Author: Rhys Gregory

The Business Wales Start-Up Accelerator Programme, part of the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme (BWAGP), has announced the winners of its latest awards, celebrating entrepreneurs who have demonstrated exceptional progress and creativity.  The Start-Up Accelerator supports early-stage businesses in Wales with high growth potential, helping them refine their business models, build sales pipelines and secure investment. Over the years, BWAGP has supported founders who have gone on to raise millions in investment, scale internationally and create thousands of jobs across Wales. The current cohort brought together 13 entrepreneurs for an intensive 10-week programme that helped them transform innovative ideas into…

Tesco colleagues in Swansea have raised an impressive £5,500 for The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. Staff at the retailers’ Llansamlet Extra store presented a giant cheque to the charity on Sunday after spending the previous 12 months working hard to fundraise both in store and in the local community. The charity is close to the hearts of many at the store, with several colleagues having a personal connection with guide dogs and the training of guide dog puppies. The amount raised also meant staff had the opportunity to name two dogs currently completing their guide dog training, with…

New BBC Sounds podcast, Fool’s Gold, tells the story of Welsh detectorists George Powell and Layton Davies who, in June 2015, stumbled upon a Viking treasure hoard near Leominster – estimated to be worth up to £12m – that changed the way we see British history. The treasure consists of gold jewellery, silver ingots and hundreds of Anglo-Saxon coins, believed to be buried more than 1,000 years ago by Viking warriors in Herefordshire and could date all the way back to the fifth century. The Herefordshire Museum Service called it one of the most significant early medieval treasures ever discovered…

Mr Flag, a small Swansea-based business specialising in the design and manufacture of custom outdoor flags, has enjoyed repeated success on the silver screen, from the Marvel Universe to Harry Potter. The business, owned by Charles Ashburner, has been making and selling flags in Swansea since 1992, and were the UK’s very first online flag retailer. Over the past thirty-three years, the business has built a strong reputation not just in Wales, but internationally. Charles Ashburner, said: “We have a very strong market in North America, where I design flags to be used in re-enactments of the Revolutionary War. They…

A man who viciously knocked an elderly man unconscious in an unprovoked attack in his own home has been jailed. Jason Mark Owen, of Llaingoch, Holyhead, appeared at Mold Crown Court for sentencing this week, Tuesday March 18th, after previously admitting inflicting grievous bodily harm. On January 10th, the 36-year-old began banging on doors and windows along Tan Yr Efail, Holyhead, before becoming abusive and threatening towards residents. When a 75-year-old man opened his door after hearing the disturbance, he was attacked by Owen who knocked him to the floor. Owen then went into the man’s house, causing damage to…

Transport for Wales (TfW) is pleased to announce the appointment of Marie Daly as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO) – effective 1 April 2025. Marie, who is currently TfW’s Chief Customer and Culture Officer, brings more than 17 years of experience in the rail industry with a strong track record in operational leadership, customer experience and cultural transformation. She has held key roles, including Deputy COO at TfW and Service Delivery Director at Greater Manchester’s tram network, Metrolink and played a pivotal role in overseeing the transition of Wales’ rail franchise to TfW in 2021. Marie’s appointment comes at a…

Members of Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet have approved grants totalling £234,914 to 12 successful applicants as part of its Third Sector Grant funding scheme for 2025/26. The scheme was open to grant applications from December 9th, 2024 to January 24th, 2025 from Neath Port Talbot Third Sector organisations often referred to as voluntary sector, non-governmental or non-profit organisations. This year’s grants, approved by the Cabinet on March 19th, 2025, are going to: •    Neath Port Talbot Stroke Group (£6,250) – To help deliver 50 weekly group sessions. •    YMCA Neath (£25,000) – To strengthen and expand its vital community…

A multi-agency operation has resulted in the seizure of illegal tobacco, vapes and cash from two shops in Pembrokeshire, as part of a major crackdown on the illegal tobacco trade. Specialist Regional Trading Standards Officers (from Operation CeCe), Pembrokeshire County Council’s Trading Standards Team and Dyfed-Powys Police, took part in the operation on Thursday March 13th. As well as a haul of illegal products from two cars used for concealing supplies to top up stock available in the stores, a large quantity of cash suspected to be from criminal activity was seized and one vehicle impounded by the police, for…

A key roadmap, setting out the steps to secure a bright new future for Blackwood Miners institute, has been agreed by Caerphilly Council’s Cabinet this week. A 14-point plan will now be implemented, which outlines the key phases required to transition the popular venue to independent status from the local authority by July 2026. The Cabinet met on Wednesday (19 March) as Trustees of Blackwood Miners Institute to consider the ambitious plan. One of the first steps has been to appoint Awen Cultural Trust to develop a transition strategy, with various funding options and delivery models being explored for BMI.…

Wales’ First Minister Eluned Morgan has announced details of the major international investment summit taking place in Wales later this year. The event will take place on Monday 1st December at International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales) and the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport. It will focus on promoting Wales as a destination for overseas investors. There are currently around 1,480 overseas-owned companies operating in Wales, employing more than 174,000 workers. To coincide with today’s announcement, the US semiconductor design software leader Cadence Design Systems, Inc. has announced plans to open a new design centre in Cardiff, creating more than 100…