Latest news with #Bridgend-based
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Penybont re-united with missing boots for European tie
Welsh side Penybont's preparations for their Uefa Conference League qualifier in Lithuania have been disrupted after losing their luggage en route. The lost luggage included the squad's boots, and the travelling party had to hastily buy replacements from a store in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, before the luggage was returned to them on Thursday morning. Advertisement Penybont, who qualified for Europe by finishing second in last season's Cymru Premier, face Kauno Zalgiris in Thursday's first qualifying round first leg. The Bridgend-based club side flew out of London City airport on Tuesday, and on arrival in Vilnius found that their bags had been lost in transit. The Polish airline, Lot, said in a statement: "Due to adverse weather conditions en-route and weight limitations at London City airport, we made the decision to leave some baggage behind and offload two passengers. "This decision was made in strict accordance with our highest safety standards. Advertisement "The delayed baggage was delivered to the affected passengers yesterday, and those who were unable to board the original flight were properly assisted and rebooked on the next available service." A spokesperson for the club had confirmed that the luggage lost contained the team's training and playing kit. "We found out our luggage didn't arrive around half an hour after landing after waiting at the baggage carousel. "Only six bags made it through for the whole flight. The airline, for some reason, didn't load the luggage onto the plane." After recieiving the missing belongings in the early hours of matchday, the club's press officer Ryan March said: "Everyone's relieved to get their bags back and we're looking forward to this evening's match." Advertisement A post on the club's X account had initially confirmed that their luggage had not arrived but that the new boots had been "broken in". Rhys Griffiths' side are appearing in the Conference League for the second time having made their debut in the competition in 2023. The second leg will be played at Cardiff International Sports Stadium on 17 July as their own SDM Glass Stadium does not meet Uefa criteria. The winners will face Valur from Iceland or Estonian side Flora Tallinn in the second qualifying round.
Wales Online
09-07-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
National Lottery pays out £3.6m to group of Welsh strangers who found out with a text that said 'oh my f*****g god'
National Lottery pays out £3.6m to group of Welsh strangers who found out with a text that said 'oh my f*****g god' Ten years after forming a lottery syndicate and it has finally paid off Lottery syndicate, 'West Is Best Syndicate' from Bridgend have won an incredible £3.6 million at the EuroMillions (Image: National Lottery ) A Welsh lottery syndicate made up of almost strangers, from previous jobs and hobbies and the odd family member, have scooped a staggering £3.6 million on EuroMillions, transforming the lives of 16 people overnight. Against all odds, Friday 13th (June) proved lucky for the Bridgend-based group known as the 'West Is Best Syndicate', with each member receiving just over £212,000 from their £3,613,997 jackpot. Among them is Rhian Owen, 44, a train conductor from Ogmore Vale, who has been at the heart of the winning syndicate since it began a decade ago. It all started when she worked at Bridgend Council's West Hub - where the group got its name. "I just started doing it among a small group of friends in work" she explained. "Then it grew and got bigger." When she changed jobs a few years later, the numbers dropped off but in 2022, with a big jackpot looming, she decided to give it another go. She posted a status on Facebook asking if anyone fancied joining her syndicate and the responses poured in. "There's mostly ex-colleagues from the council, but my two sisters joined, a lady I worked with 20 years ago joined, and my former rugby coach also joined. It's a bit of a mixed bag!" The band of almost-strangers from Bridgend came together to celebrate their incredible win (Image: National Lottery ) Article continues below The group now has sixteen members, though seventeen shares as Rhian's sister plays two lines, giving her double the winnings. Every Friday, Rhian logs into her lottery account, buys seventeen Lucky Dip lines, takes screenshots of the tickets, and shares them in a Facebook Messenger group with the syndicate. The next day, she checks the results and shares