Author: Rhys Gregory

Halloween can be great fun, especially for children out and about trick or treating in their costumes. However, for some people it can be a worry especially if they’re home alone and concerned about callers after dark.     No one should feel scared or anxious in their own homes, so Age Cymru has come up with some handy tips that enable people to continue enjoying the Halloween celebrations.   If you’re concerned about staying safe, invite a friend or relative around so you can spend the evening together.  And remember to put the door chain on and check who’s calling before opening…

STUDENTS on an innovative veterinary course enjoyed a perfect start to the year. Learners on the Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing – Small Animal Practice at Coleg Cambria Northop achieved a 100% pass rate in their first set of exams. Among them were Hannah Williams and Katherine Oldham, who work at practices in North Wales and hope to go on and have careers in a sector where there is huge demand.. With more students joining the Cambria programme in September, lecturer and IQA (Internal Quality Assurer) Ellie Woodcock is confident the qualification will go from strength to strength, as…

Schools in Carmarthenshire are taking part in an eSports competition and are learning about the gaming industry and its allied professions at the same time. The Gaming Heroes competition is part of a series of day workshops for schools delivered at Coleg Sir Gâr’s Graig campus in conjunction with the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) and is facilitated by Esports Wales. Learners from Coleg Sir Gâr, Coedcae School, Bryngwyn School, Ysgol Gyfun Emlyn, Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, and St John Lloyd School are each taking part in the eSports Competition which comprises up to 50 young learners from each…

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…