The listed building at 7 Abergele Road, will be completely transformed into meeting and office space for the creative industries by Conwy Council working with the North Wales Development Trust. 

Housing and Regeneration Minister Rebecca Evans said: 

“I recently announced an investment of £1.4m to rejuvenate commercial space in Colwyn Bay and I am delighted to announce this additional £610,000 of funding. The creative industries are a growth area in Wales and I hope that this funding will help the town to attract SMEs and jobs in the industry. This project will use a historic building to create a new story for the area.”

Cllr Louise Emery, Conwy County Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development said:

“We’re delighted that this funding has been awarded to bring this striking and significant building in Colwyn Bay back into use to provide accommodation for businesses in this important and growing sector of the economy. The development promises to provide another important element in the continuing regeneration of the town.”

The development will include office space, networking and meeting facilities with the flexibility to use events in the evening. The space will be targeted at SMEs within the creative industry, building on the growing interest in Wales as a place for TV and film production. 

The investment is from the Welsh Government’s £108m Building for the Future Fund. The Fund is supported by £38m of EU funding and £16m from the Welsh Government as well as match funding from other public, private and third sector sources. The fund is regenerating town centres and surrounding areas by refurbishing or redeveloping derelict or under-used land and buildings and bringing them back to life. Funding for the Abergele Road project includes £183,000 of Welsh Government funding and £427,000 of EU funds.

This winter’s campaign includes a focus on the role of community pharmacists across Wales. Pharmacists are engaging with people to offer advice, promote key health messages and help people with complex medical conditions to complete a personal health plan to get ready for winter.

Choose Well, Choose Pharmacy this Winter aims to highlight the wide range of services available, which people may not be aware of, close to their homes and often at more convenient times in the evenings and weekends.

Mr Gething said: 

“Making the right choice of health service and advice will save you time and make sure you and your family get the right care quickly. In many cases pharmacists can provide confidential advice and treatment without the need to make an appointment.

“Health service staff will be working hard this winter – and we all have a part to play by Choosing Well.”

The My Winter Health Plan pack is aimed at helping people with long-term physical or mental health conditions provide vital information for visiting health professionals to allow more people to be seen and treated at home and avoid unnecessary trips to A & E.

Pharmacists will be able to sit down with patients to help them complete the form which includes information such as their emergency contacts and a list of their conditions.

The Welsh Government is working with Public Health Wales and Community Pharmacy Wales to ensure packs are available at all community pharmacies, more than 700 across Wales. The packs, which also provide useful tips to stay safe, warm and well in the winter, are also being distributed by Age Cymru and health boards.

Mr Gething, launching the campaign at Mayberry Pharmacy, Penarth, with pharmacist Elaine Hill, said: 

“Community pharmacists across Wales will be playing a vital role in advising you and your family on many common ailments, coughs or colds this winter.”

Penarth pharmacist Elaine Hill said: 

“Community pharmacists are playing an increasing role in providing support and advice to people in a convenient setting closer to people’s homes.

“One of the new services Mayberry’s is offering this year is a care home visiting service to provide flu vaccines to residents in the comfort of their homes.

“Pharmacies like ours can provide a range of services including face to face healthcare advice without the need to make an appointment, treatment for a range of common ailments including coughs, colds, sore throats, diarrhoea, runny nose, head lice, upset stomachs and headaches. We also offer confidential consultations with a qualified pharmacist in a private setting within the pharmacy.”

NHS Wales Chief Executive Andrew Goodall said that as winter approaches, it was important we all play our part in choosing well by making the right decisions on where to get advice and treatment when we are unwell to help ease pressure on hospital emergency departments and receive help quicker and nearer to home.

Dr Goodall said:

“Pharmacies, NHS Direct, opticians, dentists, Minor Injury Units, health visitors, community nurses, midwives and GP practices, can all provide quick and easy-to-access advice and treatment when looking after yourself at home isn’t enough. You can often do this in your local high street without the need to make an appointment.

“Making the right choice not only saves you time and ensures you and your loved ones get the right care quickly but it also helps NHS staff who will be working hard this winter.

“If you have a serious life-threatening emergency call 999 or go to A&E. But if not, consider the wide range of other options.”

Mark Griffiths, Chair of Community Pharmacy Wales, said: 

“Choose Well is a great example of community pharmacies working with Welsh Government and other primary care colleagues to help improve the health of people in Wales. You don’t have to make an appointment, and you can go along at a time that suits you, and your consultation will always be with a qualified pharmacist and will take place in a confidential area within the pharmacy. That’s why Choose Well is the best choice for people this winter.”

The NHS Direct Wales online symptom checker can also provide useful information on what treatment or service you need – NHS Direct or speak to somebody at NHS Direct 0845 46 47 or 111 where available. Parents with children under 12 can use the Choose Well web site for advice Choose Well

Funding has been awarded to PYST Cyfyngedig – a digital distribution and label promotion service for labels and artists in Wales – to aid the much needed growth of its digital distribution service, the first of its kind to be based in Wales and able to tailor services specifically for the Welsh Language music industry. 

The financial backing will also allow for a bespoke service that will be able to drive the promotion of Welsh language music through appropriate and popular channels to increase awareness and number of streams.

In addition the money will create the role of the first ever booking agent for Wales. This role will fill a gap in representing artists to secure more gigs around the country and beyond. It is hoped the role can trigger the creation of a Welsh touring circuit and encourage growth in the number of promoters and venues in Wales.

Minister for Culture Tourism and Sport, Lord Elis-Thomas, said:

“The Welsh music scene is growing quickly and it’s important that we as a Government react and seek to foster that.

