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WHILE tonnes of strawberries head for Wimbledon at this time of the year a select few are being kept back to create a luscious new Welsh gin.

Welsh entrepreneurs Ross Porter and James Williams are harvesting the tastiest and most succulent  berries in Wales to make Jaro premium strawberry gin.

And if initial feedback is anything to go by their strawberry tinctured tipple appears to be a straight sets winner with customers

Serial entrepreneur recruitment firm boss Ross, and business partner tattoo artist and studio owner James distilled their Ginius drink idea during the long months of lockdown.

Ross, from Blackwood, Caerphilly, Director of JARO Spirits Ltd. said: “While Most people used the lockdown period to relax and catch up on those home DIY chores we spent  our time developing our brand of gin to bring to market.

“Having been gin enthusiasts for a long time and with the guidance of  our wives, who were the real gin experts, we set out to achieve their dream. After 12 months of testing gin recipes and lots of jumping through official hoops to obtain the necessary licences and approvals, the JARO journey began.

“Creating a premium gin has always been a dream of mine and when I mentioned it to my friend James, I discovered that he was as passionate about the idea as I was. The gin has been nearly a year in the making with plenty of experimenting and tweaks along the way, until we were happy with the end product.”

“We knew that it would be a challenge to introduce a new product to an already saturated market, however, we are really pleased with the way things are going.

“Our client base is growing steadily and we are hoping that more and more bars, clubs and pubs will stock our premium strawberry gin. Most importantly, the feedback we are receiving from customers is amazing; they’re loving the taste.

“The 37.5% proof gin, which is available on our website priced at  £25.99, is made using fresh Welsh strawberries and distilled in the heart of Wales.”

James and Ross spent time with award winning distillers, whose dedication and passion for crafted gin is infectious. This helped them develop their recipe and moved them toward to discovering their own unique flavour combination. This collaboration evolved into the distillation of JARO premium gin.

They’ve started with a strawberry premium gin and are already working on an additional flavour of gin to add to their offerings.

Ross, a native of Barmouth and graduate of Newport College of Higher Education, is a former winner of the Gwent Young Entrepreneur of the year. Ross has several business interests including in the recruitment sector, work wear and a boutique candle business based in Blackwood, Caerphilly.

James, who is from Fairwater, Cardiff,  is a tattoo artist and owns Three Jacks Tattoo Studio in Cardiff.

The meaning of JARO:

“Light in the night” in Old Irish

“Fierce and glorious” in Slavic

“Sun and peace” in Old Russian

“Spring” in Czech

It is also the first two letters of JAmes and ROss…

www.jarospirits.com

COLEG Gwent faculty director Ian Millward led from the front when he saddled up and cycled the extra mile to support St David’s Hospice Care.

Academic and Enterprise Studies Director, Ian pedalled from the crack of dawn to twilight starting from his home and visiting all five Coleg Gwent campuses in a single day covering a mammoth 200-plus miles.

The ride, which saw keen cyclist Ian visit the Blaenau Gwent Learning Zone before heading to Crosskeys, Newport, Cwmbran and Usk, was part of the Coleg Gwent’s Go the Extra Mile Day in support of their charity of the year, Newport-based St David’s Hospice Care.

Ian, who was accompanied on sections of the gruelling ride by college staff cyclists, said: “It turned out to be an epic journey not just for me and my fellow cyclists but also those other staff and learners who took part in a whole range of fund raising-activities on the day in support of the hospice.

“I have never before travelled that far on a bicycle in a single day so It was quite a challenge which started at 5.30 am and finished at around 8pm.”

Learners, teaching staff and supporters took part in a range of activities during the day at the five campuses which included everything from danceathons to spin classes, walks to cross training sessions and rugby sessions.

The total distance covered during the day by various individuals and groups completing a range of activities was an impressive 4,600 miles raising thousands of pounds for the hospice along the way.

