Author: Rhys Gregory

Orchard Media and Events Group expands its PR and communications offering with the acquisition of Cardiff agency Mela. [aoa id=”1″]Orchard has been building organically since 2010, reaching a turnover of £14m and a team of over 70 in its new £1m base in the capital’s centre. The firm offers a broad range of services and products in a unique mix for Wales – from PR and social media to production and TV programme making, event management, music promotion, media planning and buying, design, and audio visual. They handle major international projects, from entertainment and filming for the UEFA Champions League Final,…

A police boss has urged local businesses to support a boxing club that’s helping to combat anti-social behaviour on a once-troubled housing estate. [aoa id=”1″] North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones was speaking during a visit to the Maesgeirchen Boxing Club which has received a £2,500 grant partly funded by cash seized from criminals. The money from the Your Community, Your Choice fund administered by Mr Jones, the Police and Community Trust (PACT) and North Wales Police has been used to buy new equipment, with half the money coming via the money. [/aoa] The club is run by…

A Thai food producer which has tripled in size in 11 years is to launch a brand new chicken satay starter to satisfy a growing appetite for its honest cooking. [aoa id=”1″] Authentic Thai Cuisine, based in Llanferres, in Flintshire, will be unveiling the new appetiser at the Llangollen Food Festival which provides a showcase for the company. The starter has been developed to add to its array of frozen curries, noodle dishes and sauces as part of a plan to encourage customers to make a banquet out of its products. [/aoa] The business, which was launched by Dtoi Harvey…

The second image chosen for The Canvas, Swansea College of Art UWTSD’s new 8m x 3m public art initiative outside Dynevor in the city centre, is by recent BA Hons Fine Art graduate Tomos Sparnon. [aoa id=”1″]Study of a seated figure 1 and Seated clay figures combines two aspects of work produced for Tomos’ degree show – a painting and two sculptures. The painting is an exploration of a seated figure in a space, made in an attempt to understand, register and capture the essence of a figure – its presence, experience and materiality. Made over a period of daily…

The Cardiff office of Clarke Willmott has appointed its first trainee solicitor as it continues its expansion as one of Wales’ fastest growing legal firms. Dani Bowen (25), is now working to become a fully qualified solicitor in the banking, commercial property and corporate and commercial litigation sectors which she hopes to achieve by March 2020. [aoa id=”1″]Having grown up in Thornhill in Cardiff, Dani studied law at Swansea University gaining a 2:1. She then did her Legal Practice Course (LPC) at Cardiff University before joining the highly respected practice as a banking and finance paralegal in March 2017.[/aoa] The…

With news from the ONS that life expectancy in the UK has halted for the first time since records began, Stuart Price from Quantum Advisory looks at how this could actually be a good thing…pension-wise.

The South Wales Chamber of Commerce is putting out a final call for signatures on their petition calling on the Welsh Government to press ahead with the construction of the M4 Relief Road around Newport. [aoa id=”1″]The petition is published on the Assembly’s website and is a chance for people across South Wales to stand up and show their support for this vital piece of infrastructure being built. The petition is open for everyone to sign and will be considered by Assembly members if enough people sign it. Those wishing to sign the petition have until midday on Friday 28thSeptember…

Eight innovative social enterprises which have made an “outstanding impact across Wales” have been recognised at this year’s Social Business Wales Awards. A thriving community leisure centre, a zero-waste shop, and an environmental monitoring company are among the diverse businesses to be awarded at the ceremony in Cardiff’s City Hall on Wednesday night. The evening, delivered by Social Business Wales, brought together over 220 of Wales’s leading figures from the social business sector, to celebrate the positive impact that social enterprises, co-operatives, and employee-owned businesses are having across Wales. During the night, hosted by Welsh TV star and tenor Wynne…

Canary Designs is aiming to unite company owners, architects, product designers, industrial designers, engineers, HR, software developers, project managers and other professionals who have an impact on office and workplace environments. [aoa id=”1″] Director John Lovegrove says the Hwb Ergonomeg (Ergonomics Hub) will feature presentations, network events, workshops and sharing best practice at his firm’s St Asaph headquarters, where there will be a free launch event on October 25. The 40 year-old – who last month gave a presentation on work-life balance to representatives from 87 nations at the International Ergonomic Association 20th Congress in Florence – is confident by…

Businesses looking to recruit apprentices or use the Apprenticeships Programme in Wales to upskill their workforce can now access a new service for employers. [aoa id=”1″] The National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW), which represents more than 100 learning providers across Wales, has appointed a team of specialists to make it easier for employers to engage with the Welsh Government’s Apprenticeship Programme. The NTfW Apprenticeships Team’s mission is to increase the number of employers recruiting apprentices, whilst also encouraging the recruitment of young people into employment sectors of national or regional importance. [/aoa] Funded by the Welsh Government with support…