Author: Rhys Gregory

A WREXHAM schoolboy braved an encounter with some giant creepy crawlies at a summer holiday event raising money for a charity centre which is a lifeline for his brother. Callum Edwards-Owen met an array of African mini beasts which invaded Eagles Meadow shopping centre in Wrexham as part of a series of free summer school break activities. He overcame his fears to help raise money and awareness for Dynamic, a Wrexham-based centre for children and young people with disabilities. The unusual ‘meet and greet’ was part of a four-week programme of family events hosted by Eagles Meadow shopping centre to mark…

Roller derby is a cultural phenomenon and one of the fastest growing sports in Europe. It is a sport created by, and for, women and in Hell on Wheels, the Cardiff-based Tiger Bay Brawlers take on the biggest challenge of their sporting lives. [aoa id=”1″] Focusing on the fortunes of the Brawlers, the programme charts the lives of Wales’ first and best roller derby team as they compete in the European Continental Championships. Laura Kemp, a member of the Tiger Bay Brawlers, said; “When we started this journey we didn’t know what to expect other than we wanted to share our experience of…

A quick search online will bring up a multitude of options for improving and maintaining good mental health. Minimalism is a buzzword that’s often thrown around these days, but it’s far more than a concept that simply helps us to reorganise our homes and achieve more space in an effective and visually pleasing manner. In fact, minimalism can be an extremely useful way to combat mental illness of any severity level, from anxiety and depression to schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder. Minimalism means that there are fewer things to distract or trigger you, positively impacting your mental health and giving…

Sandy James, 61, is manager of NatWest’s Queen Street branch in the Welsh capital and is currently the longest serving member of staff at any of the bank’s branches in Wales. [aoa id=”1″] She started working for NatWest in 1974 at her home-town branch in Penarth when she was just 16. Her first jobs included printing cheque books and folding statements, yet she quickly rose through the ranks and in a distinguished career has worked in marketing, insurance and branch banking for NatWest. She has spent the last 12 years of her career managing Wales’ biggest NatWest branch in Cardiff…

Paul Eakin, UK CEO of Cardiff based Pelican and Respond Healthcare has been appointed to a key position within the UK’s oldest and largest Health Association, the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA); an important move at a time of great change and uncertainty within the NHS and therefore for Association members. [aoa id=”1″]Dr Eakin is to take up the role of Joint Chair of the BHTA’s Stoma & Continence Manufacturers and DAC (Dispensing Appliance Contractor) sections and has undertaken to help the industry meet new challenges as the NHS across the UK struggles with the demands of ever-increasing patient numbers…

An inspiring social enterprise operating in the heart of Carmarthen is celebrating its sixth year in business and is continuing to go from strength-to-strength as it supports vital services for the local community. [aoa id=”1″] Xcel Bowl, a bowling and activity centre, was founded in June 2013 by the Town Community Church, who renovated a disused dairy factory with the goal of creating a community space to bring local people together. As part of its six-year anniversary celebrations, the organisation has partnered with the Wales Co-operative Centre to be part of its Social Summer 2019 campaign, which is encouraging families…

PLANED, the organisation supporting individuals and communities across Pembrokeshire, is pleased to announce three new appointments to its Board of Trustees, bringing extensive business knowledge and experience from across the county. [aoa id=”1″] At the recent PLANED AGM and well attended Annual Conference in the Merlin Theatre, the new appointments were confirmed, and this week, the Chair of the Board, Lynne Upsdell, the Treasurer, Gordon Barry, and the Chief Executive, Iwan Thomas, formally met the three new Trustees to welcome them and discuss plans for the future. [/aoa] Speaking about the new appointments, Iwan said: “We restructured in Spring this…

IT and communications firm SA1 Solutions has appointed two new members of staff as the company seeks to further enhance its support team and develop new talent. The Swansea-based company recently hired Alex Abraham and Ryan John as IT engineers. Their appointments add to SA1 Solutions’ recent recruitment surge, with the company having hired four new members of staff within the last six months. [aoa id=”1″]Abraham, from Swansea, approached SA1 Solutions seeking a job due to his interest in IT and desire to work in the industry. Impressed with his ambition, the company put him in touch with training company…

Software development company Big Lemon has seen a rapid rise in growth following an increasing demand for digital solutions. [aoa id=”1″] The Caerphilly-based business has seen a 42% increase in revenue in the last two years and is expected to double its turnover this year after winning several high-profile contracts and increasing its team to five. Big Lemon helps organisations realise their ambitions through original creativity and clever technology, bringing a sense of fun and innovation to everything they do, collaboratively solving problems by designing and building bespoke software, apps and bots. [/aoa] The business has grown rapidly since launching…

Cardiff-based second charge mortgage provider, Optimum Credit, is relocating to new premises within the new Capital Quarter development. The move supports planned company growth and job creation following acquisition in 2018 by Australian-owned finance company, Pepper Money. [aoa id=”1″]The new office premises at 4 Capital Quarter offer 18,500 sq ft of accommodation with room to grow the current headcount of 130 to around 250. This will give the company scope to achieve its expansion plans, both for the existing Optimum second charge mortgage business and the wider Pepper Money strategy, which includes the launch of new product lines with teams…