Category Archives: Events

Business, Driving, Events, Leeds

Travel to and from Slam Dunk Festival with Veezu

VEEZU, Leeds’ leading private hire operator, is the official ride partner for the Slam Dunk Festival North this bank holiday weekend.

Formerly known as Amber Cars, Veezu will provide festival goers with safe and reliable travel to and from the festival at Temple Newsam Park. Veezu driver-partners will be based at the dedicated Veezu area at Slam Dunk North which will have a booking hub for passengers to secure a ride instantly.

Jasmine Hussain at Slam Dunk Festival said: “We are delighted to be working with Veezu for the Slam Dunk Festival this weekend. For many festival goers, travel is the last thing on their mind and the question of how to get home can lead to dangerous decisions. With the dedicated booking office and pick up area, guests can rest assured that they can get home safely after what is set to be a weekend to remember.”

Donna Coombs, Hyperlocal Marketing Manager at Veezu, said: “We’re very excited to be working with Slam Dunk Festival this year as official ride partner. We will be on hand to help festival goers get home safely after a fun-filled day of music and hopefully sunshine this bank holiday.

“There will be a dedicated Veezu booking office on site for those who have not pre-booked their ride home, and those that have booked through our app can find their ride easily at our dedicated pick-up point. Our mission is to provide safe and convenient travel to as many passengers as possible, and with the excitement of a festival, transport can often go forgotten. With our dedicated booking office, we hope that festival goers can relax and enjoy their weekend, knowing that they can get home safely.”

The Slam Dunk Festival North is an annual rock music festival in Leeds and this year will be taking place on Sunday 26 May. This year’s lineup includes headliners I Prevail and You Me at Six, playing their final UK festival performance.

To pre book your ride with the Veezu app click here.

Business, Cardiff, Events, Law

His Honour Nicholas Cooke KC calls for criminal justice system ‘health check’ in Cardiff Business Club address

His Honour Nicholas Cooke KC, formerly Recorder of Cardiff and a Judge who sat in the Old Bailey and the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) addressed Cardiff Business Club at a dinner event sponsored by Knight Frank, on 20 May at the Parkgate Hotel.

The topic of his lecture was how the current criminal justice system needs a comprehensive health check. He opened with stating how this field of law has changed since he began studying in 1973, becoming more micromanaged and less subjectively determined by judges.

His Honour discussed miscarriages of justice and how they have always happened, the emperor’s clothes mentality surrounding them and how legislation has responded effectively to them, albeit following some pushing. He referenced the post office scandal in depth, describing it as the worst miscarriage of justice in Europe, and read an excerpt from his letter in The Guardian on the topic.

He also used the post office scandal to talk about trends and how they affect, or rather don’t affect, Crown Court judges. It has been said that Crown Court judges act independently and don’t need to take note of trend, but he disagreed and stated that if a judge becomes aware of a trend, he or she should note and respond to it. If the judges involved in the post office scandal had acted in response to trends, perhaps the miscarriage of justice wouldn’t have been so large.

His Honour then discussed a need for a more locally focussed criminal justice system and how one has the potential to reduce crime in specific areas, such as gang violence in London. With a local criminal justice system that reflects local needs, the whole system should work better. He questioned whether the British criminal justice system is the fairest in the world as many still believe but retains the hope we can make it so.

Delving into many of his past cases, cases that haunt him, His Honour then discussed how the current criminal justice system fails to deal with fatal violence against women. He called upon a need to change the starting points for setting minimum terms in murder, by referencing the weapon used, before speaking of Kirsty Treloar and Rebecca Sessacar’s cases, showing photos of the two women to emphasise how they were real people to be remembered. The cases involved “a catalogue of appalling failures” with previous warning signs ignored and other shocking errors.

His Honour used these strong stories to emphasise the need for a review of the entire criminal justice system, before delving into some questions posed by the room.

The next Cardiff Business Club lunch event will see speaker Anne Jessopp CBE, CEO of the Royal Mint, address the club on 27 June at the Hilton Hotel.

Business News, Events, West Wales

Howden returns as key supporter of popular west Wales beer festival

 HOWDEN, the global insurance intermediary group, is raising a glass as a key supporter of one of west Wales’ most popular events.

The international firm is a deluxe sponsor of The Big Beer Festival, the annual festival of food, beverages and live music organised by Milford Haven Round Table.

The festival, said to be Pembrokeshire’s premier beer festival, will take place on Saturday May 25 at Milford Waterfront. The event will feature a selection of beverages, street food, and live entertainment with headline act 4th Street, as well as raise money for local charities.

