Author: Rhys Gregory

An outdoor sports enthusiast has turned his passion for life on the wild side into a business converting run of the mill cars and vans into life-changing adventure vehicles. Tommy Chamings started Simple Camper Vans in Caernarfon after friends admired the conversion job he’d done on his old Peugeot Partner and asked him to do the same for them – the fold-out kit converts into a sleeping platform and a seating area with a table. The Sheffield University mechanical engineering graduate from Llandudno now has bespoke designs for over 20 different vehicles and with starting prices at £299 no shortage…

A couple returned to Swansea University to leave their own legacy at the place where they first met more than 60 years ago. John and Diana Lomax, who are both 90, planted a sapling on the Singleton campus as part of the University’s centenary oaks project which will see new trees planted during 2020. Mature oak trees already dominate the landscape at Singleton, providing a home for wildlife and benefiting the community by filtering the air, reducing flooding, moderating temperatures and offering a sense of wellbeing. Under the guidance of the University’s biodiversity officer Ben Sampson, students and staff have…

Simple but important new emergency coronavirus laws came into force on last week across Wales regarding shops.  In addition to the requirements that apply across both England and Wales, Welsh businesses that are permitted to remain open to the public are also now required to ‘take all reasonable measures to ensure that a distance of two metres is maintained between any persons on the business premises.’ The businesses must also ensure that persons are only admitted to their premises in sufficiently small numbers to ensure that the required distance is maintained, and to also take all reasonable measures to ensure…

The National Trust is asking people to celebrate the blossom season – emulating Hanami the ancient Japanese tradition of viewing and celebrating blossom as the first sign of spring. The conservation charity is encouraging those who can see a tree in flower to take a moment to pause, actively notice and enjoy the fleeting beauty of blossom, and share their images on social media for those who can’t see blossom themselves – to kick off a new British tradition of #BlossomWatch. The move is part of the Trust’s campaign to help people of all ages to become more connected with…

Hay Festival has today launched #IMAGINETHEWORLD, a global series of new digital initiatives to connect, inspire and entertain book lovers and home learners in isolated times. Launched this week, the new Hay Festival Podcast gives free access to conversations with the greatest writers and thinkers from Hay Festival events globally, supported by Baillie Gifford. Available on all the major podcasting feeds, series 1 kicks off with Hay Festival president Stephen Fry in conversation with East West Street author Philippe Sands, while upcoming guests include Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Hilary Mantel, Naomi Klein, Caitlin Moran and more. Hay Player offers full digital access to the…

Cardiff Council has issued an urgent appeal for social  care and social workers to join the authority and play a vital role in helping communities through the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The Council is seeking to recruit new and former social care workers as soon as possible to help ensure the delivery of care and support for Cardiff’s vulnerable people during a time of intense demand. The authority is also looking for more social workers to join the Social Work Cardiff team and is keen to hear from practitioners at all levels, from newly qualified to experienced social workers as well…

People across Wales and the UK have joined in a second “Clap for Carers” tribute, to say thanks to NHS staff and other key workers involved in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Front-line workers including delivery drivers, supermarket staff, care workers and bin collectors were among those honoured. Households across Cardiff got involved, banging pots and pans, while others rang bicycle bells and more. The event is now expected to happen every Thursday at 20:00 BST. Households gathered on doorstep, gardens and windows to pay tribute to the efforts of key workers during the crisis. Vaughan Gething, Cabinet Secretary…

The AMRC Cymru is one of several key sites set to host the rapid manufacturing of ventilators as part of a consortium of businesses united under the VentilatorChallengeUK initiative. Building on a UK-wide effort, manufacturing will begin in early April at the Welsh Government-owned facility at Broughton, which is managed by the University of Sheffield’s renowned Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC). The VentilatorChallengeUK consortium includes AMRC Cymru anchor tenant Airbus, along with BAE systems, Rolls Royce, GKN Aerospace and Siemens UK among others, who have taken many of their best people from key projects and dedicated significant resources to serve…

The number of confirmed new Coronavirus cases have risen by 284 in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 2,121, a marginal increase on yesterday’s figure. There has also been 19 further deaths of people who had tested positive for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number of deaths in Wales to 117. Dr Robin Howe, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: “284 new cases have tested positive for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 2,121, although the true number of cases is…

Industry experts discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 virus and subsequent government measures on businesses.