Author: Rhys Gregory

Women are abandoning their dreams of starting their own businesses because of the pressures of the Covid-19 crisis. That’s the warning from Ceri Gillett, who runs a social enterprise designed to support parents to launch and grow businesses across Wales. Ceri, who also runs a catering company with her partner, James, launched Mubo to offer workshops and digital support to those wanting to take the plunge and start a business, especially in rural areas. She said she had spoken to many women, especially mothers, who had found the pressures of lockdown, particularly having children at home, put paid to their…

New research by Welsh academics shows that a patient’s pupils can reveal if they have suffered a traumatic experience in the past. Posttraumatic stress disorder can occur when a person has experienced a traumatic event such as a car crash, combat stress, or abuse. They can be left with a greater sensitivity, or hyperarousal, to everyday events and an inability to switch off and relax. The research, led by Dr Aimee McKinnon at Cardiff University and published in the journal Biological Psychology, looked for traces of these traumatic events in the eyes of patients who were suffering from PTSD by…

Dairy producers are reaching new customers by developing from milking machine to vending machine. Self-serve milk vending machines are growing in popularity, and with Cywain’ s help a number of Welsh dairy farms are taking up the technology – and providing a modern twist on traditional farmgate sales. Dewi Evans, Cywain Project Manager, said “Milk vending machines are another way producers can sell direct to the public, adding value to their milk by establishing a premium product brand. “Cywain is working with a number of Welsh producers to create their brands and launch their vending businesses. Also, such has been…

Earlier this month, Cadw successfully re-opened 43 of its unstaffed, free-entry monuments and on Saturday (18 July), the historic environment service revealed a phased re-opening plan for selected staffed sites in its care, including some of Wales’s most iconic historical attractions. The news follows the First Minister’s recent announcement that indoor visitor attractions in Wales are now able to re-open under Welsh Government social distancing regulations and guidelines. With a new online ticketing system in place, Cadw intends to re-open 18 of its staffed heritage sites in phases this summer, starting with Blaenavon Ironworks, Plas Mawr Elizabethan Townhouse in Conwy…

A group of organisations, artists and young people in Pontypridd have come together to support older residents shielding or living in isolation by bringing them a crafted Window Box, packed with creative ideas to keep them busy and connected to their community during lockdown. Window Boxes for Wellbeing is an initiative by Rhondda Ward Old Age Welfare & Citrus Arts, which aims to support residents of Pontypridd who are shielding or may be suffering due to isolation during the COVID-19 crisis. Supported by the Lottery Community Fund, Rhondda Cynon Taff Covid Community Activities grant, Interlink ICF Older persons grant &…

The coronavirus pandemic has driven huge change in people’s travel habits, with many more of us walking and cycling to work, shops and for recreation than before. Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport, is determined to grasp this opportunity for change and make sure people continue to ditch the car in favour of cycling or walking when the coronavirus pandemic is over. Today, the Welsh Government has announced £38 million to make Wales a safer place to cycle, scoot and walk. Together with the £15.4m announced last month, this is the largest ever investment in local active travel…

Playgrounds, funfairs and community centres in Wales will reopen today, First Minister Mark Drakeford announced on Friday. Outdoor gyms will also be able to operate as part of the latest measures to lift Wales’ coronavirus restrictions. This is the second of a three-week package of measures to re-open large parts of Wales’ tourism, hospitality and leisure sectors, which was announced as part of the latest 21-day review of the coronavirus regulations last week. First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “We continue to look carefully at the latest medical and scientific evidence and the current state of the virus as we make…

30 children’s play areas in Cardiff will be re-opened on Monday (20thJuly) following the removal of Welsh Government restrictions on their use. All nine of the city’s outdoor gyms will also re-open on Monday. Play areas are being opened on phased basis, following a safety first approach and with a view to ensuring that children across the city have some play provision in their local area asquickly as possible. Prior to re-opening, equipment and safety surfaces have been checked, and changes have been made to help maintain social distancing and minimise risk of transmitting Covid-19 – for example, some swing…

Max Polyakov is no stranger to the space industry. He is the founder and managing partner at Noosphere Ventures. Noosphere Venture is a space-based company that invests in projects promoting space technology. Polyakov is a Ph.D. graduate in International Economics. He is a co-author of philosophical and scientific works on noospherology, semiotics, and innovation in economics. He is also a prolific writer and has published over 20 scientific papers on a wide range of topics. In 2019, Max Polyakov became a Doctor of Economic Science. But, Max is not only an academician. He is also an entrepreneur with footprints in…

Modern life cannot be imagined without creative technology. We are used to finding what we need quickly and don’t agree to revert to outmoded practices. We can scold technology and say it takes up a lot of our time, but here are a few reasons we love technology and can’t do without it. Technology Makes It Easy to Find Information How did people choose a restaurant 10 years ago? They called friends or asked local people. Today, you can find an answer to any question on the Internet. How reliable the information you find is another question. For example, if…