Author: Rhys Gregory

A police chief is urging farmers in North Wales to use low-powered smart sensors to combat farm thefts. North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin is backing a new scheme to encourage the farming community to tap into wireless technology. The LoRaWAN (Low Power Long Range Wide Area Access Network) is especially suited to rural areas where communications infrastructure often falls short. The Future Farms Cymru project is being masterminded by North Wales Police’s pioneering Rural Crime Team in partnership with their counterparts in Dyfed Powys with whom they work closely. Mr Dunbobbin is jointly funding the initiative in…

A further 150 Volunteers come forward during the pandemic – Volunteers’ week 2021 Volunteers have stepped up like never before to support the NHS in Swansea Bay during its hour of greatest need. The health board was already well supported by people willing to give up their time to help others. But the pandemic has seen hundreds more come forward to help in a variety of unpaid roles. Volunteers have been spending hours in our hospitals, others have been helping out in our mass vaccination centres, making sure that everyone is cared for during a time of uncertainty. And with…

Business is booming for a fast-growing self-storage company which has just re-opened one of its Wrexham storage parks after a £150,000 refurbishment. That included an extension to their Whitegates facility, on the town’s Queensway, by Lock Stock Self-Storage which has more than doubled its capacity to 130 units with a quarter of a million cubic metres of storage space. The remodelled centre re-opened this month and already the units are being snapped up, according to Denbigh-based Lock Stock’s Chester and North East Wales Sites Manager Mike Trow. He said: “This was one of the company’s first sites and opened in…

Capital Law has appointed partner James Butters to its Banking & Finance team. James joins after over 20 years at Clifford Chance, where he was a partner in their London and Paris offices. He has acted for major corporates, private equity investors, and international financial institutions on all types of transactions, and brings to Capital a depth of expertise across finance, structured and corporate debt – in particular M&A financing and private equity sponsor-led leveraged buy-outs; all with significant emphasis on cross-border transactions. His new role will support the growth of the business as Capital continues to enhance its reputation…

The name of a new exhibition at The Minerva Arts Centre, Llanidloes aptly sums up the feelings of volunteers who run The Quilt Association at being allowed to reopen for the first time since last October. Blooming Marvellous! showcases many of the beautiful floral quilts that form part of the Welsh Heritage Quilt Collection which the association maintains. It has around 250 mainly Welsh quilts which have been donated since the association was formed in 1996. Many of these quilts are local to Llanidloes and the surrounding area. Many of the quilts on display have never been exhibited before and…

To mark Volunteers’ Week (June 1-7), Cardiff’s local hospice City Hospice is paying tribute to its volunteers following a challenging year. City Hospice provides care to people with terminal or life limiting illnesses, as well as essential counselling and support services for the families of their patients. The only provider of home-based specialist palliative care in the capital, City Hospice provides care and compassion to 550 patients at any one time. The charity relies heavily on its dedicated team of over 300 volunteers who donate their free time and skills. Pre-Covid, its centre in Whitchurch was filled with friendly volunteer…

AS part of a year of fundraising, leading South Wales transport operator Adventure Travel has launched a special, branded bus for Tŷ Hafan, its inaugural charity of the year, which it is asking locals to name. The dedicated, Tŷ Hafan branded bus will be seen across South Wales, travelling the routes from the company’s three depots in Cardiff, Taff’s Well and Swansea, to increase awareness for the charity.   The bus will help raise even more money for Tŷ Hafan, thanks to PrintSauce, the vinyl and design company used by Adventure Travel, who after finding out about the bus, offered…

June promises to be an exciting month for flat racing and of course Royal Ascot, which takes place from 15-19 June, will steal the headlines. To make the prestigious meeting even better, organisers are hoping to welcome 10,000 racegoers back to the historic course! As we have seen from pilot events over the last couple weeks, the return of spectators can make such a difference and there’s no doubt that the horses and jockeys alike will revel in the Ascot roar across the course of the five-day meeting. So, as we count down the days to the latest renewal of…

Inspection services provider and Chambers Wales member Sutro Group has created an opportunity for a young person to start their career in their specialist industry through the UK Government’s Kickstart Scheme. The Kickstart Scheme is an incentive for 16 – 24-year-olds who claim Universal Credit and are at risk of becoming unemployed long-term. Employers who create new jobs for young people through the scheme can apply for funding which covers 100% of the National Minimum or Living Wage, employer National Insurance contributions and minimum automatic enrolment pension contributions. Sutro provide complete asset integrity through innovative technology, creating efficient access and…

Swansea Council’s efforts to tackle waste problems blighting our communities are set to get a further boost in the coming months. Additional littering and fly-tipping teams are being introduced around the city to respond quickly to reports of problem areas and tackle issues at fly-tipping hotspots. Mark Thomas, Cabinet Member for Environment Enhancement and Infrastructure Development said the scheme is the latest investment by a council playing its part helping communities stay tidy. He said: “The council already spends millions of pounds a year keeping our communities clean and tidy. Our teams are out every day cleaning our beaches, emptying…