Author: Rhys Gregory

A Morriston Hospital team taking part in a life-saving research study has reached the peak of success when it comes to enlisting patients. The hospital’s stroke department is one of almost 50 international centres involved in the study, called ELAN (Early versus Late initiation of direct oral Anticoagulants in post-ischaemic stroke patients with atrial fibrillatioN). This focuses on patients with a heart condition known as atrial fibrillation (AF) who have had a stroke. Specifically, the study looks at the optimum time to give these patients anticoagulation, or blood-thinning, medication to reduce the risk of a further stroke. There are 17…

A major tourism campaign to promote North Wales as the Adventure Capital of Europe has been boosted by news that five top attractions are planning to invest £30 million and create 500 new jobs over the next five years. The famous five – Adventure Parc Snowdonia, GreenWood Family Park, Llechwedd, RibRide and Zip World – have joined forces with North Wales Tourism supported by the Welsh Government’s tourism team, Visit Wales, to launch the new drive The aim of the £165,000 campaign is to increase visitor numbers to North Wales and boost the tourism economy – which is already worth…

The University of South Wales (USW) is leading the way in increasing the number of women in cyber security. According the Government-run National Cyber Security Centre, only 11% of the global cyber security workforce are women. USW is beating the average, however, with women making up a quarter of the university’s cyber security lecturing team. Rachael Medhurst, 27, who returned to the university as its cyber security team expanded, has a Computer Forensics degree and masters in Digital Forensics from USW, while Elaine Haigh, a mum of six, worked as an analyst/developer in the utilities industry and was a further…

An innovative portfolio of major Neath Port Talbot projects aimed at helping tackle climate change while safeguarding the future of the steel industry has been given a regional stamp of approval. Following the thumbs-up at a meeting of the Swansea Bay City Deal’s Joint Committee, the business case for the £58.7 million Supporting Innovation and Low Carbon Growth programme will now be submitted to the UK Government and Welsh Government for final sign-off. With a targeted focus on the Port Talbot Harbourside area, the programme is projected to be worth £6.2 million a year to the local economy once all…

Cardiff Metropolitan University is leading the way with supporting talented athletes in education in Wales, having been accredited by the TASS (Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme) initiative. The Sport England-backed programme supports young sportspeople on the talent pathway to have the opportunity to gain qualifications alongside their sporting pursuits and follow other interests and personal development. By formally recognising an institution’s commitment to supporting student athletes, the TASS Dual Career Accreditation Scheme aims to allow athletes to reach their potential in education alongside achieving success in their sport. Referenced within the Education section of Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson’s Duty of Care in…

Welsh businesses are being urged to bid for work on the £135m Swansea Central Phase One scheme.  Principal contractor Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd, working in collaboration with Swansea Council, wants to maximise the use of local and regional expertise. There are 30 work packages available, with a total value of more than £23m. The value of the individual work packages starts from £10k. They include: Mechanical and electrical second tier sub-contractors – £12m; external building, including brickwork, doors, frames and glazing – £2m; internal fit-out and finishes, including walls, flooring and plaster/ render – £9m. A full breakdown of these…

TV and radio broadcaster Jason Mohammad has joined forces with Cardiff and Vale College to provide young people with a taste of what life is like in the real world of journalism and creative media production. In just five days, 100 handpicked learners from across the College’s netball, rugby, football and cricket academies, and from its creative media course and Cardiff City FC futsal programme, will be given the opportunity to experience what it’s really like to be face to face with the media, setting them up for either a career in professional sport or in the broadcast industry. From…

Vulnerable households in Wales continue to struggle as new government statistics reveal there were 1,400 excess winter deaths during 2018/19, partly caused by people living in cold and poorly insulated homes they can’t afford to adequately heat. Excess winter deaths are defined as the difference between the number of deaths in the winter months (December to March) compared with the previous (August to November) and following (April to July) three months. Once again, the latest figures indicate a clear rural-urban divide with rural parts of Wales experiencing a disproportionally higher number of winter deaths. This is partly due to rural…

Lucy joins the health and protection insurance comparison service during an exciting period of growth for the Cardiff-based company. Previously HR Manager at Kearns Solicitors, part of the Link Financial Group, Lucy brings a wealth of experience in ensuring people are at the core of business growth and success. Lucy said: “I’m thrilled to be taking my next steps with ActiveQuote at such an exciting time for the company, and I’m looking forward to working as part of a team which continues to deliver growth across the business. “We will be looking to increase the headcount by 25% (40 vacancies)…

Gulfood is recognised as one of the world’s largest food trade events that Wales has a long association with, which has helped to bring an array of Welsh produce to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Supported by the Welsh Government, ten companies from across the food and drink sector in Wales will be present at Gulfood 2020 from 16-20 February, under the Wales (UK) banner, all with the aim to promote Welsh food and drink and to help the businesses achieve export success. The Welsh companies exhibiting include Daioni Organic, Dairy Partners Cymru Wales, Rachel’s Dairy, Gut Instinct Foods,…