Author: Rhys Gregory

The new owner of Swansea’s grade two listed Albert Hall has announced exciting plans for its future. Simon Baston, director of LoftCo that specialises in 24/7 sustainable living, wants to undertake work to the value of £7m to preserve the former Victorian music hall for future generations. Through his company LoftCo, he has been working with Swansea Council to secure significant grant funding from another party. The council also provided loan funding via its Town Centre Loan fund to support the acquisition of the property. Mr Baston bought the property at the end of last month (note: April) and is…

A Carmarthen carpenter has led his management team to complete a multi-million management buy-out of the double glazing company that he set-up in 1989.  Funded by the Development Bank of Wales with a mix of loan and equity, the management team of award winning Nolan uPVC has bought the business from the current Managing Director, Nolan Nicholas. With 56 employees, Nolan operates from a 52,000 sq ft state-of-the-art facility in Johnstown, Carmarthen that includes a walk-in design studio. A further operational depot and design studio is located on North Road, Cardiff. Nolan was named as Installer of the Year at…

GlobalWelsh, an independent not-for-profit focused on connecting and engaging the Welsh diaspora, has launched MyMentor/FyMentor, a GlobalWelsh Academy mentoring programme focused on connecting members of the GlobalWelsh community with mentors around the world to support their career and business growth ambitions. The programme is currently welcoming interest from mentees and mentors within the community who will then be matched based on their skills, expertise and aspirations. GlobalWelsh currently has a growing global community of members in over 40 countries and is focused on facilitating meaningful connections between Wales and the Welsh diaspora around the world for the economic benefit of…

The RSPCA has launched an appeal for information following a cat shooting in Wrexham. Officers from the charity were alerted after a female cat, named Willow, was found to have a large air pellet lodged in the bone of her leg, near to the elbow joint. Her owner – Katie Judd – rushed Willow, who is 11 and a half months old, to the vets after she was found outside her Minafon property on the evening of 18 April limping and acting very frightened. Willow had grass stains on her nose, and her face was covered in dirt. There were…

COUNCILLOR Anthony Hunt has been elected Chair of the Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) City Deal Regional Cabinet. The Torfaen County Borough Council Leader was unanimously elected to the role by the leaders of the nine other CCR City Deal local authority partners at the annual general meeting of the Regional Cabinet. Anthony Hunt brings with him a wealth of experience gained at all levels of government having worked in parliament, in Whitehall and in the National Assembly of Wales prior to taking up his current position of Leader of Torfaen Borough Council in December 2016. Anthony is also a Trustee…

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Health Minister has today (Tuesday 5th May) announced new arrangements to ensure people who are shielding or self-isolating can continue to get their prescription medicines in partnership with the National Pharmacy Association, Wales’ third sector organisations and Royal Mail. The arrangements will support community pharmacies and dispensing doctors to allocate deliveries to volunteer drivers where people do not have family, friends or neighbours who can collect their prescriptions for them.  Working with the National Pharmacy Association,  Pro Delivery Manager, a web-based delivery tracking system developed in Wales to support the deliveries of prescriptions,…

The Deputy Minister and Chief Whip, Jane Hutt, has welcomed the Justice Minister Lucy Frazer’s announcement that the first residential centre for women offenders will be in Wales. Many women are sent to prison, often for low-level summary offences, where the impact of incarceration has a catastrophic impact on them and their families. The Minister also welcomed an additional £2.5m funding to further advance the Female Offending Strategy in England and Wales. The first Residential Women’s Centre in Wales will provide accommodation for vulnerable women with complex needs who would otherwise be sentenced to custody. It will also aim to…

Deliveroo and M&S have announced that customers can now order an expanded M&S Food range on the Deliveroo app, via the Cardiff store. This announcement follows the launch of more than 100 M&S BP Franchise stores in March. The extended range will mean customers can enjoy quick and easy dinner options such as restaurant quality Gastropub meals, popular prepared meals such as Indian, Chinese and Italian as well as a wide selection of M&S’s fantastic fresh produce for your own scratch cooking. Not to mention treats such as Chocolate Eclairs and New York Cheesecake, and the odd pack of Percy…

170-strong team of nursing staff have been trained to work in critical care units across North Wales and save as many lives as possible during the Covid-19 pandemic. The reinforcements have completed a fast-track course supported by Bangor University’s School of Health Sciences, more than doubling the numbers available to work in the region’s Intensive Care Units. As a result, the upskilled staff are ready to start working on the coronavirus frontline at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan and the Maelor in Wrexham. A key role in the three-day course was played by a team led…

A leading Welsh medtech company has received significant equity funding to develop the digital element of a new rapid test to support authorities fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Cardiff-based Bond Digital Health is part of an international consortium that is producing a diagnostic test for patients suspected of having Covid-19. The consortium was set up by Canadian company Sona Nanotech Inc. and includes GE Healthcare Life Sciences. The new test is based on lateral flow technology, which is used in a wide range of human diagnostics, including for infectious diseases such as cholera, malaria and HIV. The test will be affordable,…