any wins. Over the years, they'd had a steady stream of small prizes. "Loads of £2.80s," Rhian laughs. "I think the most we won one week was about £30 — and that was spread across different lines." That changed dramatically one early Saturday morning. Rhian's alarm went off around 5am for her shift. Still half-asleep, she glanced at her phone and noticed an email from the National Lottery. "It just said 'Rhian, you've won a prize,' which is normal. I get those all the time for a couple of quid." However, something must have felt different as Rhian felt the urge to check her phone again on her way to work. She decided to pull up outside of a shop to read the email. "Normally there's a blue line that says 'You've won £2.80' or something. But this time it said, 'Claim your prize.' At first, I thought it was just the new format. I'd updated the app the night before." However, when she clicked through, she was greeted by a sight that most people can only dream of; five numbers and the bonus ball lit up. "It was like trying to look at my phone underwater. I could see there were a lot of numbers, I knew it was big… but I couldn't take it in." The winning numbers for the draw were 2, 28, 40, 43, 45 and the Lucky Star numbers were 3 and 7. The syndicate's win was even more remarkable because the EuroMillions jackpot had reached its cap of £208M, meaning additional prize money from ticket sales rolled down into the next prize tier - significantly boosting their prize. The estimated prize for matching five main numbers and one Lucky Star in a draw without a roll down is £130,554.30. In contrast, the syndicate's £3.6M win is roughly 27 times higher. Rhian quickly sent a screenshot to her sister and called her. "Luckily she was awake, she'd checked her own tickets and seen nothing. But she'd also looked at the prize breakdown and knew there were UK winners and a pot of £3.6 million. I face called her straight away and said, 'Jane! We've won the lottery!' She didn't even say anything... she just put the phone down on me!" She rang back moments later to confirm it: £3.6 million, split between seventeen shares. "It worked out at around £212,000 each. It's lifechanging." Stay informed on Bridgend news by signing up to our newsletter here Despite the shock, Rhian actually went into work the morning she found out, though she only made it through half the shift. "I was all over the shop. There was no way I could wave in trains the way I was feeling! I phoned my manager and explained - he didn't believe me! He just said, 'No way!'" Wrapped up in a flurry of emotions, Rhian did manage to message the group chat to share the news and the reactions came flooding in. "Some of them I hadn't seen in years. People were saying, 'This couldn't have come at a better time.' Everybody's had some sort of hardship or gone through really bad times, and it's just amazing, everyone is so deserving of it." The group are made up of almost strangers, from previous jobs and hobbies (Image: National Lottery ) A single parent to three children - aged 15, 12, and five - Rhian knows how much this moment means. "I actually had my first holiday in eleven years a week after we won. It was an all-inclusive holiday, and I was going to borrow spending money off my sister because I hadn't managed to save it. But I didn't need to!" She's already started thinking about what comes next. "I've been to look at a new car because I need one. I need a new kitchen, new bathroom… so I'm going to make some home improvements. I'm also planning on taking the kids away again in October. And the family's got a big holiday planned for next year. It's just lush!" Rhian shared that her children are still trying to wrap their heads around the win and the fact that this has all become possible. "After I found out, I couldn't help but text my oldest while I was in work. I said, 'Can you keep a secret?'' Then I told him we'd won. He just replied, 'Ha ha very funny, what time you home, I'm starving.' I sent him a screenshot of the line and he was like, 'How did you do that?' He still didn't believe me!" After ten years of playing, the win came as a massive shock to members of the Welsh syndicate (Image: National Lottery ) Her daughter, out shopping with friends at the time, had a much different reaction. "I told her not to tell anyone, and she just said, 'Sorry, I told everyone, I couldn't help it.'" Yet, what came as a massive shock for her children, was something that Rhian had always believed in. "A few months ago I was in work with a colleague. He was talking about his wife playing the lottery and how much she spends on it. I