Author: Rhys Gregory

NAT Group has reassured the pubic that it is ready for an increase in passenger numbers as and when lockdown measures are reduced and people begin to return to work. NAT Group is one of South Wales’ leading transport providers with depots across the region and over 150 vehicles. Adapting to current safety measures, the operator has been running reduced services since the ‘Stay at Home’ message was first announced in March, as well as free travel for key workers and a contactless payment system. It was also one of the first operators in the UK to introduce a temporary…

Despite the UK being in an enforced lockdown due to Covid-19, Cardiff-based website development agency, Illustrate Digital, has managed to attract five new clients to its books across the technology, legal and B2C sectors. In addition, the agency now has a majority female board thanks to two new board appointments. It has promoted one of its longest standing team members, Melin Edomwonyi, to its board of directors and recruited Margaret Ascroft as the agency’s first Financial Director. In addition to all this, the agency has also re-branded to support its ambitious marketing strategy and align itself more closely to its…

Mrs Buckét, the specialist national cleaning operation, today launches two new service offerings, a monthly prevention service and the Spot Check Hygiene audit, in the bid to help get businesses back to work safely as the COVID-19 lockdown begins to change.  The first of its kind for the South West and Wales, Mrs Buckét has invested £35,000 in a new chemical which provides up to 30 days of protection on surfaces, even after normal cleaning and wash down procedures. Hailed for its use in New Zealand, widely lauded as one of the world’s most successful countries in dealing with the outbreak of coronavirus, the chemical creates a protective layer which attracts and kills organisms mechanically, removing the risk of cross contamination, resistance or mutation. No business in the…

Gary Howells, a first year BSc Sport and Exercise Science student at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD), is close to completing an epic charity challenge – running 10 marathons in 10 days. A highly experienced athlete and popular running coach, Gary Howells from Llanelli is undertaking the challenge by running on a treadmill in his house and is determined to raise as much money as possible for the Brathay Trust, the NHS as well as numerous other local charities.  He’s already managed to raise over £6000 thanks to the generosity of local donors as we well as…

A PARTNERSHIP that has seen the University of South Wales (USW) collaborate with institutions across Europe has come into its own during the Covid-19 pandemic, ensuring students can continue their studies online. Between 2014 and 2017, the DECAMP programme was set up to deliver specialist modules focused on ICT Security. The blended online modules – provided by institutions in Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Spain, and USW – were designed to give students an understanding of how to deal with sophisticated cyber attacks and how to effectively investigate them. With the programme web-based since 2017, the experience of providing online courses…

The laburnum arch at the National Trust’s world famous Bodnant Garden in Conwy has produced its earliest blooms for a decade, following a record amount of sunshine in April and May. The arch reached full flower on 15 May, almost a week earlier than last year and two weeks earlier than in 2010. The 55m-long archway – believed to be the longest and oldest of its kind in Britain – is the most anticipated highlight in the garden’s calendar. Adam Salvin, Assistant Head Gardener, said: “I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the laburnum burst into flower every year for 23…

National law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has announced the appointment of Kelvin Balmont as its new Chairman. A partner in the corporate team and head of the Southampton office, Kelvin takes over from Jonathan Morton who has served three years in the role. Kelvin joined Clarke Willmott as a senior associate in 2004, shortly after the firm opened its Southampton office, and has since become a highly regarded corporate partner and head of office. Kelvin, who was elected to the position by the firm’s other partners, said: “I’m delighted to have been appointed Chairman and look forward to continuing the…

The Welsh NHS Confederation and the Arts Council of Wales are highlighting the health benefits creativity can have on the wellbeing of the population during the Coronavirus pandemic. As Mental Health Awareness Week and Creative Wellbeing Week begin today, it is more important than ever we all take steps to look after ourselves and the most vulnerable in our communities. According to the 2016-17 National Survey for Wales, 440,000 people in Wales reported feeling lonely or isolated. This number is now likely to be much higher during the lockdown period. The effects of loneliness and isolation can be as harmful…

Ceredigion Museum in Aberystwyth holds more than 65,000 historic artefacts that tell the story of Ceredigion from prehistoric times to the modern day. To accommodate these, the Cynnal y Cardi Local Action Group, via the LEADER scheme, has supported a feasibility study to explore the options of creating a state-of-the-art, eco-friendly storage facility to accommodate all of the museum’s stored collections. Friends of Ceredigion Museum’s feasibility study, Collection for a Nation, is the second stage of a three-stage forward plan ‘Transformations’. This will improve sustainability and increase public access to collections which are of regional importance. Resulting from the study,…

An exciting bid to bring the Worldchefs Congress and Expo to Wales in 2024 moved a step closer as the Culinary Association of Wales (CAW) won the first round of voting in Europe by a landslide margin. The major culinary event, which attracts 1,000 chefs and between 5,000 and 10,000 visitors from around the globe, would be held at ICC Wales, Newport. The bid is the subject of a Team Wales approach, with the CAW supported by ICC Wales, the Celtic Manor Resort and the Welsh Government. In the first round vote this week, 63% of the European presidents, who…