Author: Rhys Gregory

Anglesey based Red Boat Ice Cream Parlour is keeping the North Wales healthcare workers and patients’ spirits up during the coronavirus crisis by donating free ice cream and sorbets. The award-winning ice cream parlour, which specialises in creating traditional handmade gelato ice cream has been delivering pots of their ice cream and sorbets to hospitals, hospices and care homes across Anglesey and North Wales since the lockdown. “We had made plenty of our homemade gelato ice cream and sorbets in readiness for the spring and summer tourism season and we thought instead of it sitting in the freezer not being…

Principality Building Society has been named as one of UK’s Best Workplaces™. The largest building society in Wales ranked 11th in the super large employer category of the UK Best Workplace™ awards by Great Place to Work®. Now in its 20th year, the UK’s Best Workplaces™ awards are based on the results of the Trust Index© employee survey and a Culture Audit©.  Both show that Principality has created an inclusive culture that rewards, values and celebrates colleagues and teams for outstanding behaviours. Through the Society’s colleague-led skills exchange network, learning at work week and Cuppa Club network, colleagues are able…

The Welsh Government and children and young people’s organisations across Wales are urging the public to help keep children safe through the coronavirus pandemic Julie Morgan, Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, and experts from leading children’s organisations have provided a joint statement including a list of five services that are still providing support throughout the lockdown. Julie Morgan, Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, said: I want to give a clear message that our children’s services are available and open as usual to anyone that needs support. This is why today we have issued a joint statement…

A Treforest business has bounced back from flood devastation by making locally-sourced hand sanitiser and distributing it across the UK – having produced an emergency supply of 20,000 bottles for local frontline staff.  The operation has also resulted in 13 new jobs created thanks to the company’s significant investment in its production line, and has a very small carbon footprint as the entire manufacturing process is completed on site. Gwalia Healthcare, based at Treforest Industrial Estate, specialises in the manufacture of medical devices and pharmaceutical packaging. It was one of hundreds of businesses severely affected by Storm Dennis just 11…

A leading academic says the seismic shift in the way companies operate as a result of the coronavirus crisis will see many more staff working from home in future rather in an office. According to economics expert Dr Edward Jones, from Bangor University’s Business School, the world of work is very unlikely to be the same again when the pandemic is over. But it’s not all doom and gloom for a workforce which is getting to grips with working from home or has used their time on furlough to upskill themselves. Dr Jones also reckons that bosses will see the…

Cardiff man Chris Jones has rowed the distance between Cardiff and London to raise thousands of pounds for leading disability charity Leonard Cheshire’s urgent PPE appeal. Chris raised £5289, more than three times his original target of £1500, after being inspired by fundraisers like Captain Tom Moore to make a difference. Chris, who works for executive search firm Odgers Berndtson, rowed 242km (150 miles) over five days. This is the distance between his home on the outskirts of Cardiff and his employer’s head office at Cannon Street in London. Leonard Cheshire was voted in as Odgers Berndtson’s annual charity partnership…

Bot-Hive, a digital marketplace for robotics and AI solutions has successfully completed a six-figure equity funding round. Bot-Hive is a digital marketplace which connects SMEs with the right automation technology for their business and shows them the best way to introduce robots to their workflow processes. The round was led by new investor the Development Bank of Wales with an investment of £250,000 – with continued further investment from its pre-seed lead investor Britbots. Britbots is a specialist robotics, artificial intelligence and automation business investor. Set-up in 2016 they support a portfolio of early stage businesses offering sustainable solutions to…

An engineering company that provides vital services to NHS hospitals throughout the South West and Wales is using funding support from NatWest so it can continue helping frontline medical staff during the coronavirus pandemic. Rotamec, which is headquartered in Cheddar and has offices in Exeter, Pontypool and Redditch, is a specialist engineering firm that supports multiple sectors with the provision and repair of electrical and mechanical infrastructures and facilities. These include important heating and pump systems used in hospital theatres and patient wards, which are under increased pressure because of the COVID-19 outbreak. The business, which employs 65 members of…

The Education Minister, Kirsty Williams, has announced up to £3 million to support ‘digitally excluded’ learners during the coronavirus pandemic. As part of the ‘Stay Safe. Stay Learning’ programme, the Welsh Government is working with local authorities to support digitally excluded learners during the current pandemic. A ‘digitally excluded’ learner is defined as a student who does not have access to an appropriate internet-connected device to participate in online learning activities from home. Local authorities, working closely with their schools, will utilise the funding to provide digitally excluded learners with repurposed school devices and 4G MiFi connectivity where required.  Replacement…

Swansea residents who make use of the city’s foodbanks are set to have additional items included this week. There will be family activity packs collated by the council’s Cultural Services team including drawing and colouring materials supplied by local businesses. Robert Francis-Davies, the council’s cabinet member for investment, regeneration and tourism, said: “The activity packs will help many families looking to keep active. “I thank the businesses that have donated to this initiative and the council officers who have made it happen – they’re all here for Swansea at this difficult time, in the same way that they are when…