member

Pure Resourcing Solutions (Pure) are offering the chance for one aspiring female leader, working at a deserving organisation in the East of England, to receive a part-funded place on its highly successful Women’s Leadership Programme.

The Women’s Leadership Programme was developed by East Anglia’s professional recruitment specialist Pure and People & Performance Ltd in Cambridge to help women develop their authentic leadership skills and to support local organisations to evolve their culture and remove any workplace barriers to gender equality.

A place on the next course has been sponsored by Suffolk-based Blossom Charity, which supports women in enterprise at all stages in their career, to make this course more accessible to local organisations which may not previously have had the budget to develop their talent pipeline in this way. Applications for the sponsored place are open to charities, social enterprises, not-for-profit organisations, early stage start-ups or SMEs across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex or Cambridgeshire.

Lynn Walters, director at Pure, said: “There is clear evidence that creating an equal gender balance at senior levels brings numerous business benefits, including a more collaborative and creative approach to problem solving and greater profitability. Our programme provides the dual approach of not only developing aspiring female leaders but also the organisations they work for. We want to encourage local employers to mentor and support their female talent to review their progression pipeline and to address any potential barriers or unconscious bias. After all, if employers don’t know why women fail to climb the career they can’t make any changes to achieving genuine diversity at executive levels.”

Over 30 local organisations have already participated in the programme since it launched in 2014, providing their female talent with a great forum to build their leadership skills, boost their confidence and to develop a network of like-minded professionals. This has included local charities and not-for-profit organisations, who remain part of the strong alumni network developing across the Eastern region.

Lynn Morgan, Chief Executive of the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity in Cambridgeshire, has sponsored a female colleague to take part in the programme. She said: “I have been delighted with the way that the leadership programme has given my team member the time and opportunity to explore issues around leadership and personal development with other very bright young women. The facilitation on the programme has been first rate and I believe the participants have benefitted significantly by being involved.”

Pri Pinnaduwa, HR Director at the not-for-profit organisation RAND Europe in Cambridge, was also a delegate on a previous programme. She added: “I so enjoyed the course and really appreciated the time to discuss leadership and the networking opportunity, as well as the chance to focus inwardly on things I can do to personally to achieve my goals. I can see how much thought and work has gone into developing this programme and hope it continues to go from strength to strength.”

The sponsored place is for the next 2016 course with the modules running in June and September. The full cost of the programme is usually £2,750 but this will be reduced to £1,375 for the chosen delegate. To apply for the place, or to nominate a member of your team, email lucy@prs.uk.com by 29 April with details of why you, or your colleague, should be awarded the sponsored place.

R&D Tax Relief Conditions To Be Satisfied For Oil & Gas Engineering Companies

Engineering companies push technological boundaries on a daily basis. You might be developing tools to support safe well intervention in the oil & gas sector. Perhaps you machine complex profiled components from exotic materials within advanced engineering industries, such as aerospace or automotive? Chances are, you’re undertaking eligible R&D work and should look into claiming tax credits.

HMRC’s guidelines for what constitutes R&D are certainly extensive, but they’re not always clear! It can take a fair bit of time, not to mention head-scratching, to pick your way through the terminology and understand exactly how HMRC defines R&D.

Technological uncertainty vs technological unknown

One thing HMRC is clear about is that companies must be trying to achieve their goals by resolving ‘technological uncertainties’ within specific projects. So what’s meant by ‘uncertainty’? Well, in the eyes of HMRC, there is a vast difference between technical uncertainties and technical unknowns. Technical unknowns on their own don’t count as eligible R&D, which only kicks in when technical uncertainties arise. The distinction between the two essentially comes down to whether or not a problem can be readily resolved by a competent professional. If it can, then it isn’t a technological uncertainty. R&D only begins when conventional knowledge has been applied and exhausted, without a resolution to the problem.

For example:

An oil and gas company aims to develop improved umbilicals for supplying hydraulic power, electrical power and fibre optics to subsea equipment. It procures three umbilicals produced by competitors and tests each to qualify the performance. Although the performance of each umbilical is unknown at the outset, it is possible to reverse engineer the products using conventional methods. This data may provide engineers with a clear idea on how to develop improved umbilicals. In this case, the unknown has been resolved (i.e. the performance of the competitors’ product) and, as established methods were used, this doesn’t constitute R&D. However, if, once the unknowns have been resolved, it’s still unclear how the engineers will develop more robust, durable and efficient umbilicals, then this becomes a technical uncertainty and R&D begins!

Trial and error

Another minefield on the fine line between eligible and ineligible R&D is trial and error! If you think of trial and error as experimentation using routine methods, then when it’s used to remove unknowns that precede R&D it’s ineligible, but if it’s used to resolve technical uncertainties that form part of R&D then it is eligible.

