Author: Rhys Gregory

Members of the South Wales FUW Academy, a collaboration of the Union’s Gwent, Glamorgan and Brecon and Radnor branches, recently visited Fforch Farm in the Rhondda, explored the first farm shop in the area and visited micro-brewery Cwm Rhondda Ales, to learn about different ways of diversification. [aoa id=”1″] Fforch Farm is a beef and sheep farm with 40 cattle and 500 sheep and has been in the Jones family for 33 years. Lynne and Lorna Jones, who have 6 daughters and 1 son, run the farm and farm shop together with their daughters Grug, Caryl, Aneira and son Arwel.…

New research reveals that Wednesday 31 October will be the day when Wales turns on the central heating for winter.  [aoa id=”1″] The research, commissioned by weflip, the new ‘sign up once, save forever’ automatic energy switching service from Newport-based GoCompare.com Group, found that for many households the central heating was a hotly debated issue, with some (7%) dreading winter because of arguments over the thermostat. Almost one in seven Welsh households (15%) have argued about when to turn the heating on for winter, and ongoing disagreements about the ideal household temperature are a source of friction in 13% of…

Rock of Ages is an LA love story lavished with over 25 classic rock anthems. Now a global smash-hit show, it has had extensive runs in London’s West End, on Broadway and in Las Vegas, and it’s been made in to a star studded Hollywood movie. [aoa id=”1″] Now, you can lose yourself in a city and a time where the dreams are as big as the hair as Rock of Ages rocks into Cardiff’s New Theatre from 6 – 10 November. The hilarious musical comedy features the songs, including We Built This City, The Final Countdown, Here I Go…

A short animated film by pupils at a north Wales school is the winner of an all-Wales scratch animation coding competition hosted by Aberystwyth University. [aoa id=”1″] Chwedlau Chwareus, Merched y Môr by Cool Cacti Studios at Ysgol Bro Gwydir, Llanrwst, tells the story of an old man and his three daughters, Branwen, Gwenllian and Llio, who live on the shores of Cardigan Bay. Envious of the old man’s happiness, Dylan, God of the Sea, sends a large wave to kidnap the daughters. On seeing how unhappy this made the old man, guilt leads Dylan to turn the daughters into…

With a recent report showing non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are losing significant amounts of money as a result of the depreciation of the pound since the Brexit referendum, one foreign exchange (FX) expert is calling on NGOs to take action now or risk further losses as uncertainty surrounding Brexit continues. [aoa id=”1″] Aid projects focused on alleviating poverty and mitigating climate change have been highlighted as suffering massive financial losses due to the fall in the value of the pound since the 2016 vote on whether the UK should remain in or leave the European Union (EU). As a result, the…

EDENSTONE homes has appointed Mike Huddleston as build director to support its ambitious growth plans. Mike has 20 years’ experience in the housebuilding sector. In his new role with the Magor-based premium homebuilder, Mike will oversee construction work at developments across South Wales and the South West of England. “I have always had an interest in construction, buildings and architecture,” Mike explained. “When I left school I completed a National Diploma in Construction, which looked at all aspects within the Construction Industry, before completing an honours degree in Building Technology and Management.” Mike started out as a trainee site manager…

When production operator and team leader Ryan Brown was made redundant by Ford Motor Company’s Bridgend plant due to a product run end, he recognised it as a golden opportunity to retrain [aoa id=”1″] He applied for and secured an Apprenticeship on Ford’s electrical training programme and loves his new job programming and working with robots, providing breakdown cover and finding ways to save the company money. Ryan, 26, who lives in Porthcawl, has helped establish an Emerging Technologies department at the Bridgend Engine Plant, taking on a leading role in additive manufacturing. The department is seeking to cut costs…

Sally Hughes is on course for a rewarding career with Tata Steel in Port Talbot and hopes to inspire other young women to follow a science career pathway. [aoa id=”1″] The only female in a group of technical apprentices recruited by the company in Port Talbot in September, 2016, she says it has not been easy to be successful within a male dominated environment. However, the 19-year-old from Port Talbot is determined to reach her full potential by embracing all opportunities available to her. Rewarding her determination, Sally has been shortlisted for this year’s Apprenticeship Awards Cymru. She will be…

The construction division of The Premier Group, a leading high-spec construction and maintenance company, has been appointed by the largest independent forecourt operator in the UK, Motor Fuel Group (MFG), to complete works at a service station in Mumbles, Swansea. [aoa id=”1″] The project marks a rare occurrence for The Premier Group’s construction division to work on a local site. The company, which is based in Winch Wen, Swansea, most frequently works on projects based throughout the UK for major national brands. The scope of the project being undertaken by The Premier Group includes the remodelling of the existing Texaco…

A Cardiff Met graduate has been impressing industry professionals at a series of high-profile art shows, including the British Art Fair at the world-famous Saatchi Gallery. [aoa id=”1″] Annette Lindenberg, 24, originally from Vienna, studied Artist Designer Maker at Cardiff Metropolitan University. She has since gone on to showcase her unique work at several well-known art shows. Most notably, Annette’s work of carved ceramics featured prominently at the 30thanniversary of the British Art Fair at the Saatchi Gallery last month. Her collection was positioned next to work by world-famous artists Dame Lucie Rie and Dame Barbara Hepworth. [/aoa] Annette’s work…