led ideas to improve the city. Eligible projects could receive a council pledge of up to £5,000 towards their crowdfunding target. To be in with a chance of securing the support, local groups should post their ideas on the Crowdfund Swansea web page by March 23. Those who have succeeded in previous funding rounds have included the Swansea Hygiene Bank. Project coordinator Lesley Lloyd said: “The funding will…

A multi-million pound package of investment is on the way to further help Swansea recover from the impact of the pandemic. Building on work Swansea Council has already carried out since the onset of Covid, a number of new schemes are now set for approval to support even more residents, families, communities and businesses. Schemes due for the green light include the upgrade of all council-owned play areas across the city to a high standard, following-on from the improvement of dozens in 2021. Also due for approval is a plan to assess and improve all skate park facilities in Swansea.…

Swansea retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism businesses, charities and not-for-profit organisations impacted by the current Coronavirus restrictions in Wales can now apply online for emergency financial support. Funded by the Welsh Government and administered by Swansea Council, the new grant scheme is aimed at supporting businesses in these sectors which have been affected by the move to alert level two late last month. Eligible businesses as well as those in their supply chains which are liable to pay non-domestic rates could be entitled to grants of £2,000, £4,000 or £6,000, depending on their rateable value. More information, eligibility criteria and…

An exciting opportunity has arisen for prospective operators to tender for a lease to operate and maintain a café, informal visitor information centre and campsite at the popular Afan Forest Park tourist destination in Port Talbot’s Afan Valley. Afan Forest Park is one of the most well established mountain biking destinations within the UK and the area’s beautiful walking and cycling trails add to the Forest Park’s appeal as a popular destination for families. The successful tenderer will be required to enter into both an operating and lease agreement with the council for a ten year period. There will also…

Pembrokeshire County Council has unveiled a series of short films that tell the incredible stories of our community-led action across Pembrokeshire. Communities in Pembrokeshire have some amazing stories to tell – and the clips produced bring the variety of community-led initiatives to life. They come in all shapes and sizes, from looking after green spaces, to providing meals on wheels, running public toilets and even swimming pools. The series of films also capture the importance of volunteering and what it means to the people who need support the most. The first to premiere is the greening project which is based…

Community-based health and social care services in Neath Port Talbot and Swansea face increasing pressures as concerns grow over staffing shortages. Today, they have released the following statement: “As the rates of COVID-19 infection continue to rise within our region, we once again find ourselves in ‘emergency response mode’. With the level of Omicron transmission being significantly greater than the Delta variant, we are seeing large numbers of employees across all sectors having to isolate either because they have contracted the virus, or they have been identified as a contact of someone who has tested positive. “We have learnt a…

Pupils at Penybont Primary School can pick up their new favourite reading books from a unique vending machine. Each week, classes choose one lucky pupil to receive a token with winners chosen for their efforts, attitude and progress in reading. The winning pupil can then use the token to pick out a new book to keep from a vending machine within the school. It was introduced as part of the school’s ‘Reading for Pleasure’ initiative which aims to create a positive mindset for pupils to view reading. Each term, an Amazon wish list of books for all ages is shared…