Author: Rhys Gregory

Swansea-based employees at ERS, the UK’s largest specialist motor insurer, have done their bit to keep the Wales Air Ambulance flying, having raised over £7000 for the charity so far. The company’s Swansea office selected the Wales Air Ambulance as their nominated charity two years ago with colleagues at its offices in London raising money for the London Air Ambulance, creating a shared sense of purpose in supporting these vital services. The Wales Air Ambulance relies entirely on the public’s support to help keep its helicopters flying. It needs to raise some £6.5 million a year overall and each trip…

Are you the proud owner of a working bred gundog puppy or young dog? Have you had working dogs before or is this the first time?  Do you want to work him or her? Whatever the answers, what is certain is that your gundog will need training, otherwise that sweet, adorable puppy will have you tearing your hair out when it quickly grows into a teenager. A teenager who takes no notice of you, leaps onto your sofa when wet, tugs you along for a walk, apparently goes deaf as it disappears into the far distance and generally becomes unmanageable.…

An award-winning training provider has launched a fresh, new look with a rebranded company logo and revamped website, which has been designed to support employers and learners all over Wales. Cambrian Training Company chose the Royal Welsh Show last week to both unveil its rebrand and launch its new website with the help of some of the employers with which it works. The company, which has its headquarters in Welshpool and offices in Llanelli, Holyhead, Colwyn Bay and Builth Wells, specialises in the delivery of work-based apprenticeships, Jobs Growth Wales and employability opportunities across a range of industries pan-Wales. [aoa…

A £156,000 investment from Bristol Private Equity Club has helped a fast-growing city business step up to the next level.   Launched with just a single facebook post in 2014, trailblazing women’s fitness brand This Mum Runs is now one of the fastest growing businesses in the city.    With 35,000 members worldwide, a team of highly qualified ‘Run Makers’ and an on-trend clothing range, This Mum Runs aims to empower all women not just in terms of their personal fitness but also mental wellbeing and ambition.   The business has now attracted £156,000 in investment funds from Bristol Private Equity Club, which will be…

A yellow jersey is flying high above City Hall in Cardiff in honour of Geraint Thomas’ historic victory in the Tour de France.  After the spectacular scenes in Paris on Sunday council staff hoisted the flag on Monday morning. [aoa id=”1″] [/aoa] The unique ‘flag’ is the latest in a line of tributes to the Cardiff-born cyclist that have seen hundreds of yellow-clad people on bikes take part in a ride through the capital’s streets, City Hall and St David’s Hall in Cardiff, as well as other landmark buildings across Wales bathed in yellow light. Cabinet Member for Culture and…

An entrepreneur from South Wales whose company pays motorists for displaying adverts on their cars is launching its biggest campaign yet in South Wales this summer.  Car Quids was launched by Swansea-born Viraj Ratnalikar after he raised some £130,000 in seed funding from Seedcamp, Europe’s seed fund, the Seed Fund at Said Business School, Oxford University, and the former head of marketing for Pernod-Ricard. Ratnalikar studied economics and management at Oxford University before completing a 12 month programme with the New Entrepreneurs Foundation, a nonprofit organisation that runs development programmes for aspiring entrepreneurs. [aoa id=”1″][/aoa] Car Quids company allows anyone…

Caerphilly-based Town Square Spaces Ltd has successfully secured a ten-year contract to head up a new creative digital hub in Bognor Regis – the company’s first hub outside of Wales. Following a competitive tender process, Town Square Spaces was chosen by West Sussex County Council to lead the project, which is expected to generate over £1,000,000 for the West Sussex economy in its first five years. [aoa id=”1″] The Creative Digital Hub will be located within the recently-refurbished Grade II Listed Bognor Regis Railway Station and will support creative and digital start-ups, freelancers and entrepreneurs in Bognor Regis and coastal…

Presteigne’s historic attraction, The Judge’s Lodging, is to receive £120,000 from the Welsh Government as it moves towards becoming an independent charity. The award-winning Victorian attraction is one of only four museums chosen by the Welsh Government’s Museums, Archives, Libraries Division to receive Transformation Capital Grants Programme support, which is open to museums, libraries and archives across Wales. The funding will go towards a capital project to repair the roof and repaint the front of the Grade 2-star building, create a new, enhanced shop and Tourist Information Point and pay for a new audio system. [aoa id=”1″][/aoa] The museum’s existing…

A couple from Rhyl, North Wales, will cycle 360 miles from London to Amsterdam, to raise money for the national disability charity Sense. 42-year-old Lee Bailey and 44-year-old Natalie Bailey, have been inspired to raise money for Sense, who have been supporting their 16-year-old daughter, Megan, on her educational needs, in the last decade. The charity, which supports people with complex disabilities, has gone on to arrange summer holidays for the family, enabling Megan to take part in activities and make new connections. The cycle will take place between Wednesday 29 August and Sunday 02 September, and will see the…

The Cambrian Railway Line has just received the first train to be modified as part of a plan to make sure all services are fully accessible for rail passengers with reduced mobility. By the end of 2019, all trains will be compliant with EU regulations known as ‘Persons of Reduced Mobility’ (PRM). These regulations mean that people with restricted mobility can now use the train in the same way as people with full mobility, ensuring there are no barriers for using public transport. [aoa id=”1″] [/aoa]Whilst a number of Arriva’s current fleet of trains are compliant with accessibility requirements, some…