Author: Rhys Gregory

Business owners in Wales are being urged to consider employee ownership as a progressive approach to succession planning after it was revealed that employee ownership is the fastest growing form of business ownership in the UK. [aoa id=”1″]The call to arms comes from the Think Employee Ownership campaign which is being delivered by Social Business Wales to raise awareness of employee ownership as an attractive and viable business succession planning option. Between 2010 and 2017 the sector in the UK grew by 60% and in 2012 its value to the Welsh economy was already £1bn. The Employee Ownership Index has…

Ekogea UK is delighted to have won the prestigious global Anaerobic Digestion & Biogas Industry Award for the Best Biogas Plant below 1MWe. The Award recognises the success of Ekogea UK Director, Philip Hughes, and his Biogas Plant at Hendwr Farm, Corwen, north Wales. [aoa id=”1″]The crème de la crème in the anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas industry gathered at the AD & Biogas Industry Awards Ceremony 2019 in Birmingham on Wednesday (3 July) to celebrate organisations and individuals who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to innovation and excellence in support of this game-changing sector over the past year.[/aoa] Philip Hughes…

According to the latest NatWest Wales PMI® data, private sector firms continued to signal an increase in business activity in June. [aoa id=”1″]The marginal expansion was supported by a further upturn in new orders, albeit one of the slowest since July 2016. Nonetheless, employment rose further, with the rate of job creation accelerating slightly despite a third successive contraction in backlogs. On the price front, despite a faster rise in costs, output charges rose at the slowest rate since the start of 2016. Meanwhile, business confidence eased following May’s 12-month high.[/aoa] The headline Wales Business Activity Index – a seasonally…

Macmillan Cancer Support has welcomed calls to review who is eligible for Wales’ Blue Badge scheme, to help ensure the needs of people with cancer are being met. The charity also welcomes the recommendation that an appeals process should be put in place. The Blue Badge scheme provides a lifeline for people with various medical conditions and disabilities, helping them to access facilities within their communities. The first recommendation made by a new report published today by the National Assembly for Wales’ Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee, is for a review of the eligibility criteria for Blue Badges to…

A game-changing £1bn transport vision designed to cut congestion and improve air quality in Cardiff has been revealed by the leader of Wales’ capital city. [aoa id=”1″]Speaking at a Welsh Government Conference on Active Travel, Cllr Huw Thomas, told delegates that the time has come for action on the city’s transport needs, warning that urgent investment is needed and that the city will ‘grind to a halt’ if partner agencies don’t come together to transform the way people move in and around Cardiff.[/aoa] Cllr Thomas said: “Cardiff’s transport network needs to change. It was originally designed for a city with…

A charity golf day hosted by a Newbridge-based electronics manufacturer has raised £5,000 for the military support charity, Help for Heroes. The Wales National Course at the Vale Resort golf club provided the location for annual event hosted by Axiom Manufacturing Services, which was attended by more than 70 of company’s clients, suppliers and business partners from across the UK to raise money for Help for Heroes. The charity works to deliver an enduring national network of support for British service personnel who have been injured in the line of duty. David Davies, managing director at Axiom Manufacturing said: “At…

Over 800 Scouts, Guides and members of the public gathered at the 66th annual Scout and Guide Fete at Romilly Park, Barry on Saturday 6th July to create a human fleur-de-lis. [aoa id=”1″] The participants put on red ponchos to mark out the fleur-de-lis shape and remained in place for 5 minutes to break the current record of 445 people. They now have to wait for their attempt to be verified to see if they will be placed in the Book of World Records. [/aoa] Tir a Mor district commissioner Chris Parsons said: “The annual fete gives us the chance…

Today, thirty workers from financial services consultancy, Quantum Advisory, will complete an epic charity cycle ride to raise funds for Welsh children’s hospice, Tŷ Hafan. The novice cyclists from across Quantum’s UK offices will join together on 6 July to cycle 52 miles from Brecon in Mid Wales to Cardiff. The route follows the Taff Trail through the heart of the Brecon Beacons along winding roads and mountainous terrain, peaking out at the summit of Torpantau, before ploughing on to Merthyr Tydfil. The intrepid fundraisers will then continue through a string of small towns before meandering their way through Pontypridd.…

A researcher at Swansea University working with AgorIP is the third person in the institution’s history to win funding from the Royal Academy of Engineering. [aoa id=”1″]Dr Jonathan Widdowson, 26, who is also the CEO of company ProColl, won the funding of £60,000 that will aid their mission to supply biomaterials to help researchers create innovations such as artificial skin and organs with their first to market vegan friendly materials. This includes a material based on collagen, a major component of connective tissues in the human body, for medical breakthroughs that will offer the solutions for everything from cancer drug…

A mum from Buckley has opened up about her journey from redundancy to dream career in a bid to inspire those going through a similar experience to seek free support to help change their own story. [aoa id=”1″] Lynsey Green was working in project management and marketing when she accepted voluntary redundancy by her former employer following a restructure. As a mother to two young children and facing an uncertain and worrying time, Lynsey decided to contact Career Wales for help and advice. It was during these conversations that she was first introduced to a redundancy programme called ReAct. [/aoa]…