Tania Ansell, of St David’s Hospice Care who took part in some of the events at the recently opened Torfaen Learning Zone in Cwmbran, said: “I can tell from personal experience on the day that Coleg Gwent staff and learners put their heart and souls into the activities in support of the hospice.

“We are very grateful to them all for their tremendous efforts to raise funds in support of the hospice and for Coleg Gwent naming us as their charity of the year, at this very challenging time in our long history.

“On behalf of all the patients and staff at St David’s Hospice Care, thank you everyone! Ian’s achievement is amazing, well done on completing the 200-mile challenge. We have been truly humbled and bowled over by your enthusiasm and passion for raising money for the hospice and going the #ExtraMile.

“We can provide our dedicated service throughout our community at no cost to the patients because of what you at Coleg Gwent and others like you are doing! We are so proud of you all. Take a bow Coleg Gwent!”

St David’s Hospice Care offers palliative and end of life care to patients and their families facing the most difficult time of their lives.

The hospice needs £8.5m a year to run its range of services including its inpatient hospice and day hospices. The hospice funds 70% of its clinical services through its events and its shops.

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ColegGwent

www.stdavidshospicecare.org

Here are some of the fantastic achievements of students and staff who took part n the Extra Mile challenge:

Lecturer Lisette Edwards swam 110 lengths, covering a distance of 1.7 miles in just one hour

Crosskeys A Level PE students ran 3 miles

Torfaen Learning Zone Business learners walked 6.2 miles

Fastest mile challenge – on the bike, treadmill, skier and rowing machine – at Crosskeys Campus and Torfaen Learning Zone, supported by Simply Gym Cwmbran

Crosskeys Sports students and staff took part in the ‘Miles per Man’ challenge

BTEC Business Students at Blaenau Gwent Learning Zone did a 4.5-mile sponsored walk

Level 2 Fitness learners at Usk Campus took part in spin sessions led by Part-time Gym Instructor learner, Zoe Jennings, who recently lost an inspirational 12 stone

Head of School Helen Morgan cycled 100 miles

Staff members Rhiannon and Stacey completed a 10-mile run

Sports Lecturer, Joel Morgan, from Usk Campus cycled 30 miles

The Welsh Bilingualism Department covered 35 miles between them

Learning Coach David Morgan cycled 120 miles on the stationary bike at Usk Campus

Jess Pike, Employer Engagement Advisor, walked 28 miles along the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal in 8 hours 48 minutes

The Blaenau Gwent Learning Zone team cycled 70 miles, finishing just after midnight

Dan Coles, Director of External Engagement, ran 8.5 miles around Risca Leisure Centre

Layla Pearce, Faculty Improvement Lead, walked 10 miles with learners from Crosskeys campus, finishing off with an indoor bike session

The External Engagement Team conquered Sugar Loaf Mountain

There were a series of outdoor games and a Dance-athon at Torfaen Learning Zone

Crosskeys Campus Motor Vehicle staff tackled all three of the local peaks on foot

Vice Principal Nicola Gamlin took time out of her annual leave to walk 6 miles around Windsor Castle

Vice Principal Lynda Astell hopped on her bike in support of the charity

Blaenau Gwent Learning Zone – 205 miles were covered at our Ebbw Vale Campus

Crosskeys Campus – over 100 students and staff covered 417 miles by walking, running, cycling and rowing

Torfaen Learning Zone – with almost 2 million steps and an equivalent distance of the circumference of Wales, Torfaen Learning Zone covered an incredible 1128.74 miles

Usk Campus – students and staff achieved a huge 1005.29 miles between them

A Gwent social club which only recently closed has new owners and perhaps a new life after being sold at auction for £458,000.

The Greenway Social Club, on Greenway Drive, Griffithstown, near Pontypool, listed with a guide price of £350,000, created strong interest with a total of 83 bids from four bidders before being sold.

The prime property in desirable Griffithstown, which only closed its doors to customers last year, was sold by Newport-based Paul Fosh Auctions.

