Author: Rhys Gregory

An award-winning South Wales manufacturing company is set to see its revenue skyrocket to £6 million thanks to exports after securing several deals following growing demand for its products across the globe. Newport-based Tomoe Valve Ltd, which manufactures high-performance butterfly valves, is on track to boost its exports by 20% to £6 million by the end of this financial year, following a string of international deals recently secured with support from the Welsh Government. The company is eyeing expansion in the US as a primary route to international growth, having recently landed a £1.6 million contract with a US government…

Dogs Trust is calling on owners in Wales to go “Bark to School” to learn dog body language. Students across Wales have returned to the classroom after the summer break, but new research from Dogs Trust has revealed that the nation should head “Bark to School” for lessons in dog body language, in a bid to reduce the number of dog bites. Research published today from the charity’s National Dog Survey, which provides insights into over 400,000 of the UK’s dogs and their owners, reveals that 76% of owners are unable to correctly read dog body language, misunderstanding the subtle…

Residents and staff at a Llanelli care home were treated to a fun afternoon of Sixties and Seventies nostalgia by a leading Welsh food wholesaler. Harlech Foodservice staff dropped in at Cilymaenllwyd Care Home, at Pwll, near Llanelli, bearing gifts of tasty treats and wearing Flower Power era hippie gear. It was all a bit of fun and a thankyou to the care home who have been one of the first to sign up as customers for the fast-growing Gwynedd-based company which has recently opened South Wales distribution centres in Carmarthen and Merthyr. Harlech Regional Sales Manager for South Wales…

Cardiff Council has developed plans to safeguard the £108m Fairwater Campus project from the fallout of ISG Construction Ltd going into administration. The council hopes its emergency proposals will save hundreds of jobs, minimise delays and costs, and ensure the project remains on track with minimal disruption. After ISG Construction Ltd went into administration on 19th September 2024, the council took immediate steps to secure the site while developing plans to get the project up and running as soon as possible. The council has been working closely with the administrator and external advisors to deliver an emergency plan that ensures…

City residents are set to pay tribute to those in the armed forces who have served their country after this year’s Poppy Appeal was launched at the Brangwyn Hall. The venue was chosen for events to commemorate the start of the annual fundraiser that supports services for past and current members of the armed forces. Present at the launch were Lord Mayor of Swansea, Cllr Paxton Hood-Williams, along with Cllr Wendy Lewis, the council’s Armed Forces Champion, the Lord Lieutenant of West Glamorgan, Louise Fleet, and a number of representatives from the Royal British Legion. Also planned for this year…

Bird boxes have been installed at County Hall in Haverfordwest to help tackle the decline of the swift, a much loved summer visitor to the UK. The Pembrokeshire Nature Partnership (PNP) purchased the boxes as part of a project fully funded by a Welsh Government Local Places for Nature grant. In total, 46 swift boxes have been installed, with the work undertaken by the Council’s arborist team. The UK swift population has declined by 60% in the last 30 years and the swift is now on the UK red list of Birds of Conservation Concern. While the exact reasons for…

wo properties are currently being re-developed in the Town Centre with help from Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns Programme. Highfield Property Group, a Merthyr Tydfil based developer is undertaking work on 120 & 121 High Street as well as 143B High Street. The previously empty properties at 120 & 121 High Street have been combined to create a development opportunity that maximizes potential. By merging the two addresses, the developer will be able to offer a larger and more versatile space for a future tenant. Following the renovations, the ground floor and the cellar will be transformed into a welcoming bar…

On Anti-Slavery Day (Friday 18 October), Social Justice Secretary Jane Hutt has reaffirmed the Welsh Government’s commitment to working in partnership to overcome the immense challenges of modern slavery. Last year, First Responder organisations in Wales identified and referred over 500 people for support, all as potential victims of modern slavery. Children and adults were subjected to criminal, labour, and sexual exploitation, and domestic servitude. Some were trafficked from other towns and cities in Wales and the UK, and some were trafficked from other parts of the world. This week, the Anti-Slavery Wales conference was held at Aberystwyth University where…

County Flats is Tai Tarian’s most ambitious development to date and will see the transformation of 72 existing flats as well as the creation of 55 new homes.  The Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, Jayne Bryant, recently visited the site in Port Talbot: “County Flats is really something special and I’d like to see more ambitious developments like this delivering good quality, low carbon housing and creating more opportunities for families and individuals. “It’s a fantastic example of how we’re supporting the decarbonisation of homes across Wales by not only building new homes but upgrading existing housing stock.”…

The number of Men’s Sheds providing social support, camaraderie and the chance to share and learn skills for men and women across Swansea has more than doubled in recent years. Swansea Council has invested more than £100k in supporting new and existing groups and this year, 22 Men’s Sheds in the network successfully applied for funding. Four years ago the number of sheds in Swansea was in single figures. Among those to launch this year is the Llansamlet Men’s Shed. The group has taken over the former OAP Pavilion in Birchgrove at a peppercorn lease from the council and has…