Author: Rhys Gregory

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…

There has been a warm reception for Monday’s announcement from the Government granting a two-year extension to the period legally permitted for fertility clinics to store frozen eggs, sperm and embryos for use in assisted fertility procedures. The extension increases the routine storage period from 10 to 12 years, in order to allow additional time for the resumption of fertility services which are currently on hold because of coronavirus. Health minister, Lord Bethell, explained that the move is to ensure “…those that have embryos, sperm or eggs stored as part of their treatment are not unfairly caught out by the…

DETERMINED fundraisers across Wales are set to Race for Life at Home as they refuse to let the fight against cancer falter in these unprecedented times. Organisers Cancer Research UK have postponed events for this spring and summer to protect the country’s health during the coronavirus outbreak. This includes Race for Life events in Bute park, Cardiff which were due to take place on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th July . But as the country continues on lockdown, undeterred women and men are already vowing to carry on and complete a Race for Life challenge at home, in their garden…

Innovative Welsh company Good Day Out is offering fun virtual encounters with its little animals, streamed live from the Brecon Beacons. Choose from a mini donkey pottering about, a Kune Kune pig, chunky pony, little duck or Toro, the cuddly guinea pig. Not only are these funny ways to surprise your co-workers in a Zoom meeting, but they also have an extra feelgood mission. With every appearance, half the money raised will go to the animal filmed to help support their health and welfare. The other half will go to a new fund which supports the wellbeing of NHS staff…

TGI Fridays has today revealed it will be giving fans that ‘Fridays Feeling’ ahead of the first May bank holiday with a brand-new Click & Collect service. Launching on Wednesday 6th May, the new ordering system will allow guests to order their food and pay for it online then collect it from outside their nearest restaurant, where safety is a priority and social distancing measures are fully in place. A specially tailored menu made up of 22 Fridays favourite dishes, covering a range of appetisers, mains, desserts and kids’ options will be available to Click & Collect from the 24…