Author: Rhys Gregory

WITH news of the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) proposed changes to the current performance-based fees system for automatic enrolment pension schemes, Quantum Advisory questions the actual merit of the amendments. Currently, performance-based fees are included in the pension scheme charge cap, whereas the new proposals would see these excluded from the cap supposedly providing wider opportunities for schemes to pursue longer term investments with potential greater returns. Senior Consultant for Quantum Advisory, Robin Dargie, states that performance fee-based investments are unlikely to be used by defined contribution (DC) schemes, so in reality the latest changes by DWP would…

The Celtic Manor Resort and International Convention Centre Wales have teamed up with The Salvation Army and other charities to provide a nourishing festive treat for the homeless and vulnerable people in need in South Wales. Leading up to Christmas, a team of eight chefs from the Celtic Collection venues will have prepared more than 900 turkey dinners and vegetarian alternatives for serving at charity centres and delivering to vulnerable people in need. The first batch of 320 individually portioned frozen meals was collected from ICC Wales head chef Gavin McDonagh by The Salvation Army in Cardiff, and will be…

Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff kicked off their Christmas festivities with a carol concert raising almost £4,000 for the NSPCC. Set in magnificent surroundings, the concert took place on Wednesday 8 December and raised a fantastic £3,943.40. The event was also sponsored by The Peterson Family, who are dedicated supporters of NSPCC Cymru/Wales and Childline. Guests enjoyed carols from Soul’d As Seen, Admiral Superchoir, Cor Heol y March and The Salvation Army Band, as well as festive readings and messages from Childline volunteer, Hayley Gordon and NSPCC Trustee Albert Heaney. SW20 Radio also supported, promoted, and broadcast the carol concert for…

Residents of Coed Darcy, Neath came together this week for a festive event to celebrate Christmas as a community. The event took place on Tuesday afternoon (21 December) at Coed Darcy, where developer St. Modwen is transforming the former Llandarcy Oil Refinery into a new residential community with extensive green spaces, a school, community facilities and active travel networks. The event was attended by over 150 members of the community who enjoyed the festivities  and brought along decorations to display on the Christmas tree at Coed Darcy. Chilly residents were able to warm themselves with hot chocolate, while pizza cooked…

The £132 million Swansea Bay City Deal Campuses project has been approved by the UK Government and Welsh Government.  With £15m secured to develop sites in Morriston and Singleton, this project will promote innovation and business growth in the expanding Medical Technology and Sports Technology sectors. The project is led by Swansea University, in partnership with Swansea Council, Swansea Bay University Health Board, Hywel Dda University Health Board, A Regional Collaboration for Health (ARCH) Partnership and key private sector partners. It’s planned to generate over 1,000 jobs in the Swansea area and will be worth over £150 million to the…

Barratt Developments South Wales has donated over 300 re-plantable Christmas tree saplings to pupils at St Mary’s RC Primary School in Chepstow and Castle Park Primary School in Caldicot — encouraging families to enjoy a greener Christmas this year. By planting the saplings this festive season, it is hoped the trees will grow to be enjoyed as family or school Christmas trees for years to come. Not only will this prevent future cutting of more trees, but for each one planted, more carbon dioxide will be removed from the atmosphere. What’s more, each pupil has also received a list of…

Morrisons is giving away 10,000 wonky British carrots to customers who want to leave out refreshments for Father Christmas and his reindeer on Christmas Eve. The wonky carrots – which are oversized, misshapen and scarred, but still taste delicious – will be handed out in bags labelled ‘Carrots for Rudolph’ from the entrances of our 498 Morrisons stores across the UK from Wednesday 22ndDecember. The move aims to introduce children to wonky veg and encourage families to buy large, misshapen or slightly scarred carrots. During the festive period, our carrot sales soar, from a typical 500k bags-a-week in Morrisons to…

A VIBRANT pop-up retail and advice hub for independent producers provided shoppers in a coastal town with plenty of Christmas cheer. Love Live Local @ Rhyl has been home to artisan creators, food and drink makers and craft companies over past weeks. A hit with customers in the White Rose Centre, the 3,000 sq ft unit – supported by Antur Cymru, Denbighshire County Council and the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns Coastal Communities Fund – has also been offering Business Wales support and guidance to the traders, who all hope to go on and have their own premises in the future.…

227,000 families and individuals across Britain are experiencing the worst forms of homelessness, new research from homelessness charity Crisis reveals today. This includes people sleeping on the streets, stuck in insecure accommodation like B&Bs, or forced to sleep in cars and sheds because they don’t have a place to call home.  The research, led by Heriot Watt University, shows 227,000 households on any given night are without a home to call their own. Most of these households are in England, not just because of the larger population, but also because there are higher levels of homelessness than in Scotland and Wales: 0.86% of all households in England are experiencing homelessness on any given night, compared with 0.69% in Wales and 0.57% in Scotland. These different rates of core homelessness across the three nations are due to the different housing and homelessness policies…

This December, a group of National Lottery winners have joined forces to support a Welsh pet food bank as they gear up for a busy festive season. The millionaire team, made up of dog-loving winners from across Wales, jumped at the chance to spend the day with National Lottery funded community interest company Cariad Pet Therapy, and meet some of the doggy volunteers. Volunteers for the day, the National Lottery winners donated lots of pet supplies to the pet food bank and were able to see for themselves how the organisation operates and learn more about their beneficiaries. The National…