Local Children’s Hospices EACH Selected as Focus for Bidwells’ Norwich Office’s 175th Anniversary Celebrations
Bidwells, one of the UKs oldest property firms, today announced that its Norwich office has selected East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) as the focal point of its celebratory 175th year. Not only will all members of the Norwich office be fundraising for Quidenham’s EACH hospice, but they will also be using their official volunteering days to help local charities, organisations and initiatives. The Firm has gifted every employee two fully paid Volunteer Days, which can be deployed for any good cause of their choosing. EACH supports children, young people and their families address the challenges which having a life-threatening condition brings. Services are provided either in the family home, the community or one of their hospices. Camilla Haycock, EACH “We are delighted that Bidwells has chosen EACH to support in their 175th Anniversary year. We see the partnership as a great way to engage their staff in exciting fundraising initiatives whilst helping them to celebrate their anniversary in a positive and meaningful way. Many of the Bidwells offices, including their headquarters, are based in East Anglia and their fundraising will help EACH to continue with its work to support and care for children and young people with a life-threatening condition, as well as their families in the same region.” “The work EACH does is absolutely critical to every community it serves because it steps in when parents, families and children are at their most vulnerable and in greatest need for support and guidance” said Paul Clarke, Head of Norwich Bidwells. “Having personally visited the EACH hospice in Quidenham, I am twice as determined to help them with the great work that they do. “Please help us make a difference in any way you can.”
About Bidwells Established 175 years ago, today Bidwells is one of the UK’s leading property consultancies. We employ almost 500 people in 12 offices across England and Scotland and provide a full range of services across the Commercial, Residential and Rural sectors. Bidwells celebratory year will run from 1 March 2014 to 28 February 2015.
NORWICH, Monday 17th March 2014 – AIRPORT SECOND IN TOP 30 UK AIRPORTS FOR ANNUAL TRAFFIC GROWTH The positive trend for passenger traffic at Norwich International is confirmed in the latest CAA UK official UK airport annual traffic results released on 13th March 2014.
The report lists Norwich International as seventh in the UK for annual traffic growth 2013 compared to 2012 (for airport with annual traffic of twenty thousand passengers or more). Total passengers are listed at 463,401 versus 396,676 being a 17% increase in people from the region using the city’s airport year on year.
However, of the top 30 UK airports Norwich International growth is second overall for the percentage increase year on year.
The passenger boost was in a number of different sectors with the biggest increase being in the holidaymaker category which increased by 45% on 2012, with over 107,000 people enjoying the benefits of starting their holiday from their local airport.
Offshore helicopter traffic enjoyed yet another year of record growth with over 98,000 passengers travelling offshore, an increase of 18% on the previous year with Norwich now the UK’s second busiest offshore heliport after Aberdeen.
KLM’s hub feeder service to Amsterdam Schiphol had another strong year as a result of the addition of the fourth daily flight throughout the summer months. This service continues to play a key role in connecting the region’s economy to the rest of the world and the popularity of the service continues to grow with the region’s business and leisure travellers alike.
Andrew Bell, the airport’s Chief Executive commented, “Posting strong passenger growth is good news for the airport and the region, as ultimately the flights that are operated from the airport must be used by the travelling public if they are to remain on offer. We recognise that we still have a great deal to do in order to satisfy the demands of the region’s business and leisure travelers alike and we are working hard to bring back routes that proved popular in the past, and to identify new route opportunities. However, the CAA result, with Norwich second out of the top 30 UK airports, is testament to the hard work the airport has undertaken over the past few years and confirmation that Norwich Airport is moving in the right direction”.
When a workplace accident or near miss occurs, knowing what happened is only part of the picture. Understanding why it happened and how to stop it from happening again is what truly protects people and businesses.
That’s where the NEBOSH HSE Introduction to Incident Investigation course comes in.
Serene Safety is proud to offer this highly respected, specialist health and safety qualification, designed to give learners the confidence and practical skills needed to investigate workplace incidents effectively and proportionately.
Why incident investigation matters
Every incident, whether it results in injury or not, is a learning opportunity. Poor investigations often stop at surface-level causes, missing the underlying human and organisational factors that increase risk.
This course equips learners to:
Identify root causes, not just immediate issues
Develop effective risk control measures
Contribute meaningfully to team investigations for more complex incidents
Support a proactive, learning-led safety culture
Ultimately, better investigations mean fewer repeat incidents, reduced risk, and safer working environments for everyone.