For example:

If a subsea firm is using trial and error to establish the best cutting tool for a ROV application from an existing range of tooling, this wouldn’t be considered eligible R&D. Why? Because the company knows that with this trial it will find the optimum tool for its purpose. If, instead, a company uses experimentation and testing to determine how different parameters affect fundamental material properties, and this knowledge hasn’t been documented in the open domain, then this is R&D. Why? Because in the second example, a systematic process is being adopted for the generation of knowledge that can be codified for future use.

Process improvement

Advancements in a company’s processes only qualify as eligible R&D if they’re geared towards advancing science and technology, not simply increasing profits.

For example:

If a manufacturer of subsea ancillaries installs state-of-the art equipment to improve a production process, but is then forced to carry out major adaptations to resolve technological uncertainties before this improvement can be seen, then this is eligible R&D. However, if process improvement is carried out purely for commercial gain – such as improving the process using standard methods with a view to increasing production rates – then it doesn’t count as R&D.

Slippery stuff, and this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the many specific definitions of eligibility on HMRC’s website. No wonder companies find applying for R&D tax relief on their own quite so daunting and confusing.

JUMPSTART CAN HELP

Jumpstart is already helping companies working in well intervention and decommissioning, including GoreVega, who have developed a zone 1 ATEX compliant heli-transportable portable gas chromatograph giving immediate on-site gas analysis and composition of well bore and annulus cavity gas content.

Jumpstart is a leading R&D tax relief specialist, guidingcompanies through the complexities of submitting claims to HMRC.

Jumpstart’s large team of technical analysts have specific scientific and technical backgrounds and years of industrial experience which have resulted in an extremely high success rate in securing R&D tax relief for their clients. Since inception eight years ago, they have realised almost £80 million benefit for their clients. Right now, they’re submitting an average of 500 claims per year to HMRC.

For a free R&D tax credit consultation and analysis of the potential returns you might expect, contact your local Client Engagement ManagerLee WIlliams on 07794 201990 or email lee.williams@jumpstartuk.co.uk for a free, no obligation assessment of your eligibility.

Norfolk Chamber Gold Patron Greater Anglia is supporting national plans to simplify train fares and make buying tickets easier, by making its own customer-focused improvements.

The Rail Delivery Group, which represents all train operators and Network Rail, today (Wednesday) announced trials of a new fares system and an action plan for companies, aimed at making ticket purchase from ticket vending machines easier and simpler.

Andy Camp, Greater Anglia Commercial Director, said: “We fully support the Rail Delivery Group’s plans. We are already well advanced in adopting and delivering the actions announced, with some initiatives already in place and other planned as part of our new franchise.

“We are committed to offering our customers great value fares and make it as easy as possible for them to use our services.”

Greater Anglia has introduced a new fares “Price Promise”, guaranteeing the best price possible if customers book via the Greater Anglia website or app, or refunding the difference if they find the same ticket cheaper elsewhere.

The company has launched a new website which includes an easier ticket-buying process and highlights how many bargain Advance purchase tickets are still available to buy.

Further new, great value fares and tickets are due to be launched later this year, including an Advance Purchase ticket available up to ten minutes before departure and next year an enhanced FlexCarnet season ticket will be introduced for travellers who use the same route, but not every day.

Changes to ticket vending machines include eliminating some confusing jargon and routes, such as removing the terms “Any Permitted” and “London Terminals” where appropriate to do so and putting on a “cheapest fare” button.

Customers will also be able to buy a wider range of tickets from ticket machines, including Advance purchase, weekly PlusBus and monthly season tickets.

Existing card readers on the machines are being replaced with contactless readers which accept Apple Pay and Android Pay.

All existing and new ticket machines will be Smart-enabled for collection and purchase of Smart season tickets. They will also provide a real-time information button, displaying the departure board from the station where it is located.

Another benefit for customers will be the installation of extra ticket machines at some of Greater Anglia’s busiest stations, including London Liverpool Street, Stansted Airport, Chelmsford, Colchester and Ipswich.

There also plans to install 14 additional cash and card ticket machines at a number of Essex stations, as part of a wider roll out of ticket machines across the Greater Anglia network, with more details due to be announced in the next few weeks.

How are you feeling after being back at work for a month? Is it time to address any lingering thoughts about finding a new role? With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, here’s our top tips to starting your journey to finding a job you’ll love.

Decide what you want to change -Motivate yourself to get started by looking at what you want to change and why. What do you enjoy doing in your current role? What do you want to be doing more of? What would make your day-to-day life happier? Is it a pay rise, a shorter commute, or more flexible working hours? Everyone’s motivations and desires are different. Decide what matters most to you.

