Author: Rhys Gregory

Work on a multi-million pound investment at Pennant Holiday Park near Holywell is underway with the construction of 55 new lodges and upgraded facilities ready for the 2024 season. Part-funded by a substantial seven-figure loan from the Development Bank of Wales, Wayfind Escapes will upgrade the 112 acre park having completed the purchase of Pennant Park Golf Club and Holiday Park in October 2023. With views over the Dee Estuary to the Wirral Peninsula, Pennant Holiday Park currently has an 18 hole golf course, 18 privately-owned lodges, a bar and on-site restaurant. A further 31 bases are ready for a…

Swansea Building Society has announced the launch of an enhanced range of personal regulated mortgage products, commencing in January 2024. These innovative offerings are designed to provide increased flexibility, transparency, and fairness to homeowners, aligning with the Society’s core values of delivering value and supporting sustainable homeownership. In a significant departure from the current structure, Swansea Building Society will replace the existing percentage fee arrangement with a standard £1,249 product fee payable upon completion. This change is the result of a comprehensive fair value review, aiming to ensure consistency in arrangement/product fees across all standard residential products, irrespective of the…

Aldi donated 99,410 meals to those in need in Wales over the festive period. The supermarket paired up its stores with local charities, community groups and food banks in the area to collect unsold fresh and chilled food when stores closed their doors early on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Charities that benefitted from the donations in Wales include Food4All (Cardiff) and Community Volunteers Wales. The food donations are part of Aldi’s successful partnership with Neighbourly, a community giving platform that links businesses to charitable organisations. Aldi’s UK stores donate surplus food to good causes each and every day,…

AltraLaw, the UK’s first not-for-profit law firm, has appointed Carys Strong as a senior solicitor and its new Head of Training. AltraLaw provides specialist legal advice on employment and work-related issues, and also on Wills, Trust and Probate matters, from the unique position of using its business for good – meaning all profits go to charitable and other causes chosen by its clients. As a former HR Consultant and trainer with gender equality charity Chwarae Teg, Carys will leverage her combined legal, HR, charitable and training sector expertise to support future growth and development at the Caerphilly-based legal firm. Carys,…

A mystery woman, known only as Mrs. E from Neath Port Talbot, has won £10,000 a month for a year, matching the five main numbers in the Set For Life draw on Monday 20 November, 2023. The lucky winner, who played a personal selection of sentimental numbers via the National Lottery app, has become one of over eight million players that win each week on The National Lottery’s range of games. Interactive winners have the opportunity to release their name, remain anonymous or like this winner, release some details through partial publicity. Andy Carter, Senior Winners’ Advisor at The National Lottery,…

The Swansea Bay City Deal has celebrated success throughout 2023 with key milestones being achieved and delivery accelerating across South West Wales, through its portfolio of nine headline projects and programmes. Estimated to attract up to £1.3 billion of investment by 2033 the Swansea Bay City Deal is a unique portfolio of projects funded by the Welsh Government and UK Government, the public sector, and the private sector. Through collaborative working across the counties of Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, the City Deal will create over 9,000 well-paid job opportunities and help economic recovery by contributing over £1.8…

RSPCA Cymru is reminding people about the dangers unattended football netting can pose to wildlife after a badger became badly entangled in Monmouth. The badger was nearly impossible to see as he had been covered in mud through his attempts to escape – but luckily was spotted by a member of the public on the morning of New Year’s Eve (December 31). His whole body had become entangled in the netting near Monmouth Leisure Centre on Old Dixton Road. RSPCA deputy chief inspector Emma Smith said: “This poor badger was completely camouflaged as he was caked in mud and was…

Hive Mind Mead & Brew Co has launched a new mead made with Zambian honey in collaboration with the charity Bees for Development. Brewed to the same recipe as Hive Mind’s Traditional Mead, which recently won the Great Taste Golden Fork award for Wales, the new mead uses organic Zambian Forest honey, giving the drink a distinct amber colour and a unique flavour profile with complex herbal and spiced notes. The illustration for the bottle label reflects the Zambian forest beekeeping style and has been designed by a Zambian-Irish illustrator Aislinn Finnegan. As well as supporting beekeepers in Zambia by…

Team leader Dewi Williams has won an award for going “the extra mile” despite suffering hard times and losing his beloved mum.. According to colleagues at the Pendine Park care organisation in Wrexham, Dewi has a life-enhancing personality that can light up a room. As a result, he has been voted the winner of Pendine’s Smile of the Year competition. Workmates say Dewi’s cheerful expression and upbeat persona belie the difficulties  he has endured including the devastating death of his mother in 2019. His late mum, Jayne Williams, required full time care through years of suffering cystic fibrosis plus diabetes,…

Tata Steel have agreed a two-year sponsorship deal with race organisers of the Llanelli Half Marathon, which will be held on 25 February 2024. As one the largest single employers in Carmarthenshire, Tata Steel has been making steel for packaging in Trostre since 1952 and continues to produce steel for food and drinks cans, aerosols and more which are used by consumers throughout the UK and the world. As one the longest running events in the region, the area has a solid history of hosting first-class events for all. 2024 will also see the introduction of a 10K distance event,…