A qualification developed by the experts
The NEBOSH HSE Introduction to Incident Investigation has been jointly developed by NEBOSH and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – the UK’s leading health and safety regulator.
This partnership ensures the course reflects best practice, current legislation, and real-world expectations, making it a valuable and credible qualification for organisations across all sectors.
Who is this course for?
This course is ideal for:
Managers and supervisors
Health and safety champions
Union and employee representatives
Those with health and safety responsibilities
Anyone aspiring to move into a health and safety role
No matter your industry, if you are involved in responding to incidents or improving safety performance, this course provides a strong, practical foundation.
What the course covers
The qualification consists of one unit, which must be completed within six months. During the course, learners will explore:
The moral, legal and financial reasons for investigating incidents
Human and organisational factors that influence safety
How to investigate accidents and incidents effectively
Positive interview strategies and common barriers
Advanced accident and incident investigation techniques
The focus throughout is practical application, helping learners feel confident applying their knowledge in real workplace scenarios.
Course details at a glance
Qualification level: Level 3
Study time: 1 day + assessment
Tuition period: Up to 6 months
Cost: From £300 +VAT
Why choose Serene Safety?
At Serene Safety, we believe training should be engaging, practical, and relevant, not a tick-box exercise. Our approach supports learners to build confidence, ask questions, and leave with skills they can apply immediately in their workplace.
If you’re looking to strengthen your incident investigation processes and improve safety outcomes across your organisation, the NEBOSH HSE Introduction to Incident Investigation is an excellent place to start.
The Collective Redundancies and Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 have been laid before Parliament and will come into force on 31 January 2014. Professional support lawyer Elizabeth Stevens summarises the changes.
Last year the Government consulted on its proposed changes to the existing TUPE Regulations and collective consultation requirements under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (TULRCA). The TUPE Regulations have been criticised by the business sector in the past as being ‘gold-plated’, going beyond what is strictly necessary under the European Acquired Rights Directive (2001/23/EC). See our previous briefingon the Government’s response to the consultation.
The final amending Regulations have now been published and laid before Parliament, to come into force on 31 January 2014. The Explanatory Memorandum to accompany the amending Regulations states that the intention behind the amendments is to reduce the risk that they are interpreted more restrictively than is required by the 2001 Directive.
The key changes resulting from the amended Regulations are as follows:
• The express provisions covering ‘service provision changes’ (outsourcing) will remain, but are clarified to provide that the activities carried out after the change in service provider must be “fundamentally or essentially the same” as those carried on by the previous service provider;
• The requirement for transferors to provide employee liability information increases from a minimum of 14 days to 28 days before the transfer, for transfers taking effect on or after 1 May 2014;
• Terms derived from collective agreements will transfer and remain ‘static’ post-transfer (ie if any changes are subsequently collectively agreed without the transferee’s involvement). Transferee employers will be able to change any such terms one year after the transfer, provided the changes are no less favourable to the employee overall;
• Minor changes to the wording of existing provisions relating to dismissal because of a transfer, and a new provision that changes in the workplace location following a transfer are expressly included within the scope of an ‘economic, technical or organisational reason’ entailing changes in the workforce (meaning that a ‘place of work’ redundancy resulting from a transfer is no longer automatically unfair);
• Minor changes to the wording of existing provisions and restricting the variation of terms post-transfer, and now permitting variations that are either for an ‘economic, technical or organisational reason’ and are agreed by the employee, or if the terms of the contract permit the employer to make the variation;
• Amendments to TULRCA will clarify that consultation that begins prior to the transfer can count for the purposes of the collective redundancy consultation requirements, provided both the transferor and transferee agree and that the transferee carries out meaningful consultation;
• Micro-businesses (10 or fewer employees) will not be required to hold an election and will be permitted, from 31 July 2014, to consult directly with affected employees about the transfer if there is no recognised union or existing representatives.
The amending Regulations are available here. The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) has also published new guidance on TUPE, to reflect the amendments.
Comment
In practical terms, the changes to TUPE are unlikely to have a significant impact on the majority of transfers. Many of the amendments only serve to ensure that the revised TUPE Regulations reflect the current interpretation of TUPE resulting from existing caselaw, both domestic and European.
Interestingly, the Government’s Impact Assessment, published alongside the new Regulations, suggests that the number of employment tribunal claims arising from TUPE will be reduced by 50% as a result of the amendments, providing an annual reduction in costs to businesses of an estimated £6.5m annually. This contributes to an estimated overall annual net benefit of £8.7m resulting from the reforms to TUPE.