Milford Haven Round Table is the UK’s largest Round Table, with 30 active members who come together to give back to their local community. All money raised by the Round Table is used to support local charities, groups and individuals, including some of Pembrokeshire’s most popular free entry events, such as the town’s annual carnival, fireworks display and Santa’s tour.

As a deluxe sponsor, Howden will be donating £500 towards the event. The insurance giant has been expanding its presence in South Wales with the launch of a Cardiff and Swansea office at the beginning of this year, led by Regional Managing Director Gary Stevens.

Speaking on the sponsorship, Gary said: “We are delighted to be returning to The Big Beer Festival, and to be supporting the Milford Haven Round Table once again. This event is always one to remember and is a fantastic day out for the bank holiday weekend.

“After two successful office openings this year, I hope to further cement our position as a leader in the south and west Wales commercial broking sector, and in doing so, support our local community and groups wherever we can.”

Awards, Business, Events, Wales

Welsh business success celebrated at awards

The winners of the Wales Business Awards 2024 were announced by Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid last night (16 May) at a ceremony at the Vale Hotel & Resort in Hensol.

Businesses and organisations from across Wales came together to celebrate business success, innovation and best practice at the ceremony which was saw broadcaster Andrea Byrne return as host.

11 winners were crowned across 11 categories, with one of the lucky winners also receiving the Wales Business of the Year award which was presented by headline sponsor Jardine Norton.

St Athan firm Metrology Engineering Services scooped the top prize in addition to winning Innovative Business of the Year.

A leading service provider in reverse engineering, 3D laser scanning, damage assessment and quality inspection, the firm was recognised for its use of cutting-edge technology to advance the field of repair engineering to meet the evolving needs of the aerospace industry.

Steve Beasley, CEO of Metrology Engineering Services, said: “We are delighted to have won two awards including the overall prize: Wales Business of the Year. We’d like to thank Welsh Government and Aerospace Wales for helping us get started in this dynamic industry. Over the last year we have secured contracts all over the world and expanded our team to 20 highly specialised engineers who share our innovative vision.  I’d like to dedicate these awards to our brilliant team.”

Other winners on the night included Arian Care, Dulas Ltd, Dylan’s Restaurants, Genesis Biosciences, Ogi, Peter Jones ILG, Route Media, Watkins & Gunn Limited, Welsh Refugee Council and Dorian Payne of Castell Group, who took home the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Paul Butterworth, CEO of Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid, said: “The Wales Business Awards showcased the best of Welsh business, recognising firms who play a fundamental role in driving the economy forward, implementing innovative initiatives and supporting their teams.

“We’d like to offer our congratulations to our worthy winners, as well as those who were shortlisted.”

Business, Events

Cardiff Capital Region at UKREiiF 2024

Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) is attending UKREiiF in Leeds from 21 to 23 May to showcase £15 billion of investment opportunities and spotlight the Region as one of 12 Investment Zones selected by UK and Welsh Government last year.

UKREiiF, the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum, is a three-day conference that aims to connect people, places and businesses including the key players and decision makers within the public sector, built environment, investment and real estate markets to drive significant sustainable investment.

This year Cardiff Capital Region will be attending as one of the two sponsors of exhibitor Western Gateway, the pan-regional partnership for South Wales and Western England. The other sponsor attending is Bristol and Bath. CCR will use Western Gateway’s pavilion as a base for meetings and networking.

Attending the event for CCR is Anthony Hunt, Leader of Torfaen County Borough Council and Chair of CCR’s Committee and he said: “UKREiiF is an excellent opportunity for us to sell our Region’s competitive strengths, ambitious investment and development opportunities to key decision makers, future investors and partners. This annual event is now firmly on the calendar for investment opportunities within the UK and complements our international activities at expos such as MIPIM.”

CCR Chief Executive Kellie Beirne is speaking at several events during UKREiiF and is very positive about CCR’s participation: “Our proposition is strong and compelling with unique offers such as Aberthaw Power Station attracting more interest, I’m confident that our economic potential will continue to grow.”

Find out more about UKREiiF: https://www.ukreiif.com/

Driving, Events, News

Celebrating Rural Heritage – Farmers Guide Partners Stonham Barns Park

Celebrating Rural Heritage – Farmers Guide Partners Stonham Barns Park

for Steam & Vintage and Land Rover Shows

  • Celebrating Rural Heritage: Farmers Guide Joins Forces with Stonham Barns Park for Two Exciting Country Shows 
  • Traction engines, vintage vehicles and beloved 4x4s bring support from Farmers Guide to both upcoming Steam & Vintage and Land Rover Shows in Suffolk this year. 

