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News & Projects

Catch up with 4theRegion’s activities across all our impact areas, from local food, to procurement, and from community changemakers to business start-ups – in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea & Neath Port Talbot.  Simply browse or search our news, events, projects, reports and podcasts!

A Rooftop Farm above a City Centre Development in Swansea

A Rooftop Farm above a City Centre Development in Swansea

Hacer Developments, a developer based in Swansea and West Wales, has announced further details of an exciting new scheme for Swansea City Centre.  Biophilic Living is a mixed-use regeneration ...
Swans Sign Peter Lynn and Partners for a Third Season

Swans Sign Peter Lynn and Partners for a Third Season

Leading Welsh law firm, Peter Lynn and Partners, have extended their partnership with Swansea City for a third consecutive year. Peter Lynn and Partners, who have been associated with the ...
The Art of the Possible – An Event to Procure Transformation

The Art of the Possible – An Event to Procure Transformation

On 12th December, we're running an event in Swansea that we hope will open new possibilities for our regional economy.  The Art of the Possible is bringing the right people together to ...
College enhances employer development focus with appointment of former Dragons Rugby CEO, Stuart Davies

College enhances employer development focus with appointment of former Dragons Rugby CEO, Stuart Davies

Gower College Swansea has announced Stuart Davies as its new Business Development Consultant. Having grown up only a stone’s throw away from the College’s Hill House estate in Tycoch, ...
Multi-million pound Pembroke Dock Marine project takes major step forward

Multi-million pound Pembroke Dock Marine project takes major step forward

A multi-million pound project that will place Pembrokeshire at the heart of global marine energy innovation has taken a major step forward. The Swansea Bay City Deal’s Joint Committee has ...
The new side waste educational officers already making a difference

The new side waste educational officers already making a difference

Three new Neath Port Talbot Council Side Waste Officers have been engaging with residents offering help and advice over changes in waste recycling rules all aimed at helping the authority meet ...
Lottery Boost for Seed Pod

Lottery Boost for Seed Pod

Young Dragons, a Community Interest company based in Swansea, in partnership with the Village Hotel and supported by Big Ideas Wales, have received a small grant from the National Lottery’s ...
Gower Gas Secures Foundational Economy Funding!

Gower Gas Secures Foundational Economy Funding!

This week, Welsh Government ministers announced the first three projects to be allocated funding from the Foundational Economy Fund, and a growing regional business is proud to be among the ...
Conference Report – Race Equality & Social Justice 2019

Conference Report – Race Equality & Social Justice 2019

RACE EQUALITY & SOCIAL JUSTICE CONFERENCEWEDNESDAY 9TH OCTOBER 2019GRAND THEATRE, SWANSEA The Wales Race Equality & Social Justice Conference, #EveryoneMatters, was organised ...
So, what actually is the Foundational Economy?

So, what actually is the Foundational Economy?

Sometime in 2018, the Welsh Government started talking about something called "the Foundational Economy", and then in February 2019 they launched something called "the Foundational Economy ...
University Distinction Marks the Start of an Amazing Career Change

University Distinction Marks the Start of an Amazing Career Change

As one of the largest law firms in Swansea, Peter Lynn and Partners offers an average of ten training contracts each year, but for one trainee, her journey is slightly different from your ...
The Future is Bright for South Wales Law Firm

The Future is Bright for South Wales Law Firm

Leading regional law firm Peter Lynn and Partners have invested in the future of the firm with the appointment of several new trainees and paralegals. Ciaran Sturge, Amber Harding, Alexander ...
Roundtable Report – Swansea Creative Quarter 2019

Roundtable Report – Swansea Creative Quarter 2019

The creative quarter round table meeting arises out of the Swansea City Centre Conference run by 4theRegion in April. The intention is to look at what else can be done to keep the momentum up on ...
5G Rollout in the Well-Being Region

5G Rollout in the Well-Being Region

Now this is a difficult one, but I don't think we should avoid discussion because it's difficult.  All around the world, sensible and well-meaning people are coming together to share their ...
#EveryoneMatters – and You should come!

