Author: Rhys Gregory

The Welsh Sports Association (WSA), together with business telecommunications company, Croft Communications, has launched the ‘Grassroots Initiative’, designed to support local sporting communities across the UK by reinvesting valuable cash into local sports clubs. In line with a gradual return to grassroot sports in Wales, the WSA is urging its members to sign-up to the scheme, providing additional funds to improve facilities, staff retention or even rescue clubs facing significant financial difficulties due to the pandemic. The scheme enables clubs, members and businesses (including not-for-profits) who take out business telecommunications services with Croft, including fast connectivity solutions, business mobile phones,…

The UK’s first online marketplace for building supplies is relocating to Wales having completed a seed funding round with £500,000 secured from the Development Bank of Wales and BSKG Holdings. Established in 2016 by the late Rami Naori,  Go Banana has relocated from London to Brunel House, Cardiff. Featuring an online platform where tradesmen can buy building supplies from hundreds of trusted merchants, the rapidly growing tech business already lists over 100,000 products on its platform and has over 10,000 customers. The software developed by Go Banana imports and updates thousands of building products simultaneously saving users up to 35%…

The RSPCA has urged people in the Gwynedd area to report potentially suspicious activity against birds after a peregrine falcon was found with puncture wounds consistent with being shot. Rescuers from the animal welfare charity were alerted after a member of the public spotted the bird of prey struggling on a road in Penrhyndeudraeth; a few miles east of Porthmadog, last Tuesday (6 April). RSPCA Cymru collected the badly injured animal, and rushed him to the RSPCA’s specialist Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Nantwich for urgent treatment. Specialists found two puncture wounds on the bird’s body, including to the chest…

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 55.1 in March, up notably from 43.7 in February, to signal a renewed rise in business activity across the Welsh private sector. The upturn was widely linked to greater client demand and an increase in new orders following hopes of an end to lockdown restrictions as 2021 progresses. The rate of output growth was the fastest seen across Wales since September 2018 but was slightly slower than the average for…

Debra Bowen Rees, former Chief Executive of Cardiff Airport has been named as the new regional Chair of the Institute of Directors (IoD) in South West Wales. She is joined by HR Director  Gareth Jarman as Chair of the IoD’s Mid Wales branch. Debra Bowen Rees has 35 years of experience within the armed forces, transport and utilities. She was a Director of Cardiff Airport for eight years from 2012 and currently holds non-executive Director positions with Milford Haven Port Authority and Dwr Cymru. Gareth Jarman Is an internationally experienced HR Director and Consultant. He was previously Head of HR…

Wales’ buoyant industrial property market has continued into 2021, according to Knight Frank, with transactions of industrial units larger than 50,000 sq ft reaching 492,000 sq ft in the first quarter of 2021, compared with 132,000 sq ft for the same period last year. Research by the global property consultancy showed that this take up figure was from five deals, with one letting and four sales taking place. The largest deal of the quarter was the sale of the 172,000 sq ft former Tech Board facility in Rassau Industrial Estate, Ebbw Vale which will be the home to TVR. The…

Swansea Mobility Hire has reopened, with robust measures in place to keep staff and customers safe. Shoppers and visitors to the city centre with mobility needs can once again hire equipment and access the Changing Place facility at the Swansea Mobility Hire shop at the Quadrant Bus Station.  Rental of left luggage lockers also resumes. Customers must book in advance by calling 01792 461785. The service provides powered scooters, wheelchairs and manual wheelchairs to help people who have limited mobility to shop or visit other facilities in the city centre. At this stage, walk-ins are not guaranteed and will only…

Swansea businesses are wanted to fill out a Covid-19 questionnaire about their current and future needs. Responses from the questionnaire – which is live until Sunday April 18 – will help Public Health Wales and partners develop programmes that address the pandemic recovery needs of employers, while also improving the health of Wales’ working population. The questionnaire is aimed at: Capturing the health needs of the Welsh workforce both now and in future Determining key issues to consider and how best to respond Finding out what support is currently available and identifying any gaps in provision Questions include which health…

With outdoor hospitality settings due to be allowed to reopen later this month, businesses across Bridgend County Borough have been using funding to help them prepare to welcome back customers safely. The Outdoor Improvements Covid-19 Recovery Fund, which is made up of funding from Bridgend County Borough Council, the Valleys Task Force and Welsh Government’s Targeted Regeneration Investment initiative, has targeted external areas where customers and members of the public can congregate, rest or enjoy food and drink. Commercial property and business owners have been able to apply for grants of up to £10,000 towards adaptations ranging from outdoor canopies and…

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and Spill Response Wales have been working to clean up oil pollution around the Brackla Industrial Estate area, which has affected Morfa Brook and the River Ogmore. Absorbent pads and booms have been used to soak up the oil and tankers have been used to vacuum the oil at various locations. Spill Response Wales continues to monitor the booms and pads, replacing them when they’re at full capacity. NRW is working to find the source of the pollution by checking manholes in the area with the help of Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water. NRW has also been…