Author: Rhys Gregory

SMEs in the Welsh manufacturing sector could be missing out on the technologies and systems that are helping benefit bigger employers in the industry. [aoa id=”1″]An event being staged by Cardiff University and NatWest Cymru this week will aim to help these businesses understand the benefits of recent advances in Smart Manufacturing technologies and business systems, which in turn give them the opportunity to significantly improve their efficiency and output.[/aoa] Wales boasts a diverse manufacturing sector and NatWest Cymru says it is important the SMEs within it are given the understanding and support they need to profit from advances such…

People in Cardiff and the Vale requiring neurological rehabilitation are now able to access exercise and activity groups within the local community thanks to the ‘Let’s Get Moving’ project at Better Leisure Centres. [aoa id=”1″]A pilot scheme to get more people enjoying sport has proved very popular at Fairwater Leisure Centre as more and more people in Cardiff and the Vale who have mobility issues or living with health conditions are discovering their love for exercise and sport. The Let’s Get Moving sessions include Walking Football on Wednesdays and a Mobility Circuit Class on Tuesday and Friday. Other Better Centres…

Robert Light has become Director of Creative Production and TV Programmes at the Cardiff-based Orchard Media and Events Group with a remit to collaborate with broadcasters, national agencies and brands across the world. [aoa id=”1″]Robert started out as a researcher 13 years ago and gets his promotion after heading up Orchard’s production team, working alongside Smörgåsbord for the award winning atmospheric TV adverts that starred Hollywood star Luke Evans for Visit Wales; directing promotional films for the likes of UEFA and Principality Building Society; plus an expanding portfolio of broadcast productions for BBC, S4C and international broadcasters on a diverse…

BBC Two’s Great British Menu has returned to our screens, and in a few weeks’ time, Crumlin-born chef Tommy Heaney will be one of the three chefs representing Northern Ireland for the second year in a row. [aoa id=”1″][/aoa] This year, Great British Menu is paying tribute to 70 years of the NHS, tasking 24 chefs from around the UK to create exceptional dishes for a thank-you banquet to NHS heroes from around the country. Tommy will go head-to-head against James Devine from Ardtara Country House in Londonderry, and Shauna Froydenlund from Marcus at The Berkeley, London. The three chefs are…

Cardiff’s New Theatre has been voted the most welcoming theatre in Wales by the public. Part of the annual UK Theatre Awards, Most Welcoming Theatre is an opportunity for audiences across the country to celebrate their local theatres. Cassie Chadderton, Head of UK Theatre, said: “It is fantastic to see a record-breaking number of people all over the country casting votes in support of their local theatres this year. This award is a chance to recognise the importance of theatres as valuable cultural hubs, and the loyalty they can inspire by creating a fantastic audience experience – from friendly front-of-house service…

Cardiff and Vale College and Rubicon Dance have entered into a new partnership with Rubicon Dance – one of the oldest and best established community dance organisations in the UK. [aoa id=”1″]The CAVC franchise agreement with Rubicon will see the dance company’s BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Performing Arts (Dance) course coming under the College’s Creative Industries Department. The course will continue to be delivered from Rubicon’s facilities in Cardiff and led by Rubicon’s Dance lecturers.[/aoa] Established in 1976, Rubicon Dance serves the communities of Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan and Newport. It delivers 150 sessions to roughly 2,000…

The First Minister of Wales is to launch a series of high-profile lectures to mark the centenary of the Department of international Politics at Aberystwyth University. [aoa id=”1″] In a keynote address entitled ‘Towards a Better Union: Past, Present and Post Brexit prospects for the UK’, Carwyn Jones AM will analyse the challenges posed by the UK’s departure from the European Union. The lecture will be delivered at 5pm on Thursday 11 October 2018 in the Main Hall of the Department of International Politics on Penglais campus. [/aoa]Admission is free, all are welcome, and tickets for the lecture…

The demise of Homebase has highlighted how underlying business weaknesses lie behind the collapse of a number of major UK retailers, according to a retail expert.  The chain, which was once the UK’s second-largest DIY retailer, is to close 42 of its 241 stores after being saved from going into administration after a deal with its landlords and creditors. Sadly, it is likely that more retailers will follow in due course.   [aoa id=”1″]The Homebase store at Newport Road in Cardiff, as well as those in Bristol, Exeter, Oxford, Poole, Salisbury and Swindon, are among those that will close in late 2018 and early 2019. In addition, the units…

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service are taking over Cardiff Bay from 28th– 30thSeptember, hosting one of the UK’s largest rescue challenge event, the very first Tunnel to Towers 5k family walk/run and staging a Super Safety Village packed full of activities and entertainment for all the family.   On 29th the prestigious United Kingdom Rescue Organisation (UKRO) Caerdydd Challenge will see more than 500 of the UK’s most skilled firefighters compete in staged rope rescues, water rescues, vehicle rescues and urban search and rescue contests in and around the Roald Dahl Plass. With SWFRS already boasting the World and UK Extrication…

The nasal spray that saved the life of multi-million selling American pop star Demi Lovato should be carried by every police officer in North Wales, according to the region’s policing boss. [aoa id=”1″] The 25-year-old Grammy-nominated singer and actor, a star of X Factor USA, collapsed after a suspected overdose at her Hollywood home in July and was revived by a paramedic using a naloxone spray. Now North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones has joined the campaign to have all police officers equipped with the spray which is used as an antidote to opiate drug overdoses of substances…