Author: Rhys Gregory

The housing market in Wales continues to outperform the UK average, with surveyors reporting a busy August and expecting prices and sales activity to rise in the three months ahead, according to the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) Residential Market Survey. [aoa id=”1″] A net a balance of +41 percent of Welsh respondents to the latest survey said that house prices had risen since June. This was significantly above the UK-wide figure of -4 percent. Surveyors in Wales are also increasingly optimistic about the housing market’s short-term outlook. A net balance of +28 percent of Welsh respondents expects prices…

A former international gamer who found love and friendship across the globe as an avatar in a video game is lending his world class skills to a top IT services firm in Wrexham. [aoa id=”1″] Dominic Buckley, 26, who once teamed up against some of the best professional gamers in the world, is bringing his extensive troubleshooting experience to Rawson IT Services as a senior systems engineer. At the peak of his gaming career, Dominic, who grew up in Buckley, was playing video game classics such as Smite and Guild Wars for up to eight hours a day against hundreds…

The Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths AM has launched VEXo, an insect and plant protein created by Bug Farm Foods, at Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi in their native St Davids.  [aoa id=”1″] The innovative VEXo can be used in a similar way to minced meat, whilst reducing saturated fat by over 80%. Nearly one-third of 2-15 year olds are overweight or obese, with obesity costing the NHS in Wales around £73 million. VEXo has been developed by husband and wife team chef Andy Holcroft and entomologist Dr Sarah Beynon, who between them have also founded the…

‘Zip Wire for Stephen’, in memory of inspirational teenager Stephen Sutton, aims to set a new Guinness World Record. On Saturday 7 September, over 100 daredevils took on the world’s fastest zip wire in memory of Burntwood teenager and legendary Teenage Cancer Trust fundraiser Stephen Sutton. The exhilarating challenge took place at Zip World in Penryn Quarry, North Wales. Organisers hope it will set a new Guinness World Record for the most money raised by a charity zip wire event. ‘Zip Wire for Stephen’ was the brainchild of Stephen’s mum Jane, an ambassador for Teenage Cancer Trust, and who also…

This year sees the 21st anniversary of the first BARC North Western Centre race meeting at Anglesey Circuit. Back then, the Centre only ran meetings at Oulton Park and were always on the lookout for other circuits to run meetings as there was the ever-present danger of not being able to use Oulton Park. In 1997 the track was visited by officials from BARC HQ and NW with the view of expanding the use of the circuit from sprints to race meetings. Once the track had been constructed the Centre ran its first meeting on 14th June 1998 with a…

The Pembrokeshire Remakery, the first in Wales has a new home at Unit 8 Feidr Castell business park. The Remakery helps divert household items from landfill and offers workshops, training and opportunities to share skills in repairing furniture, textiles, computers, mechanical items and basic home electrical goods. Nicky Middleton-Jones of the Pembrokeshire Remakery said: “Come and meet us, It’s more than reuse, we are striving towards zero waste, saving what we can from entering the waste stream. Come and see what repaired and salvaged items we have for you in our shop. All proceeds go towards teaching the local community…

Young people with autism in Swansea took a shot at improving their health and wellbeing during a visit from footballing legend Lee Trundle. The former striker attended a wellbeing event with the goal of helping to promote alternative coping strategies amongst those living with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at Dan Y Coed specialist school and residential centre. Students enjoyed a kick about with the Swansea City Ambassador, as well as a tai chi session and art therapy class at the site in West Cross, which is owned and run by Orbis Education and Care. Gemma Pullen, Assistant Behaviour Specialist at…

A feast for the senses, Rhossili’s spectacular sunflower display saw visitors and pollinators flock in their thousands to the Gower coastline this summer. Now, the National Trust is inviting the public to do their bit to safeguard the landscape and its wildlife for the future, with the launch of a new fundraising appeal to deliver more for nature in 2020. The conservation charity, which has reintroduced traditional ‘strip field’ farming methods to the Vile on Rhossili, needs to raise £15,000 to continue its restoration project across 45 hectares of farmland. Over the last three years, the Vile has thrived with…

A NEW self-help guide from a leading business expert offers 60-second tips on how to cope with the demands of modern working life. [aoa id=”1″] Meee in a Work Minute follows the successful Meee in a Minute, which has already sold up to 20,000 copies since being released last autumn. Based in North Wales, the Meee (My Education Employment Enterprise) programme has helped transform the lives of more than 20,000 people in the last five years via a series of career clinics, think tanks and workshops. Founder Sid Madge, from Deganwy, has given talks to some of the world’s leading…

Over 100 medieval castles, cathedrals and even Blackpool’s Tower Ballroom are all on the CV of a mum of three who has carved out a career in the macho world of the construction industry. [aoa id=”1″] Victoria Godberford, 38, now runs her own health and safety consultancy from bases in Denbigh and Chester and is as comfortable setting up remote e–learning courses as she is donning hard hat, hi-vis jacket and steel toe-capped boots for site inspections. The former Howell’s School girl is from Rhuallt and studied marketing at Staffordshire University before getting into construction with her stonemason father…