told him I was guilty of the same. He asked, 'Why do you do it?' and I just said, 'Because I'm going to win.' He laughed. But that Saturday morning when he saw me, he just said, 'Oh my god — you were right!'" Maybe part of that belief came from the fact that she'd already seen it happen close to home. "My parents won the postcode lottery last September - £83,333," she said. "Now that people in our village have heard about myself and my two sisters winning in the syndicate, people are rubbing my father's arm hoping to get some of the family luck!" Five of the syndicate members met up in Bridgend days after the win for food and to process it together. "People weren't sure what to do with the money - there were so many things going round in their heads. It's really hard to digest. And while I've been really happy, it's been an emotional rollercoaster as well." Members of the syndicate have big plans for their winnings (Image: National Lottery ) There were tears, too. "One of the ladies, who I hadn't seen for about six years, told me her son had been diagnosed with cancer. She'd had breast cancer. Her husband nearly died from cancer of the eyes. People were just sharing their stories - I was crying. I was just so pleased this happened for them. For us." Wayne Jenkins, Rhian's former rugby coach, is heading to Spain for a month and plans to share his winnings with his grown-up daughters. Meanwhile, Nicola Butler, a former colleague, learned of the win the same day her husband left his job - now, the financial boost has eased their stress, and a long-overdue family holiday is in the works. Rhian's sisters are also making the most of their good fortune. Tracey Harry is buying a campervan, helping her three children, and exploring dental treatment options. Jayne Owen, who played two lines and received double the share, has already purchased a campervan and is also planning dental work. "The win couldn't have come at a better time," she said. The West Is Best syndicate came together for a big celebration at a local Bridgend pub, The Blaenogwr, where they were joined by family and friends - for many of the syndicate members this was their first time meeting each other (Image: National Lottery ) Jayne Davies, a close family friend who has battled ongoing health issues, used her share to fund a private knee replacement. Meanwhile, Rhian's lifelong best friend, Liann Gregory, is treating her family by gifting money to her three adult children, making home improvements, and buying a caravan for everyone to enjoy. Taking a more strategic route, Louise Fahey - another close friend- is investing in a rental property to secure long-term financial stability while also supporting her children. Rhian doesn't pretend there's a secret to the group's success. "It was just pure luck. You click that Lucky Dip button and the machine generates the numbers. And this was the EuroMillions - the odds are massive. People all over Europe play it." Article continues below But deep down, she always knew: "You've just got to manifest it."
Business News Wales
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Business News Wales
Bridgend Firm Sponsors Welsh Internationals
Bridgend-based Powerhouse Energy Group is supporting Wales' Over 35 Women's Masters Hockey Team as they compete this summer at the European Championship in Valencia (June), and the Home Nations tournament in Glasgow (August). Paul Emmitt, Chief Executive Officer, Powerhouse Energy Group has committed to awarding and covering the cost of the Welsh Caps and certificates for each of the 36 players representing Wales this summer. Player Kat Kisby, who lives in Cardiff, said: 'On behalf of the team, we're incredibly thankful to sponsors like Powerhouse. Competing at this level is entirely self-funded, which is common in amateur sports—even at the national level—so the financial burden on players is significant. Any support we receive goes a long way in helping us concentrate on our performance. We've been training intensively over the past six months, and we're excited to compete and hopefully come back with some big wins under our belt.' Powerhouse Energy Group is located on Brackla Industrial Estate, Bridgend and utilises unrecyclable plastic by converting the unrecyclable waste efficiently and economically into synthetic gas for future use. Paul said: 'We're thrilled to be able to support a passionate and ambitious team looking to compete at the highest level. We wish the players the very best of luck and I'm looking forward to presenting their well-deserved Welsh caps later this year in recognition of their achievements.'
