Author: Rhys Gregory

Start Up Loans, part of the British Business Bank, today announces that it has provided over £50m worth of funding to small businesses in Wales, equating to almost 5,000 loans, since the programme launched. Of all local authorities in Wales, Swansea has received the highest value of loans (over £6m), followed by Cardiff (over £5.8m) and Newport (over £3m). As well as receiving the highest value of loans, Swansea received the most loans of any local authority in Wales with 587 individual loans received to date. This month Start Up Loans has also reached significant funding milestones in the local…

New research from leading business and financial adviser Grant Thornton UK LLP finds that mid-market business confidence is faltering ahead of the Autumn Budget on 30 October, as profit growth expectations sink to a three-year low and confidence in their funding position continues a downward trajectory since the beginning of the year. The firm’s latest Business Outlook Tracker*, which surveyed 603 UK mid-sized businesses in October, finds that just over one third (39%) of respondents expect their businesses’ profits to increase over the next six months. This is the lowest level seen since December 2021 and a significant -30 percentage…

As of this week, the award-winning communications agency the Orchard Media and Events Group is officially owned by its team after the company set up an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), one of a small number of Welsh pioneers who are following well-known brands such as John Lewis Partnership, Aardman, and Riverford. 14 years after bursting on to the agency scene, Cardiff-based Orchard is now in the hands of its 64 strong team in a move that will protect the future independence of the £15m turnover company that offers a range of services – from Activations and Content creation, to Communications, Strategy…

Marston’s and The Royal British Legion have partnered to create brand new, poppy-themed glasses to raise vital funds for veterans during this year’s Poppy Appeal. From 26th October, pint and half-pint glasses will be available to purchase from 1,175 Marston’s pubs across the UK, including 179 in Wales. Pint glasses will cost £2.50 and half pint glasses will cost £2, with 100% of the profits going to The Royal British Legion. Glasses will be available to purchase empty, as well as with drinks to be enjoyed in pubs, before taking them home. The poppy glasses are just one part of Marston’s…

New report by the Bevan Foundation, shows that 1 in every 215 households in Wales is trapped in temporary accommodation because of a shortfall in the number of social homes. More than 6,000 households are living in bed & breakfasts and other temporary accommodation because they are homeless and cannot find a permanent home, nearly 1,000 more than the same time last year. Many people end up in temporary accommodation for six months or more because there is nowhere else to go. Wendy Dearden, Senior Policy and Research Officer at the Bevan Foundation said: “The number of households living in…

A growing property developer has successfully completed its first new build residential development in the heart of Merthyr Tydfil, thanks to a £1.2 million loan from the Development Bank of Wales. Bishop Bayliss Developments spotted an opportunity to build four new homes on Grove Park, Maesnynant, in 2023. Infrastructure work had already been carried out on site by an earlier owner, with Bishop Bayliss keen to use the project to complete their first set of new-build homes, having previously focused on refurbishing or renovating existing properties. They approached the Development Bank of Wales to part-fund purchase of the plots and…

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) warns consumers this week that parking charge scam messages are becoming more common, with many being reported recently across the UK. These text messages tell consumers that they have an outstanding parking charge, and sometimes threaten that if they do not pay it in time, they will be banned from driving or be taken to court. The messages include a link to a very convincing copycat Government website complete with accurate fonts, branding and logos, but any payments made end up with the fraudsters. Often, there are three successive messages: a first message informing…

THREE is the magic number for one of the country’s most illustrious skin clinics. Pure Perfection, based in Rossett near Chester and Wrexham, has won its third major award of the year. Led by esteemed director Sara Cheeney, the business picked up the title for Provider of the Year – Wales at the Cutera Awards, hosted by TV presenter and journalist Anna Richardson at London’s Sopwell House Hotel. The accolade comes after Pure Perfection was named Best Clinic Midlands and Wales at the national Aesthetics Awards, and Aesthetic Clinic of the Year for the South West and Wales at the…

Cardiff University, along with other SETsquared Partnership universities and leading regional investment firm QantX, have announced plans for a new £300 million spinout-focused investment vehicle to catalyse the creation and growth of science and technology companies addressing global challenges. This new investment vehicle will drive a much-needed step change in early-stage patient capital, expertise, and support available to university spinouts and start-up companies in the region that are working in areas of true global impact – such as sustainability, clean energy, and transformative healthcare. Cardiff has been a member of the SETsquared partnership since 2021 and has collaborated with them…

A pioneering wheelchair rugby league coach from Wrexham is one of seven sporting ‘Game Changers’ honoured in a heartfelt poem unveiled across four iconic UK venues as part of The National Lottery’s 30th Birthday celebrations. Stephen Jones, Head Coach and Chairman of North Wales Wheelchair Rugby League & Disability Sports Club, is celebrated in one of seven verses that together form a powerful tribute crafted by world-renowned Scottish contemporary artist and poet Robert Montgomery. Each verse, honouring a different ‘Game Changer’, has been unveiled at a significant sporting location across the UK. Jones’s verse, recognising his groundbreaking efforts to make…