Author: Rhys Gregory

A social enterprise that’s just won a major UK award for its spectacular 300 per cent growth has launched a new commercial venture to help others follow in their footsteps. [aoa id=”1″] Creating Enterprise, a subsidiary of housing association Cartrefi Conwy, has secured the licence to set up innovative Wales-wide learning and development programmes for companies, social enterprises and public bodies. The Social Enterprise Academy will be using the model trailblazed in Scotland that’s now been replicated across more than a dozen countries as far afield as Canada, China and Australia. [/aoa] Creating Enterprise, based in Mochdre, near Colwyn Bay,…

A Cardiff-based English-language academy is urging the Welsh Government to capitalise on international students, recognising them as educational tourists, when they come for English language programmes. [aoa id=”1″]Celtic English Academy, headquartered in central Cardiff, employs over 50 staff across two centres in the Welsh capital and North Wales and draws in students from across the world in order to learn English and experience life in Wales. [/aoa] Speaking of the impact of educational tourists, Director Shoko Doherty said: “Currently, around 90 per cent of Wales’ tourism comes from the British domestic market, demonstrating a huge market for international tourists. “Those…

The Council of Bangor University has appointed Professor Iwan Davies FLSW as the University’s next Vice-Chancellor. He will become only the eighth Vice-Chancellor or Principal in the University’s 135 year history. Professor Davies is currently the Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Swansea University, and he is a leading authority on international commercial law with a particular interest in asset finance, IP and personal property law. [aoa id=”1″]In his current role he has responsibility for internationalisation, strategic development, resources and estates. He led the development and delivery of Swansea University’s new £450m Science and Innovation Campus with an emphasis on University and Industry…

Zakaria Daud Afey, 20, has pleaded guilty to possession of material useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism contrary to the Terrorism Act 2000 and Dissemination of Terrorist Publications contrary to the Terrorism Act 2006.  He was sentenced today (Thursday 16th May) to 30 months in prison. Afey, from the St Mellons area of Cardiff, was appearing before the Central Criminal Court in London when he changed his plea to guilty of dissemination of a terrorist publication in January 2017 and possessing a terrorist publication called How To Survive In The West. During the opening stages of…

A Bridgend drug dealer has been ordered to pay back more than £130,000 he made from his criminality. Two men were jailed last year following raids where officers seized more than £100,000 worth of illegal drugs. [aoa id=”1″]Stephen Edwards, aged 51, of North Cornelly, was sentenced to three years and nine months in December, 2018, after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of class A – cocaine and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of class A – heroin.[/aoa] At a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing held in Cardiff Crown Court today, (May…

Ahead of their return to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park later this month (24th – 27th May 2019), The Big Retreat Wales has announced the launch of it’s very own gin brand The Cleddau Gin, using their unique festival location and site history as inspiration for the special recipe.  As a festival with passion for everything that makes your feel good, The Big Retreat has teamed up with the self-proclaimed maverick ‘In The Welsh Wind Distillery’ based in Ceredigion to create an exclusive gin that will delight the senses. Diana Dredge, Co-founder at The Big Retreat Wales said: “We took our inspiration from our amazing festival site and…

Love Trails Festival, South Wales’s unique mix of running, music, adventure and adrenaline fuelled offerings is just around the corner, taking place 4-7 July 2019 in the Gower Peninsula. Acts now announced include the likes of DJ Luck & MC Neat, Hackney Colliery Band, Afriquoi, The Correspondents, Joel Culpepper, Prince Fatty Soundsystem, Charlie Dark and DJ Melody Kane (BBC1Xtra). The festival will host the Official World Beer Mile Championships 2019, and the world’s first running ‘Adventure Obstacle Course.’ Love Trails is the original and best fitness festival. Combining running, wild adventures, wellbeing, street food and music into a sensory stimulating…

Keep Wales Tidy has unveiled the 86 coastal areas that have met the high standards needed to receive the prestigious Blue Flag, Green Coast Award and Seaside Award – a total of 102 awards for Wales. [aoa id=”1″] Across the country, 44 Blue Flags are flying at 40 beaches, three marinas and one boat tour operator, meaning that Wales once again has more Blue Flags per mile than anywhere else in the UK. The iconic Blue Flag is a world-renowned eco-label owned by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). For more than three decades, Blue Flag has had a transformational…

Blue skies and high fives were the orders of the day as Cardiff and Vale University Health Board staff came out in force to support their local hospital charity at the annual Cardiff Bay Bed Push event on Sunday 12 May 2019. Hundreds of people came down to Cardiff Bay Barrage for the second Bed Push Challenge to support Doctors, Nurses, Allied Health Professionals, Health Board Staff and corporate supporters Admiral Law who were raising money for wards and departments through Cardiff & Vale Health Charity. The atmosphere was electric, with music and cheers of encouragement which could be heard…

A HELICOPTER cover company is flying high with the support of a business growth programme. [aoa id=”1″] Based in Wrexham, Air Covers is one of the world’s foremost protective cover firms, specialising in helicopter, marine and land vehicle protection. The company supplies eight European defence agencies including the UK Ministry of Defence, offshore helicopter operations and the international superyacht industry. [/aoa] Directors John and Sasha Pattinson started the business 15 years ago from their kitchen table while John was a projects manager for an aerospace company specialising in high altitude balloons. Fast forward to 2019 and they have 10 employees…