Author: Rhys Gregory

Cardiff Bus remains an accredited living wage employer for the fifth year in a row as it continues to pay its 550 members of staff an hourly rate that is above the standard living wage. The bus operator has shown its support for Living Wage Week, which runs from Monday 9th to Sunday 15th November, as one of 263 accredited employers in Wales who are committed to ensuring staff wages meet the true cost of living and covers everyday needs. The living wage is an hourly rate of pay calculated by the Living Wage Foundation charity based on what people…

The Cardiff office of global property consultancy Knight Frank has recruited Rohan Short as a senior appointment in its expanding Business Rates advisory team in South Wales and the South West. He joins after spending 14 years at CBRE in Bristol, acting for many companies including Lloyds Banking Group, TSB, PWC, Pret a Manger, B&M and Sports Direct. Rohan has acted for, and advised, a wide range of landlords and occupiers of commercial properties throughout the region, reducing rates liabilities and saving many millions of pounds by prosecuting appeals against Rateable Values, and negotiating temporary reliefs and allowances. He said:…

Learna, the Cardiff-based provider of postgraduate online education, has experienced its highest student intake to date with 63% more students enrolling for 2020-21 than this time last year. Learna’s online courses span specialist Postgraduate Diploma’s and MSc’s for medical professionals, to a new portfolio of Executive MBA’s. Delivered in partnership with The University of South Wales and The University of Gibraltar, Learna courses offer an online alternative to standard postgraduate courses, providing a way for business and healthcare professionals to grow their skills from home. The significant growth in student numbers is accompanied by 16 new full-time hires for the…

A blind woman from Bridgend has been shortlisted for an RNIB See Differently ‘Coronavirus Heroes’ Award after she used her singing talent to help lift the spirits of her neighbours, as well as strangers far and wide, during the pandemic. Anne Wilkins, 67, has been blind since birth due to retinopathy of prematurity, a condition that can develop in premature babies. In May, during a ‘clap for the NHS’, Anne sang a mesmerising rendition of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ on her doorstep. She was accompanied by her great friend Sian Davies on keyboard and her neighbour, West End actor Alyn Hawke, filmed her recital and shared it online.…

House parties, large outdoor gatherings and breaches of travel restrictions have all been the focus of enforcement action by South Wales Police in the last few days. In line with forces throughout the UK, the force has worked to maintain a consistent approach of policing by consent regardless of which coronavirus restrictions are in place. While the majority continue to do their bit to support the collective effort to slow the spread of the virus, officers have been left with little option but to enforce the regulations on a number of occasions both during and post the firebreak period. In…

After 205 days, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (UHB) has formally left Ysbyty Calon Y Ddraig, Dragon’s Heart Hospital. The hospital will now complete its decommissioning plan to allow for the reinstatement of the Principality Stadium. Ysbyty Calon Y Ddraig, Dragon’s Heart Hospital, the second-largest field hospital in the UK, was constructed as part of NHS Wales’ response to Covid-19. The hospital is an example of how Cardiff and Vale UHB worked collaboratively with a wide range of partners including Cardiff Council, Welsh Rugby Union, Cardiff Blues, The Armed Forces, Mott MacDonald, Archus, Q5, BDP and ES Global. To…

A joint initiative between Bouygues UK and Cardiff Blues Community Foundation to engage secondary school pupils in career discussions was launched this week at Pencoedtre High School in Barry. Cardiff Blues Tackle scheme is a sport engagement programme linked with essential and life skills workshops aimed to engage, inspire and motivate young people through an alternative curriculum experience. The eight-week course aims to engage pupils from years 8 to 10 initially, through workshops and practical sessions geared towards career aspirations and higher education avenues. It aims to give children the chance to develop their employability skills and develop prospects by…

A Cardiff man who turned his life around through boxing has been crowned a  ‘lockdown legend’ in the 2020 National Lottery Awards for his work in the community during the Coronavirus pandemic.   Wasim Said, 29, a doorman and mixed martial arts fighter from Butetown, Cardiff, has been named as the UK-wide winner of the Sport Category in this year’s National Lottery Award for his inspirational work in helping young people and his community in recent months. And there was a special surprise in store for Wasim today, as former heavyweight and cruiserweight world champion, David Haye (aka The Hayemaker),…

The Chief Medical Officer for Wales has welcomed the news that a Covid-19 vaccine could be ready this year but has warned “that these are very early days”. Dr Frank Atherton said it could be towards the end next year before a vaccine was rolled out fully to all the eligible population and in the meantime it is essential that everyone continues to observe social distancing, limit meeting in indoor spaces, wear face coverings where appropriate and practice good hand and cough hygiene. “This is an important step and a remarkable scientific achievement. But full safety data is needed before…

Economy Minister Ken Skates has written to tens of thousands of businesses in Wales urging them to make sure they are taking the necessary steps to prepare for the end of the EU transition period. With only 50 days to go, the Minister has set out some of the actions businesses must take to ensure they are best placed for both the end of the transition period and the possibility of a no deal. From 1 January 2021, the UK will have left the EU Single Market meaning businesses in Wales will no longer have access to the frictionless trade…