“With this partnership we are taking steps to ensure Welsh language music is easily accessible and promoted well on all digital platforms. We hope this move will increase the awareness and popularity of Welsh language artists. 

“The foundations for a thriving music industry are in place and it’s a real privilege to be able to encourage that in any way possible.”

Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning, Eluned Morgan, said:

“Dydd Miwsig Cymru has shown that there is interest in and an enthusiasm for Welsh language music in Wales, the UK and internationally. Music is an ideal way to introduce people to the language in a social setting and to show that Welsh is a language that is alive and thriving. 

I am delighted that PYST will build on the success of Dydd Miwsig Cymru and make Welsh language music more accessible all year round. Our efforts here will also help to fulfill the target of reaching a million Welsh speakers by 2050.”

Co-founder of PYST, Alun Llwyd, said:

“Our aim is to create a structure that reflects the vibrancy and energy of the Welsh language music scene and carves a route to develop growth so that labels and artists not only achieve greater success but multiply in numbers for the future.

“Following the initial work undertaken by PYST, 2018 has seen Welsh language music pass a million streams on digital service providers which is huge for a minority language – and Welsh labels will now be able to exploit that initial success on a national scale.”

Gruffydd Wyn Owen, founder of Libertino Records, said:

“The growth of PYST as an all-encompassing support service for Welsh labels and artists will for the first time see a coherent outward looking vision to bring Welsh music not only to a bigger UK stage but also a global stage.”

Yws Gwynedd, manager of Recordiau Côsh, said:

“The establishment of PYST as a bespoke digital distribution and promotion service based in Wales is a huge and vital step towards the professionalisation of our contemporary music landscape in Wales.”

The Fast Growth 50 list, which has been published every year since 1999 and is compiled by Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, celebrates the fastest growing businesses in Wales. Since 1999 over 600 firms are estimated to have generated £20bn of turnover annually, creating 40,000 jobs.

Of this year’s Fast Growth 50, 38 companies were supported by the Welsh Government’s Business Wales support programme which is jointly funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Welsh Government.

Economy Secretary Ken Skates said: 

“I’ve long been clear that if we as a Government are to encourage businesses to start, grow and prosper, we first have to ensure entrepreneurs and SMEs have access to the information, advice and support they need to achieve success. That’s not always about competing for grants or loans, indeed for many, expert support on business plans, marketing or international markets is much more valuable.

“The support network in Wales is unrecognisable from that of only a few years ago. Through the different types of support offered by Business Wales, the Development Bank of Wales and partners including Colleges and Universities, Wales really is a fantastic place to successfully grow a business, as the wide range of businesses from all over Wales on the FG50 list have demonstrated.

“Business Wales has supported 24,500 individual entrepreneurs and businesses since the start of the current programme in April 2015. Between them, these businesses have created over 12,000 new jobs and raised £210m in investment. I hope to see the package of support available through Business Wales continue to have a positive impact on established, fledging and potential future businesses as we tackle the challenges of tomorrow together.”

Fast Growth 50 winning companies that have received support from Business Wales include:

ALS Managed Services, who won Fastest Growing Firm in Wales, along with two other awards joined the Business Wales Accelerated Growth programme in 2017. They offer managed services and recruitment solutions for waste and recycling companies, specialist recruitment and added value services for a growing client base across the UK. Business Wales provided support in identifying a new property to enable business continuity and the platform for growth in new offices.  Their dedicated Business Wales adviser also provided advice on recruitment, leadership and management development.

Another FG50 success story, Business Wales Accelerated Growth programme client, Pontypridd based Laserwire Solutions joined the programme in 2015.  They manufacture a complete range of off-the shelf and tailored laser wire stripping machines for tech cables and wires. Business Wales has supported Laserwire with advice on raising finance, market research, recruitment and HR, IT systems, Intellectual Property, marketing and PR.

Business Wales Accelerated Growth programme client Nutrivend also joined the programme in 2015. It is the fastest growing distributer of sports nutrition vending services to gyms, universities and leisure centre across the UK and have received Business Wales support on PR, strategy, sales and marketing.

Last month, Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford announced £25m of capital investment in the draft Budget to create seven strategic hubs across the South Wales Valleys, in line with the priorities of the Ministerial Taskforce for the South Wales Valleys, which Alun Davies chairs.

The taskforce’s plan Our Valleys, Our Future, included seven strategic hubs for the Valleys – areas of focused public sector investment, which aim to attract private sector investment, creating jobs and opportunities within the Valleys.

The seven areas identified as strategic hubs are accessible within 45 minutes to most people living within Valley communities by public transport. These are Northern Bridgend, Ebbw Vale, Cwmbran, Merthyr, Pontypridd, Caerphilly, and Neath.

Mr Davies said: 

“We’ve been working hard with our local partners, including local government, to identify schemes which will stimulate local economies if supported in the right way. This announcement will enable us to take forward those projects that we believe have the best chance of achieving our aims.”

The funding will be delivered through a strategic hubs grant fund, which will enable local authorities and third sector organisations to bid for capital funding to develop projects in their areas in line with the taskforce’s priorities, as set out in Our Valleys, Our Future. The scheme will support projects which will create fair and high-quality jobs, enhance skills and support entrepreneurship. The ultimate aim is to create long-term sustainable economic prosperity in the South Wales Valleys and transform places.

The criteria for the fund will ensure investment is made which adds value, develops collaboration across public, private and third sectors to target investment in the strategic hub areas and strengthen the impact of other Welsh Government investment.