Author: Rhys Gregory

The outlook for the Welsh housing market has improved following the General Election result, according to the December 2019 RICS Residential Market Survey, with price and sales expectations for the three months ahead increasing sharply. A net balance of +48 percent of respondents in Wales now expects prices to rise over the next three months and a net balance of +39 percent expects sales activity to increase in the same timeframe. Indeed, the sales expectations balance is now at its highest level since January 2018. Meanwhile the price expectations balance in Wales is the highest in the UK. This increase…

NPTC Group of Colleges’ Human Resources team is feeling extremely proud after hearing they have been shortlisted for a prestigious TES Award. The team have been named as one of the best Professional Services Teams in the UK, for its hugely successful ‘Supporting Mental Health Initiative’ (part of the Wellness at Work Programme). The Professional Services Team of the Year Award recognises the commitment of teams that work tirelessly behind the scenes at colleges and FE providers to improve practice in the sector and enhance the performance of its organisation as a whole. The aim of the HR team’s initiative…

A RECRUITER celebrating four decades in business has big ideas for the year ahead. 2019 was a memorable one for the team at North Wales recruitment firm, Supertemps. The Colwyn Bay and Anglesey-based group, which unveiled a new Bangor office just weeks ago, has taken on new staff in past months and grown its presence in north east Wales and Chester. The company’s IT, engineering and executive arm S2 Recruitment has also enjoyed a solid period despite uncertainty over Brexit which led to many industries delaying their hiring and expansion plans. Managing Director Sarah Ellwood is confident 2020 will see…

Two people in Blackwood are celebrating today after winning £1,000 each thanks to their lucky postcode. The High Street neighbours netted the windfall when NP12 3SZ was announced as a Daily Prize winner with People’s Postcode Lottery on Wednesday 15th January 2020. People’s Postcode Lottery ambassador Judie McCourt sent her well-wishes to the winners. She said: “What a great surprise to start the day! Congratulations to all our winners.” A minimum of 32% of ticket sales goes directly to charities and players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised over £500 million to date for thousands of good causes in Britain…

The Enterprise Hub – a collaboration between Menter Môn and M-SParc in Gaerwen – has launched Miwtini, a new business start-up programme for people in Conwy, Denbighshire, Anglesey and Gwynedd. The Miwtini programme will be holding training sessions on a variety of entrepreneurship topics to help individuals “make it happen”. The aim is for them to come into the programme with a business idea and leave ready to start, with a community of like-minded people to help them along the way. The workshops will encourage participants to try something out, making something happen, do something different or begin something new. The…

Anyone looking to find entertainment in Wales does not have to look too far. The country is blessed with well-known singers and lesser-known vocalists littering the bars and clubs. Today, much of the entertainment and casino industry has moved online, where people seek their thrills by playing slot machines or watching Welsh-made shows on streaming platforms like Netflix. Unfortunately, classic shows like these have become fewer and further between. New calls from different groups are asking the Welsh Government to do something about it and protect the future of the Welsh tv and film industry. The Background and Stats The creative industry is an…

The Wrexham Enterprise Hub is celebrating having reached more than a ‘century’ of members as 114 startups and small businesses have now called the coworking space home. The milestone was recognised with a visit from the Economy and Transport Minister, Ken Skates AM, who spoke with businesses based at the Hub about their experiences and plans for the new year. Since launching in May 2018 the Enterprise Hub has held more than 65 events and supported more than 300 individuals and businesses. As well as enabling businesses to start, the team in Wrexham have played a key role in helping…

A massive search has been launched to find two youngsters to take over the title roles in the hit TV series, Deian a Loli, about a mischievous pair of twins with secret super powers. Production company Cwmni Da are looking for two child actors to take over the main characters because the current duo, Gwern Jones, 11, from Llanrug, near Caernarfon, and Lowri Jarman, 12, from Llanuwchllyn, near Bala, are too long in the tooth to play the parts in the Welsh language series. According to producer Angharad Elen, no previous acting experience is necessary. The candidates will need to send…

A MULTI-MILLION pound early New Year present has arrived to turbo-charge the Swansea Bay City Deal. The first phase of City Deal funding – worth £18 million – has been released by the UK Government and Welsh Government for the investment programme, which covers Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Swansea. The funding is based on the approval of two City Deal projects – the Swansea City and Waterfront Digital District, and Canolfan S4C Yr Egin. Construction work has now started on a 3,500-capacity digital indoor arena on a site adjacent to the LC in Swansea. Also forming part of…

The police unit tasked with tackling serious and organised crime across southern Wales has been involved in more than 300 arrests and seized more than 30 kilogrammes of drugs during 2019. Tarian, the southern Wales regional organised crime unit is tasked with tackling serious and organised crime across southern Wales and managing the threat posed from crime types such as firearms supply, county drugs lines, child sexual exploitation, cybercrime and modern day slavery. In 2019, officers from the unit have directly arrested 47 people, secured jail sentences of 199 years for both drugs and cybercrime, recovered six weapons under firearms…