Author: Rhys Gregory

Leaders in Welsh manufacturing gathered at Ford’s Bridgend Engine Plant on Friday, April 5, to welcome the launch of the MADE (Manufacture for Advanced Design Engineering) project. [aoa id=”1″] This suite of EU-funded projects, being delivered by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s (UWTSD) Centre for Advanced Batch Manufacture (CBM), is designed to collaborate with SMEs within industry to future-proof their operations, by upskilling and by adopting advanced manufacturing technologies. The MADE project, which is being rolled out now for 36 months, is being offered to qualifying organisations as an integrated portfolio, to help Welsh manufacturers understand the challenges they face…

The March 29th Brexit deadline has come and gone and yet the future of the UK’s departure from the European Union remains just as unclear as it’s always been. EU leaders granted Prime Minister Theresa May an extension from the original deadline but not to the degree May initially requested, aiming for a delay until June 30th. Now, the clock is ticking yet again after EU officials have given May and British Parliament until April 12th to get their act together. Back in London, UK lawmakers said “no” (again) to four alternatives to May’s deal. At the same time, however,…

McArthurGlen Bridgend had a ‘hole’ lot of fun this morning at the launch of the newest Krispy Kreme rocket store – the first of its kind in Wales! To celebrate the launch of the special store, 50 doughnut lovers lined up to get their hands on the retailer’s joy-filled treats. Jammy enough to be first in line and win themselves a £150 Krispy Kreme voucher at the unique store was Amanda Hole from Pen-y-Coed. Showing her excitement for the new store, Amanda said: “I’m such a huge fan of Krispy Kreme and I am so excited to have Wales’ first…

When it comes to getting over a particular mental health problem, many people have either resorted to traditional therapy in the past or medications. The problem is that a lot of these methods simply do not work for the person who is dealing with the problem and so they are unsure of what else to try out for themselves. For this reason, it is important that you make use of the Neurocore program for any and all of your mental health needs. Neurocore has a variety of amazing brain training centers around the country to help people find better ways…

The finalists have been announced for Wales’ annual celebration of learning, training and employment excellence – the Vocational Qualification (VQ) Awards 2019. [aoa id=”1″] Now in their 12th year, the VQ Awards celebrate those who use technical, practical and vocational qualifications to achieve success. A Vocational Qualification – VQ- award is a symbol of dedication towards your chosen profession. The awards help us to celebrate those Welsh learners, trainers and employers who are already going that extra mile when it comes to developing vocational skills and qualifications. There are four award categories – VQ Intermediate Learner of the Year, VQ…

New pensions dashboards will offer people access to their information from multiple pensions at a time of their choosing, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd announced during a visit to Peter’s Food Service in Bedwas yesterday (4 April). Peter’s, famous for its pies, is one of Wales’ biggest food production employers with nearly 700 employees, more than 100 of whom will reach pensionable age in the next decade. The pensions dashboards will enable everyone in Wales with a pension to see all the facts and figures about their pension pots and potential retirement income in one place – on smartphones,…

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) showcased the best of Wales’ young comedy talent at its Voice Box joke telling competition for primary school-aged children on 3 April 2019 at the Pierhead Building in Cardiff Bay.    The RCSLT teamed up with the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) Cymru and Parentkind to hold the contest, which reminds people that all children need support to be confident with their communication skills and some need specialist help to speak and/or understand what is being said to them. More than 700 schoolchildren between the ages of five and 11 years…

Cardiff Metropolitan University graduate Frances Lukins and her husband Dan have recently smashed their £18k Kickstarter target to open two new coffee bars in unique locations across Cardiff. Established in King’s Road Yard in Pontcanna in 2015 by the husband and wife duo, Lufkin Coffee has been a hit with locals ever since. [aoa id=”1″] [/aoa] The £18k funding, donated by over 400 supporters in just 1 month, will contribute towards the creation of a new coffee bar in the old rangers hut in Thompson’s Park, Canton, as well as premises in the old Natwest bank on Clare Road, Grangetown.…

More than 25,000 primary school children across England and Wales have penned a poem for the second annual Premier League Writing Stars poetry competition. Themed on diversity, the competition encouraged five to eleven-year-olds to explore what makes us ‘Beautifully different, Wonderfully the Same’ using a poem created especially for Writing Stars by poet Joseph Coelho. Katie’s poem ‘Different’ was selected as the regional winning entry in the Key Stage 1 age group (five to 7 years old). Judging was completed by a stellar panel, which included Waterstones Children’s Laureate Lauren Child, former Premier League footballer Rio Ferdinand, singer-songwriter Olly Murs…

One of the UK’s leading insurance brokers has extended its exclusive sponsorship deal with Glamorgan County Cricket Club for another season. Towergate Insurance Brokers has signed a deal to remain lead sponsor for the state-of-the-art Towergate Media Centre at the Club’s Sophia Gardens base. Towergate, which has over 100 offices nationwide, has a strong Welsh presence and a long-standing relationship with Glamorgan Cricket, acting as their insurance broker of choice. As part of their latest sponsorship deal, as well as national brand exposure, Towergate is entitled to tickets for both domestic and international matches at the Test ground and can…