Author: Rhys Gregory

Transcend Packaging is adapting the way it works to produce a million face shields a week in response to the First Minister’s call for action to support NHS Wales. The Transcend face shield has been approved for coronavirus protection and will also be used in factories and other workplaces. Production is taking place at the firm’s factory in Ystrad Mynach where it usually makes paper straws and other sustainable packaging for the world’s leading quick service restaurants. Around a million face shields will be made initially, but the firm can increase production to make almost two million a week to…

The campaign, The 2.6 Challenge, will launch on Sunday 26 April 2020 – what should have been the date of the 40th London Marathon, the world’s biggest one day annual fundraising event, which raised £66.4 million for charities in 2019. The 2.6 Challenge can be any activity you like – from running around the balcony for 2.6 miles to juggling for 2.6 minutes or doing 26 press-ups with the dog on your back, the options are endless. The only requirement is that you must follow Government guidelines on exercise and social distancing. Most people are taking part from Sunday 26 April but you…

The job of the RSPCA is never finished – and an off-duty inspector had to unexpectedly rush to the aid of a sheep in Whitland this weekend.  RSPCA inspector Keith Hogben was taking his daily exercise on Sunday (April 19) as restrictions on daily life continue amid the Covid-19 outbreak. He and his partner – fellow RSPCA officer Ellie West – spotted the lost lamb in the middle of a country lane, with the mother heard crying nearby but unable to reach her lamb. A passing car then frightened the lamb further, and she retreated into a nearby hedgerow. Inspector…

Transport for Wales has launched its new WhatsApp number for customer enquiries, as the latest step in its commitments to transform the customer experience for the Wales and Borders rail service. Customers can now message the dedicated Transport for Wales Rail Services social media team via the app, providing them with a new way to get the information they need when travelling by train. The team provide live travel information, updates on incidents which may affect journeys, journey-planning assistance, and responses to general enquiries. Barry Lloyd, Head of Customer Experience at TfW Rail Services, said: “I’m delighted that we have…

A South Wales company which is providing its vital products for ‘essential’ industries during the coronavirus outbreak has secured a £226 million funding package from HSBC UK to support its ongoing growth. Amid unprecedented economic uncertainty, Purolite – the world-leader in resin-based separation, purification and extraction technology – has secured the multi-million pound finance facility, which includes a £41m uncommitted accordion option, to invest in the development of its manufacturing plant and research and development facility at Llantrisant Business Park, as well as upgrading its manufacturing facilities in China and Romania. Purolite is already playing a critical role in the…

Those looking for stimulating lockdown activities can take an informative trip back into Swansea’s past. Staff at Swansea Museum are hosting a series of online talks about the area’s heritage. The first of the Swansea History Talks is online now – a pictorial presentation on the world’s first passenger railway, The Mumbles Railway. The 30-minute broadcast by the museum’s Phil Treseder includes maps, photos, postcards and memories of the famous line which opened more than two centuries ago and closed in 1960. It starts with a description of how the line began at Rutland Street Station, on the site of…

Aberystwyth headquartered Phytoponics has raised £500,000 equity finance to undertake large scale commercial trials of its innovative substrate-less Deep Water Culture growing solutions. Established in 2016 by Adam Dixon and Luke Parkin when studying at Cardiff University, Phytoponicsspecialises in the development of hydroponic deep-water culture technology. Their work is focussed on making agriculture more sustainable through increased yields, lower water consumption, no pesticides and a decrease in carbon footprint compared to traditional methods. The £500,000 investment comes from a number of existing shareholders, with match funding provided by the Development Bank of Wales as Phytoponics’ first institutional investor. The company…

A South Wales under 10s rugby team have been putting their passing skills to the test while in isolation – all in support of end of life care charity Marie Curie. The children, who are all part of the Dowlais RFC Under 10s team, were called to action by coach Luke Jenkins, who works for the charity in the Cwm Taf Health Board area as a Senior Healthcare Assistant and Coordinator. Luke’s son Iowan, aged 10, also plays for the team. Luke said: “A couple of the other Dowlais Minis and Juniors had done videos for the NHS, because their…

A mum has seen the worst and best of times – first losing her beloved grandfather to Coronavirus and then having a baby in the midst of the pandemic. Hayley Thomas from Swansea has paid tribute to the midwives and staff at Singleton Hospital who helped her bring son Nolan into the world. With her parents and oldest daughter all self-isolating and her partner looking after their youngest daughter, Hayley found herself in the unexpected position of going into hospital alone. But she wasn’t really alone as the Singleton team supported her from the moment she arrived until she returned…

A Gwynedd care homes owner says she has seen bills rocket by over £7,000 a week during the coronavirus pandemic. Ceri Roberts, Managing Director of Cariad Care Homes which runs two homes in Porthmadog and Criccieth, said it was costing over £100 extra per person a week to keep each of her 78 residents safe. Ceri, a Council member of Care Forum Wales which represents over 450 private care providers across Wales, said: “The Welsh Health Minister, Vaughan Gething, has said there’s over £40 million in the pot for social care but we don’t know how or when we are…