Latest news with #Waterside
Business News Wales
6 days ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
Sauna Venture Thrives with Business Wales Support
Business Wales case studyHikitalo Sauna – William Jenkins WALES NEWS SERVICE A Welsh-born entrepreneur, raised in the Netherlands, has turned to Business Wales to help bring the restorative power of Scandinavian-style saunas to the shores of Porthcawl and Rest Bay. William Jenkins launched Hikitalo Sauna in November 2024, bringing a Finnish-inspired wellness retreat to Sandy Bay. The sustainable, custom-built facility was made possible through expert guidance and financial support from Business Wales. Within a year, Hikitalo's popularity has seen it awarded 'Best Waterside Sauna 2025' at the British Sauna Society's Sauna Summit and launch a second location employing seven people in Rest Bay. William's passion for sauna culture began after a demanding career in the fintech industry took a toll on his mental health. The entrepreneur turned to holistic wellbeing practices, finding solace in sauna and heat therapy. Inspired by his transformative experience and the realisation that running his own business would benefit his own mental health, William returned to Wales with a vision to create a company centred on wellness and connection to nature. Recognising the challenges of launching a start up, William approached Business Wales for advice on securing funding and developing his venture. With expert guidance from Business Adviser, Victoria Owens, William was able to navigate the support landscape and explore funding opportunities. Her advice helped him secure a loan from the Development Bank of Wales to invest in a custom-built sauna facility powered by solar lighting and fuelled by locally sourced firewood. As a result, Hikitalo Sauna was able to begin providing both private and communal sessions, allowing visitors to experience the therapeutic interplay of heat and cold exposure, promoting relaxation and wellbeing. William is no stranger to launching his own ventures, having previously appeared on Dragon's Den with an earlier business idea. Reflecting on Business Wales' pivotal role in bringing Hikitalo Sauna to life, William said: 'Business Wales has been a crucial partner in helping me navigate the early stages of setting up my business. From providing access to funding options, to helping me focus on sustainability with green energy and sourcing, their support has been exceptional. 'I've always been entrepreneurial, and after seeing the incredible benefits saunas had on my mental and physical well-being, I knew I wanted to share that with others. I'm extremely grateful to Victoria for helping me to make Hikitalo a reality. This isn't just about creating a place to relax; it's about building community and offering people a space where they can come together, disconnect from the stress of daily life, and focus on their well-being.' To reinforce his commitment to sustainability, William received support from Victoria, enabling him to adopt Business Wales' Green Growth and Equality pledges, ensuring that Hikitalo Sauna's practices and growth align with environmental best practices. Business Wales also provided essential training and a webinar on business development, equipping William with the skills necessary to scale his enterprise effectively. With continued support from Business Wales, William plans to pursue further expansion across Wales to make Nordic wellness traditions more widely accessible, strengthening community wellbeing. Business Wales Business Adviser, Victoria Owen, said: 'Having gone through his own struggles, William's passion for starting up this kind of business shone through from the first time we spoke He has the monopoly on something very niche that is becoming more and more prominent within Wales and I am delighted to see his passion paying off. It was a pleasure to be able to support him on his journey as he works to encourage a healthier lifestyle and to provide community and support to others.' Business Wales is funded by Welsh Government. For more information and support to help your business discover opportunities, and to speak to a specialist advisor, contact Business Wales. Visit or call 03000 6 03000. Rydym yn croesawu galwadau'n Gymraeg – we welcome calls in Welsh.