#EveryoneMatters – and You should come!

Are you coming to the Wales Race Equality Conference next week? We are delighted to be working in partnership with Race Council Cymru to deliver this event! Here's why it's important, why ...
Neath Food and Drink Festival 2019 on its way

Neath Food and Drink Festival 2019 on its way

Organisers of the 2019 Neath Food and Drink Festival are putting the final touches to this year’s mouth-watering event. The annual festival, running from Friday, October 4th to Sunday, ...
Swansea-based businesses partner to generate multimillion-pound savings for DfT

Swansea-based businesses partner to generate multimillion-pound savings for DfT

Swansea-based business process outsourcing (BPO) provider Arvato has partnered with cloud services company Mobilise to deliver cloud migration services to the Department for Transport (DfT), in ...
New Ireland and Wales marine energy project launched at Ocean Energy Europe Conference

New Ireland and Wales marine energy project launched at Ocean Energy Europe Conference

A new €4.2m cross-border project aiming to boost the marine energy industry in Wales and Ireland has been launched today by Lesley Griffiths AM, the Welsh Minister for Environment, Energy and ...
This is when all the big changes coming to Swansea’s High Street will happen

This is when all the big changes coming to Swansea’s High Street will happen

Swansea's High Street has seen a massive amount of regeneration in recent years, including Coastal Housing's Urban Village, investment at Swansea train station, and new student accommodation in ...
A new wind farm in Neath Port Talbot has been granted planning permission

A new wind farm in Neath Port Talbot has been granted planning permission

A new wind farm in Neath Port Talbot has been granted planning permission. The development between the Afan and Llynfi Valleys will see 11 wind turbines installed, with a maximum blade height ...
Roundtable Report – Renewable Energy Region

Roundtable Report – Renewable Energy Region

This event was organised in partnership with Low Carbon Swansea Bay and sponsored by FLEXIS.  The intention was to celebrate the growing Renewable Energy Sector of South West Wales, showcase the ...
New role for Port Talbot’s famous old Plaza

New role for Port Talbot’s famous old Plaza

Neath Port Talbot Council’s Planning Committee has approved proposals to create a new role for the art-deco cinema which helped inspire the careers of Richard Burton, Sir Anthony Hopkins and ...
Wales’ National Marine Energy Test Facility is Open for Business

Wales’ National Marine Energy Test Facility is Open for Business

Marine Energy Wales has today announced that phase 1 of its Marine Energy Test Area (META) project is officially open for business. The announcement was made during a launch event held at ...
Roundtable Report – Food, Farming, Waste & Biobased

Roundtable Report – Food, Farming, Waste & Biobased

BIOBASED SECTOR ROUNDTABLETHURSDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER 2019NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDEN OF WALES A well attended roundtable meeting was held in Carmarthenshire to explore the food, farming, ...
Have your say on Council’s dynamic vision for a green future

Have your say on Council’s dynamic vision for a green future

Neath Port Talbot Council is putting its draft Decarbonisation and Renewable Energy Strategy out to public consultation. Coming after the Welsh Government’s declaration of a climate emergency ...
Neath’s Gwyn Hall centre stage for International Film Festival

Neath’s Gwyn Hall centre stage for International Film Festival

The Wales International Film Festival (WIFF) awards ceremony hosted by Kev Johns MBE will take place on September 23rd at the iconic Gwyn Hall in Neath. The awards ceremony gala evening, ...
Council welcomes new ‘Discovery Gateway’ future for colliery museum

Council welcomes new ‘Discovery Gateway’ future for colliery museum

Neath Port Talbot Council has welcomed funding of £1.8m to develop the Cefn Coed Colliery Museum site into a major gateway for the Welsh Government’s Valleys Park Initiative. The Valleys Park ...
Margam Country Park achieves international Green Flag Award

Margam Country Park achieves international Green Flag Award

Staff at Neath Port Talbot’s popular Margam Country Park have been congratulated after the attraction retained its prestigious Green Flag Award this year. As well as meeting the high ...
RAP International acquired by Yokogawa

RAP International acquired by Yokogawa

A business that is Swansea born and bred is now truly on the international stage. Yokogawa Electric Corporation has signed an agreement with RAP International Ltd for Yokogawa to acquire all ...
What is 4theRegion and what do we do?