Stonham Barns Park – one of Suffolk’s premier leisure, retail and holiday destinations – has teamed up with Farmers Guide – the UK’s leading monthly farming magazine – to enhance two of its forthcoming shows – The Steam & Vintage Show (Sunday 19 May) and the Land Rover Show (Sunday 6 October).

The new partnership is based on the mutual countryside interest and heritage surrounding traction engines, vintage tractors, vehicles and 4x4s.

Stonham Barns Park has a huge following in East Anglia as a leading show venue which combined with Farmers Guide’s reach of over 90,000 monthly farm readers and over 50,000 online followers, makes for a much-consolidated show attendance. Lily Wakeling of Stonham Barns Park Events Team comments, ‘Farmers Guide supported our first Land Rover Show last year and really added to the attendance and content of the show.  It was after the show we realised that a partnership covering the two rural shows we put on would be beneficial to both parties.’

‘We have put together a working partnership which we hope will make the best of all the opportunities available from these two shows.  We very much appreciate the support of the magazine and look forward to working in close association with them moving forwards.’

Farmers Guide Marketing Manager K.M Sharp adds, ‘Farmers Guide and Stonham Barns are both long-established Suffolk businesses known for championing the rich heritage and vibrant culture of rural life. Through our partnership, we aim to celebrate the traditions of farming and showcase the history, innovation and dedication of those within the agricultural community.

‘Together, we’re excited to bring unforgettable experiences to farmers and enthusiasts alike at the upcoming Steam and Vintage Show in May, followed by the Land Rover show later in October. Similar to our magazine, join us in honouring the past, present, and future of agricultural machinery, while enjoying an unbeatable day out at these extraordinary events.’ 

Steam & Vintage Show at Stonham Barns Park

The Steam & Vintage Show will bring together a collection of historic traction engines, steam rollers and other exhibits such as tractors, stationary engines, agricultural and construction vehicles, vintage motorcycles and bicycles, as well as wood and metal craft and much more. This year the organisers are promising new features to make it a day out to interest the whole family.

A Dog and Duck Trials Demo combined with a Tractor Parade, Axe Throwing, Wellie Throwing, Archery, and Morris Dancing will attract country-loving visitors while Live Music from the high-energy acoustic band Lincoln Skins will complete the entertainment.

A popular traction engine – appearing at this year’s show – is Faith owned by Natal Taylor. The 1916 engine was built by Wallis and Steevens Ltd. It was located in Lavenham where it had fallen into decay before Natal restored it back to its former glory. Natal has been steaming with it now for over 50 years.

There will also be a collection of scale steam engines on display, demonstrations in the show ring and during the weekend the vehicles will be parked in an area for the public to view more closely – giving visitors the chance to examine them and talk to the owners.

Farmers Guide’s Kat Morton, Patrick Stone, K.M Sharp and Josh Forward of Stonham Barns Park Events Team.

Josh Forward of Stonham Barns Park said: ‘There’s nothing like a steam show to bring in the crowds and we are planning for a special show this year introducing more vintage elements than ever before.  The rural content of the show will be enhanced this year as our tractor exhibits and country pursuits draw more and more followers each year. We are hoping to encourage the Young Farmers Clubs from in and around Suffolk to come along and join in too.’

‘We will be showcasing some extra special vehicles from the agricultural and construction sectors so that the day is both entertaining and educational.  The vehicles from our past can teach us so much. It will be like a step back in time and who doesn’t love to witness something retro occasionally?’

‘We are fortunate to have such dedicated historic transport owners here in the county of Suffolk which makes this day one like no other. The sights, sounds and activities of the day will make this an outing for all the family.’

A range of food and drink outlets will be available on the showground with outdoor and indoor seating. Dogs are welcome but must be kept on leads.

Tickets for the event are £10 per adult. For further information visit or call 01449 711 111.

This October the Land Rover Show will build on the success of the debut show from 2023. It will be showcasing classic, modified and new Land Rovers, featuring the Suffolk Land Rover Club and an off-road driving experience to demonstrate the manoeuvrability, resilience and handling of the 4x4s attending the show.

Land Rover Show at Stonham Barns Park – All Sorts of 4x4s Welcome

Stonham Barns Park is a day out for all the family to suit all ages. Other activities at the leisure, retail and holiday venue include The Suffolk Owl Sanctuary, Legends Bar, Café 24, The Golf Centre including Adventure Golf and FootGolf, The Teapot Pottery, holiday lodges, a caravan park, camping and glamping and fishing lakes.