Whilst the amendments may go some way in clarifying and simplifying the TUPE process for employers, it seems rather optimistic that TUPE-related claims will be reduced by such a large percentage. There will no doubt be future litigation concerning the scope and effect of the amended provisions, and it is too early to speculate to what extent, if at all, the number of claims will be reduced as a result.
For further advice on any employment law issue, please contact Steeles Law’s employment team on 01603 598000 or employment@steeleslaw.co.uk
Loddon based consultancy Risk & Policy Analysts (RPA) have kicked off the new year with the announcement of the opening of a satellite office in Central London, which comes as part of their 2014 expansion drive.
The office, which is adjacent to Hatton Garden in Kirby Street, Farringdon, is ideally placed to bring the company closer to its clients based in the London area and further south, as well as provide a convenient base from which to reach major clients on the Continent, including several Directorate Generals at the European Commission in Brussels and Luxembourg, the International Manganese Institute in Paris and the European Chemicals Association in Helsinki.
Director, Meg Postle commented:
“Not only will this help us retain our high quality staff who want to move to London for personal reasons, but it also reflects our positive outlook for the company RPA in terms of growth. We feel fortunate to have established our head office in the stunning Norfolk countryside, but we’re also proud to show that the County’s businesses are well-equipped to compete in the fast-paced heart of the capital”.
The recent drive has also seen expansion in the Economics department, with the recruitment of local Economist, Shaun Da Costa, who joins the team straight from a placement with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation in Vienna, Austria.
RPA is an independent consultancy based in Norfolk, providing expert advice to both public and private sector clients around the world, assisting decision makers with the development and implementation of sustainable policies. As well as the aforementioned organisations, the team’s main clients include UK Government bodies (such as the Environment Agency, Natural England and Defra) and major EU industries.
Since its formation, RPA have been commissioned to work on more than 800 projects, covering a broad range of policy areas, including flooding and coastal erosion, chemicals and REACH compliance, impact assessment and evaluation, environmental economics, managing water, ecosystem services, and consumer policy.
Eastern Airways, which operates scheduled flights from Norwich International Airport, is expanding the size of its Saab 2000 fleet to nine with the introduction of an extra aircraft.
The regional airline, which provides a comprehensive domestic network of scheduled services, and is the UK’s leading provider of fixed wing air services for the oil and gas industry, will see the Saab 2000 entering service in the coming weeks.
The Swedish manufactured 50-seater Saab 2000 is one of the world’s fastest turbo-prop aircraft with its two Rolls Royce engines producing a cruising speed of 425mph, and low fuel burn due to its efficiency.
This latest addition will be assigned to its charter services operating for the oil and gas industry, which also includes the recently awarded major contract with BP flying between Aberdeen and Sumburgh in the Shetland Isles.
Paul Alcock, Eastern Airways’ managing director, said: “The Saab 2000 is an extremely flexible aircraft that can operate on both short and longer runways, which is ideally suited to our long term charter services for the oil and gas industry. The aircraft type is also used on our scheduled network and to European destinations for ad-hoc charters.”
The airline has operated flights from Norwich for over 14 years, and currently provides three flights each weekday, plus a Sunday service from the airport to Aberdeen.
Saab 2000 aircraft were first introduced to Eastern Airways fleet in 2004 and the latest addition increases the fleet to nine. The airline is also the largest operator of British Aerospace Jetstream 41s in the world with a fleet of 18. The remainder of the fleet comprises of four regional jets, including two Embraer 135 and two Embraer 145 aircraft.
A network of services across to 20 airports in the UK, Norway and France is operated by the airline on a fleet of 31 regional aircraft.
In January 2014, the airline started a new scheduled service between Leeds Bradford and Southampton and also launched its third domestic route in France with flights between Lorient and Lyon.
2 RED Ltd is a Nottingham-based privately owned business. With over 25 years of combined experience in property development, thermal insulation and renewables technology we understand the need to provide a high quality affordable living experience.
It is a renewable sales organisation focusing on the supply of quality sales surveys for loft and cavity wall insulation measures under the CERT programme. The business has always focused on delivering quality in terms of service regardless of its business activities and places high priority on the overall customer experience and journey.
With the introduction of Green Deal and ECO earlier this year, the business decided that it wanted to offer a cradle to grave offering from capturing the customer enquiry to final install and commissioning, allowing us to better control the journey.
