Author: Rhys Gregory

Successful employers, inspirational learners and dedicated work-based learning practitioners across Wales are being encouraged to enter the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2021 to showcase their outstanding achievements. The prestigious awards are launched today, as the hunt begins to find the businesses and individuals who have excelled on the Welsh Government’s Apprenticeship and Traineeship Programmes and gone above and beyond during these unprecedented times. Minister for the Economy, Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates said: “Apprenticeship and Traineeship Programmes make a huge contribution to our economy and will be crucial as we recover from the impacts of coronavirus. That is why they…

Last month, the National Trust reopened seven properties in England and Northern Ireland as part of a phased reopening of its 200 houses, which were closed as part of the national lockdown in March. Penrhyn Castle will be the first to reopen in Wales, on Monday 7 September, after a five-month closure due to coronavirus. The ground floor of the castle will be accessible for visitors to discover ‘What a World!’, a creative exhibition exploring Penrhyn’s collection and the culture of colonialism. New safety measures will be in place, including one-way systems and limited numbers to ensure that social distancing…

Shoppers in Cardiff can now window shop through Wales’ first digital shop front, brought to the capital by Morgan Quarter and fashion, beauty and lifestyle retailer, Lone Design Club. Using QR codes, these stores will be fully operational around the clock. Shoppers can browse a collection of independent, sustainable, and ethical retailers from in the arcade, other stores and online to purchase items and sign-up to a wealth of events and activities via the Lone Design Club Digital Web Store which includes digital experiences, workshops, beauty events and tutorials. This fully interactive experience supports the growing conscious consumerism movement and…

David Landen has been named as Hodge’s new Chief Executive Officer, with immediate effect. David is one of Hodge’s longest serving staff members, having joined the Cardiff-based bank in 2002. He has held several roles within the company and was appointed to the Board as Chief Financial Officer in 2011, before being named as deputy Chief Executive Officer in January 2019. He is a graduate of Cardiff University and won ‘Young Finance Director of the year’ at the 2013 Finance Awards Wales. Commenting on his appointment, David said: “It is a huge honour and privilege to be asked to lead…

GlobalWelsh, Wales’ grassroots diaspora community organisation, announces that Dr. Sarah Louisa Birchley has joined the board. Based in Tokyo, Sarah is a leading professor of transnational entrepreneurship in Japan, currently at Toyo Gakuen University in Tokyo, and business consultant specialising in international trade and intercultural communication. Born and raised in Cwmbran, a former student of Croesyceiliog School, Sarah left the UK and relocated to Japan 18 years ago. It was there that she embarked on her successful academic career. Specialising in management and entrepreneurship, Sarah has conducted a number of extensive global research projects, written a number of peer-reviewed papers…

Morrisons this week will cut and hold down the price of over 400 of the most popular items to make good food affordable for families this autumn. With the UK now in recession and some family budgets under pressure, Morrisons will reduce the prices of the 400 essentials by an average of 23 per cent. Morrisons has already cut the price of over 800 customer favourites across its stores since last year. This week’s cuts will span Morrisons fresh food, store cupboard staples and cleaning. Products will include fruit and veg, meat and poultry, bread and cornflakes, rice and pasta,…

There is just one week left to invest in Wales-based immersive technology in healthcare pioneer Rescape Innovation, who have already raised over £350K through Crowdcube. The Crowdcube fundraise, launched last month, smashed their first goal within hours of public launch, with significant pledges already secured from doctors, health tech experts, business and academic leaders, and Development Bank of Wales. Through Crowdcube, Rescape now has the opportunity to overfund, giving investors a stake from as little as £11.76 in a fast-moving sector that has really shown its value during the pandemic. Richard Twomey, Ex-CEO Mölnlyck said: “Having led international medical technology…

A bakery’s iconic Welsh Cakes have been chosen for a starring role in a food-related royal virtual tour of the UK. The Wrexham-based Village Bakery has featured on the social media channels of Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, looking back at their previous visit to the bakery and highlighting the bakery’s traditional Welsh Cakes recipe. The exact recipe used by the Village Bakery is top secret but one very similar to the real McCoy was posted so people can have a go at making their own versions of the mouth-watering griddle cakes. According…

Swansea University has achieved its highest ever rank in any UK league table after rising from 31st to 24th in the Guardian University Guide 2021. This latest ranking places Swansea University as a UK top 25 institution and as the top university in Wales for the second year running. The Guardian University Guide has established itself as a key league table for UK universities and is one of the top choices for people around the world when deciding which university is right for them. The latest Guide features league tables ranking universities on a number of criteria, including student satisfaction…

An award-winning outdoor arts and environment festival, shaped by the landscape of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is set to return this September with a re-imagined programme of performances, art, live music, talks and workshops. The Wye Valley River Festival will be taking place predominantly online from Monday September 21st to Sunday 27th September 2020 with a focus on the theme of Time. The biennial outdoor arts and environment festival works with communities, local and internationally acclaimed artists to bring bespoke performances, events and installations to the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The coronavirus pandemic meant the…