Author: Rhys Gregory

A new workspace and enterprise hub, designed to give local people the support they need to start and grow their businesses, has opened in Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent. The build was funded by Welsh Government – Tech Valleys and the internal fit out was funded by UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund – Supporting Local Business Pillar. Located on Lime Avenue, Ebbw Vale, Goldworks has been launched by Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council (BGCBC) and will be a space for freelancers, workers and founders to work alongside each other, fostering a supportive community for startups and small businesses. Goldworks is a…

Two Town centre shops have appeared before Merthyr Magistrates Court for selling vapes to a 15 year old boy in Merthyr Tydfil. One of the businesses also sold a vape which did not comply with UK Regulations. Omed FARAJ of Cloud Vapes, Pontmorlais, Merthyr Tydfil, failed to turn up to Merthyr Magistrates Court on 2nd October 2024 and the case, brought by the local authority Trading Standards Team, was heard in his absence. This related to an offence under Nicotine Inhaling Products (Age of Sale and Proxy Purchasing) Regulations 2015. The Court heard how the 15 year old purchased a…

On Diwrnod Shwmae Su’mae, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language, Mark Drakeford has urged community groups to apply for funding to help the Welsh language thrive from the Perthyn Small Grants Scheme. Community groups are able to apply for a small grant to help them set up a new social enterprise, and/or community-led housing projects. The grant aims to create economic opportunities, provide affordable housing, and support Welsh-speaking communities with high numbers of second homes. This is the fourth round of the grant, and to date 47 community projects have secured funding. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and…

£157.8m has been paid to over 15,500 Welsh farm businesses as Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2024 advance payments are made. More than 96% of claimants received a BPS advance on 14 October, worth approximately 70% of their estimated claim value Rural Payments Wales (RPW) continues to make advance payments beyond this date, as individual BPS claims become eligible for an advance. Full and remaining balance BPS 2024 payments will be made from 12 December, subject to full validation of the BPS claim. It is expected all but the most complex BPS claims to be fully validated, and payments made before…

Award-winning Welsh Distillery, In the Welsh Wind, has launched a new recipe Black Batch Rum in its Eccentric Spirits range. Available in striking, redesigned bottles, the distillery has worked on a new, improved recipe, which is available at a special introductory price of £24 per bottle. “We’re really excited about the new look and reimagined liquid for Black Batch Rum,” said Ellen Wakelam, In the Welsh Wind Distillery co-founder. “It represents the start of a new chapter for the Eccentric Spirits brand, however the inspiration for the rum remains the same: tales of storms and shipwrecks from the Welsh coast.…

A Valleys family is getting ready to glow up – literally! – and have some spooktacular fun for Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice and is urging others to do the same. Two-year-old Rio Harrison from Brynmawr will be joined by his auntie Kelcea, Nan-Nan Amie and Grandad Paul at Tŷ Hafan’s Cyfarthfa Castle Dark Run in Merthyr Tydfil on the evening of Friday 25 October to raise vital funds for the hospice – and they are encouraging as many other people as possible to sign up too. Amie says that without the help of Tŷ Hafan she and her family would struggle to cope.…

PLAY’s inaugural Welsh flight gets water salute by Cardiff Airport firefighters Cardiff Airport has welcomed a new lost-cost airline which is connecting Wales and Iceland directly for the first time. Customers on board the first PLAY Airlines flight from Wales were treated to an Icelandic sweet treat of chocolate liquorice, candy stripes & Aurora Borealis cake before they departed. PLAY’s inaugural seasonal flight programme at Cardiff came a day before the Wales football game in Iceland. The flight was full with 174 passengers on board. The airline is providing direct flights from Cardiff to Reykjavík, twice a week, and is…

With a mix of captivating performances, immersive digital experiences and creative workshops, Wales Millennium Centre will be filled with festive fun for everyone in 2024. From award-winning musicals to festive fun with spectacular cabaret performances and fabulous Christmas markets, Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Centre is the place to be this Christmas. Tickets for all events (except Drag Queen Story Hour UK) are on sale at www.wmc.org.uk/festive-fun. Wales Millennium Centre’s annual Christmas cabaret show returns with a new team at the helm. NUTCRACKER (the alternative cabaret) is a queer love story and an adult twist on a Christmas classic. Based on the…

Ceredigion County Council is pleased to provide an update on the progress of the revitalisation works on Aberystwyth Promenade that aims to transform the Prom into a more vibrant, accessible, and attractive space for residents and visitors alike. These improvements, together with the Old College redevelopment are funded £10.8m from the UK Government and will breathe new life into an area rich in cultural heritage. The Promenade project will stimulate new investment, creating opportunities and boosting confidence in the town and build on Aberystwyth’s rightful place as an attractor destination. The project includes significant improvements to public spaces, such as…

Fate was definitely a key player in entrepreneurs Anthony and Donna Cooper-Barney becoming the new owners of one of Wales’ top country house hotels. The couple had their sights set on buying a country hotel by a loch in the Scottish Highlands and had booked a flight the next day, when Anthony switched on his on his laptop and found Palé Hall at Llandderfel, near Bala for sale. They viewed all the photographs of the hall and its 50 acres of grounds and decided immediately to book a room for the night and drive to the heart of Wales to…