Author: Rhys Gregory

You may have noticed the surge in popularity of CBD oil in recent years, as its medicinal benefits become more and more widely known and acknowledged. According to a study conducted by Wowcher, sales of CBD oil in the UK surged by 99% in 2019 and that trend certainly hasn’t buckled this year, with more and more products readily available on the market. With interest and sales increasing, anyone purchasing CBD oil must be familiar with the difference in the types of products available. The two main types you should familiarise yourself with are broad and full-spectrum, while it is…

LORD’S Taverners Wales’ free community cricket programme, ‘Wicketz’, is now running twice weekly sessions at its Llanrumney hub to accommodate the increasing demand experienced since restarting at the end of August. Every Tuesday, youngsters can book to attend one of the two sessions that now run after school from 4:00pm-4:45pm or 5:00pm-5:45pm at Llanrumney Hall. By extending the sessions, capacity has increased from 27 to 54 to cope with the surge in youngsters trying to secure places, and all lessons are delivered outside to comply with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and government guidelines. Wicketz was…

Three Swansea communities have been praised for helping the city fight the pandemic in a new way. Penclawdd, Townhill and Penyrheol all have mobile testing units (MTUs) that are giving coronavirus tests to hundreds of Swansea people. They’re being operated to robust controls by experienced contactor Mitie on behalf of the Swansea Bay University Health Board and the Welsh Government. Their staff are trained for this role and wear full protective equipment. A test is taken safely and securely as the member of the public approaches. The venues operate with doors opened so there’s be no surface contact. Everything is…

Caerphilly based food and drink specialists Visionary Group, have announced a number of new appointments, as they prepare for a year of growth.   The new appointments will bolster the staff within the Visionary Food Solutions division, as well as the wider group. The new recruits include Stephen Thomas who joins as Finance Director, Mike Johns as Business Development Manager, and Maria Reed who takes up the post of Food Service Executive.   The business had planned to make the new appointments early in 2020 but as the pandemic took hold, were forced to divert their focus into supporting their…

We live in a world where the cost of living is constantly increasing, no matter where you are in the world. In addition to this the economy is facing the worst downturn in recent memory. You may find yourself paying more for your daily expenses even though you are buying exactly the same products. To combat this more and more people are looking for innovative ways to save on their expenses. If you are saving in a clever way it doesn’t necessarily mean that your standard of living will decrease. Once you start seeing the benefits, such as being able…

Brewing ‘with attitude’ is reaping rewards – and awards – for specialist alcohol-free craft brewer, The Drop Bear Beer Co., with recent weeks seeing no fewer than five major plaudits and its first export orders. Swansea-based Drop Bear Beer, burst on to the scene in 2019 promising to ‘disrupt’ the traditional view of the non-alcoholic beer market. Founded by newbie brewers Joelle Drummond and Sarah McNena, the company lives by the mantra ‘Dropping the alcohol, perfecting the craft’. Their award-winning streak began in July with a gold award for their Tropical IPA at the inaugural ‘Imbibe No & Low Taste…

From today, start-ups and entrepreneurs in Wales can apply for one of 1,000 bursaries being offered by BT across the UK as part of its Small Business Support Scheme. With the UK home to the biggest and most vibrant start-up community in Europe, BT is pledging its support for start-ups by giving it a financial head start through free superfast fibre broadband, digital phone line and mobile bundles, including its Halo for business product. The bundles will be provided completely free of charge for the first six months on a 24-month contract. BT recently launched its Small Business Support Scheme…

Self Assessment customers can apply online for additional support to help spread the cost of their tax bill into monthly payments from 1 October, without the need to call HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The online payment plan service can already be used to set up instalment arrangements for paying tax liabilities up to £10,000. From 1 October 2020, HMRC has increased the threshold to £30,000 for Self Assessment customers, to help ease any potential financial burden they may be experiencing due to the coronavirus pandemic. The increased self-serve Time to Pay limit of £30,000 follows the Chancellor of the…

THE loyalty of long-standing customers has helped many local businesses through the Coronavirus pandemic. Among them is Afonwen Craft Centre and its popular Edenshine Restaurant, based near Caerwys, Flintshire. Owners Janet Monshin Dallolio and Adrian Dallolio were forced to shut down the attraction in March for the first time in more than 28 years of business, when the UK went into lockdown for the first time. It was a challenging period, but the couple – both accomplished chef/bakers – expanded their takeout service and made home deliveries of delicious chilled and frozen items prepared fresh onsite using local produce. “We…

Detailed plans for a new housing development on the former Clariant site in Church Village, Llantwit Fardre, have been drawn up. Bellway Wales has submitted a reserved matters planning application to Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, for 95 homes to be built on the 7.5-acre site, which lies surrounded by woodland to the south-west of Church Village. The derelict site, off Llantrisant Road, was used by Clariant for producing chemicals for care products until 2012 but has been vacant since, with all the buildings on the site now demolished. Bellway’s plans include two, three and four-bedroom houses for private…