Author: Rhys Gregory

A four-star hotel in the heart of North Wales has secured a £500,000 finance facility from HSBC UK to undergo an extensive refurbishment project, following the acquisition of an adjacent building earlier in the year. Known for its quality cuisine, warmth and hospitality, The Dunoon Hotel in Llandudno (established in 2002) has used the six-figure funding to completely restore and fit-out the 12,000 sq. ft. derelict building next door. The refurbishment is creating an additional 18 luxury rooms to meet rising demand for the high-end hotel experience, whilst preserving the part of the hotel that locals already know and love.…

Coaltown Coffee Roasters, an independent coffee roastery based in Ammanford, South Wales, has become one of the first B Corp certified coffee companies in the UK. Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. The B Corp community works toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more high-quality jobs with dignity and purpose. As a B Corp, Coaltown is committed to behaving responsibly towards people and the planet. To become a B Corp,…

The team at Wales’ largest independently owned accountants, UHY Hacker Young, is celebrating as two senior leaders mark their 25  year anniversary with the practice.   Senior partner, Steve Theaker and tax associate director, Nigel Courtney, both joined UHY Hacker Young (then trading as Peacheys Accountants) in 1995, choosing the independent Newport-based firm over their already well establish careers working with The Big Four firms. Steve Theaker joined UHY Hacker Young from UK accountancy giant, KPMG. Today, he is the senior partner for the practice’s Newport, Abergavenny and Bristol offices with overall responsibility for tax.  As an expert in everything from…

Metro Bank, known for its exceptional customer service, opens its 73rd store on Friday 24 and Saturday 25 January in Cardiff city centre on Queen Street. Metro Bank offers customers the choice to bank however, whenever and wherever they choose – whether that’s face-to-face banking in store, on the phone, online or via its mobile app. According to analysis from Which?, Wales has seen more than 230 bank closures since 2015 but Metro Bank is proud to be bucking this trend as it opens this new store – the first of two set to open in Cardiff. To mark the…

COLEG CAMBRIA LLYSFASI and Aberystwyth University have united for an event to demonstrate progress on an innovative agriculture project. Researchers at Aberystwyth University’s Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) and staff at Llysfasi launched the HEFCW-funded £370,000 PreciseAg partnership in 2018 in order to carry out innovative on-farm trials of Precision Livestock Technology. This is taking place on both sites to demonstrate the potential benefits of using these technologies to farmers in Wales and beyond. The open demonstration and information event will take place at the Llysfasi site on Tuesday January 28 and will include results on dairy,…

TEDxCardiff, the event focused on the mission of ‘ideas worth spreading’, is returning to the city on Sunday 1st March and the first 200 tickets are up for grabs now. But act fast if you want to be there – previous years have sold out in a matter of minutes! Taking place at Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture, the event, partnered with The Waterloo Foundation, Cardiff University, creative partner Orchard Media, Propeller and Working Word, will see a number of inspirational speakers share their expert knowledge, hoping to spark Cardiff locals to consider how these insights could…

Findings from fitness app Strava have suggested that many people around the world will already be set to give up their New Year’s fitness resolutions within the first few weeks of January. According to seasoned adventurer, ultra-marathon runner and TV presenter Huw Brassington, a big part of the problem is the setting – with many of us ditching the treadmills after only a few uninspired visits to the local gym. To overcome this and celebrate the launch of its Year of Outdoors this new year, Visit Wales has teamed up with Huw to showcase the country’s best outdoor running locations.…

A Welsh ventilation company is aiming for expansion as business continues to increase. DW-Air based at Ystalafera has a growing list of clients around the UK, providing clean air for all types of buildings from homes to offices, swimming pools and factories. The firm provides design, installation and maintenance, working directly with customers, or on a sub-contract basis. DW-Air was set up by Martin Leonard and now employs four staff, and has plans to take on more in 2020 to cope with demand. The firm received a £500 grant from the Kickstart programme, run jointly by Tata Steel subsidiary UKSE…

House prices in Wales have reached an all-time peak, with the average house price across the country now £193,254, despite a drop in overall sales in 2019. The figures have been released from Principality Building Society’s Wales House Price Index for Q4 2019, which demonstrates the rise and fall in house prices in each of the 22 local authorities in Wales. In 2019, the average house price in Wales grew by 3.3%, a £6,237 rise since December 2018 driven by first time buyers and holiday homes. Over the quarter in Wales (October – December 2019), house prices rose by 1.7%.…

TWO Wrexham finance firm bosses have raised £7,000 by completing a gruelling 240-mile cycling trek from Vietnam to Cambodia in aid of a hospice. Medwyn Edwards and James Parry, Directors of Hadlow Edwards Wealth Management, were part of a 24-strong team who tackled the two-wheel challenge for Nightingale House Hospice in Wrexham. In total the group raised more than £120,000 for the hospice after riding from Ho Chi Minh City across Vietnam to Angkor Wat in Cambodia during a six-day stint in which they experienced a huge downpour, stifling humidity and chaotic road conditions. Father-of-two James Parry described the charity…