Assess the market -Spend some time having a look at all the jobs available in your industry and in your chosen location. Get a general feel for the career opportunities out there now. What skills are in demand? What salaries and benefits are on offer? Our new website makes it even quicker and easier to see the career opportunities we’re currently recruiting for.

Update your CV -It’s the obvious starting point and should also be a real confidence boost. Add in your latest role, the skills and experience you’ve gained, and what you can offer a future employer. Don’t forget to update your profile summary accordingly as well.

Polish your LinkedIn presence -LinkedIn has become a fantastic tool for job seekers and for employers looking for new recruits. Just like your CV, make sure your summary highlights your achievements, experience and skills. While it needs to be an accurate reflection of yourself, don’t be shy about showing what you can offer potential employers.

Build your contacts -Sometimes the best potential career opportunities come through word-of-mouth alone. As well as actively looking for advertised roles, talk to family, friends and other people you know to find out where there may be opportunities. Build your general network of contacts by attend networking events and relevant industry events – maximising your chances of hearing about any potential roles on the grapevine.

Look for the right cultural fit -Look at what an organisation would really be like to work for, as well as at the job description. Explore company websites for information on culture, values and staff wellbeing policies. How do they portray themselves on social media channels? Are they featured on any forums where previous employees post about what an organisation is like? External awards for being a ‘best employer’ or ‘great place to work’ are also a good sign as these types of commendations are only awarded after the organisation has been judged by independent experts.

Get support -An expert recruitment consultant can help maximise your chances of finding your ideal next role by matching your skills and experience to an employer’s requirements. Here at Pure we also pride ourselves on working with candidates and supporting them through their career journey. We want to ensure that the recruitment solution we offer you meets your life and work objectives and we will only ever suggest roles that we believe are right for both you and the client.

Good luck!

Norfolk Wildlife Trust has announced today on World Wetlands Day that over £500,000 has been donated so far to the Hickling Broad Land Purchase appeal in just 3 months. The Trust is working to raise £1 million before the 31 March 2017 deadline to purchase 655 acres of the Hickling Broad Estate that were put on the open market in September 2016.

However, there is still a way to go to ensure that this internationally important and wildlife-rich wetland is secured for the future. Hickling Broad is a Site of Scientific Special Interest (SSSI) and a National Nature Reserve (NNR). It is also designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) under the EU Birds Directive and as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the EU Habitats Directive in recognition of its European importance for its habitats and the wildlife that depends on them.

Norfolk Wildlife Trust Chief Executive, Brendan Joyce said, “Hickling Broad is a nationally and internationally important wildlife jewel. This will be the biggest land purchase in the Trust’s 90 years’ history. On a day that highlights the significance of wetlands across the world, we are asking everyone to think about one of the most important wetlands in the UK and help us. This is a golden opportunity to secure Hickling Broad for the future so that its wildlife is protected and that its natural resources, from which many people benefit, are used wisely and sustainably.”

World Wetlands Day raises awareness of how essential wetlands are in providing valuable wildlife habitats but also how they support people. Norfolk Wildlife Trust Ambassador and evolutionary biologist Ben Garrod said “we cannot underestimate the importance of our wetlands – they are a vital part of ensuring we have a healthy natural environment, protecting and improving water quality and working as a sponge to store floodwaters.” He continued. “Hickling is one such wetland that is also internationally renowned for its rich biodiversity. Nowhere else in the UK can you see the powerful Norfolk hawker dragonflies darting over the water, marsh harriers floating overhead or common cranes dancing at dawn, as well as kingfishers, Cetti’s warblers and otters. It is absolutely essential that it is protected for wildlife into the future. We must not let all our conservation efforts be undone or let endangered species lose their homes.”

More than 1,400 acres of reedbed, fen, grazing marsh, open water and woodland make up the Hickling Broad National Nature. Its wetland habitats, sensitively restored by Norfolk Wildlife Trust, offer a year-round haven for threatened wildlife such as iconic swallowtail butterflies, marsh harriers, Norfolk hawker dragonflies, the common crane and of course, the bittern.

