Author: Rhys Gregory

Behind the Label, a gritty new theatre production written, produced and performed by people who have experienced life on the streets or have been threatened with homelessness, will take centre stage at Wales Millennium Centre today (Thursday 13) and Friday 14 December.  Behind the Label is produced and performed by a group of real people who are clients of The Wallich, Wales’s leading homelessness charity. The performers will share their real-life experiences – including trauma, addiction, homelessness and mental health issues – and their feelings of being labelled by society. This unfiltered performance will challenge audience members’ ideas and preconceptions…

A Welsh unified communications and collaboration company with a global perspective has received a £500,000 investment boost. [aoa id=”1″] The funding for Conversant of Cwmbran is a joint loan and equity package by Development Bank of Wales and Tata Steel subsidiary UK Steel Enterprise. The company is aiming to create around 32 jobs as the business develops. Conversant has built several cloud-based communications platforms providing unified communications technology to partners servicing global clients. [/aoa] Director Patrick Copping explained : ”The Conversant platforms offer our partners a fast, secure and profitable way into providing Unified Communications solutions to end customers without…

South Wales Police is appealing for information leading to the whereabouts of a missing man called Max Screeton, aged 29 years old and from the Uplands area of Swansea. He is described as: – white – Southern American / Texan accent – athletic build – full trimmed beard – dyed blonde hair on the top and black hair on the back and sides – hazel eyes – possible cut to forehead – he was last seen wearing a grey/navy blue ‘Superdry’ parka jacket with a hood, red ‘Superdry’ sweater, blue denim jeans with the bottoms turned up around the ankle, multi-coloured…

North Wales Police and Denbighshire County Council are urging licensed premises to be well prepared for the festive period. [aoa id=”1″] Licensees are reminded to ensure intended activities are covered by your licence/certificate or an exemption and any extended hours planned are within those permitted by your licence. Chief Inspector Andrew Williams said: “Everyone has a part to play in ensuring a safe and vibrant nightlife across Denbighshire. “Good planning before we get into the weeks and days before Christmas and New Year can help make it a successful and safe time for everyone.” [/aoa] Cllr Tony Thomas, the Council’s…

Tuesday the 11th of December saw the launch of a new partnership between learning technology solution specialists Aspire2Be and six Ceredigion rugby clubs as part of the Scarlets’ Three Counties, Three Years strategy. [aoa id=”1″] The initiative, courtesy of Scarlets, invites Ceredigion rugby clubs and schools to participate in a pilot project providing free analysis equipment, software and training worth over £20k. The initial pilot project will work with Aberystwyth Rugby Football Club and Ysgol Penweddig, with a funding application written for remaining clubs once the pilot is completed. ‘Analyse That’ training with Ysgol Penweddig will take place at Penweddig Comprehensive…

Brexit uncertainty is continuing to be felt in the housing market in Wales, with surveyors expecting prices and sales to edge lower in the three months ahead, according to the latest RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) Residential Market Survey. [aoa id=”1″] Whilst the headline price balance moved back into positive territory, having been flat in October’s survey, it is the third month in a row that Welsh surveyors have indicated that they expect prices and sales activity to fall or be flat. It is also the fifth month in a row that respondents in Wales have reported lower levels…

A new project looking at the history of Tiger Bay, through the eyes of people who came from across the world to work in Cardiff, is getting underway thanks to National Lottery funding. The ‘Tiger Bay – Preserving the Stories’ project will build on an archive begun in the 1980s,expanding the collection to include maritime and industrial history and collecting memories and historic images of the former docklands to tell the story of Wales’s industrial past. A story worth telling Working with around 7,000 photographs as well as audio and videotaped interviews of former local residents whose families moved to…

One of the UK’s leading insurance brokers is celebrating a successful 2018 with the launch of a new office in Swansea. Towergate Insurance Brokers has opened its latest branch in Riverside Business Park. The move will aid the business’ ambitious growth plans, allowing them to further accommodate their ever-growing customer base in Swansea and west Wales into 2019 and beyond. The new office will also give Towergate an opportunity to recruit a number of new staff in 2019. [irp posts=”20671″ ] Area Managing Director of Towergate, Gary Stevens, said: “We are delighted to be moving to new premises in Swansea especially…

Mark Drakeford, who won the Welsh Labour leadership contest last week, will takeover from Carwyn Jones who resigned yesterday (Tuesday). The Welsh Labour leader was backed by 30 AMs, versus 12 votes for the Conservatives’ Paul Davies and nine for Plaid Cymru’s Adam Price. Commenting on the news that Mark Drakeford has been nominated as the First Minister of Wales, Ben Francis, FSB Wales Policy Chair, said: “On behalf of FSB, I’m pleased to congratulate Mark Drakeford on his nomination as First Minister of Wales. We have enjoyed a very positive relationship with Mark in his previous post and look…

Tiny Toes Ballet, the UK’s only pre-school ballet syllabus to be integrated with the Early Years Foundation Stage, will launch a new franchise in Swansea this month – the city where the business began. [aoa id=”1″] Designed for boys and girls aged six months to seven years, Tiny Toes delivers fun, themed dance classes focused on helping children learn about the world around them. Studies have shown children learn best by ‘doing’, and Tiny Toes offers a great way of helping them learn through dancing. The national award-winning company was founded in Swansea by local mum and dance teacher Emma…