What is 4theRegion and what do we do?

In this video we're answering the most basic question! 4theRegion is a not-for-profit membership organisation, on a mission to help make positive change happen for South West Wales. We are ...
Your September Update from 4theRegion

Your September Update from 4theRegion

We're welcoming three new members and kicking off our new season of events this month, as well as highlighting some key opportunities for you to have your say on some notable regional issues. ...
Find Out About Our Upcoming Events

Find Out About Our Upcoming Events

We've got a busy programme of 4theRegion events coming up this autumn, which we would love you to be part of! At 4theRegion we're all about connecting people, breaking down silos, and enabling ...
Exciting new café bar Cakes & Ale opens in the heart of Mumbles

Exciting new café bar Cakes & Ale opens in the heart of Mumbles

One of Swansea's most idyllic coastal villages has welcomed a brand new café bar. Cakes & Ale recently opened on Newton Road in Mumbles. Serving great coffee, cakes and delicious dishes ...
Well-being project gets go-ahead

Well-being project gets go-ahead

An exciting £1.3 million project that promises to boost the well-being of Welsh people, plants and pollinators has been given the green light. ‘Biophilic Wales’ is being led by the National ...
Everyone Matters – Regional Race Equality & Social Justice Conference

Everyone Matters – Regional Race Equality & Social Justice Conference

4theRegion is organising this year's Regional Race Equality & Social Justice Conference, in partnership with Race Council Cymru, to address the challenge facing all organisations and ...
Saundersfoot Elements shop leading the charge to recycle beach waste

Saundersfoot Elements shop leading the charge to recycle beach waste

An eco-conscious shop in Saundersfoot has been named as a collection point for a wide range of unusual recyclable items as part of an Inflatable Amnesty. Sam Turner of Elements noticed a lot ...
38 jobs up for grabs with new recycling changes in Pembrokeshire

38 jobs up for grabs with new recycling changes in Pembrokeshire

Thirty eight new jobs are to be created under wide-ranging changes to waste and recycling this autumn in Pembrokeshire. The posts come as a consequence of an increased kerbside recycling ...
Heritage centre, pathways and entertainment plans for Haverfordwest castle

Heritage centre, pathways and entertainment plans for Haverfordwest castle

Haverfordwest Castle will become easier to access from the town centre under new regeneration plans from Pembrokeshire County Council. Since 2015, Pembrokeshire County Council has been ...
Tuk tuks in Tenby: the new taxi service in town

Tuk tuks in Tenby: the new taxi service in town

A brand-new, three-wheeled way to travel the south Pembrokeshire coast has arrived. A new Pembrokeshire-based company, Tuk Tuk Time Limited, is launching two traditional tuk tuk vehicles – ...
Welsh gin Cygnet flies away with prestigious ‘Bronze’ IWSC Award

Welsh gin Cygnet flies away with prestigious ‘Bronze’ IWSC Award

Swansea based Gin Company, Cygnet Gin Distillery, are now proud owners of a prestigious 'Bronze' award from the International Wine & Spirit Competition. The IWSC awards are ...
Local firm Erinstone picks up local contract following City Centre Conference

Local firm Erinstone picks up local contract following City Centre Conference

At 4theRegion we are always advocating for greater involvement of regional firms in the construction and operation of regional developments, so we were delighted to hear from Swansea-based ...
Search soon under way for new City Deal boss and advisors

Search soon under way for new City Deal boss and advisors

Recruitment will soon start for an independent programme director to oversee delivery of the £1.3 billion Swansea Bay City Deal. The search for top quality candidates follows the City Deal’s ...