Author: Rhys Gregory

Operated in partnership with BeTheSpark and Inspire Wales, Pitch It took place at Cardiff Metropolitan University, Llandaff Campus in Cardiff on Wednesday 17th October. [aoa id=”1″]An audience of over 120 guests from across all BeTheSpark’s five stakeholder groups, academia, risk capital, corporate, government and entrepreneurs joined the event to show their support, share invaluable business expertise and highlighting the importance of creating a visible, simple and connected entrepreneurial ecosystem within Wales.[/aoa] “Pitch It Wales was designed to make the investment landscape more accessible to SME’s in Wales. Innovation-driven entrepreneurship is imperative to the fund and we hold great importance on…

AN £80 MILLION transport scheme will target heavy traffic at peak times on the most congested roads in North Wales. [aoa id=”1″] As part of the North Wales Growth Bid, the programme aims to improve connectivity, reduce carbon footprint and complement Welsh Government investment in the region’s road and rail networks. A series of projects would be introduced from 2019-2024, creating up to 2,000 indirect or construction jobs. The proposals centre around developing ‘Integrated Travel Zones’ along the Deeside Corridor; the A483 and Wrexham Town Centre; Prestatyn, Abergele, St Asaph, Llandudno, Conwy and Colwyn Bay; Caernarfon-Menai Corridor, and north Anglesey.…

S2 Recruitment has joined leading businesses at the innovative £20million Menai Science Park on Anglesey. [aoa id=”1″] The company has a big year ahead and is preparing for further growth by opening a new base at M-SParc. Part of the award-winning Supertemps Group – based in Colwyn Bay and Bangor – S2 Recruitment has enjoyed a busy 2018, launching a new website and working closely with candidates and clients in the IT and executive sectors, targeting roles of £30,000 and above. Relocating to the island gives them a firm base on which to lay down roots in a prime location…

Tributes have been paid following the death of a Second World War veteran who fought his way through Europe and helped liberate Brussels. Bill Evans, 93, who passed away at the Wrexham Maelor Hospital following a short illness, was a popular resident at Pendine Park’s Gwern Alyn Care Home in Hillbury Road. He leaves two sons, John and Robert. Back in 2016 Bill was thrilled to be invited to the garden party at Buckingham Palace to celebrate Her Majesty’s 90th birthday. The ex-Royal Welsh Fusilier was accompanied by his favourite senior care practitioner Mandy Williams. In the same year he…

COLEG CAMBRIA and top housing developers are building relations with school pupils in a bid to encourage them to pursue a career in construction. [aoa id=”1″] The college hosted the newly launched BEATS (Built Environment Aspiring Technical Students) event at its £10m Bersham Road engineering complex in Wrexham. Organised in partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), more than 100 secondary school pupils enjoyed a programme of activities and presentations designed to showcase the vast range of jobs available in the sector. [/aoa] Youngsters from Rhosnesni High School, Ysgol Clywedog, Ysgol Rhiwabon and Ysgol-y-Grango took part in technical and…

As Vladimir Putin deals with a backlash over a proposed increase for the Russian state pension age, Stuart Price, from Quantum Advisory, looks at pension problems across Europe.

Heating rural homes in Wales with used cooking oil may be the most effective way of reducing their carbon emissions, according to industry experts. The proposal has been put forward during the first ever Green GB Week (15-19 October), a government campaign calling for more action to reduce the impact of climate change, and shortly after the world’s leading climate scientists stated that urgent changes were needed within the next 12 years to avoid irreparable harm to the world. [aoa id=”1″] Currently, there are 114,000 oil heated homes in Wales that are off the gas grid. OFTEC, the trade association…

A group of learners from a college in the south Wales valleys have seen their creations take centre stage in the limelight at this year’s British Academy Cymru Awards. [aoa id=”1″] Six budding prop makers from Coleg y Cymoedd have been busy bringing to life the iconic masks for the annual British Academy Cymru awards ceremony set, after teaming up with the charity on the project. The learners; Emily Wright, Lee Vowles, Zoe Crisp, Peter Davies, Phil Bryant and Cory Thomas have spent three weeks working tirelesslyto create more than 50 gold and silver masks for the awards. [/aoa] These…

Family-owned ACD Skip Hire has completed the final programme of works being delivered as part of its two-year expansion plan after securing £370,000 in funding from NatWest. [aoa id=”1″] The Bridgend-based business has used the funds to triple the size of its operations with the addition of new premises, as well as an upgrade of facilities at its original site to improve operational efficiencies. The final programme of works, which was completed in July 2018, utilised £50,000 of funding from NatWest to install a new roofing system, covering the 4000sqft open yard at Brynmenyn Industrial Estate. The new roof will…

Dr Rowan Williams has contributed lyrics for Sorrows of the Somme, a new orchestral and choral piece by the Welsh composer Brian Hughes. [aoa id=”1″]Commissioned by Cymru’n Cofio Wales Remembers 1914-1918, Sorrows of the Somme isHughes’ personal response to Welsh, English and German writings about the First World War and the battle for Mametz Woods in 1916. In these woods a generation of young people, many thousands of whom were from Wales, lost their lives in the first few days of the Battle of the Somme.[/aoa] Dr Rowan Williams said: ‘The words of the poem that Brian Hughes has so…