Sean Roper, who handled the sale of the property for Paul Fosh Auctions, said: “The Greenway Social Club is a substantial building with land and a car park. The club traded until early 2020.

“The property requires significant improvement and modernisation should it be utilised in the future as a social club however, it is envisaged that it would be better cleared for redevelopment of the whole site, subject to the necessary planning approval. The surrounding estate has a mix of larger executive detached residences and semi-detached properties.

“The site measures approx. 0.86 acres/3,470 sq m and would be ideal for residential development or other commercial uses such as care home, subject to necessary planning consents.”

The property currently offers a concert room/bar, lounge, another bar, three storerooms, spacious function room, wcs and cellar room. There is a games room, former office and store, kitchenette and living rooms on the first floor. Outside there is a drive leading to parking area, gardens and land to front side and rear.

The Paul Fosh Auctions June sale had 368 registered bidders from 76 countries, recorded 2, 929 bids on the 101 properties listed for sale of which 77% were sold for an auction total £5.7m

www.paulfoshauctions.com

AN investment locked up  in the city of Newport is firm evidence that there is lots of interest in property in the city of Newport.

The sale of a former  police station in the Pill area of the city, now converted to luxury apartments, was locked up by Newport-based Paul Fosh Auctions.

The substantial property in the former docks area which has been converted to 10 luxury flats was listed with a guide price of £340,000 and sold for £438,000. The lot attracted a total of 83 bids from 10 interested parties.

The property’s interesting ‘risqué’ former use, after its former life as a  police station, doesn’t appear to have put off potential investors to go equipped to finish the job at auction.

Sean Roper, of Paul Fosh Auctions, said: “This sale and the figure achieved  is a great result. It is firm evidence that there is strong and growing interest in quality, well-priced property in the city of Newport.

“The property is an ideal investment as a number of the apartments have well-established tenants.

“The former police station building has had an excellent upgrade and is well maintained and managed. It is situated to the southern end of Alexandra Road and close to the A48 Southern Distributor road offering easy access to the M4 east and west.

The property, has four, one bedroom apartments, one two bedroom apartment and five studio units. There is car parking and a communal yard.

Fully let the Paul Fosh Auctions says the property could return monthly income of £4,895 equating to £58,740 a year.

The Paul Fosh Auctions June sale had 368 registered bidders from 76 countries, recorded 2, 929 bids on the 101 properties listed for sale of which 77% were sold for an auction total £5.7m

www.paulfoshauctions.com

A septet of Gwent law firm Everett Tomlin Lloyd and Pratt walkers are taking a well-earned rest after stepping the length of Britain and back-virtually.

The splendid seven are putting their feet up after they walked the equivalent of the distance from Land’s End to John O’Groats and back in May.

The seven walkers from Newport and Pontypool based solicitors, Everett Tomlin Lloyd and Pratt completed the 10,000 steps every day in May challenge in aid of St David’s Hospice Care.

The walkers joined some 180 other fundraisers who took part in the 10K a day challenge sponsored by Newport-based Kymin financial planners. The steppers collectively raised in excess of £10,000 for the Newport-based hospice and money is still coming in.

Kirsten Tuck, a partner at the law firm, said “We all completed the challenge and between us walked some 2,534,672 steps, an average of almost 11,700 a day each. In distance, collectively, we walked 1,163 miles. To put this in perspective, the straight line distance between Lands End and John O’Groats Is 603 miles, so you could say we walked the length of Britain and back!”

Probate assistant, Chris Lewis, was an enthusiastic member of the team, taking almost 430,000 steps and walking 214 miles. In addition to running up her steps and practicing tap dancing, she paired up with office manager Sheila Shorney to walk during the lunch break. Sheila also joined criminal law assistant Hannah Cocks, running after work and on Saturday mornings.

The weather added to the challenge, with May 2021 being one of the wettest on record in Wales, but this didn’t stop the team getting out and about and finding new ways of increasing their step count.

