Author: Rhys Gregory

A leading civil engineering contractor is helping accelerate plans to expand a business park in Cheshire by 50 acres. Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK has been retained to construct a new section of spine road at the Cheshire Green Employment Park (Cheshire Green) after completing the initial phase of site works. The development infrastructure will be financed by a £8.35m loan from North West Evergreen Fund, arranged by CBRE’s Lending team. Ruthin-headquartered Jones Bros was the main contractor of the development, with activity including designing and building a one-kilometre spine road, a roundabout, and junctions to each of 10 units.…

The Start Up Loans programme, part of the British Business Bank, today announces that it has delivered a combined £15m of funding to small businesses in four key local authorities in Wales since the programme launched in 2012. Swansea has received the highest value of loans at £6m, distributed to almost 600 small businesses, and the counties of Newport, Carmarthenshire and Caerphilly have each received over £3m worth of funding as of February 2024. Across Wales, small businesses have received a total of more than £48m in 4,700 loans, with the average loan amount more than £10,000. The British Business…

Queen Camilla has presented a prestigious award to Aberystwyth University for its pioneering parasitology work at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace yesterday (Thursday, 22 February). The royal honour recognises the work of scientists at the University’s Department of Life Sciences who specialise in a particular group of parasitic flatworms which cause devastating diseases such as Schistosomiasis in people and Fasciolosis in livestock. Schistosomiasis is a tropical disease usually spread through contact with contaminated fresh water, killing an estimated 12,000 people and infecting more than 200 million individuals every year. Fasciolosis affects more than 300 million cattle and 250 million sheep world-wide,…

Rhys, 16, from Conwy has been named as the winner of an award from The Prince’s Trust after struggling family moving homes and loss of contact with his school and friends during the Covid 19 Pandemic. Rhys struggled with anxiety and thoughts of self-harm. Diagnosed with ASD in April 2020, Rhys withdrew from social settings including education. The Prince’s Trust and TK Maxx & Homesense Awards recognise young people who have succeeded against the odds, improved their chances in life and had a positive impact on their local community. Rhys scooped the Ascential Education Award recognising a young person who…

Image conscious men are flocking to a North Wales clinic to have Botox injections and fillers, according to one of the stars of a hit series on S4C. Ex-nurse Nayema Khan Williams, who specialises in non-surgical cosmetic treatments at her bases in Colwyn Bay and Felinheli, near Bangor, revealed the procedures have become increasingly popular for men in the past few years. Nayema, from Caernarfon, was speaking alongside husband Osian after completing filming their contributions on the latest episode of Gogglebocs Cymru. The show  – where  ordinary people voice their opinions about a range of television programmes – is broadcast…

Steve Backshall MBE, the enduringly popular adventurer and presenter of favourites such as Deadly 60, Expedition with Steve Backshall, Undiscovered Worlds and Blue Planet Live will take the public on an enthralling journey into the world of venom in an event organised by Bangor University as part of Bangor Science Festival, which takes place throughout the month of March. Tickets for the FREE event, which will take place on Wednesday 20th March between 5.30-6.30pm, will be available from the Pontio website and ticket line from Friday, 23 February at 1pm. The event is suitable for all ages. With his characteristic…

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Countryside and Landscape Service, in conjunction with Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, Caerphilly Adventure Group, Caerphilly Ramblers, Islwyn Ramblers and other partners, are once again throwing down a SERIOUS challenge for walkers and runners of all abilities. Following on from the successful FORGE 2023, the challenge continues in the stunning surrounds of the Rhymney Valley with its challenging terrain, rich countryside and commanding views. The start and finish of this years challenge is Idris Davies School. As always… The Caerphilly Challenge Series will have routes suitable for all fitness levels and abilities. The routes are in…

Pembrokeshire County Council and Loungers, one of the UK’s leading hospitality companies, are pleased to announce they have agreed headline terms for Loungers to become the first tenant of the fantastic Western Quayside development in Haverfordwest. Loungers intend to occupy the ground floor of the building which is an important element of the Council’s long-term regeneration plan for the County Town. Loungers was founded in 2002 and is famous for its family-friendly, welcoming atmosphere, eccentric and spectacular interiors and great food and drink offers. The company runs Lounge café bars across the UK – including the Cofio Lounge at the…

This week, Councillors of Merthyr Tydfil CBC received the draft budget proposals for the next financial year, 2024/2025. Based on funding from Welsh Government of £123.2m there is still a shortfall of £12.5m. In an endeavour to protect as many services as possible, particularly Education and Social Services, an 8% rise in council tax has been advised, along with a minimum of £9.4m in efficiencies and cuts to address the funding gap. The majority of properties in the local authority are Band A. For residents who live in a Band A property, this would be an increase of £2.24 per…

Eat Them to Defeat them returns for its sixth year, to make veg fun, improve diets and increase children’s intake of vegetables by chomping away. Launched earlier this week, the theme of this year’s campaign ‘The Big Chomp’ is calling on children to defeat veg one bite at a time and boost vegetable intake through a schools’ programme and advertising campaign. The award-winning campaign comes from Veg Power, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky Media and is being supported by Welsh Government who is funding a bilingual school programme for all primary schools across Wales, reaching over 262,000 children. Ysgol Santes…