For more information about Stonham Barns Park please contact 01449 711901 or visit www.stonhambarns.co.uk

Cancer, Charity Events, Charity News, Events, FInance

Maggie’s and Swansea Building Society Host 5th Anniversary Celebration for Cancer Support in Cardiff

Maggie’s Cancer Charity and Swansea Building Society are collaborating to host a memorable event commemorating the 5th anniversary of the Maggie’s Centre opening in Cardiff. The exciting 5th Birthday Ball will be held on May 17th at Dyffryn Springs near Wenvoe, bringing together supporters and beneficiaries for an evening of reflection and hope.

Swansea Building Society has pledged its support as the event sponsor, continuing its steadfast commitment to Maggie’s as its official charity for the third consecutive year.

Since its inception, Maggie’s Cardiff has provided invaluable support to over a thousand visitors each month, offering practical, emotional, and social assistance to individuals and families navigating the challenges of cancer.

The centre, situated in Velindre Road, Whitchurch, works in harmony with conventional cancer therapies, offering a nurturing environment where visitors can access support, information, and practical advice. From financial and benefits guidance to complementary therapies and nutrition workshops, Maggie’s Cardiff plays a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of life for those affected by cancer.

Supporting the charity over recent years, Swansea Building Society has organised a diverse range of successful fundraising activities, including dress-down days, raffles, and sponsored events like dog walks and open water swimming. These initiatives have resulted in an impressive cumulative fundraising total exceeding £60,000, providing vital resources to empower Maggie’s in delivering its essential services.

Richard Miles, Area Manager / Head of Savings & Marketing, Swansea Building Society, said:

“As proud sponsors of Maggie’s for the third consecutive year, Swansea Building Society is honoured to support such a vital cause. Our ongoing commitment to Maggie’s reflects our dedication to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by cancer. We are delighted to be part of the 5th Birthday Ball celebration and look forward to continuing our partnership with Maggie’s to ensure their important work can thrive for years to come.”

Rachael Davies, Fundraising Manager at Maggie’s, added:

“We’re incredibly grateful that Swansea Building Society has sponsored our 5th Birthday Ball. Sponsorship of our events is so important, and we can’t thank everyone at Swansea Building Society enough.”

Awards, Events, News

2024 Institute of Economic Development Annual Conference open for booking, as Annual Awards also return

Early Bird registrations are now open for the 2024 Institute of Economic Development Annual Conference and Awards Dinner, the UK’s premier in-person event for economic development and regeneration professionals working for local and regional communities.

The IED Annual Conference, which this year will return to BMA House in London on Wednesday 6th November, is titled Economic Transition – How do we deliver long-lasting change in our towns, cities and regions?

Baroness Sharon Taylor of Stevenage OBE, Shadow Spokesperson for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, is the confirmed opening keynote speaker. Other guest speakers include:

  • Adam Hawksbee, Deputy Director, Onward
  • Dame Irene Hays, Director, Hays Travel
  • Danyal Satter, CEO, Big Issue Invest
  • James Smith, Research Director, Resolution Foundation
  • Mel Barrett, Chief Executive, Nottingham City Council
  • Rachel Rowney, Chief Operating Officer, Local Trust

Tom Stannard, IED Chair, and Chief Executive, Salford City Council; and Bev Hurley CBE, IED Director and Chief Executive, YTKO Group, also feature in the conference programme with further speakers, breakout sessions and panels to be announced in the coming weeks.

Following the one-day conference, the IED Awards Dinner will take place in the Lutyens Suite at BMA House. The awards will once again recognise achievers in the public and private sector through a series of individual, team, and organisational categories. Eight categories are now open for entry and a ninth, Outstanding Contribution to Economic Development, will be selected by the IED Board and expert judging panel.

Leader of the Year

Economic development professionals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and management in their role, and who motivate and inspire their team to achieve success through effective leadership.

Team of the Year

Exceptional economic development teams who have gone above and beyond in ensuring the smooth running and effective delivery of economic development functions in their organisations.

 

Rising Star of the Year

Younger economic development team members aged 30 or under (as of 1st June 2024) who have demonstrated excellence, commitment, and gone above and beyond in their early career.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champion of the Year

Individuals who have strived to actively promote, celebrate and raise awareness of EDI, improving under-represented involvement in economic development in their organisation or externally.