With the journey starting from the initial enquiry, the management of 2 RED Ltd wanted to ensure that the website which would be the key marketing mechanism for generating the initial enquiry was simple yet effective and inviting from a customer perspective to generate enquiries for energy efficiency measures.
With regard to agency selection, Metalfrog Studios Limited of Norwich, Norfolk was appointed due to their quick understanding of our needs as a client and their exceptional knowledge of digital marketing and Internet behaviour, and helping meet our objectives. Through a clear structured plan, Metalfrog was able to develop a comprehensive website, which was delivered in time and within budget, whilst offering a level of flexibility in terms of design changes as the project evolved. This was created with the knowledge of our competitors, our market, and how we were going to take our marketing forward.
The next stages of the journey involve Metalfrog Studios Limited coming up with a strategy which will deliver enquiries through the website – https://www.2red.co.uk and bringing more business to us. We are confident that this will happen and that we have chosen the best UK digital marketing agency to deliver.
Pete Goodrum’s latest book gets off to a flying start! NORFOLK BROADS; THE BIOGRAPHY, my latest book, has got off to a flying start. Published by Amberley Books it was in store just last week, and by Saturday had already entered the Jarrold/Eastern Daily Press Local Best Sellers chart. The book tells the history of the Broads form their earliest beginnings through to the present day. It’s an insight into the development of this unique area and how the Broads have helped define the county. Available at all good booksellers and online retailers.
The start-up ecosystem needs more investors with a wide range of experience, backgrounds and skill sets. At ACG we want to support more individuals on their journey into investing. We’re delighted to be working withStephen Scrutonand his team to bring a new-style angel investor training programme to our region. This six-session experiential programme which runs over one year and equips you with knowledge, expertise, and practical experience to understand risks and opportunities of venture investing. The course includes attendance at Anglia Capital Group showcases. The combination of practical experience and training will provide a pathway to help self-certify as a sophisticated investor. We also have options for corporate groups to join a cohort, providing documented CPD hours for senior managers and emerging executives (min 10 participants) If you would like to be a part of the future of investing and growing the start-up and scale-up ecosystem here in East Anglia contactlaura@angliacapitalgroup.co.ukfor more information and join the waitlist.
Breakwater is pleased to announce that they have formed a new alliance with Netmatters, the Norfolk based Web Development Company.
The two companies will work closely together with Breakwater helping Netmatters’ clients with their Business Telecoms’ needs as well as helping out with larger IT Projects.
In return Netmatters will help develop websites for Breakwater’s clients and will work on any bespoke software applications that they may require.
Breakwater IT Chairman Peter Davies said “We started working with Netmatters when they developed our own website and we were really impressed with the way that they delivered the work on time and on budget. We quickly realised that there was a natural synergy between the two companies and an opportunity to work much more closely together in the future”
Netmatters MD Chris Gulliver said “Breakwater IT has a very good telecoms offering in terms of connectivity and phone systems. Our clients often ask for advice on telecoms and previously we were unable to assist but now we can introduce Breakwater IT with confidence as we have experienced the quality of their services first hand. Breakwater IT is known as a leading provider of IT services and we also plan to partner together on larger UK projects”
Breakwater currently runs the IT and Telecoms for some of the best known companies in the East Anglian region and have recently completed major IT projects for The East Anglian Air Ambulance, M+A Partners and Norfolk Country Cottages. Their head office is on the Meridian Business Park in Norwich but increasingly they are working across the country. They are currently working on a large national project taking in many of the major cities of the UK.
Peter Davies continued. “Our aim is to focus on delivering what we are best at, i.e. IT and Telecoms and having a partner for software development perfectly fits in with our long term strategy for the business. I sincerely hope that this will be the start of a long term partnership that will enable East Anglia’s companies to get a unified approach for help with all their future technical needs”
Netmatters Ltd was founded in December 2008 by brothers Christopher & James Gulliver. The business is focused on becoming the leading provider for web development services in Norfolk. Netmatters has grown through acquisition of trade and companies and is currently employing 21 full time staff. Based in Wymondham on the Gateway 11 Business Park, Netmatters is set to grow further this year through providing professional web design, bespoke cloud based software and by developing strategic relationships with high calibre companies such as Breakwater IT.
As I meet and talk with other Norfolk businesses I am greatly encouraged by their strength and resilience, with a significant number reporting increased confidence despite continuing economic pressures and cash flow pressures.
