Author: Rhys Gregory

A Bangor University Zoology with Conservation alumnus will feature in a new Channel 4 documentary Scotland: My Life in the Wild this Saturday (12 December) at 6pm.   This one-off programme follows wildlife cameraman and Bangor alumnus Hamza Yassin as he endeavours to capture iconic species like red deer, pine martens, white-tailed sea eagles and puffins that live on his doorstep. The programme features the Ardnamurchan peninsula on the west coast of Scotland, which is one of the most spectacular wildlife locations on the planet.  Hamza graduated from Bangor with a BSc in Zoology with Conservation in 2011. His first opportunity as a presenter was on BBC’s The One Show as one of their…

The unsolved murder of a south Wales taxi driver is being reviewed in the hope that advances in forensic capabilities and changes in loyalties will bring about justice four decades later. Detectives at South Wales Police’s Specialist Crime Review Unit are once again examining the case of John ‘Jack’ Armstrong, a 58-year-old man who was found murdered in October 1979 after he collected a customer from Cardiff in his taxi. On October 5th, Jack, as he was known by family and friends, radioed in to confirm he’d collected the fare from a Fairwater pub, but was not heard from again.…

Festive travellers looking to use public transport over the Christmas and New Year period are advised to stay aware of last minute service changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Traveline Cymru is urging members of the public to check the latest public transport travel information via its dedicated Christmas and New Year Travel Information page. The Welsh Government’s public transport information service will be updating its page and social channels with service changes as it becomes available. Traveline Cymru is also encouraging the public not to forget to adhere to current Welsh Government COVID-19 guidelines when making plans to travel.…

Work is underway on the final phase of the redevelopment of Dewi Sant Health Park in Pontypridd. The second phase of the work will continue to bring together a range of health and social services under one roof, including community dentistry, mental health and substance misuse services and a newly refurbished diagnostic radiology suite. The work follows the successful completion of phase one of the development which saw a GP surgery move into the building, alongside services including Sexual Health, the @Home service, and third sector organisations who run workshops and courses from the health park’s Primary Care Resource Centre.…

Currencycloud, the leading embedded cross-border solutions platform, today announced plans to invest £1.5 million on measures to embrace remote-first working across its business as it envisages life after the pandemic. The policy marks a mindset shift, with remote work being assumed as the default going forward.  Offices in prime locations such as London, New York, and Amsterdam will remain part of the footprint, however plan to be refurbished and optimised for relationship building and collaboration as opposed to siloed open plan working.  They will also be used at employees’ discretion, with no set quota of when employees are required to…

Five Welsh firms transitioned to the Employee Ownership model in 2020, in a move that is part of a growing trend that will continue to gain traction in Wales, according to some of the leading experts in the field. This year saw the Employee Ownership model being adopted by an increasing number of firms in Wales including BIC Innovation, Wavehill, Heron House Financial Management, Lorax Ltd (Heinie Haynes) and Arfon Timber. Paul Cantrill from the Employee Ownership Wales team at Social Business Wales, which provides fully-funded Employee Ownership help and advice, said: “Congratulations to BIC Innovation, Wavehill Research, Heron House…

Manufacturing businesses across Wales can remain at the forefront of innovation, thanks to £4 million of EU funding announced by the Welsh Government. The extra support will build on the success of Wales’ top higher education Institutions industry-led research partnership by extending the ASTUTE 2020 (Advanced Sustainable Manufacturing Technologies) operation. Led by Swansea University in collaboration with Aberystwyth University, Cardiff University, the University of South Wales and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, ASTUTE 2020 has been collaborating with industry for ten years, delivering high impact demand-led research, development and innovation within the manufacturing sector across Wales. Thanks to…

Dragon Taxis has donated 240 Christmas selection boxes to a local community organisation to support families in need this festive season. The Bigger Picture, based at the Community Hub in Francis Drive, Pill, was set up by sisters Carys and Rachel Jones in 2018. The organisation aims to support the local community by promoting inclusivity through arts projects. Prior to COVID-19 restrictions, the organisation hosted weekly activities including baby cafes, arts and crafts sessions, and performing arts classes. Recognising the impact of the pandemic on their community, The Bigger Picture established a food parcel scheme to distribute items to families…

Secondary Schools in Ceredigion will close for face to face learning from Monday, 14 December and all Primary Schools from Tuesday, 15 December 2020. From 15 to 18 December, all Ceredigion pupils will be taught remotely. Whilst school sites will physically close, schools will continue to provide high quality teaching digitally. This decision has been made with the full support of Head-teachers and Teaching Unions and in the best interest of pupils, their families and school staff. This decision reduces the potential for pupils needing to self-isolate over Christmas. Over recent days and weeks, there have been increasing cases of…

A number of new business support models are available to small businesses, providing a one-stop shop of support and facilitating their growth, according to a new study by ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). Traditionally, government initiatives and high street advice outlets provided a business support infrastructure for SMEs.  ACCA’s new report Space to Grow examines how new and emerging business support models are being used to allow more SMEs (small medium-sized enterprises) to achieve rapid growth, but also to support business recovery post Covid-19. The report is based on a number of case studies from around the world and…