Author: Rhys Gregory

A magnificent response to an annual appeal for Swansea Bay’s homeless community will really spread some festive cheer this Christmas. And it’s the gift that keeps on giving, as the generosity of health board staff means the donations will last for many months to come. The health board’s sixth annual Winter Homeless Appeal has been another resounding success, with organisers inundated with donations. Specialist homeless nurse Janet Keauffling said: “The response to this year’s appeal was a huge increase on 2018 – to the extent that we have been struggling to get it all collected and taken for sorting. “We…

Business is blossoming for a busy florist which now numbers Strictly champ Stacey Dooley among its customers. Blooming Gorgeous opened in Rhuddlan less than two years ago but already they’ve had to move to bigger premises in Prestatyn to cope with demand. It’s been a labour of love for partners Ed Furber and Pete Fletcher who have built the business together and made the switch to larger premises on the High Street in Prestatyn where they live. The pair had a shock last month when Stacey Dooley’s PA contacted them to order flowers for the journalist and broadcaster’s mum who…

Less than 12 months after buying Plas Maenan Country House in the Conwy Valley, the former nurse and soldier has transformed the five-star venue. Jane is the hotel’s third owner in less than three years but is determined to stay the course and has already made incredible progress since December last year. Recruiting Great British Menu star Jason Hughes as head chef was one of her first big decisions, and the move has already paid dividends in laying the foundations for a fresh reputation based on fine dining and locally sourced Welsh produce. Originally from Chesterfield, Jane felt an immediate…

Homebuyers and sellers in Wales continued to take a wait and see approach in November due to ongoing uncertainty linked to the General Election and Brexit, according to the monthly RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) Residential Market Survey. The number of homes becoming available for sale fell for the third month in row, according to the balance of respondents, and there was no improvement in the number of new buyers active in the market in November, following a fall in October. However, despite the current subdued nature of the market, surveyors in Wales are more optimistic about the outlook…

A woman from Rhyl who was had type 2 diabetes for more than 20 years has shaved her head to raise money for Diabetes UK Cymru. Ellen Shepherd-Smith, 71, had her distinctive purple locks shaved off on Saturday 30 November, live on stage as part of Rhyl’s Christmas lights switch-on celebrations. The festive extravaganza on Rhyl High Street featured live music and entertainment from local artists, before local hair stylists from Body Beautiful Studio took to the stage to shave Ellen’s head. Ellen was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when in her fifties. Ellen said, “I was feeling tired all…

WITH the new Spurs assistant manager having learned his football coaching skills at the University of South Wales (USW), a former Newport County academy player could well be ready to follow in his footsteps. Joao Sacramento was named Jose Mourinho’s number two when the ‘special one’ took the reins at Tottenham Hostspur last month, and Ryan Moon, 24, could one day pursue a similar route. After being rejected as a player by Newport County’s academy, Ryan –  a masters student on the advanced performance football coaching course at USW and who works with the Bristol Rovers academy – has recently…

CatSci, a fast-growing, adaptable and award-winning process research and development contract research organisation (CRO), is furthering its expansion strategy to deliver tailored chemistry services to support the Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) demands of its global pharma customers. As such, it has appointed a strategic advisory board (SAB) of industry thought leaders to advise on the development of new service offerings, as well as bringing two new laboratories online to increase capacity. The independent advisory board will advise CatSci management on how new capabilities and services can improve value for its growing customer base, helping to increase the number of…

Rhug Estate is delighted to announce that PGI Welsh Lamb from its organic farm in north Wales is the first Welsh organic lamb to be available for customers to buy in Qatar, following Lord Newborough negotiating a trade deal which has taken two years to finalise. Various cuts of Rhug Estate Welsh organic lamb are now available to buy from the butchers’ counter in Monoprix supermarkets in Qatar including lamb shanks, loins and legs of lamb. Lord Newborough, owner of Rhug Estate, said, “It has taken a lot of hard work to get us to this point but we are…

A FATHER-of-two who had a cardiac arrest while on holiday in North Wales has been reunited with his lifesavers. Dominic Miller, 49, of Hale, Cheshire, was enjoying a family break at Warren Holiday Park in Abersoch in June of last year when he collapsed in the park’s leisure centre. Quick-thinking staff dialled 999 and began CPR before a volunteer Community First Responder arrived and delivered shocks to Mr Miller with a defibrillator. Paramedics from the Welsh Ambulance Service stabilised him and took him to hospital, where he later underwent life-saving heart surgery. Mr Miller, a company director at a healthcare…

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Swansea has received a £1,000 donation from the local Amazon fulfilment centre. The Amazon team made a visit to the school to meet the staff and pupils. During the visit, the school outlined its plans for the money refurbishment of the school toilets. Chris Law, Site Leader at Amazon in Swansea, said: “We loved meeting the children and teachers at St Joseph’s Primary School. The development of our people is important to our community and we’re happy that we can support these pupils in this way.” Mrs. Juliet Stack, Headteacher St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School,…