Author: Rhys Gregory

A new Enterprise Hub has officially launched in Carmarthenshire to give aspiring and established businesses access to facilities and expertise they need for growth. Created and managed by the non-profit social enterprise, Business in Focus, the Carmarthenshire Enterprise Hub is located on St Catherine’s Walk in Carmarthen and provides over 10,000 square feet to serve as a multi-use business space that can be used for co-working, meetings, and test trading. Split over two floors, the space can accommodate up to eight co-workers with dedicated working spaces, three meeting rooms, and two large event spaces for exhibitions or large meetings. Crucially,…

AN OPTICIANS in Newport has committed to raising money for a childhood cancer charity throughout January to mark its one-year anniversary. Specsavers Spytty Road, which opened its new store in January 2023, hosted a party and had cakes, sweets, balloons and party hats for sale. Staff and customers came together to support Shine Bright Support, a charity which was founded by a family who experienced dealing with osteosarcoma when eight-year-old Eleri Hooper’s treatment was unsuccessful and she passed away in September 2019. The charity provides mental health support to children and their families that are dealing with childhood cancer by…

The Denbighshire-based Godfrey Group has started work on redeveloping a former asylum and estate near Ruthin, with long-term plans to redevelop the site for leisure and hospitality purposes. The business purchased the site supported by a substantial six figure loan from the Development Bank of Wales, from the Wales Flexible Investment Fund. Pool Park is a former asylum at Efenechtyd, with buildings and grounds dating back to the early 1800s. The circa-30 acre plot was the site of a substantial hall and farm which became dilapidated but a manor house dating back to 1824, along with a coaching house, neighbouring…

The next generation of health practitioners are learning their craft at a sector-leading health hub at Cardiff Metropolitan University following a £1.3m investment to create a collaborative clinic space across multiple health disciplines which will deliver both NHS and private healthcare services. The Allied Clinical Health Hub at the University’s Llandaff campus sees students across Dietetics, Podiatry, Speech and Language Therapy, Healthcare Science, Clinical Psychology and Dental Technology work symbiotically from one dedicated space where they are taking responsibility for actively organising and delivering care for patients, supported by practice supervisors. This week, Eluned Morgan MS, Minister for Health and…

The commercial property market in Wales remained sluggish and lacking momentum in Q4 2023, according to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Commercial Property Monitor. However, there were improvements on the previous quarter, and forward-looking sentiment improved markedly. A net balance of -23% of surveyors in Wales reported a fall in occupier demand through Q4 2023, and although remaining in negative territory, this was an improvement from the -42% that was seen in Q3. Looking at each subsector, a net balance of -18% of Welsh respondents reported a fall in demand for office space, -4% for industrial and…

The international longlist for the world’s largest and most prestigious literary prize for young writers – the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize – has been announced this week, Thursday 25 January. With authors hailing from the UK, Nigeria, Trinidad & Tobago, US, Canada, and Hong Kong, this year’s international longlist is dominated by independent publishers – with nine indie titles. The longlist of 12 is: A Spell of Good Things by Ayòbámi Adébáyò (Canongate Books) – novel (Nigeria) Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson (Viking, Penguin Random House UK) – novel (UK/Ghana) The Glutton by A. K. Blakemore (Granta) –…

EARLY birds can grab cut-price entry to one of the country’s most popular equestrian and lifestyle events. Following last year’s spectacular Bolesworth International – which welcomed more than 17,000 people to the 6,000-acre castle estate – tickets are now on sale for this summer’s celebration, which runs from June 6-16. Located in Tattenhall, near Wrexham and Chester, the packed programme’s all-star line-up will include some of the top names in international showjumping, as well as special VIP and celebrity guests, live music, family entertainment, dog-friendly activities, ringside hospitality and more. There is also the opportunity to pitch up and stay a little…

The indoor 3G pitch has been laid at a new game-changing sports complex at Cefn Hengoed Community School and Leisure Centre. The indoor sports barn along with an expanded and refurbished leisure centre, which is part of a £7.5m investment at the site, is due to open in the coming months. Improvements include a brand new gym with all new equipment, a new fitness studio with big screen, sound system and rainbow lighting, new changing rooms and a new reception area with café, while the large sports hall has also had a make-over complete with totally new flooring. These facilities…

Dr Andrew Garrad CBE, a leading pioneer of the modern wind energy industry, has been appointed as Chair of the Western Gateway’s new independent commission to explore the potential of the Severn Estuary to create sustainable energy. With one of the highest tidal ranges in the world the Severn Estuary has long been seen as a potential source of tidal energy. This new commission will bring together a range of experts to decide whether, or not, there is now a viable option for using the Severn to create sustainable energy for the UK. Dr Garrad brings significant experience of delivering…

Newport’s full council has backed a proposal to charge a council tax premium of 100 per cent on long-term empty properties and second homes. Most local authorities in Wales have already introduced a council tax premium. Councils are allowed to charge up to 300 per cent. A consultation on a proposed charge found that 76 per cent of 470 responses were in favour of the council doing more to tackle the problem of vacant homes. More than half supported the introduction of a council tax premium with only around a third disagreeing. The most popular level of premium among those…