Author: Rhys Gregory

The headline NatWest Wales Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index that measures the month-on-month change in the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors – registered 58.0 in March, down from 60.7 in February, to signal a sharp rise in business activity. Firms linked the expansion in output to greater client demand and increased hiring which allowed capacity to increase. Growth in business activity was steep, but slower than the UK average. Private sector firms in Wales registered a solid expansion in new business during March. The rise in new orders was linked to stronger client…

Field, the UK-based energy storage company scaling renewables infrastructure at speed, today announces its latest acquisition, a 20 MW (40 MWh) battery site in Newport. The deal brings Field’s pipeline of storage capacity to 775 MW (1,510 MWh), just over a year on from starting operations. Against the backdrop of soaring energy prices and growing uncertainty around energy security, this marks a positive step for UK energy capacity, as Field looks to rapidly create a more reliable, flexible and green grid. This will help to alleviate problems like renewables intermittency, help secure the path to net zero, and mitigate the…

BUSINESSES, educators and training organisations can sign up to a free exhibition at one of the country’s premier event venues. Eirias Events Centre in Colwyn Bay will host the inaugural Conwy Job Expo on Thursday May 12 from 2pm-7pm. Organised by Conwy Employment Hub – which oversees Communities for Work, PaCE and Communities for Work Plus – in partnership with Working Wales, which is delivered by Careers Wales, the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) and Conwy Business Support team, the Expo aims to bring multiple sectors under one roof to promote recruitment opportunities across the region. Prospective job candidates,…

A love of Wales along with a keen interest in botanicals, hedgerow fruits and fermentation has inspired Daniel Dyer to discover the art of distilling and open his own distillery in Newport. A £50,000 start-up micro loan from the Development Bank of Wales has been used to fund the fit-out of the Spirit of Wales Distillery that Daniel has set-up to create his award-winning authentic Welsh spirits – Steeltown Welsh Gin, Steeltown Welsh Vodka and Dragon’s Breath Spiced Welsh Rum. Having first started distilling spirits as a hobby, Daniel and head Distiller James Gibbons now produce affordable premium spirits that…

Ceredigion Museum in Aberystwyth has been awarded £115,894 development funding by the National Lottery Heritage Fund for a project to explore how collections can create community in the coastal county.  Perthyn ‘belonging to/possessing’ is an ambitious project that aims to ensure that every Ceredigion resident can find something in the museum collection that resonates with their sense of identity and values, regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, beliefs, sexuality, ability or other characteristics that they identify with. Carrie Canham, museum curator, said: “We’ll be working with the Common Cause Foundation to explore how shared values can build bridges between Ceredigion’s…

A product designed to both save the NHS money and help save the planet has been recognised with a leading national industry accolade. Shield – a simple and low-cost redesign of the urinary drainage bags and frames used for catheters – has been recognised by Red Dot in the Sustainability category of the Red Dot Concept Awards. Designed by Cardiff Metropolitan University spin-out business PDR, Shield utilises recycled single-use disposable plastic sterilisation tray wraps and drapes commonly used in hospital operating theatres and otherwise put into landfill. Its sustainability was a crucial part of the design; recycled hospital waste material…

The family of Aamir Siddiqi has today released a statement and photographs on the 12th anniversary of his murder. 17-year-old Aamir died at his home in Ninian Road, Roath on April 11, 2010, having suffered multiple stab wounds. South Wales Police continues to work with the National Crime Agency and international law enforcement agencies to trace Mohammed Ali Ege, who is wanted in connection with Aamir’s murder, and return him to the UK. Although two men have been convicted of his murder, and continue to serve life sentences in prison, South Wales Police remains as committed as ever to tracing…

Mold Food & Drink Festival is returning after a two-year absence, with the extravaganza to be held this September. The Covid pandemic put the New Street festival on the back burner, but the event will return this autumn with the emphasis on supporting Wales’s food and drink providers alongside the best of the country’s chefs. The enforced break gave organisers the chance to look at the festival’s longevity and consider future succession planning. Run by volunteers with little external funding, the two-day event has gone from strength to strength with increasing visitor numbers. Festival co-chair Richard Howells said bolstering the…

Pupils at Glan Llyn Primary School in Newport flexed their musical abilities last week as they welcomed brand new instruments – including violins, cellos, glockenspiels and recorders. The instruments, which are already being used in music classes across the school, have been gifted by St. Modwen, the UK’s leading developer of new communities and high-quality homes, through its Community Impact Fund, which was launched to provide support for communities throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.  The primary school received £5,000 from St. Modwen to purchase the new instruments. Pupils in years one and two have been mastering the strings of their new…

A new study has revealed just how busy the roads will be this Easter weekend, with 87 percent of Brits saying they expect to travel at least once, amounting to over 27million cars on the road and drivers spending up to 111million hours behind the wheel this weekend alone. Brits are going everywhere and anywhere this weekend, with 84 percent seeing friends or family at some point, a third (32 percent) also enjoying a day trip and 16 percent taking a short Easter break. With an average Easter journey of 111.4 miles, Britain will clock up 3.1bn miles cumulatively from…