Trainee solicitor, Abbie Toms, found that online exercise classes helped on the rainy days. Criminal assistant Jenna Collins described how she enjoyed exploring the local area on foot, spotting deer at Wentwood Forest and enjoying the beautiful scenery which Gwent has to offer.

Kirsten explained “The pandemic has put a lot of strain on charities such as St David’s Hospice Care who, due to Covid restrictions,  have had to close shops and cancel many of the events that usually raise significant funds for them. This challenge gave us an opportunity to raise much needed funds while still keeping safe.

“We raised £1,362 between the seven of us, and gift aid will be added to this total. We have all felt the benefit of the additional exercise which has got us out in the fresh air and it’s something we all intend to continue with.”

Tania Ansell, who organised the event for St David’s Hospice Care thanking those who completed the challenge, said: “The commitment and dedication shown by walkers, such as those at Everett Tomlin Lloyd and Pratt Solicitors, to complete what was a really quite demanding challenge is testament not just to the determination of the fundraisers to see it through but also to the high regard and value the entire community has for the hospice and the work that we do.”

HAVE you got your head lamps and glow sticks ready for the most mystical walk of the year?

St David’s Hospice Care is staging its Moonlight Walk up and back down the highest mountain in southern Britain, Pen Y Fan, in the Brecon Beacons.

The family-friendly night time charity fund raising walk up the 2,907 ft tall mountain, the highest peak in the Brecon Beacons, is being held on the evening of Friday, July 2.

The event is sponsored by Newport-based Parker & Co accountants and business advisors a proactive accountancy practice with offices in Newport and Cwmbran whose strap line  aptly is “Adventure in business”

Mountaineer and global adventurer Gary Parker, who has lead expeditions throughout the world said: ” The Moonlight Walk at Pen Y Fan underlines Parker & Co’s ethos of Adventure in Business. Business is an adventure – enjoy it .

“The Moonlight Walk, which offers unrivalled summer’s evening views of the moon and night time countryside in the Brecon Beacons, is awesome.

“It’s a brilliant family challenge which helps introduce the young and not so young to the excitement and mystery of the great Welsh outdoors at night.”

The route up and back down the mountain is clearly marked and manned by Brecon Mountain Rescue who manage the walk on the night.

Kris Broome, of St David’s Hospice Care, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to put the Moonlight  Walk on as it has proved to be a very popular event in the past which ticks all the boxes for entrants in terms of fun, excitement, exercise and the pure joy of being out in the gorgeous Brecon Beacons at night in the summer.

“Parker & Co are brilliant supporters of the hospice and we’re delighted they are involved with us again in this popular outdoor experience.”

Kris said the original date for the walk had to be altered due to the pandemic. All those registered for the original event will be contacted by email and automatically entered into the new date.

The walk starts at Pont ar daf car park (Grid Ref 988199, Postcode LD3 8NL), on the A470 between Brecon & Merthyr Tydfil.

The distance is 6km (3.7 miles) and takes roughly 2.5 hours on average.

Registration from 6:30pm*; free glow sticks for all participants

Begin ascent of Pen Y Fan between 7.30pm and 8.30pm.  Sunset is at 21:30

The walk includes the option of climbing to the summit of Corn Du on the ascent.

Families welcome; under 16’s must be accompanied by a responsible adult, and parental consent must be given.

“Moonlight Walk” certificates are issued at the end of the walk. Moonlight Walk T shirts are available to buy on the night. Entry fee £15 per person; £5 for under 16’s.

Participants are also asked to give a further donation, or to gain sponsorship to support the vital work of St David’s Hospice Care in the community.

Sponsorship forms and kit list available to download below.