It is a credit to the innovative, flexible and determined nature of business people within our county that, across the diverse range of sectors that make up the commercial community, many are upbeat about sales levels, export opportunities, investment plans and employment creation.
Norfolk has never been a ‘boom and bust’ area and its stability is seen as a positive by the hubs of excellence that have chosen to locate here.
In the county there are now innovative hi-tech firms and highly successful service industries, cutting-edge research and state-of-the-art training and further education facilities, niche manufacturing and tourism operations that are competing on the national, and indeed international, scene. These organisations, along with the solid base of new and established smaller businesses, help keep Norfolk successful as a profitable commercial county.
We still lack some of the essential infrastructure in communications that will be necessary to guarantee sustainable, long-term competitiveness, but with the significant improvements to important parts of the transport network and the county’s push for better broadband coverage, we are addressing the issues. And, importantly for the wider perception of Norfolk as a brand, we are seen to be addressing them in a robust and resolute manner.
At Norse we have enjoyed considerable expansion over the last twelve months, both locally and across of the UK, and have seen first-hand the green shoots of recovery. Hopefully as these encouraging signs start to strengthen Norfolk businesses will be at the forefront of this renewed confidence.
Peter Hawes Managing Director Norse Commercial Services
It seems that all the signs currently point towards a post-recession Britain. As we ease ourselves out of the economic slump some of us are now beginning to look at growing business.
Employers can make the most of the upturn by looking at their employee engagement strategy. Proven to boost the bottom line through increased productivity, lower staff turnover and improved customer satisfaction, employee engagement is becoming ever more important.
A recent report by the Harvard Business Review (HBR) surveyed companies around the world and confirms that employee engagement is vital in competitive job markets – and it’s beginning to heat up out there with job vacancies increasing! Also, a staggering 71% of companies surveyed rank engagement as very important in achieving organisational success.
So whether you’re an SME or big employer recruiting staff in Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk or Suffolk, you really need to address what you are doing to keep employees close.
Why not take a look at your communications. They can strengthen the relationship between employer and employee, by sharing news, recognising achievements and asking for opinions. Taking inspiration from the HBR report, here’s how you can tap into communications:
1. Involve senior management
Senior-level management need to listen to what their teams are telling them, and respond effectively. Be it survey feedback or face-to-face discussions, getting to the root of issues is essential. Decision-makers can then set business objectives that their employees can realistically implement, and feel they’re achieving their goals. After all an employee’s drive can come to a sudden halt if they feel their given tasks are unachievable.
2. All-staff meetings
Public recognition is fantastic for morale! When a team or an employee is thanked in front of the whole organisation they’re going to feel that their hard work is valued. This can be an easy route to engaging with staff on a regular basis. Updates on your organisation’s successes and charity work is another way to showing staff that their efforts are worthwhile. Thanking anyone who is leaving for their contribution will also encourage staff to take positive stories with them to their next job.
3. Staff development
Giving employees opportunities to train and expand on their skill base is fundamental in keeping their loyalty. As the employer you get to invest in your people which helps to build your business. Whether it’s first aid, leadership skills or professional qualifications, giving staff the time to focus on their development leads to increased levels of satisfaction. Everyone wins!
4. Staff intranet or magazine
From news stories, staff surveys and case studies to employee interviews, how-to guides and fact sheets, your intranet or magazine is a fantastic resource for engagement. Running stories on employees’ achievements (both in and out of work) can be really uplifting. It not only helps build a family atmosphere, but it’s another form of public recognition that most of us love! Encouraging the sharing of knowledge and providing guidelines in areas such as IT can help employees do their jobs better and help them save a lot of time spent looking for answers.
5. Corporate social media
Some employers use social media to engage staff. The professional networking platform, LinkedIn, can be a fantastic tool to keep apprentices informed of company news and entry-level job vacancies, for example. Also connecting social media to your intranet means your news can go viral among colleagues, their friends and family.
6. Detailed job descriptions
Employee engagement starts with recruitment! Making sure you recruit the right person and managing their expectations will support your engagement strategy, and increase the chances of the staff member being able to do their job well. A thorough description of the job’s objectives and limitations is vital in attracting the best applicant for your organisation.
Taking just a couple of these examples could be a great way to test out new approaches to employee engagement. There’s a plethora of information online, or you could get a specialist in to get thing rolling. In fact this year’s ‘Best Employer, Eastern Region’ survey gives you the chance to find out what your staff think. Why not get involved?