Author: Rhys Gregory

A man from Cardiff joined the UK visually impaired (VI) rugby team in Japan for the Rugby World Cup, beating the Japanese VI squad in three consecutive matches. Gareth Davies, 45, works for RNIB. He was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at 19 and was registered blind five years ago. A keen rugby player, he said he was initially devastated when his condition deteriorated. But in 2018 a friend encouraged him to join the UK VI Harlequins team in London and he has been playing ever since. Gareth and his teammates spent most of the World Cup tournament in Tokyo. Though…

Swansea based Medical Connections Limited has successfully completed a management buy-out. The medical imaging software toolkit company was founded by the late Doctor David Harvey in 1998. As a consultant radiologist, he was passionate about the development of healthcare IT to deliver better patient care.  The Company is a well-established medical imaging toolkit provider and has been recognised as a global leader in facilitating the development of healthcare IT systems to promote interoperability. Funded by the Development Bank of Wales, the management buy-out was led by Philippa Webb (Director of Operations) Qian Wang (Technical Director) and Rapten Bhutia (Development Director)…

ONE of Anglesey’s best-known buildings is to be transformed into a business centre and conference venue. Tristan Haynes, the new owner of Grade II-listed Shire Hall in Llangefni, is also planning to open a pod hotel, an art gallery and attract companies of all sizes to the 45-room landmark. Llangefni is the administrative heart of the island, and for many years Shire Hall has been home to the Town Council and the HM Courts and Tribunals Services; it was also previously used by the county authority and police. Tristan, who grew up in South Africa, the US and the Middle…

Marking the launch of its Education Through Industry initiative, Newbridge-based technology specialist, Axiom Manufacturing Services, has donated over five thousand pounds of technology kits to primary schools in South Wales. [aoa id=”1″] Regardless of the path they choose, the careers and lives of every child today will be governed by technology. Recognising this, Axiom decided to ensure that pupils in its neighbouring communities can discover a love for engineering and technology. With the inventor’s kits, pupils from seven schools are now able to discover that with their imagination and STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) skills, there is no limit to…

Cardiff-based Bond Digital Health is predicting significant growth in 2020 on the back of inroads made into the global diagnostics market. The digital health company, based at the Life Sciences Hub Wales, has doubled its 2020 revenue predictions from £1.5m to more than £3m as a result of recent trips to California in which it consolidated relationships with west coast-based life sciences companies. Bond has also secured 50% of a £1.1m equity funding round enabling the employment of at least five new technical staff to meet the increased market demand. The company has also signed an export deal with a…

With research showing that one in three homes do not have a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm fitted, despite nine in ten homeowners saying they are aware of the risks*, OFTEC is urging households in Wales to take action to protect themselves from the dangers of CO poisoning. The warning comes as part of this year’s Carbon Monoxide Awareness Month (November 2019), a national campaign highlighting the potential risks of CO poisoning which kills on average 30 people and hospitalises over 4,000 every year in the UK. CO is produced when carbon fuels don’t burn properly and any type of heating…

Cardiff based Pervade Software is working with police forces across the UK, applying award winning cyber security products to help them sniff out and deal with threats on the Dark Web. The Dark Web – websites that exist on an anonymised network beyond the reach of traditional search engines or browsers – has become of increasing concern, enabling the likes of terrorist groups and paedophile rings to perpetrate unlawful activities. Now using Pervade’s OpIndex platform, UK police forces have a product to rely on for intelligence gathering, delivering insight on more than 25,000 of these websites, more than five times…

Over 350 students graduated from the Open University in Wales this week, in what is one of the university’s annual highlights. Most have studied part-time, often balancing this with work, family or caring for a loved one. The OU was founded over 50 years ago. In that time, more than 200,000 students have studied in Wales alone. It now has over 10,000 students across Wales, 42% of whom come from the country’s most disadvantaged areas. 2/3 of students are either in part time or full time work during their studies. The OU in Wales presented honorary degrees to Dr Donald…

The return of the Christmas gift with a conscience, One Knit Wonder, has launched a brand-new scarf edition. On sale now at John Lewis & Partners Cardiff, shoppers can pick up a starter kit to knit a hat or scarf. All profits will go to leading Welsh homelessness and rough sleeping charity, The Wallich, to help them keep the lights of their vital emergency accommodation on. This year, in addition to a woolly hat, One Knit Wonder is available as a special edition scarf. Selling for £13.50 and £15.50 respectively, at John Lewis & Partners Cardiff for a limited time only, all profits from every One Knit Wonder will go to The Wallich and will help people sleeping rough across Wales. Once…

People traveling on Remembrance Sunday are getting travel advice from Cardiff Bus. The operator is alerting travellers to road closures and route diversions as a result of Remembrance Sunday services this weekend. At 11am Cardiff Bus will also see its services pull over where safe to do so, in a bid to observe the traditional two-minute silence honouring the fallen. Road closures for the Radyr Remembrance Sunday service will affect service 63.  Service 63 will not serve Radyr, Pentyrch or Creigiau in either direction and will start and end its journeys at Danescourt Way.  The first bus to serve the…