Social Value Champion of the Year

Individuals who have championed and made a significant contribution to social value creation, developing best practice in their field and making positive impacts in their communities.

Most Innovative Project of the Year

Innovative economic development projects which have pushed the boundaries beyond traditional approaches and delivered additional beneficial outcomes as a result of the innovation.

Collaborative Initiative of the Year

Outstanding cross-sector economic development collaboration between two or more partners drawn from local authorities, private sector, third sector, business and academia.

 

Outstanding Impact

For projects delivered and concluded in the last five years, which demonstrate benchmarked evidence against other similar initiatives. Impacts could include environmental, social, business support (from start-up to growth and scale), rural development and regeneration.

 

*Outstanding Contribution to Economic Development

Individuals who have made a sustained outstanding contribution to any field of economic development over a minimum of 20 years.

 

*To be selected by Institute of Economic Development Board and expert judging panel.

 

To enter the awards, individuals/teams should develop a 500-word entry on ‘why they should win’ and a 50-word summary for promotion in the awards programme, together with an optional one page of additional evidence, and submit to admin@ied.co.uk by 5pm on 31st July.

Details of last year’s winners, and highly commended entries, can be viewed here.

“We are really looking forward to the Annual Conference and Awards Dinner in London, at a venue we know well, following a highly successful event as part of our 40th anniversary celebrations,” said IED Executive Director Nigel Wilcock. “Further details on our Economic Transition – How do we deliver long-lasting change in our towns, cities and regions? conference programme will be announced as and when speakers and sponsors are confirmed, but in the meantime we encourage members and non-members to take up the Early Bird ticket rates for the Annual Conference, which are available until 27th June, and to get their submissions in for the Annual Awards.”

Events, Hospitality, News, South West England News

Meet & Potato collaborate with Butlin’s to offer the perfect corporate events package for organisations

Liverpool, 18th April  2024, live events and communications agency Meet & Potato in collaboration with Butlin’s put on The Greatest Show in Town for Poundland. Meet & Potato brought their creativity, technical production, and audio-visual expertise to Butlin’s, Bognor Regis for Poundland’s annual internal event for 1200+ colleagues that is designed to bring to life the brand strategy ahead of the peak trading season. Butlin’s provided the perfect venue, all accommodation, catering and a dedicated event team.

 

Poundland is a long-term client of Meet & Potato, and the brand is always looking to improve on the colleague event experience. In 2023, The Greatest Show in Town, inspired by The Greatest Showman movie, was a huge success, complete with a Big Top and a popup Poundland concept store for break-out sessions.  Meet & Potato produced supporting video presentations for Poundland’s leadership team, including a Channel 4 ‘Gogglebox’ style review of stores and customer feedback featuring the senior management team on the sofa in their pyjamas. Butlin’s provided the perfect backdrop with onsite catering, numerous venues, a fun fair, and accommodation, enabling the whole team to stay onsite and fully immerse themselves in the event experience.

The plenary was hosted in Studio 36–a highly versatile conference venue with state-of-the-art AV facilities–which was transformed with drapes depicting bespoke Circus Characters. Studio 36 also hosted the Gala Dinner–with the Butlin’s dedicated events team facilitating the quick turnaround from theatre to gala set up in under 1 hour and 40 minutes. This was the first time Studio 36 was used for a gala dinner, and the first time a gala dinner of more than 1,000 was hosted outside the Skyline Pavilion. One top priority event element was a space to build a Poundland store on site. The resort’s Reds venue was where the store was built. This was part of the breakout sessions where the delegates could walk around the new concept store for Poundland. Early access to the venue was arranged pre-event so the team could start building and ensuring everything was in working order ready for the delegates to see the new store in all its glory.

 

Poundland, MD, Austin Cooke, said: “Thank you! Another stellar event and nothing but positive feedback for Meet & Potato and Butlin’s. At Poundland one of our core business values is focusing on our people. We believe their experience at work is as important as our customers’ experience instore. The Greatest Show on Earth enabled all our 1260 delegates to fully immerse themselves in our brand and focus on success for the next year. Meet & Potato and Butlins is a great partnership for corporate events.”

 

National Sales Manager at Butlin’s Conference and Events, Dan Elliot said: “The Greatest Show in Town with Poundland blew my mind. Butlin’s Bognor Regis was such a good fit for this event for many reasons. Poundland and Meet & Potato did an incredible job using the whole resort to bring their event to life for 1200+ delegates on-site. By having exclusive hire of the venue, they were able to transform the space into what they needed for the event, even turning our Reds Venue into a Poundland shop for delegates to experience. We look forward to working with the Meet & Potato team on many more corporate events.”

