Author: Rhys Gregory

Everyone in Wales with symptoms of coronavirus can now request a test as a new online booking service becomes available. Wales is joining a new UK-wide system for ordering home testing kits, in line with the Welsh Government’s Test Trace Protect strategy. Earlier on Monday, the four UK Chief Medical Officers confirmed the loss or change in smell or taste (anosmia) has been added to the list of symptoms of coronavirus. This means that people will need to self-isolate if they have a loss or changed sense of normal smell or taste. They will also be able to request a…

William Hill’s CEO of the North American Market, Joe Asher, is hopeful the crisis being felt as a result of Coronavirus shall come to pass. When asked about its impact on the sportsbook industry, Asher noted things have deteriorated to the point that he’s had to give up his salary to help over 600 furloughed employees. “This too shall pass,” Asher told the USA Today recently. William Hill furloughed over 600 employees after all land-based casinos and sportsbooks were shut down in the heat of the pandemic early April. But being a caring CEO, Asher took a 100% salary cut…

The family of a man who died when the motorcycle he was travelling on was in collision with a blue Dacia Sandero in Porth on 6th May, 2020, have paid tribute to him. Mike Parsons, 61, was from Rhydyfelin – they said:  “Tragically, on the 6th May we lost Mike in a motorcycle accident and our son Joe was critically injured. “Mike was a lifelong motorcyclist from the age of 16 who loved to ride his bike daily. It was his passion and his life. “He was a devoted husband to Clare, loving father to Joe and Jed, grandfather to…

NAT Group has reassured the pubic that it is ready for an increase in passenger numbers as and when lockdown measures are reduced and people begin to return to work. NAT Group is one of South Wales’ leading transport providers with depots across the region and over 150 vehicles. Adapting to current safety measures, the operator has been running reduced services since the ‘Stay at Home’ message was first announced in March, as well as free travel for key workers and a contactless payment system. It was also one of the first operators in the UK to introduce a temporary…

Despite the UK being in an enforced lockdown due to Covid-19, Cardiff-based website development agency, Illustrate Digital, has managed to attract five new clients to its books across the technology, legal and B2C sectors. In addition, the agency now has a majority female board thanks to two new board appointments. It has promoted one of its longest standing team members, Melin Edomwonyi, to its board of directors and recruited Margaret Ascroft as the agency’s first Financial Director. In addition to all this, the agency has also re-branded to support its ambitious marketing strategy and align itself more closely to its…

Mrs Buckét, the specialist national cleaning operation, today launches two new service offerings, a monthly prevention service and the Spot Check Hygiene audit, in the bid to help get businesses back to work safely as the COVID-19 lockdown begins to change.  The first of its kind for the South West and Wales, Mrs Buckét has invested £35,000 in a new chemical which provides up to 30 days of protection on surfaces, even after normal cleaning and wash down procedures. Hailed for its use in New Zealand, widely lauded as one of the world’s most successful countries in dealing with the outbreak of coronavirus, the chemical creates a protective layer which attracts and kills organisms mechanically, removing the risk of cross contamination, resistance or mutation. No business in the…

Gary Howells, a first year BSc Sport and Exercise Science student at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD), is close to completing an epic charity challenge – running 10 marathons in 10 days. A highly experienced athlete and popular running coach, Gary Howells from Llanelli is undertaking the challenge by running on a treadmill in his house and is determined to raise as much money as possible for the Brathay Trust, the NHS as well as numerous other local charities.  He’s already managed to raise over £6000 thanks to the generosity of local donors as we well as…

A PARTNERSHIP that has seen the University of South Wales (USW) collaborate with institutions across Europe has come into its own during the Covid-19 pandemic, ensuring students can continue their studies online. Between 2014 and 2017, the DECAMP programme was set up to deliver specialist modules focused on ICT Security. The blended online modules – provided by institutions in Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Spain, and USW – were designed to give students an understanding of how to deal with sophisticated cyber attacks and how to effectively investigate them. With the programme web-based since 2017, the experience of providing online courses…

The laburnum arch at the National Trust’s world famous Bodnant Garden in Conwy has produced its earliest blooms for a decade, following a record amount of sunshine in April and May. The arch reached full flower on 15 May, almost a week earlier than last year and two weeks earlier than in 2010. The 55m-long archway – believed to be the longest and oldest of its kind in Britain – is the most anticipated highlight in the garden’s calendar. Adam Salvin, Assistant Head Gardener, said: “I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the laburnum burst into flower every year for 23…

National law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has announced the appointment of Kelvin Balmont as its new Chairman. A partner in the corporate team and head of the Southampton office, Kelvin takes over from Jonathan Morton who has served three years in the role. Kelvin joined Clarke Willmott as a senior associate in 2004, shortly after the firm opened its Southampton office, and has since become a highly regarded corporate partner and head of office. Kelvin, who was elected to the position by the firm’s other partners, said: “I’m delighted to have been appointed Chairman and look forward to continuing the…