Porthmadog brewery redesign causes stir

'On Facebook, concerns have been expressed on the inclusion of Welsh. All our bottles and cans continue to include elements of Cymraeg, along with the Welsh dragon, with some of the range being Welsh named such as Calon Lân and Glaslyn. We're one of the few Welsh breweries that include elements of Cymraeg on all our products, 90 per cent of our brilliant team are Welsh speakers, and we'll never see a day where our iaith isn't featured in our branding.

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Scottish Sun

8 hours ago

• Scottish Sun

Bargain UK retailer to shut ‘another good shop' TODAY after announcing 68 closures with huge sales launched

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAJOR UK retailer has permanently pulled the shutters on another location. The move comes as the budget chain announced a series of store closures in recent weeks. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Another Poundland store has pulled its shutters for the last time as part of the company's restructuring (stock image) Credit: Alamy Poundland confirmed the closure of its Flintshire Retail Park location earlier this week. The shopping chain is closing 68 stores across the UK as part of a restructuring plan. A further 82 Poundland locations are reported to be at risk in the coming years. This comes after Poundland was sold to the investment firm Gordon Brothers for just £1. Flintshire is one of many store locations to launch sales in the lead up to closure. The Leader reported on the latest development, speaking to a Poundland representative ahead of the Welsh store's closure. "We've been unable to agree terms that would allow us to keep trading in Flint, and the store is planned to close on June 21," the rep said. "We'd obviously like to thank customers for their support there." The Poundland spokesperson went on to discuss the effect the closure would have on the location's staff. "It goes without saying whenever we close a store in circumstances like these, we do all we can to look for other opportunities for colleagues and that work is underway," they said. Poundland to be sold for JUST £1 as frontrunner for shock takeover is revealed after wave of store closures "With over 800 locations across the UK and Ireland, we constantly review our store portfolio as leases expire or come up for renewal. " Flintshire residents shared their disappointment over the closure on Facebook. "Such a shame," wrote one local shopper. "It happened in Bangor, same thing, now it's a charity shop. It's a shame really and we all thought prices were going down," agreed another commenter. "Such a shame these shops are closing," wrote a third Flintshire resident. Why are retailers closing stores? RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis. High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going. However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024. End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker. It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date. This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023. It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns. The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker. Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations. Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes. Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020." "Oh no, love Poundland, feel sorry for the people who work there," said another person. "It's really sad, a lot of people there [are] losing their jobs," agreed one Facebook user. Others blamed the increasing prices for the decline in Poundland's popularity. "Think the reason is the whole Poundland gimmick is gone now and other places are cheaper to buy from," pointed out one person. "Should not be allowed to call themselves Poundland when most items are costing more," agreed another commenter. "Nothing is a quid in there anymore anyway," wrote one Facebook user. "Getting too dear in there now anyways," said another local resident. A total of 200 Poundland locations were reported to be at risk amid the company's restructuring.

Leader Live

11 hours ago

• Leader Live

First Minister Eluned Morgan visits Wrexham University

Eluned Morgan MS toured the Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre (EEOC) during her visit to the campus, meeting students and staff and learning more about the university's ambitions under its recently launched 2030 Vision and Strategy. The EEOC, which is expected to be completed soon, is the first construction project under the North Wales Growth Deal. Professor Joe Yates, vice-chancellor of Wrexham University, said: "We were delighted to welcome the First Minister to the University today and proudly showcase our incredible facilities – in particular, our Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre, which is due to open at the start of the next academic year in September, as well as our cutting-edge Health Simulation Centre. "The visit also provided us with a welcome opportunity to highlight our newly launched 2030 Vision and Strategy, and also shine a light on how higher education institutions have a crucial role to play in helping to shape a more resilient and prosperous Wales. READ MORE: Celebrate the class of 2025 with your prom photos "Our work in building skills but also strengthening and developing a bilingual public sector workforce in North Wales, and our civic mission, in terms of providing systems leadership, demonstrates the positive impact our institution has on the communities we serve. "Thank you to the First Minister for her time and engagement with us today – it was a pleasure to welcome her, and showcase just some of our fantastic work." The First Minister toured the EEOC, which will serve as a centre for industry collaboration, research, and innovation, with the aim of supporting growth in renewables and manufacturing. Her visit came days before International Women in Engineering Day on June 23. During the tour, Ms Morgan spoke with Selina Thomas, a final-year aeronautical and mechanical engineering student, who shared her work with KnitMesh Technologies. She has been investigating the impact strength of composite materials for the North Wales-based company. The First Minister also visited the university's Health Simulation Centre, which provides immersive training environments for healthcare students and professionals. Staff highlighted the university's role in strengthening the public sector workforce in North Wales, with a focus on Welsh language provision. Since launching its Welsh Language Academic Strategy and Action Plan, 'Cyfle,' nearly three years ago, the university has introduced Welsh language modules across several degree programmes. These include speech and language therapy, professional policing, and education. Ms Morgan was also updated on the next phase of development within the university's Health and Education Innovation Quarter (HEIQ). This phase will introduce new teaching facilities, including virtual and augmented reality environments. It will also feature a new teaching and learning lab and a hydra simulation suite, developed in partnership with the Hydra Foundation. The suite will be designed to help students build decision-making skills by simulating emergency scenarios. Ms Morgan said: "I was pleased to see first-hand the facilities at Wrexham University, especially the EEOC, which will soon become a vital hub for industry collaboration and skills development across North Wales. "Through their civic work, our higher education institutions can serve as powerful anchors in their communities, supporting business and unlocking collective action to tackle inequality while preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow."

Powys County Times

11 hours ago

• Powys County Times

Letter: Welsh politics is an worsening expensive shambles

MP David Chadwick's column (County Times June 6) caused me to grieve at the histrionics of young career politicians. I congratulate him on his progress, despite setbacks, to a £93,904 MP's salary in Westminster, from April 2025, plus expenses and generous pension arrangements. His pension, unlike the state pension for the rest of us, is fully funded, so no surprise there. But penning his thoughts on the 'onslaught of pressure' to farmers, was he aware of Powys County Council's predominately Lib Dem Cabinet's decision to sell some of Powys's county-owned farms? This picking of long held 'low hanging fruit' to boost council coffers, bare through weak management across the entire county council, is short-sighted and disgraceful. This year's council tax increase is 8.9% with inflation at 3.5% (CPI). Next year, who knows? So, cost cutting across the board should be top priority. There is no alternative. Any talk of growth being sufficient to pay ever burgeoning county council costs is bunkum. If the MP was aware of the farm evictions, his column is spurious - if he was not aware, he should have been, and perhaps he and Powys's other MP, Steve Witherden, should get their heads together and bring the strongest pressure to bear on the County Council. Alongside, avoiding the political divide, Senedd members for Powys, Russell George and James Evans, should engage too. As opposed to evictions (CT June 13), cash strapped Powys County Council's cabinet members for a Fairer Powys and a More Prosperous Powys seem keen to welcome a possible 'asylum seekers' deal'. This would see the national government or Senedd handing over 'Cash to boost Powys housing stock'. For whose benefit - for displaced tenant farming families - surely not? Welsh politics is an expensive shambles, shortly to become more so, if a further 36 under-qualified lightweights join the Senedd, ready to plunder the public purse in 2026 - with a likely extra cost of £18 million annually, rising remorselessly.