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mental health funding announced for steelworks town
When steelworker Christopher Curtis realised he was losing what he thought might be a "job for life", his mental health "struggled a lot". The 42-year-old, who has set up a new gardening business, said the past year had taught him "mental health is more important than anything". Hundreds of workers have left the Port Talbot site since Tata Steel shut down the town's remaining blast furnace six months ago. More than £3m has now been announced by the UK government's steel transition board to boost mental health support in the community. Tata Steel open to more investment in Port Talbot 'The steelworks is our identity - we are the steel town' Can Port Talbot survive change at Tata? Earlier this week, Tata Steel confirmed 300 jobs have been secured after new contracts were handed to local companies to help build the £1.25bn electric arc furnace. But Mr Curtis said he worried for months about how his job loss at Tata would impact his family's future and his ability to pay the bills. "I struggled a lot to be honest. I struggled mentally and I took a bit of time off work because I was so stressed with what was going on," he said. He was helped by Tata Steel's former mental health and wellbeing officer Martyn Wagstaff, who "reassured [him] that everything was going to be good". The support helped Mr Curtis through a difficult period and gave him the confidence to take on a new business full-time following his final day with Tata at the end of March. "I started up my gardening and maintenance business and now I'm going to be doing the business full-time. "I've learnt through all of this is that you can't do much without money but your mental health is more important than anything," Mr Curtis said. Realising the need for greater mental health provision in his community, Martyn Wagstaff set up his own support service once his role as Tata Steel's mental health officer was cut in December 2024. After sharing the story of his own mental health struggles, he said he had supported more than 100 employees who had opened up during a difficult period at the works. "Having men and women in a room with each other and sharing their stories in front of each other is quite unusual in that type of environment. I still have quite a lot of guys from in there who still reach out now for a chat or a bit of advice," he said. "A lot of the businesses I work closely with now also employ a lot of ex-Tata employees, so there's still that overhang there. But it's also the sports clubs in this area as well. "Lots of members of sports clubs around here are still there working in Tata and there is still some of that uncertainty about what's happening around the restructure and their futures there." Despite recent concerns over the future of British steel, Tata's plans to build an electric arc furnace in Port Talbot moved a step closer this week. It confirmed new contracts with Bridgend-based companies Darlow Lloyd & Sons and Wernick Buildings, as well as Swansea-based Andrew Scott Ltd who will carry out work as the plant transitions to a greener way of steelmaking. Since it first announced its restructure plans in September 2023, 1,800 employees have left the business and more than half of those have taken voluntary redundancy. Thousands of contractors and supply chain jobs have also been affected by the closure of the blast furnaces. The allocation of £3.27m for mental health support services is expected to be used to help steelworkers and their families who are struggling with debt, as well as offering additional support in local schools and to invest in suicide prevention training for council and union workers. Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said: "The past 18 months have been incredibly difficult for the steelworkers of Port Talbot, their families and for the wider community but we said we would back them in whatever ways were needed. "We are helping people learn new skills but we also need to help protect people's mental health, because well-being is crucial to getting back into work and staying in work."
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Yahoo
Man's heartbreaking words as his brother-in-law set to be freed
The British family of Eli Sharabi has welcomed news he is on the list of Israeli hostages Hamas plans to release next. Mr Sharabi, 52, was taken captive by the militants from Kibbutz Beeri, a communal farm that was one of the hardest hit in the Hamas attack. His Bristol-born wife, Lianne, and their teenage daughters, Noiya and Yahel, were killed by militants while hiding in their safe room. His brother, Yossi Sharabi, who lived next door, was killed in captivity. Mr Sharabi is due to be released on Saturday, February 8 alongside Ohad Ben Ami, 56, and Or Levy, 34, in the fifth round of exchanges of hostages for Palestinians jailed by Israel. On Friday night Stephen Brisley - the Bridgend-based brother of Mrs Sharabi - spoke about the news to Claire Summers on BBC Wales Drive. READ MORE: Trains in Wales heavily delayed after car plummets onto line from bridge READ MORE: Free parking at popular Cardiff park set to be scrapped Although Mr Brisley said he is "delighted" ahead of Mr Sharabi's release, he does not know if his brother-in-law know about the deaths of his wife and two daughters. He said: "One of the most upsetting things is that if he doesn't know - and the prospect of getting back to them has kept him going for the last 490 days - is that he's likely to find out from a stranger. I know if I were him the first question I would ask as soon as I got [released] would be 'Are Lianne and the girls waiting for me?'" Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here Mr Brisley said he is "not expecting to sleep tonight" as he awaits information about Mr Sharabi's release, adding: "I think it will really sink in properly and it will really open up the floodgates tomorrow (Saturday) when hopefully I see his face on the television being released." Lawyers for the family, Adam Rose and Adam Wagner, said in a statement it was imperative that release arrangements prioritise the safety of the hostages. 'We and our clients, the Sharabi and Brisley families, are pleased and relieved that Eli Sharabi is reportedly on the list for release by Hamas, due to take place tomorrow,' the statement read. "There cannot be a repeat of the scenes a week ago when hostages were put at danger of injury and death by a mob of thousands of people. 'We call on the UK Government, which has taken formal responsibility for Eli due to his close British connections, to call for this and use any diplomatic means to achieve it. Hostage taking is a war crime and every nation should be calling for the hostages to be released immediately and unconditionally so that their almost-500-day ordeal, and that of their families, is brought to an end,' they added.
