Author: Rhys Gregory

People in Swansea are being urged to avoid high interest charges on Christmas loans and to use the city’s credit union instead. Credit unions are not-for-profit organisations that offer a range of ethical products for savers or those needing loans. Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Supporting Communities, Alyson Pugh, said: “With many people experiencing financial hardship due to the coronavirus crisis many will no doubt be looking to borrow money to see them and their families through Christmas. “I would urge people to look carefully at the interest rates they could be charged because they could end up paying £1,000…

A new independent school is opening in St Clears this January. Westward House School is for children at Key Stages 2, 3 and 4 and has a focus on small class sizes and individually tailored teaching. As well as teaching full time pupils, the school will offer part time classes for home educated children who need specialist tuition to help them achieve exams, or simply want to build confidence, make friends and learn new skills. Located in the completely refurbished Old Library, Pentre Road, St Clears, Westward House School will open on January 5.  The headteacher is Michelle Dunne a highly experienced teacher and school leader with additional specialist qualifications in assessment. Michelle most…

Leading researchers at Cardiff University have been awarded a major grant for research into a cardiovascular condition for which there is currently no known treatment, other than surgery. The award of more than £740,000 by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) will fund the continued research by Professors Valerie O’Donnell and Peter Collins into abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) for another three years. The BHF is the single biggest independent funder of cardiovascular research in the UK and currently funds around £3m of research at Swansea and Cardiff universities. Professor O’Donnell and her team has been provisionally awarded £1.2m over five years,…

The first winners of the Springboard Startup Fund for University of South Wales (USW) Graduate Startups 2020/21 have been unveiled. Designed to give support to graduate entrepreneurs, and specifically to provide seed funding to USW graduates to start a new business, the awards also demonstrate USW’s commitment to supporting the Class of 2020 graduates, who are facing the most severe economic downturn in a generation, with a new Entrepreneurship Pitching Fund. All those who entered the awards had to be 2020 USW graduates, to have completed one of three enterprise and entrepreneurship programmes provided by USW, or have completed one…

Brian Andrews, Managing Director (South) at BizSpace shares his insight into how in the wake of the ‘firebreak’ lockdown, hybrid working can help Welsh businesses to support teams to get back to work safely and productivity. Employee wellbeing has paid a heavy price during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health, in particular, has been hit hard by the long hours spent indoors remotely working – a trend likely only to be exacerbated by the long, dark winter months ahead. Further, more than 40% of employees are working longer hours remotely, with growing fears that burnout is on the rise. Although an…

New research by NYAS Cymru (National Youth Advocacy Service) and The Children’s Society reveals that every hour another child in Wales is reported missing. The report finds that care-experienced children and young people are more likely to be reported missing than their peers. Despite making up only 1% of the child population in Wales, Freedom of Information requests found that 39% of the total missing child incidents recorded by local councils last year involved a child in care. Alun Michael, Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales, has backed the report’s call for more to be done to support missing…

Welsh beef is on the menu for pupils across Denbighshire now a leading North Wales food distribution company has won the contract to supply over a million school meals a year for the county. Harlech Foodservice won the three-year contract from a US-owned multi-national and have pledged that wherever possible the county’s seven secondary and 48 primary schools will receive food sourced in North Wales. Harlech Commercial Director Mark Lawton said: “This is a hugely important contract for us to win against competition from one of the biggest wholesalers in the UK. “It shows we have the quality and the…

Welsh food and drink producers are encouraging the feeling of togetherness this Christmas by collaborating to create a unique range of gift boxes and hampers for festive shoppers. It is the first time these exciting product combinations have been brought together. Bursting with fine food and drink from Wales, the gift boxes and hampers cater for sweet and savoury-lovers alike – along with a few tipples and treats. Available in an assortment of sizes and prices, they are sure to suit all pockets and tastes. Ten Welsh food and drink producers are taking the lead on the collaboration by bringing…

Welsh eco pet product start-up Project Blu has secured a multi-million-pound deal with San Diego-based Metamorphosis, a venture capital firm dedicated to the incubation and acceleration of businesses in the pet industry. The multi-million, multi-year deal will see Metamorphosis take an equity stake in Project Blu, which was founded in 2019 by 35-year-old Geryn Evans. The first global pet brand to offer a full range of sustainable accessories, the company aims to reduce global ocean-bound plastic waste and the broader environmental impact of manufacturing pet products through harnessing innovative textiles and technologies. Project Blu, which recently scooped three Wales Start-Up…

Time is running out for anyone who sold a second home during 2019-20 to declare it on their Self Assessment tax return. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding customers that they have until 31 January 2021 to declare any profit made from selling a UK residential property, which was not their main home, during the 2019-20 financial year, and pay the Capital Gains Tax that is due. Since 6 April 2020 there have been changes to how customers declare and pay Capital Gains Tax. UK residents who dispose of a UK residential property that is not their main home…