Author: Rhys Gregory

Investment and pension provider Prosper is establishing a back office at Capital Quarter in Cardiff following an investment of £520,000 from the Development Bank of Wales and a syndicate of 11 business angels. Prosper was established in 2021 by Nick Perrett and Ricky Knox who previously worked together to build Tandem Bank, a major employer in Wales with 250 staff. They are joined by Phil Bungey who was previously Chief Operating Officer at wealth-tech firm Nutmeg. With the backing of the founders of Monzo, Capital One and Admiral, Prosper has now raised pre-seed investment of over £4 million. Lead investor…

Students from a school in Wrexham are creating a tranquil peace garden at a care home. The community-spirited learners from the MPTC School are transforming part of a green-lawned area into a relaxing sensory oasis to help celebrate the landmark 40th anniversary of the award-winning Pendine Park care organisation Work to build the secluded haven has already begun in the grounds of Pendine’s Hillbury House and Gwern Alyn residential homes in Wrexham. It will eventually encompass mature trees, herbaceous shrubs, fragrant flowers, winding pathways and a stone water feature. The garden has been designed by Pendine Park Artist in Residence…

The former First Minister has been honoured for the “reassuring way” he led Wales through the dark days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Mark Drakeford was presented with a 2024 Wales Care Award, at a celebration at the Senedd in Cardiff to mark the 30th anniversary of Care Forum Wales, which represents more than 450 care homes, nursing homes and other social care providers. The Special Recognition award was given to the former First Minister by Mario Kreft MBE, the chair of Care Forum Wales, who hailed Professor Drakeford as a man of “great integrity and intellect”. According to Mr Kreft,…

Rhia Danis, from the Future Generations Leadership Academy, and Amber Lewis from the Welsh Youth Parliament, have been part of a UK youth delegation attending European Youth Week in Brussels, a biennial event hosted by the European Commission promoting youth engagement, democratic participation and active citizenship. They were selected to be part of the delegation through the British Council’s EU/UK Youth Stronger Together programme, which offers young people aged 15–30 from Wales and across Europe opportunities to connect, cooperate, influence and implement change together on topics of common interest. The programme aims to facilitate close and sustainable relationships between young people in…

National Express has confirmed that coach services will continue to run during the upcoming weekend closure of the M25 between junctions 9 and 10. The UK’s leading scheduled coach operator is reassuring passengers that they will still be able to reach their destinations, with services operating along diverted routes between Friday 10 May and Monday 13 May. The National Express services operating on diverted routes during the closure are: 025 between Worthing and London via Brighton and Gatwick Airport 200 between Bristol and Gatwick Airport via Heathrow Airport 201 between Swansea and Gatwick Airport via Cardiff, Bristol and Heathrow Airport…

AN EXCLUSIVE ‘meet the manufacturer’ expo for prospective holiday homeowners will take place at one of the UK’s most picturesque luxury lodge parks. Maes Mynan Park in Afonwen, near Caerwys, Flintshire, is to host the unique caravan and lodge open event over two days from Saturday May 11. Located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), Maes Mynan is the latest development in the Acorn Leisure Holiday Park portfolio in North Wales and was formally opened by Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas in September 2019. The event will give visitors the opportunity to explore this “hidden gem” with access to acres…

Nature friendly ‘one cut’ mowing regimes, where the grass is not cut until September, are due to be introduced at 33 new sites in Cardiff this year. Covering approximately 8 hectares of parkland and highway verges, the new sites mean that in total 122.24 hectares of land – the equivalent to 272 football pitches – across 144 different sites will be managed for the benefit of nature, including important pollinators such as bees, butterflies that our food chains rely on. Switching to ‘one cut’ per year has resulted in significant gains for biodiversity when compared to other areas of Cardiff where the…

Retailers are wanted for a number of new units forming part of the 71/72 Kingsway development in Swansea city centre. Several retail units measuring between 500 square feet and 2,500 square feet will be located at street level, fronting onto The Kingsway. Operators are also wanted for a coffee shop inside the building, as well as for a rooftop space. Providing space for around 600 jobs, the 71/72 Kingsway scheme is being developed by Swansea Council and part-funded by the £1.3bn Swansea Bay City Deal. Bouygues UK, who are leading on the development’s construction, soon anticipate completion with an internal fitout…

More than 230 Pembrokeshire pupils have taken part in exciting dance competitions at primary and secondary school levels. Sport Pembrokeshire hosted the primary school dance competition on March 19th at Fishguard Leisure Centre. Seven schools from across the county and more than 160 pupils took part, including both boys and girls from school years 3-6. All style and street dance were the categories that teams, solos and duos could enter. There were 55 solo performers entering the street dance solo category. Pupils from Ysgol Bro Gwaun performed a group dance and some performed brilliant solos for the primary pupils to…

Caerphilly County Borough Council is proud to announce an exciting initiative aimed at increasing participation in the upcoming Caerphilly 10k and 2k races. In collaboration with local business, Sport Caerphilly will be awarding a £100 gift voucher to both the school and sports club with the highest number of entrants in the forthcoming Caerphilly 2k event for CC Sports in Bargoed. The voucher can be used to purchase equipment and provide support to further enhance their activities. This incentive, championed by Cllr Chris Morgan, Cabinet Member for Waste, Leisure & Green Spaces, underscores the council’s ongoing commitment to promoting active…