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businessupdate

News

Tuesday July 9, 2013

Great gadgets

Kath fills key commercial director seat

South Wales commercial and domestic cleaning company Lady Muck Cleaning has appointed Kath Hiscock as its commercial director. Kath comes to the new role at the Tredomen Business Park, Hengoed, based business from UHY Peacheys where she was payroll manager at their Newport branch having played a major role in helping expand that business. Kath, from Caerphilly, who has become a share holder in the business, says she has joined Tredomen-based Lady Muck with the express intention of helping grow the quickly expanding business. Lady Muck sales and marketing director Ross Porter said: Were all delighted to have attracted a professional of Kaths calibre and reputation to join our business. Kath comes to the business at a very exciting time as we continue to see growth in revenue week on week. We are a very ambitious business and Kaths determination and drive is therefore a perfect match with our company ethos and mission. Kath said: My financial background gives me the ability to analyse and develop the business strategy from a financial perspective, along with the connections I have made in the South Wales business arena I feel that I can play an integral role in the future success of the business. As a shareholder I am excited tabout my new role as the business model is unique and ambitious, much like myself. The prospect of working with Claire and Ross Porter, who have proven themselves in business previously, was an opportunity not to be missed. The long term goals of the business aroused my interest during our many conversations regarding the position. From the outset the business had in place a strategy to develop in to a successful franchise model with the aim to make the firm a household name. Kath is a founder member of I Am Woman, Cardiff and says she enjoys sharing knowledge kath Hiscock and experience with other women in business.

Shoals of jellyfish fail to deter channel swimmers J

elly fish in their thousands were no match for a doughty team of five which conquered the English Channel to raise funds for St David's Hospice Care. The swimmers, lead by intrepid Gwent accountant Gary Parker, completed the gruelling 21 miles (32 kms) Dover to Calais swim in a respectable 16hrs, 21 mins. They are now on target to raise 20,000 for the charity. The five swam in relay each spending an hour in the water at a time. Gary, of Parker & Co Accountants, Newport, said: So we spent three hours in total except for Kara Williams, who did four, and Dawn Lea was lucky to get the last leg lasting 21 minutes and landing in France. He said: Were absolutely elated at what we have achieved both for ourselves in terms of completing the challenge and also for St Davids Hospice Care. The conditions werent great. We were all sea sick, the tankers and cross Channel ferries were daunting but perhaps worst of all were the huge shoals of stinging jelly fish which caused us a number of problems. Gary said he was extremely proud of the team and the training they had all put in to achieve success. Swimming the English Channel is a massive challenge, make no mistake about that, and it is a very long way to swim but we knew we had a good team and that we had done the training required to get over as a team. Would he do it again? He said: Yes of course - not so sure about the girls though. They had some nasty incidents with the jelly fish and I was lucky to escape them. St Davids Hospice Care Director of Fundraising and Lottery Kris Broome said: This is a truly fantastic achievement from the team. We cant thank them enough for all the effort that they have put in over the weeks and months to prepare for the challenge and to have

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been able to raise so much from their efforts for St Davids. The St Davids Hospice Care English Channel relay team were: Gary Parker, Kath Lewis, of IAC; Kara Williams, of Ellis Lloyd Jones, who started the relay, Dawn Lee, of Virgin Active Health Club, who finished the relay and Keith Leslie, environmental health officer, Forest of Dean District Council. For more details on how to sponsor the swimmers now they have completed their challenge contact klewis@iac-ltd.co.uk or kris.broome@stdavidshospicecare.org The team will be officially congratulated on their achievement tomorrow when Parker & Co have the official opening of their new offices in Newport by global adventurer Rose SwalePope.

Top: Gary Parker mid swim Above: Ice cold in Calais: (left to right) Gary Parker, Dawn Lee, Kara Williams, Kath Lewis and Keith Leslie enjoy a drink in France after completing their epic English Channel relay swim