Author: Rhys Gregory

Olivia Jones, a third-year apprentice at Newbridge-based Axiom Manufacturing Services, has been shortlisted for the prestigious Make UK Manufacturing Awards 2024. Competing against top talent across the Welsh manufacturing sector, Olivia has been recognised in the Engineering Apprentice of the Year: Rising Star category. Olivia, 25, from Trealaw, Rhondda Cynon Taf, is one of the select few in the UK to be acknowledged in this category, which honours apprentices who have excelled in seizing training and development opportunities to launch their careers. Her nomination underscores her significant contributions to Axiom’s operations and her exceptional potential as she continues her apprenticeship.…

The investigation to establish the cause of yesterday’s tragic fatal road traffic collision in Beaumaris is underway. Shortly after 2:45pm (Wednesday, August 28) officers responded to reports of a road traffic collision on Alma Street involving a grey coloured Audi A8 and two pedestrians. Members of the public and the emergency services responded, however, despite the best efforts of all involved the male driver of the Audi, and the male and female pedestrian were sadly, pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Audi was aged in his 80’s and was local to the North Wales area. The male…

The Swansea Bay City Deal has awarded a state-of-the-art dark fibre network contract to Virgin Media O2 Business. This new network – which will be fully available by December 2025 – will offer significantly improved capacity and speed, while allowing large amounts of data to be securely shared and saved. Virgin Media O2 Business has been appointed to build a dedicated dark fibre network to 36 public sector sites throughout Swansea and Neath Port Talbot. The new network will improve connectivity in the region to local authorities, healthcare and education partners. Dark fibre network models offer practically limitless capacity and…

Street Food Circus will be bringing the pirate spirit to the National Events Deck at Saundersfoot Harbour on the weekend of 6-8 September, with street food and entertainment based around the harbour’s life-size Coastal Schooner. Harbour Feastival is bringing flavours from around the world to Saundersfoot for the weekend with traders coming from throughout Wales and the south West of England. The street food line-up includes: Ceylon & Beyond – Sri Lankan street food Church of Churros – buckets of churros and Spanish chocolate sauce Fire & Flank – sous vide flank steak with cheesy garlic mash Gourmet Warriors -…

Presteigne town centre is to see improvements, that will add to its appearance, after a funding bid submitted to Powys County Council was successful. Presteigne and Norton Town Council is to receive up to £50,710.80 towards the cost of refurbishing 10 business frontages on High Street, Broad Street, Hereford Street and Green End. The funding is being provided in the form of a Welsh Government Placemaking Grant, through its Transforming Towns programme, in this instance, for up to 70% of the total cost. The town council is working as a facilitator for the scheme, in partnership with the county council.…

SMALL businesses have shown their love for an enterprise agency creating opportunities for growth and prosperity in west Wales. With the support of Antur Cymru, traders in the region successfully received grants from the Cynnal y Cardi Fund, which is delivered by Ceredigion County Council via the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund. Two in particular – Brodwaith Tysul Embroidery, and Cariad Glass – have gone from strength-to-strength post-pandemic, with added assistancefrom both the Cymorth Busnes Lleol/Local Business Support and SMART Busnes project teams. Based in Llandysul, they praised Antur Cymru for the guidance and advice received and for helping them…

Welsh Government has awarded Pembrokeshire County Council a further £6.5million towards the cost of building the new integrated health and social care hub in Pembroke. The grant has been awarded through the social care Integration and Rebalancing Capital Fund (IRCF) for the plans underway at the Pembroke Hwb regeneration project at South Quay. The Pembroke Hwb will be a modern, accessible social care, health and community hub and supports the region’s aim to build active, resourceful, connected, sustainable and creative communities as we shift away from managing need to creating capability. Taking an integrated service approach, the Hwb will deliver…

Transport for Wales will now offer discounted fares for Hywel Dda staff on certain TrawsCymru bus services. Following a three-month free travel pilot, Transport for Wales (TfW) has teamed up with Hywel Dda University Health Board (UHB) to offer long term discounted bus travel for health board staff to encourage workers to travel more sustainably and to help reduce pressure on NHS car parks. The bus services included within the promotion are the T1, T1A, T1X and T2, T28. Hywel Dda UHB staff will be able to catch the TrawsCymru T1 service, operated by First Cymru, that runs between Carmarthen…

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates has confirmed plans that will enable a major rail capacity boost on the North Wales Mainline in 2026. Transport for Wales will increase rail capacity by 40%, with 50% more timetabled services, supported by an £800m investment in brand new CAF trains and the recruitment of additional drivers and train crew. Changes at a number of level crossings are required to be able to operate these additional services on the line. To support this, Network Rail and Transport for Wales are jointly undertaking a programme of local consultation, planning and…

Corporate law is an unusual beast, and one which poses unique challenges to the businesses and practices that make their bread within it. It is a field with many different avenues and specialisms, from the governance of intellectual copyright to the exploration of legal compliance with respect to any number of different sectors or disciplines. Corporate law also has something of a negative reputation, not in the least due to litigious behaviour from large businesses that ranges from pragmatic to predatory. One recent such story relates to Disney, who made headlines in late 2024 for a creative approach to denying…