Author: Rhys Gregory

After a career spanning more than 20 years, Swansea University’s Gareth Jenkins has marked a notable achievement – the release of his 100th paper. [aoa id=”1″] And Professor Jenkins, Director of Research at Swansea University Medical School, says his most recent publication – which explains how in the future oesophageal cancer could be diagnosed  with a £30 blood test  – is the one of the most significant of his career. His involvement in this latest study was fuelled by a long-standing interest in the molecular basis of cancer in the gastrointestinal tract, particularly the pre-malignant condition Barrett’s Oesophagus. [/aoa] The…

From this week (26 June), health professionals in Wales will be able to prescribe free library books to assist people in managing their mental health or dealing with difficult feelings and experiences in what experts behind the scheme are calling ‘bibliotherapy’.  [aoa id=”1″]The Reading Well Books on Prescription for mental health scheme has been developed by The Reading Agency and public libraries, leading health organisations including the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Mind, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the British Psychological Society and the Royal College of Nursing, as well as individuals who have personal experience of mental health needs…

The regenerated Ladywell Shopping Centre in Newtown is undergoing a major refurbishment to become the new headquarters of Quartix, the internationally recognised vehicle tracking supplier. Quartix has signed a lease with property owner EvaBuild Developments with the aim of bringing together under one roof more than 120 employees based in Newtown to allow for further growth. [aoa id=”1″]The collaboration between the companies began nearly a year ago. EvaBuild, having been unsuccessful in attracting a marque retailer to the former Co-Op Supermarket, approached Quartix to see if it could help with the company’s continuing expansion by transforming the building into a…

Pride Cymru has announced further acts to perform on stage during the August bank holiday weekend. With this year marking the 20th anniversary of Pride Cymru’s Big Weekend, the organisers welcome back the event’s first ever headliner, Tina Cousins. Songs like Mysterious Times for which Tina Cousins collaborated with German DJ Sash! Killing Time and Just Around The Hill, made her one of Britain’s greatest female solo artists in the late 90s and early 00s. [aoa id=”1″]Her success quickly exceeded the UK borders, as she rose to fame throughout Europe and Australia. Since then Tina Cousins has become a regular…

THE Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) Regional Cabinet has announced the creation of an Investment and Intervention Framework. It focuses on the region’s three priorities, which include innovation, infrastructure and challenge, enabling maximum leverage of the £495 million the CCR City Deal has available for investment. [aoa id=”1″]The CCR City Deal is a catalyst for long-term economic revival, aiming for the whole region to become self-sufficient. It includes the ten local authorities of Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Newport, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Torfaen and Vale of Glamorgan.[/aoa] Of the £1.2 billion available, £734 million is ringfenced for the…

ADAPTABILITY is the number one trait employers are looking for when hiring staff, according to a new survey. [aoa id=”1″] Research by CV-Library found the key skills managing directors and HR bosses want in a candidate are the ability to adapt (71.5%), resilience (57.5%) and being able to balance personal life and work (29.2%). More than 300 UK employers were surveyed, with the figures also revealing companies want applicants who are willing to upskill (39.7%) and happy to network (16.4%). [/aoa] Sarah Ellwood, managing director of North Wales recruitment firm Supertemps – and its executive, IT and engineering arm S2…

One of the UK’s top 100 financial planning firms has moved its headquarters following year-on-year growth, a trend it says it is expecting to continue. Originally based in Cedar Court in Newport, Gould Financial Planning has now taken over 1,500 sq ft of the recently renovated Quest House in St Mellons, Cardiff. The company which was established in 2001 has seen remarkable growth in the last three years, increasing turnover by almost 40%, profit by 30% and growing its team to over 16. [aoa id=”1″]Formerly known as Abacus House, the building was one of Cardiff’s first modern, purpose-built out-of-town commercial…

The closure of a £6.5 million dairy processing facility in north Wales, which threatens up to 80 jobs, is a major blow for employees and their families and a worry for Welsh milk producers, says the Farmers’ Union of Wales. The GRH Food Company received a £1.7 million grant from Welsh government in 2017, to re-locate its headquarters to Minfordd, but is now believed to be set to go into receivership with KPMG. “This could have a devastating impact on the employees and their families, and the wider community,” said FUW Dairy Committee Chair Dai Miles.  “Ensuring a future for…

A joint operation to clampdown on air passengers bringing in knives and other weapons from their holidays took place at Cardiff Airport last week. In addition to the routine searches that Border Force officers conduct every day on travellers landing at the airport, South Wales Police officers from the Vale of Glamorgan, were in attendance on June 18 and May 5, as part of Operation Dactylis to raise awareness among passengers that it is illegal to bring home offensive weapons from their holidays. Milo, a search dog was also on hand for both days of the operation to detect any…

Welsh speakers across the world are being asked to play their part in helping to safeguard the digital future of the Welsh language by recording their voices using Common Voice, an initiative run by software company Mozilla, in a bid to bolster digital services in the Welsh language.  The aim is to help technologies including phones, computers and other electronic systems to understand how people speak Welsh and to make voice recognition open and accessible to everyone. If enough people commit to recording their voices, satellite navigation and systems for those with disabilities and visual impairments are some of the…