 

Meet & Potato, CEO / Founder, Kelly said, “Working on Poundland’s Greatest Show In Town event was a blast, Butlins Bognor Regis was our obvious venue choice as the big tops were already there! However, as the event built up, we realised Butlins makes the perfect venue for internal corporate events at any of their three resorts as they have all the facilities a business needs to accommodate a large group of people and cater for their needs. The site also means employees don’t need to leave for accommodation or food, so they get a better-quality conference experience. Meet & Potato will support Butlins to diversify into corporate events by working alongside the Butlins’ Conference Team to support and produce high-quality presentations and immersive brand experiences”.

 

About Meet & Potato

Meet and Potato (M&P) create events and produce content to showcase their clients’ unique voice and vision. Whether it’s a conference, gala dinner or awards ceremony, a product launch or experiential brand roadshow, a creative presentation deck or full video production, M&P makes emotional connections between brands and their audiences with immersive experiences and stories designed to entertain, educate, and inspire. The agency works across all sectors with amazing clients such as Mercedes-Benz, Poundland, Holland & Barrett, Hotel Chocolat, Beauty Bay, Dunelm, Magnet and BASF.

For more information visit www.mandp.agency

 

About Butlin’s 

Butlin’s, the home of entertainment, is a market leader in family holidays, promising endless fun for all age groups with so much included in the price of a break. Alongside family breaks, there’s also Butlin’s Big Weekenders, exclusively for adults. With over 20 breaks to choose from including decade-themed parties to genre-specific music weekends and festivals, there’s an incredible variety of Big Weekenders running throughout the year. For unforgettable experiences Butlin’s also delivers memorable corporate events from board meetings and team-building days to product launches and themed gala dinners. With three beachside resorts across the UK in Bognor Regis (West Sussex), Minehead (Somerset) and Skegness (Lincolnshire), Butlin’s welcomes around 1.5 million guests per year.

For more information visit: https://www.butlins.com/

Business, Cardiff, Events

Cardiff Business Club signs Armed Forces Covenant

At its latest event, Cardiff Business Club signed the Armed Forces Covenant alongside Cardiff Bus, with speaker Major General Duncan G Forbes, the Royal Navy’s Director of Strategy and Policy and Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff.

Sponsored by RFCA Wales, the Major General addressed the Club, shouting out his old captain and mentor Brigadier Jock Fraser as he retires this summer, before fittingly highlighting his lecture’s theme of legacy.

Promising to talk with no agenda or spin, but using the occasion to tell stories, kindle relationships and rest, the Major General began by discussing the broad strategic context of the Navy’s current work, touching on the UK’s support to Ukraine, the rise of China, politics, and the situation in Gaza, which he highlighted as the most worrying and important issue right now following Israel’s actions over the weekend.

He then moved to discuss what the Navy is doing right now, thanks to taxpayers’ money. He discussed the SSBN in the North Atlantic, a recent £44m drug bust, and the naval support for Ukraine. Having been involved since day one, he stated: “It will get worse before it gets better. If Ukraine lose, we all lose.”

The Major General then proceeded to look forward, highlighting the importance of young servicepeople and the confidence he has in them, but acknowledging that old systems need to be changed to be bolder, more creative, and take more risks. However, whatever they do to change the approach must maintain the key driving force of being in service to the nation, as that is what the Navy is intrinsically built on.

Touching on the Navy in Wales, he stated that they recruit twice as many marines and sailors from Wales than the wider population, and that those recruits serve for longer than average. They then almost always return to Wales after service, with the right traits to support business growth. He mentioned the HMS Cardiff which will be fully operational later this decade, and the Ministry of Defence’s investment into Cardiff and across Wales.

Lt Colonel (Retired) Craig Hampton-Stone, Director at Cardiff Bus, gave the vote of thanks, before he, Major General Duncan G Forbes and Phil Jardine, Chair of Cardiff Business Club, signed the Armed Forces Covenant.

The Covenant is a voluntary pledge made by businesses, designed to allow organisations to express their support the armed forces community and commit to ways in which they can provide it. All Covenants have to be approved and registered with the MOD Armed Forces Covenant Team.

Phil said: “We’re so pleased to have signed the covenant, especially alongside such a decorated guest as Major General Duncan G Forbes. Formalising our recognition and appreciation for the armed forces was an easy decision, and we’re pleased to have taken the step alongside Cardiff Bus.”