Author: Rhys Gregory

SPECSAVERS has launched a new audiology service in Wales, supporting people across South East and South West Wales, from Fishguard to Caerphilly, who are unable to visit their high street stores. The new team of hearing experts will provide free home hearing checks to those who cannot leave their homes unaccompanied. The service is being led by audiology directors Andrew Williams and Matthew Maguire, who have joined forces with the existing optics Home Visits team to expand services beyond eye care. It offers the full range of hearing services available at Specsavers stores – from hearing checks and wax removal…

Dominic Thew, General Manager of Tredegar-based Atal UK has completed a management buy-out of structural and basement waterproofing business in a deal that has been part-funded by a seven-figure debt and equity investment from the Development Bank of Wales. Atal UK was established in 2012. Based on the Tafarnaubach Industrial Estate, the company now employs 19 people and provides structural and basement waterproofing services along with ground gas protection solutions for architects, contractors and groundworkers throughout the UK. Dominic joined Atal in 2015. He will take over from business founder David Rees. Dominic Thew said: “I’ve worked alongside David over…

RSPCA Cymru has launched an appeal for information after an unwell puppy was found abandoned in Merthyr Tydfil. The puppy – a 12-week-old female black Patterdale Terrier – was found on Wednesday 11 June near Pengarnddu Stables in Dowlais. Deputy Chief Inspector (DCI) Gemma Cooper said: “This puppy was found by a member of the public who kindly took her to a vets. “She is extremely small for her age as she weighs just 900 grams – similar to the weight of a loaf of bread. “She has Ricketts, and has a docked tail and was struggling to walk using…

KNOOPS, the British brand revolutionising chocolate drinks with its unique and completely customisable chocolate % menu, is opening its 27th UK store in St David’s Cardiff, the first in Wales. This store is a big milestone for KNOOPS as it reaches another new territory, with this location completing stores in all countries across the UK. Opening its doors in Cardiff city centre on The Hayes at St David’s,  on Friday 20th June, shoppers will be able to customise their bespoke hot chocolates, iced chocolates, and milkshakes from KNOOPS’ extensive menu of chocolate %s and additions. Founded by Jens Knoop in…

Black Sheep Coffee, the Robusta rebels on a mission to disrupt the coffee scene, are crossing the border and landing in North Wales, with a brand-new store opening at Broughton on 26th June 2025. This marks Black Sheep Coffee’s first site in North Wales, and third across the country, with two existing locations in Cardiff – and it’s bringing the full force of the brand’s signature energy with it. Broughton is a well-established destination for shopping, dining, and days out, home to a range of leading brands and a popular cinema. And now, it’s levelling up its coffee game. Expect…

Time is running out for Welsh employers to apply for a fully funded apprenticeship at Coleg Sir Gâr which aims to upskill their teams with the green skills businesses need to future proof practices and reach environmental targets. The College, which offers the fully funded Level 3 Energy and Carbon Management Apprenticeship as part of their Green Skills Academy, has put out a final call for applications to be made by 20th June. Limited places are available, as high demand from across the region highlights that many businesses recognise the need to upskill their teams with the knowledge that will…

CAE, a Swansea-based charity, has been awarded a £75,000 grant by Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales. This crucial funding will enable the charity to strengthen its support services for refugees and asylum seekers in South Wales, helping them overcome systemic barriers and achieve economic independence. Lloyds Bank Foundation announced the funding as part of its programme for specialist community organisations across England and Wales, totalling £6.2 million. Deeply rooted in the communities they serve, specialist charities like CAE build trusted relationships that go beyond short-term interventions – they listen without judgement, advocate for those who go unheard, and…

For the first time in South Wales, Techniquest will be hosting the cracking Wallace & Gromit: All Systems Go AR Trail as part of their Summer of Invention programme of events from 19 July – 31 August 2025. The interactive trail will take visitors on a unique journey around the science discovery centre in Cardiff Bay this summer, alongside over 100 hands-on exhibits, live science shows, creative workshops, planetarium tours and more. From Saturday 19 July, Techniquest visitors can bring Wallace and Gromit to life in 3D by downloading the free Wallace & Gromit: All Systems Go AR Trail app…

local developer has helped a Swansea county rugby club with their roof fund. Persimmon Homes West Wales has donated £1,000 to Pontarddulais RFC as part of the five-star housebuilder’s Community Champions scheme. Persimmon had previously donated £2,000 to “The Bont” last year as part of a long-term partnership with the local rugby club, and is now lending a helping hand once again as the clubhouse needs a roof repair following years of wear and tear. The plans also will see the addition of solar panels to improve the day to day running costs of the club into the future. Established…

A married couple have been jailed for multiple counts of supplying class A drugs, following a South Wales Police investigation. Curtis Price, aged 29, from Aberdare and Sarah Price, aged 25, also from Aberdare, pleaded guilty to supplying, cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin and being in possession of criminal property when they first appeared at Merthyr Magistrates’ Court on Friday, May 16, 2025. They were sentenced on Friday, June 13, to a combined six and a half years in prison. This followed on from Thursday, May 15, 2025, when officers stopped the couple in a local industrial estate where they…