Author: Rhys Gregory

The tennis courts at Parc-y-Darren in Ystalyfera have officially reopened following a significant upgrade made possible through partnership funding and support from Neath Port Talbot Council. The £134,647 project – made possible thanks to a £121,182 grant awarded by Sport Wales (using Welsh Government funding) via its Court Collaboration Fund, made up of officers from Wales Netball, Tennis Wales, Basketball Wales and Sport Wales, and a £13,465 contribution from the council – has transformed the courts into a high-quality, multi-use space for the local community The upgrade included: •    Full resurfacing of the tennis courts •    New court markings •  …

Residents and businesses can now find out more and have their say on the exciting redevelopment proposals for the Rock Grounds site in Aberdare – to help refine the latest plans ahead of the final planning submission. The previous milestone for the scheme was in September 2024, when the Council’s Cabinet Members progressed the development by agreeing to the Council appointing a partner (Final Frontier Space Holdings) to design, develop and construct the project. The agreed use of the site is to establish a quality hotel, restaurant, bar and spa for the prominent town centre location. Importantly, the facilities complementing…

A Welsh business is developing a potentially revolutionary way of managing diabetes after receiving funding from the world’s largest research collaboration programme. Afon Technology Ltd is working on a world-first wearable non-invasive blood glucose sensor, which measures levels in real-time – eliminating the need for frequent and painful finger pricking. The Caldicot-based business received more than £2million in funding from Horizon Europe – the EU’s flagship £80 billion research and innovation programme – to fast track the development of its pioneering breakthrough. Called Glucowear, the sensor is worn on the wrist and uses ultra-low power microwave signals to monitor glucose…

The Welsh Government has completed a £2 million equity investment in tidal energy firm Inyanga Marine Energy Group, reinforcing Wales’ commitment to developing renewable energy. The investment, to be announced by First Minister Eluned Morgan at today’s Marine Energy Wales Conference in Cardiff, will help test improved tidal turbines in real sea conditions at the Morlais tidal energy site off Ynys Mon (Anglesey). The investment will fund improvements to the turbines, enabling them to produce up to 60% more energy. The turbines will power most of the tidal energy projects planned for the Morlais site. Morlais is located in an…

This year marks a major milestone for Rachel Bedgood, founder and CEO of CBS The Screening House, as she celebrates 20 years of running her own award-winning business. Launched in 2005 from a single desk and a clear vision, CBS has grown into one of the UK’s most respected DBS and pre-employment screening providers. Today, the company supports clients ranging from G4S and the British Heart Foundation to ITV, offering bilingual services in Welsh and English. The company employs 20 people and some of those team members have been with Rachel from that first year. The team now plans to…

The Corporate Healthcare Team at leading UK law firm Acuity Law is celebrating after completing 40 deals in the dental sector in Q1 of 2025. The Corporate Healthcare Team’s specialist dental mergers and acquisitions (M&A) division, understood to be the largest dedicated dental M&A team of any UK law firm, finalised the deals for individual and corporate providers covering purchases, sales, investments, restructurings and refinancings. Q1 coincided with the end of both the NHS year and the tax year which were key drivers in the deal volumes. Jon Lawley, Partner, Head of the Dental M&A division, said: “The team’s efforts…

We’re all aware of how prevalent electric vehicles are becoming on our streets, but it’s fair to say that many myths still make people unsure about them. From fears about the range to the costs involved, we’ll debunk these common misunderstandings regarding EVs. Myth 1: Electric cars can’t be driven for long trips Perhaps the biggest falsehood surrounding EVs is that it’s a bad idea to take one for a longer journey, due to the fear that you’ll run out of electricity and be stranded. While it’s true that some earlier EV models had a limited range and were suited…

Shopping is, in a word, fun. Who amongst us hasn’t succumbed to a bout of retail therapy after a bad day at work, or a tough phone call with a distant relative? Equally, who amongst us hasn’t rewarded ourselves with a shopping spree after a great day at work, or some phenomenal news besides? Much with any ‘vice’, shopping can be a celebratory or commiseratory affair, and waits for no one when it comes to weighing on your bank account. A little shopping here and there is, obviously, a good thing – we enjoy collecting things, we enjoy pampering ourselves,…

AN INAUGURAL childcare expo celebrating learner achievement and the “best of the industry” will be hosted by Coleg Cambria. The Childcare Show is to be held on Wednesday May 14 from 5.30pm-8.30pm in the new £14m Nant building at Yale in Wrexham, a health and wellbeing Centre featuring the popular Iâl Spa, simulated hospital wards and virtual reality environments. Organised by Childcare Assessor Lauren Lawrence, a former nursery manager with more than 10 years’ experience in the sector, the event is a first for the college, uniting more than 30 organisations and businesses with up to 100 students and their…

Business leaders from across South Wales have given up their beds and sleeping bags to spend a night under the stars at Cardiff Castle as part of CEO Sleepout Cardiff, a national initiative raising vital funds to tackle homelessness and poverty. The event brought together professionals, entrepreneurs and charity leaders in a show of solidarity with those facing homelessness, all while raising money for organisations working on the front line of the crisis. Among those taking part was Rachel Woodridge, Chair of the Pettifor Trust, an animal welfare charity based in Swansea. Rachel raised £525 from social media funding in…