Author: Rhys Gregory

Economic Intelligence Wales has published its sixth annual report, examining and analysing economic trends in 2023/24. The report is produced by Cardiff Business School as part of the Economic Intelligence Wales research collaboration between Bangor Business School, Cardiff Business School, the Office for National Statistics, the Enterprise Research Centre and the Development Bank of Wales. The report shows a drop in the proportion of businesses across the UK accessing external finance, and a continued drop in lending to Welsh small businesses during the latter half of 2023. The number of equity deals has also dropped across the UK, with the…

From taking a ride on a 7ft swan pedalo to Morris dancing, local bands to live theatre – Llandovery Sheep Festival offers a fun packed agenda of performers and entertainment to suit all tastes. The festival, which takes place on 14 & 15 September in Llandovery town centre, will include a village show that includes handmade crafts, homemade produce and even a wonky veg section! You can also take part in the fancy dress wheelbarrow race. From 10am until 10pm there is a full programme of entertainment, all free of charge, in Llandovery’s Market Square and in the main car…

Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) has invested £1.5m in broadcast production agency Whisper, enabling the purchase of specialist remote broadcasting equipment to deliver large scale live programming within its new Cymru Broadcast Centre facility in Cardiff, the first being the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. The ambition of this project goes beyond the Paralympics, with other international productions already planned; a commitment to boosting skills, training and employment opportunities for underrepresented groups will see this investment bring tangible benefits to the wider community and a lasting legacy. With this new studio equipment in place, Whisper has been able to create one…

5G mobile coverage in Cardiff is to get a boost thanks to a major upgrade to EE’s network. Customers in Cardiff will be among the first in the UK to enjoy the benefits of this upgrade which will result in faster speeds, improved phone battery life and more reliable connectivity, particularly in busy locations. The upgrade to EE’s network, known as ‘5G standalone’, will see phones connecting directly to a new, pure 5G network, rather than via existing 4G infrastructure. This will result in better 5G performance, meaning improvements to things like video calls, streaming and gaming. By connecting directly…

Nuradin Maxamed Shiiqow contacted South Wales Police about a bike almost year before his arrest and it helped land him in jail. The 41 year-old was arrested in a house in Grangetown on July 9, where he was caught with street deals of crack cocaine in his pocket. He was surrounded by materials such as bicarbonate of soda which is used in the manufacture of crack cocaine. Two phones were also seized by officers who found clear evidence of drug dealing and the mass advertising of drugs for sale. Officers were able to link one of the phone numbers directly…

Extra rail replacement buses are being laid on to ensure one of Wales’ premier food festivals is a great success this year, despite the planned closure of the railway. On 21 and 22 September Abergavenny plays host to its annual food festival with around 25,000 people expected to attend. However, the main railway line through the town which links Shrewsbury and Newport is closed for the course of the weekend for Network Rail to deliver vital track safety work and to install part of the new accessible footbridge at Abergavenny station. Senior rail officials from Network Rail and Transport for…

Farmers have been thanked for giving their support to the first year of a project designed to help an under-threat bird. Clwydian Range and Dee valley National Landscapes is taking part in the project “Curlew Connections Wales”, a Curlew Recovery Wales partnership project working with Bannau Brycheiniog and GWCT. This is under the all-Wales partnership project Gylfinir Cymru, an all-Wales partnership project that aims to help breeding Curlew across the country, including Denbighshire. Curlews are under severe threat and are ‘Red Listed’ on both the Welsh and UK Birds of Conservation Concern (BoCC). Over 80 percent of the breeding population…

In a bid to tackle inequality across Cardiff, the Council has published a new document outlining an ambitious vision for equality for the next four years. The Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Strategy for 2024-2028 will strive to ensure that the city provides great opportunities for everyone regardless of their background, where those suffering from disadvantage are supported, and where every citizen is valued and feels valued. It sets out the measures that the authority will take forward to ensure its aim of a ‘Stronger, Fairer, Greener’ Cardiff is achieved and includes five key objectives: A Fairer Cardiff – We will…

SWANSEA Council highways teams have been working flat out across the weekend after the city was deluged with more than a month’s rain in just a few hours. Crews worked around the clock over the weekend dealing with flooded roads, sink holes, collapsed trees and supplying sand bags to a number of homes affected by the atrocious weather. BBC weather forecaster Derek Brockway said that Victoria Park in Swansea was hit with 87.2mm of rain in just two hours on Friday night with more rain on Saturday and Sunday. Rob Stewart Leader of Swansea Council said: “I want to thank…

Neath Port Talbot Council is set to discuss the future of its indoor leisure services at the Education, Skills and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee meeting on Thursday, 12th September. Members are being asked to consider what the best option is to deliver much needed and valued services against a backdrop of a hugely challenging financial time. A working group made up of trade union representatives, Celtic Leisure staff, and Council Officers was established to develop the options. This group was tasked with identifying the best approach while considering the increasing budgetary pressures on the council due to high inflation rates and…