Author: Rhys Gregory

Acorn by Synergie has strengthened its south Wales leadership team with a series of senior appointments and changes in the Industrial and Commercial sectors. Sally Smith has been appointed Industrial Manager, while Ann-Marie Derrick takes on the role of Commercial Manager, providing leadership across two of the company’s core recruitment sectors. As part of the revised structure, Acorn by Synergie’s Commercial Partnerships Director, Mark Rudge, will assume overall responsibility for both the Industrial and Commercial sectors, adding to his existing manufacturing, engineering and facilities management portfolio. The appointments form part of a wider organisational development programme across the business. The…

Monmouthshire Building Society, through its partnership with 2B Enterprising, has been helping young people learn valuable financial and enterprise skills through the Bumbles of Honeywood curriculum and school’s programme. Together, the organisations have reached more than a thousand pupils across a range of primary schools in south Wales, inspiring creativity, confidence and an entrepreneurial mindset from an early age. Through its partnership with 2B Enterprising, an enterprise education provider, the Bumbles of Honeywood programme is fully funded, enabling volunteers from Monmouthshire Building Society to help teachers deliver engaging and interactive activities that support a range of curriculum areas, as well…

Youngsters in North Wales enjoyed a slice of the action when they showed off their pizza-making skills at a summer cookery workshop. The workshop at Ysgol y Moelwyn in Blaenau Ffestiniog proved to be a highly popular ingredient in Gwynedd Council’s three-week long Food and Fun activities programme. Supporting the young cooks were Harlech Foodservice’s business development manager Ursula Scurrah-Price and regional sales controller Dave Roberts. The family-run company, which supplies Gwynedd schools during term time, donated the ingredients and assisted the children with their culinary creations. The mini masterchefs were given dough to roll out before spreading tomato sauce and adding a selection of tasty ingredients with a cheesy topping. They even had a chance to display their artistic flair as they added…

Children with additional learning needs will be able to access creative wellbeing support throughout August through an innovative programme that uses Minecraft as a therapeutic tool. Health is One, through its NeuroPathways service, has secured funding from Swansea Local Authority to deliver Minecraft-based wellbeing sessions over the summer holidays, with the programme expected to support over 30 young people. The funding follows a successful pilot earlier this year, which used Minecraft to help children access emotional wellbeing support in a familiar and engaging space. Building on the success of the pilot, the programme will return this summer, giving more young…

A planning application has been submitted for a new luxury lodge park located in Flintshire. Parc Gwysaney Luxury Lodge Park is proposed for Tyddyn Uchaf Farm in Sychdyn as part of plans to boost the county’s visitor economy by encouraging longer stays and increased local spending. The development would comprise 70 luxury lodges, alongside the restoration and reuse of the listed Tyddyn Uchaf Farmhouse, new public access through the site, visitor facilities, retained woodland, and ecological enhancements. Access is proposed at the southern end of the site, opposite Theatr Clwyd, before Raikes Lane narrows. This is designed to avoid routing…

Shoppers will have the chance to discover a wide range of independent makers, artists and vintage traders when The Riverfront hosts its Summer Market this Saturday. Taking place from 11am to 5pm on Saturday 8 August, the free event will bring together a curated selection of local creatives offering everything from handmade crafts and original artwork to vintage fashion, jewellery and unique gifts. Visitors will be able to browse stalls featuring vintage treasures and collectibles, art, prints, handmade jewellery, accessories, reworked clothing, sustainable fashion and independent creations. Live music will also be running throughout the day, with performances from local…

More than 2,000 delegates from across the UK and overseas are expected to attend Wales’ first flagship Defence Security Resilience Cymru (DSRC) event when it takes place at ICC Wales on 3 and 4 September. The two day event will bring together buyers, suppliers, investors, academics and innovators to create new business opportunities, strengthen partnerships and support the future of the defence, security and resilience sectors. A programme of keynote speakers will include broadcaster Gordon Corera, Welsh Economy Minister Adam Price, Scott Milne of General Dynamics Land Systems and Matt Jukes from The Metropolitan Police. Around 60 exhibitors from across…

Overall construction activity in Wales was subdued through the second quarter of the year according to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Construction Monitor, however surveyors appear more optimistic for the year ahead. A net balance of 3% of survey respondents in Wales reported a rise in overall construction activity. Although this balance was broadly flat, it was an improvement after three consecutive quarters where this figure was in negative territory. Looking at the subsectors, activity across private housing and infrastructure was reported to have been flat. Private commercial activity fell through Q2 (a net balance of -7%),…

Motorists and football fans are being urged to plan ahead as road closures and travel restrictions come into force across Cardiff city centre for the FA Community Shield between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Principality Stadium on Sunday 16 August. The match kicks off at 3pm, with city centre road closures in place from 10am until 8pm. Scott Road and Park Street will close earlier from 7am to allow preparations at Gate 5 and to manage supporter queues. The M4 is expected to be particularly busy, with supporters encouraged to pre-book official park and ride facilities and allow extra…

Heol Goch has reopened after Cardiff Council completed extensive safety checks following last week’s flooding, with temporary traffic management remaining in place while further repairs are planned. Council teams and contractors carried out final inspections beneath the road surface to ensure the carriageway had not been made unstable by flood water caused by last Thursday’s incident. Following the completion of those tests, the road has now reopened with one lane, closest to the section of the bank damaged by the flooding, coned off. Traffic is being managed using temporary two way traffic lights, allowing vehicles, including buses, full access to…