For registration or more information, please contact: hello@stdavidshospicecare.org

Kit list: Guidance from Brecon Mountain Rescue Kit for Moonlight Walk Essential kit for each participant is: • walking boots or suitable trainers with good soles • waterproof jacket • spare warm clothing • hat & gloves • head or bright hand torch with adequate battery life (not phone torches) Recommended kit for each group is: • a rucksack • food & drink for group • a charged phone • Central Beacons map (1:50k or 1:25k) • a compass • a whistle

The National Trust is responsible for maintaining all the mountain footpaths; a payment of £1 per person taking part in this event will be made to the National Trust  https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/brecon-beacons

Facebook: @stdavids79

Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/4b6luqOT0

Twitter: @SDFHC

Instagram: @stdavids79

Sponsorship

Creating an online fundraising page is straightforward and the easiest way to raise sponsorship as it’s paid straight to the charity. Share your page on social media to reach a wider audience.

https://www.justgiving.com/sdf/raisemoney/?utm_source=website_cid75788&utm_medium=buttons&utm_content=sdf&utm_campaign=makeapage_start_purple

IS this the cheapest and possibly the smallest house for sale in Wales? With just two rooms, one up and one down and priced at just £1 there surely can’t be many others.

The bijou property in the popular Morriston area of Swansea offers the ultimate in cost effective minimalist accommodation.

But all that could change, says Sean Roper of Newport-based Paul Fosh Auctions who are selling the compact, end property house.

“The property may currently be small but at that price and with the attached land to the rear it offers the new owner a blank canvas on which to create a cosy, modern  home.

“There is scope to extend the property by creating two bedrooms, a bathroom and kitchen and still have a large garden to enjoy.

“With house prices across the UK and especially in south Wales rocketing this really does offer a new owner occupier or investor the opportunity to snap up possibly the bargain of a lifetime.”

Sean says the two storey property requires full refurbishment, with scope to extend, has a front door and can be  accessed via its own side gate leading to private garden space.

Morriston has an excellent range of amenities and shops and has great road links to the M4 motorway.

The next Paul Fosh Auctions online sale, at which this property along with some 90-plus others will be offered for sale, starts at 12 noon on Tuesday, June 8 and ends from 5pm on Thursday, June 10.

www.paulfoshauctions.com

A former ecclesiastical dressing house offering oodles of pine floors and wall panelling could make an ideal dance studio if prospective investors take the right steps at auction.

Located in the heart of Blaengarw, Bridgend the former vestry building where clerics would dress for religious events and services provides light airy space in a cool, retro setting.

The former church building, The Hall, Katie Street, Blaengarw, Bridgend, is being offered for sale by Newport-based Paul Fosh Auctions with a guide price of £63,000.

Debra Bisley, of Paul Fosh Auctions, said: “This historic building offers great potential for conversion for a host of alternative uses including possibly as a dance studio or maybe arts or tourism centre due to the space it offers and light and proximity to wide open spaces.

“The spacious building has great access from the front and rear and is fully connected to mains gas, electricity and is double glazed.

“Blaengarw offers a host of local amenities and a selection of scenic walking routes alongside the River Garw. The renowned Cwm Galon Parc is also nearby, which offers plenty to explore.

“The A4064 provides road access to the nearby towns and villages which offer a further selection of amenities. The M4 is accessible nearby at Junction 34 in approximately 20 minutes. Bridgend town centre is located approximately 9.8 miles away and provides a much greater selection of shops and facilities.

“We have been advised that the property has been rated as a commercial property since at least April 2010, the first floor property area has been declared as residential since 1998.”

The next Paul Fosh Auctions online sale, at which this property along with some 90-plus others will be offered for sale, starts at 12 noon on Tuesday, June 8 and ends from 5pm on Thursday, June 10.

www.paulfoshauctions.com

PEOPLE from all walks of life have been pulling on their boots and securely fastening their waterproof jackets to conquer the 10k steps a day in May challenge in aid of St David’s Hospice Care.

Among some 180 who have signed up for the challenge are a team from Newport and Pontypool- based solicitors Everett Tomlin Lloyd and Pratt.

 

 

[from the South Wales Argus