Author: Rhys Gregory

A WOMAN who fled to Llandudno to escape her violent husband and is now devoting her life to helping other vulnerable people has been honoured by a police chief. Brenda Fogg arrived battered and bruised with her two children from her home in Manchester with nowhere to turn. All their possessions were contained in two black bin bags, but Brenda was determined to make a new and better life for her and her children. And her success in hitting her goal was shown when she picked up the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Outstanding Achievement Award from North Wales Police and…

THOUSANDS of women joined the fight against cancer at Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life in Cardiff yesterday. Around 4,500 women – including cancer survivors and participants who took part in memory or celebration or a loved one – came together for the 5k and 10k event at Bute Park. Bethan Thomas, a 28-year-old breast cancer survivor shared her story on stage before sounding the airhorn to set a sea of pink runners on their way. Aged only 27 at the time, Bethan, of Cyncoed, thought a small lump in her breast was nothing to worry about. Bethan, a contractor…

A new £500,000 reception facility at the award-winning Min-y-Don Holiday Park in Harlech was officially opened by Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport Lord Elis-Thomas on Friday. The minister, who is also the Assembly Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, said he wasdelighted to open the “splendid” reception facility at the park in the heart of beautiful Harlech and commended owners, Salop Caravans Sites, for their good work. “Harlech has so much to offer the visitor: the castle, a World Heritage Site and one of the Europe’s top golf courses sat next to outstanding beaches in an unbeatable landscape,” he added. “Given…

Representatives of over 80 Welsh companies attended Wales’ second Heathrow business summit in Cardiff last week to help ensure they are best placed to support and benefit from the construction of the airport’s third runway. It follows MPs giving their overwhelming support for plans  for the construction of the new £14bn runway last month which it is estimated will bring 8400 jobs and £8bn of economic growth to Wales. Business groups and leaders heard from Economy Secretary Ken Skates, CEO of South and Mid Wales Chambers of Commerce, Heather Myers, Director of Pro Steel Engineering, Richard Selby and Chief Strategy…

Keep Wales Tidy has unveiled this year’s Green Flag Award winners – the international mark of a quality park or green space. A record-breaking 201 parks and green spaces, including universities, cemeteries, woodlands and allotments across Wales have met the high standards needed to receive the coveted Green Flag Award and Green Flag Community Award. [aoa id=”1″][/aoa] Among this year’s recipients of the Green Flag Award are, for the first time, Aberdare Park, Wrexham Cemetery and Swansea University’s Bay Campus. Glanrhyd Hospital in Bridgend also becomes the first hospital in Wales to achieve Green Flag status. The Green Flag Award…

Two enterprising teenagers won top prize at the Making Business Awards ceremony, held at the University of South Wales (USW).. The Awards, now in their fourth year, are designed to highlight young entrepreneurial talent and reward groups and individuals for their commitment and approach to developing an effective or innovative business or business idea. This year saw many entries from across the UK; six entrants were shortlisted and invited to the event. George Palozzi and Harry Bartlett, from The Perse Upper School, Cambridge, are looking to enter the smart devices/internet of things (IOT) market with their business idea ‘Chispa ltd’.…

New childcare settings are to be developed across Wales as part of a £60m investment by the Welsh Government to help deliver its ground-breaking Childcare Offer, Minister for Children, Huw Irranca-Davies has announced. Ministers are committed to providing 30 hours a week of government-funded early education and childcare for working parents of 3 and 4 year olds, for up to 48 weeks of the year. The 30 hours will be made up of the existing minimum of 10 hours of Foundation Phase and up to 20 hours of childcare with a registered provider. The Childcare Offer is currently being roll-out…

Wiseman’s Bridge rowing club have been praised for being the first rowing club in Pembrokeshire to be awarded the Disability Sport Wales insport Ribbon award.  The programme designed by Disability Sport Wales (DSW) supports clubs in developing inclusive provision, opportunity and practices. The aim is to ensure that disabled people gain access to the level of participation and performance which they require. Angela Miles, Disability Sport Development officer for Pembrokeshire County Council, said she was delighted to present the club with the award. “The club have worked tirelessly over the past few years in gaining this award, undertaking a vigorous…

Business confidence in Wales rose over the last six months, according to the latest Business in Britain report from Lloyds Bank. The research found that confidence – calculated as an average of respondent’s expected sales, orders and profits over the next six months – climbed to 23 per cent, three points higher than in January. Despite confidence only rising marginally, the net balance of businesses looking to grow investment in the next six months hit a post-referendum high of 17 per cent, five points higher than in January. The net balance of businesses looking to hire more staff has also…

Principality Building Society has been ranked as one of the top mortgage service providers in the UK following independent research of brokers. The Society ranked third for ‘overall satisfaction’ (that is overall performance in satisfying broker needs) out of 15 lenders rated in the survey.  Brokers rated the Society as the top performing lender for ‘using common sense on underwriting decisions’ and the Society was also ranked the best for the ‘quality of its conveyancing service’. The Charterhouse Research Mortgage Intermediary Survey 2018  which interviewed 355 intermediary establishments between March and May this year also showed that Principality performs well…