Author: Rhys Gregory

In the UK, as soon as a car is three years old (four years old in Ireland) it must have an MOT to ensure that it is still safe to be driven on the roads. The current test looks at a lengthy checklist of items all of which are involved with the safety of the car on the road, but the original test was rather different. MOT Origins The age of the MOT test is actually attested to by its name. At the time, the government body in charge of vehicles, licensing and roads was the Ministry of Transport –…

Port Talbot-based Deer Technology has secured equity investment totalling £1.32 million and announced a £2.5 million contract win with Wave, a leading retailer in the non-household water market . The Development Bank of Wales led the round with £250,000 of equity taking its total investment in the company to £500,000 in the last two years. Wealth Club, the UK’s largest high net worth investor platform, raised an additional £820,000 to complete the round alongside Deer Technology’s existing angel investors. Deer Technology was established in 2014 by co-founders Hugh Mort and Garry Jackson who co-invented the LimpetReader™ to take accurate meter…

A cat has been shot in the Cefn Glas area of Bridgend, with RSPCA Cymru launching an appeal for information. Sasha – a 16-year-old tortoiseshell – was found by her owner Andrea Painter at the bottom of her driveway on Longfellow Drive hiding behind a plant pot on the morning of Friday 23 April; with her last seen before then at approximately 7.45pm the previous evening. The cat was having great difficulty moving, had a nasty leg wound and blood all over her back. Sadly, vets found a bullet from an air weapon in Sasha’s leg. Vets amputated the leg…

CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, has announced that entries are now open for its prestigious Wales HR awards, as the event returns for 2021. After an unprecedented year, the awards will provide an opportunity to reflect on the successes and resilience; how HR teams and individuals adapted and innovated at speed to support employees and workforces across Wales to respond to and keep working during the pandemic. The virtual awards will take place on Thursday 25th November, enabling more people than ever to attend and celebrate the very best in human resources and people development practice…

Denbighshire County Council has produced a plan to ensure the county can welcome visitors safely as lockdown restrictions continue to ease. Denbighshire’s Destination Management Plan has been developed in partnership with tourism businesses across the county and seeks to coordinate activity over the coming months to ensure a positive experience for visitors, residents and business. Cllr Hugh Evans OBE, Leader of the Council, said: “We have worked in partnership with tourism businesses to produce a plan that ensures key sites and facilities are ready to welcome visitors and that local residents will feel safe and well-informed. “Tourism contributes £552million a…

The easing of lockdown restrictions and the successful vaccine rollout has signalled a welcome bounce back for Cardiff, jumping ahead of current UK wide levels, according to Avison Young’s UK Cities Recovery Index. The Recovery Index for Cardiff has increased to overtake the UK national figure, and now stands at 85.1, compared to 77.6 for the UK as a whole. The Index follows the ongoing impact experienced across sectors due to Covid-19 and monitors the diversity of market activity. When the easing of lockdown restrictions in Wales on 12th April allowed non-essential shops to reopen, face-to-face teaching resume for all…

Former Wales international schoolboy athlete Tom Acreman has landed his dream role providing sports activities for schools and communities in the Gwent Valleys and Caerphilly, thanks to an apprenticeship with Urdd Gobaith Cymru. Tom, 21, from Ystrad Mynach, is currently restricted to coaching children nationally online during the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions as he works towards his Apprenticeship in Sports (Development) with The Urdd. He previously completed a Foundation Apprenticeship in Activity Leadership. His passion for promoting bilingual apprenticeships has led to his appointment as an Apprenticeship Ambassador by Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol (CCC) and the National Training Federation of Wales (NTfW). Coleg…

Swansea hospitality businesses are benefiting with hundreds of thousands of pounds in council assistance to help outdoor trading. This includes around £1.2m committed by Swansea Council to grants for outdoor furniture. Other assistance for business has included the suspension of fees for pavement trading licences, saving traders more than £57,000. Those running beer gardens on private land have been among those to benefit from council help. The assistance has been delivered over the past 10 months. It helped businesses set up and trade quickly during the pandemic and through government restrictions – and it will help the city lead the…

Offering an entirely different shopping experience to the supermarkets, a whole new generation has been getting to know Flintshire’s markets as lockdown begins to ease and people look to support local and independent traders. Stallholders in Holywell and Mold have reported a rise in customers as restrictions reduce, particularly among younger people. And with the markets having been a lifeline for many by offering a less busy and more relaxed experience, it is hoped this can continue as the world opens back up and enable traders to flourish. Ayman Ghosheh, 45, runs The Camel’s Hump Lebanese street food stall in…

Coed Cadw (The Woodland Trust in Wales) is urging people to visit its woodlands responsibly, after reporting an increase in litter and anti-social behaviour following a surge in visitors. During months of lockdown and ‘stay local’ rules, people have been flocking to the charity’s 100+ plus sites in Wales for daily exercise and some much-needed natural relief; Coed Cadw estimates that visitor numbers at some sites more than doubled. But after being forced to close parts of one site in South Wales due to damage and misuse, the charity is highlighting the importance of responsible visits to woodlands. At Cwm George…