Author: Rhys Gregory

A talented Welsh chef cooked his way to third place in the Young National Chef of the Year final. Harry Paynter-Roberts, commis chef at the two Michelin star Moor Hall Restaurant with Rooms, Aughton, Ormskirk, impressed judges in the final held at Le Cordon Bleu London last week. Originally from Conwy, 23-year-old Harry has competed with the Junior Culinary Team Wales in global competitions and was runner-up in the Junior Chef of Wales Final in 2017 and 2018. “I am very happy to have finished third, bearing in mind that the last time I competed was in February last year,”…

Swansea businesses are working with the council to make the area even more attractive to local people during the current lockdown.  A number of those in the hospitality and tourism trade are offering special deals to people who live within the county boundaries. Offers on overnight stays and eating out for local people are among the deals being promoted as part of the Swansea Council Tourism Team’s new #LoveBeingLocal campaign. Robert Francis-Davies, the council’s cabinet member for investment, regeneration and tourism, said: “During the lockdown we’re using our Visit Swansea Bay media channels to inspire our residents to #LoveBeingLocal and…

Savills, on behalf of Cardiff Gate Business Park, has completed the sale of Cardiff Gate petrol station and services to Newcore Capital Management for £10 million. The sale price represents a net initial yield of 4.79%. The asset which is located on South Wales premier business park on Junction 30 of the M4 is let to Shell and Welcome Break at an annual passing rent of £515,023. Ross Griffin, investment director at Savills Cardiff, comments: “We are pleased to have advised Cardiff Gate Business Park on its disposal of Cardiff Gate petrol station and services. The prominent motorway service station…

An engineering business specialising in wind turbine components is planning to increase capacity five-fold with the support of Lloyds Bank. Llanfyrnach-based business Greystone Technical, which designs and manufactures high-end components for agricultural wind turbines, has secured a new £100k funding package to support the purchase of new manufacturing equipment. The investment will enable the business to increase its output of high tensile steel products by 500% and build on its existing £350k-a-year turnover. The firm produces advanced components to support the repair and maintenance of wind turbines largely used for energy production in the agriculture sector. Lloyds Bank has supported…

Among the new vehicles introduced to its 799-strong fleet is a low-emission hybrid rapid response car, the first of its kind for the service. The Trust has also commissioned new and improved emergency and non-emergency ambulances, as well as a fleet maintenance vehicle to help with the upkeep of its new haul. It is hoped the more fuel efficient vehicles will drive down CO2 emissions and improve the experience of both staff and patients. David Holmes, the Welsh Ambulance Service’s Fleet Manager said: “Modern ambulance vehicles are essential in order that we can continue to provide the best experience possible…

Amazon and employee volunteers in Swansea have donated £1,000 to Swansea-based charity, Kids Cancer Charity, as part of the company’s global Amazon Goes Gold campaign during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.  Amazon Goes Gold is Amazon’s annual campaign to raise awareness and funds during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. In addition to partnering with hospitals and research organisations around the world, Amazon also wraps a selection of its delivery fleet in gold ribbons during the month of September to further increase awareness across its network. The Amazon Goes Gold campaign was launched in 2017. Barbara Thomas from Kids Cancer Charity said: “It’s…

Careers Wales has launched a suite of resources for primary schools called ‘Careers City’, featuring quizzes, fact sheets, and videos about different jobs and industry sectors. Created to teach Key Stage 2 pupils about careers and the world of work, the resources are available now for teachers to download and use in lessons. The resources have been specifically designed to fit within the new school curriculum for Wales 2022 and feature a range of themes and topics which can be used in a fun, easy and engaging way. The package also contains information and interactive tools for teachers to use…

Zenobe Energy, the UK’s leading owner and operator of battery storage, and Newport Transport Ltd, today announce Wales’s first-ever fleet of electric buses in service in the city. The 15 Yutong buses will service the people of Newport on multiple routes from Monday 12thOctober. Seven of the buses will be dedicated to the three routes between Newport, Caerleon and Cwmbran, including picking up the staff and patients at the new specialist critical care centre, The Grange University Hospital. As the national government and Welsh Assembly drive towards a 2028 zero emission bus target in Wales and following promises to bring…

Young people are launching the second phase of their campaign to beat the stigma of youth loneliness this week, as new research from the Co-op Foundation finds the Spring lockdown made even more young people feel lonely.  Lonely Not Alone asks everyone to show they care about youth loneliness by wearing yellow socks and sharing their ‘Outfit of the Day’ on social media with #OOTDYellowSocks. Young people who made the campaign say yellow socks are their symbol of solidarity when they feel lonely and look to the floor. The campaign was made by a group of 12 to 22-year-olds working…

Older people in Wales who may be struggling to get the services and entitlements they need to live a fulfilled and dignified later life because their voices are often unheard, or they simply don’t know what are their options, are set to benefit from a new project being launched by Age Cymru on 6 October 2020. The project, called HOPE (Helping others participate and engage), will recruit and train community based volunteers throughout Wales to provide independent advocacy support to local older people and carers so they can help shape the key decisions affecting their own lives and thereby avoid…