BBC News
22-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Hythe Ferry: Hopes for return of suspended ferry
A ferry service which has been out of service for almost a year, could be back within months, its operator has Hythe Ferry, linking Southampton and the Waterside was suspended in August 2024 after damage was found to its pontoon and supporting a letter to Hythe Town Council, chief executive of owner Red Funnel said it was "committed to progressing the outstanding works and restoring the service".The council said there was "mounting frustration" at the absence of the ferry. Corrosion discovered last year was found to have accelerated at a faster rate than initially thought and it was later revealed the pontoon could not be fixed, with a replacement costing £250, ferry has not operated since, with staff and users raising concerns whether it would ever sail of Wight ferry operator Red Funnel took over the passenger link across Southampton Water in September 2023 after its previous owner Blue Funnel suffered from rising costs and low passenger numbers following the Covid a letter to the town council, Ms Collins said three phases of work were progressing, with a temporary platform being put in place before repair work to piles is carried out."While there are still several logistical and technical dependencies to manage, it remains our ambition to have the service operational by the end of summer,"Our focus remains on restoring the service under Red Funnel's ownership," she council said it would ask Red Funnel to provide a clear timeframe and confirm whether the service could resume by the end of County Council, New Forest District Council and Southampton City Council have previously rejected calls for capital funding for the service. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
17-07-2025
- BBC News
Derry: School 'exploring' more safety measures after alert
A primary school is exploring extra security measures after being forced to evacuate due to a security alert last month, a politician has MLA Mark H Durkan said Sacred Heart Primary School in the Waterside area of Londonderry was now considering CCTV, additional external fencing and a new said the school had been engaging with the Education Authority (EA) after a suspect object - later declared a hoax - prompted the evacuation of the building and nearby homes on 26 described the incident as "deplorable" and said he had been approached by concerned parents asking about additional safety measures. BBC News NI has contacted the EA and Department of Education (DoE) for a response. The subject object was found in the school grounds on the Trench Road and removed after being declared a hoax. 'Safety of children is paramount' "This is not the first incident like that in the area, but the alert in June was certainly one of the most high profile and had such a negative impact," Durkan said. "The safety of children is obviously paramount, so any additional measures that could help put parents of children at the school and those living in the surrounding area more at ease would obviously be welcomed."In response to Durkan's question, the Department for Education said officials had contacted the school about added security."Officers from the Education Authority's (EA) maintenance service have visited the school site and identified potential security works in the form of CCTV and external gates," a spokesperson said."EA Maintenance Officers are also reviewing a section of external fencing at the school."Durkan said the extra security measures should be put in place as a matter of urgency.
BBC News
28-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Londonderry school closed due to ongoing security alert
A Londonderry primary school has closed due to a security alert in the Waterside area of the received a report at about 10:15 BST on Wednesday that a suspicious package had been found on the Limavady Road.A public safety operation is under way, with cordons in place in the area of Heron Way and Nelson Drive, however no one has been asked to leave their homes and roads remain open.A Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) spokeswoman said nearby Ebrington Primary School and Nursery made the precautionary decision to close for the remainder of the day. PSNI Ch Insp Cherith Craig said police understood the level of disruption the alert is causing."But I want to reassure everyone we are working our way through this situation as quickly as possible and appreciate the co-operation and patience from the school community and the public as we do so," the senior officer added.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- BBC News
Londonderry: Noel Logan guilty of possessing pipe bombs
A man has been found guilty of possessing pipe bombs which exploded outside homes in Londonderry between 2017 and Logan, 37, from Nelson Drive in the city had denied three counts of having the devices with intent to endanger life or cause serious Belfast Crown Court on Friday, Mr Justice Fowler said: "I am satisfied the defendant handled the three devices but I do not find that he deployed them.''Logan will be sentenced next month following the completion of a Probation Board report. DNA extracted The court had heard that, following a police investigation, Logan was arrested in December 2020, charged and remanded in custody at the height of the Covid-19 was the prosecution's case that Logan's DNA was found on all three devices which had exploded outside homes in the Waterside between July 2017 and September DNA was extracted from tape found attached to all three remnants of the devices were made safe by Army Technical Officers before being removed for science experts reported that in two of the cases there was a one in a billion chance that the DNA found on the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) did not match Logan. Following the examination of a third device, the expert said there was a one in 1.7 million chance it did not belong to the the trial, the prosecution also stated Logan lived less than a mile and a half from the three targeted his defence, Logan claimed he had "no involvement in any way whatsoever with the pipe bomb attacks'', and that he had never seen a pipe bomb "never mind touch one''.He claimed there was an innocent explanation for how his DNA was found on tape attached to the defendant alleged he used the tape to attach flags to lamp posts in the Waterside in the run up to 12 July celebrations, and the tape roll would be thrown into a box after they had finished. 'Crude devices' He claimed someone else who had access to the box could have used the tape roll in the construction of the pipe court heard the ''crude devices'' consisted of copper piping up to 500 millimetres in length, tape, small gun propellant and were fitted with ball bearings and nails, which acted as shrapnel when the device they contained low odour explosives, Mr Justice Fowler said they were "extremely effective anti-personnel devices capable of inflicting serious injury or death''."I am satisfied the defendant had the necessary intention to cause serious injury or to enable another to do so.''Mr Justice Fowler remanded Logan into custody.