To donate to the Hickling Broad land purchase appeal you can donate by visiting our website at: www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/support-us/hickling-broad-land-purchase-… or on our Just Giving page: www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/norfolkwildlifetrust/hickling or telephone: 01603 625540

– Ends –

For more information and images contact:

Sue Borges at Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Office: 01603 625540

Mobile: 07919 064615

Email: sueb@norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk

The race is on to secure your place in the fifth annual West Norfolk Fit4Work Games! Registration is now open for all businesses ready to take on the challenge of the West Norfolk Fit4Work Games, which will be held on Wednesday 8th March at Alive Lynnsport. Get your colleagues together and enter a team for this year’s Games! Network, be competitive and have fun competing in a variety of sports such as football, badminton, netball and fitness triathlon with trophies up for grabs in each of the sports. The games, offer a unique opportunity for colleagues to get together and show off their team work and sporting skills against teams from other local businesses. Kicking off at 6pm and finishing at 9pm, the West Norfolk Fit4Work Games promises to be an action packed event, providing teams a great chance for a bit of team bonding with colleagues as well as an opportunity to network with local businesses. Chair of Alive Leisure Peter Lemon said: “The Fit4Work Games is an event organised jointly by Alive Leisure and Active Norfolk. The Games encourages employers to get their staff to take part in activities that will improve their physical health and therefore their productivity, motivation and attendance at work. The Games promote team work and is a great way to make new friends, the Games keep growing each year and I’m sure this will be the best yet.” Fit4Work is a free workplace health scheme that provides employers access to a wide range of opportunities to engage, inspire and help improve employees’ overall health and physical activity levels. Katie Tierney, Active Norfolk Fit4Work Project Officer, said: ‘It’s great to be working with Alive Leisure again this year to run the event. It is always a really fun evening giving colleagues the chance to enjoy some time together outside of the work environment and creating a buzz in the workplace in the days preceding and following the event. Each year we see new businesses taking part in addition to lots of organisations returning which is really positive to see.’ Teams from businesses in West Norfolk are invited to enter into this fun tournament. All abilities are welcome! For more information and to book your place, please visit www.activenorfolk.org/west

TaxAssist Accountants moved up two places from 24th into 22nd in Accountancy magazine’s Top 75 firms survey, with fee income continuing to grow for a seventh year running among the UK’s biggest accounting firms.

A key factor behind the continued growth of the TaxAssist Accountants franchise network was its 13.1 per cent increase in fee income, up from £29.7m to £33.6m.

Early indications throughout the industry suggest that revenues will continue to grow in 2017, with businesses increasingly turning to accountants for guidance and support to negotiate the uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the EU referendum and the consequent volatility for exchange rates and the political scene.

Inside the top 20 firms within the rankings, there was no change of positions whatsoever. The ‘Big Four’ firms, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Deloitte, EY and KPMG, received a combined income of £10.69bn, accounting for more than three-quarters (77 per cent) of the entire fee income reported by the Top 75 accounting firms in the UK.

The best performing firm outside the top 10 firms was Menzies, reporting 18.5 per cent growth to £40.3m. Encouragingly, TaxAssist Accountants recorded the ninth highest year-on-year fee income growth outside the top 10 firms.

TaxAssist Accountants is continuing the expansion of its network of shops and offices across the UK, with the remit of making life simpler for small business owners, allowing them to focus on doing more of what they do best: running their business.

With more than 200 franchised areas already across the UK, the network is always looking to further expand its reach and encourage more people to run their own TaxAssist accountancy franchise.

Our Discovery Days are the perfect starting point for anyone that’s thinking of branching out on their own as an accountant. They help accountants to understand the TaxAssist business model, the support on offer and more importantly, meet the senior TaxAssist team.

Our next Discovery Day is on 2nd March 2017, with other days planned for 11th April and 17th May. Call us today on 0800 0188297 for a confidential chat about becoming an integral part of the TaxAssist Accountants network.

February 2017

Honouring shooters from across a selection of categories, the CPSA Awards 2017 were held on Saturday 4 February. Sporting inspiration,Sharon Davies MBE, guest hosted the evening to complete an evening of achievement and glamour.

Founded in 1928,The Clay Pigeon Shooting Association (CPSA)co-ordinates clay target shooting for around 25,000 members. Another 200 trade members, along with 400 grounds and clubs, are also affiliated with them. Organising competition opportunities, the CPSA, also organises events for the selection of the England Shooting Team or the GB Team throughBritish Shooting.

Young Shooter of the Year 2017

Nominated for the Young Shooter of the Year, our sponsored local shooter, Charlie Soanes attended the ceremony with his parents. Although the remarkable young shotAmy Easemantook the trophy, Chalie nevertheless walked away with the runner-up trophy. Charlie and his successes over the past year have made TVC proud, furthermore, reaching the nominations is a fantastic achievement! The award is a great accomplishment since he competes against older and experienced shooters the majority of the time.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to all award winners and nominees, it is an extraordinary reflection of your determination and skills being recognised in this way.

A video of the ceremony is available on the CPSA Facebook page, clickhereto view.

Picture (from top-left): Charlie and his parents; Charlie’s trophy; Charlie and Amy Easeman; Charlie and his mum and lastly, enjoying his meal!

The Joe Dix Foundation is a charity member of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce based in Norwich. The foundation was set up following the murder of Joe Dix in Mile Cross Norwich in January 22. The full story surrounding Joe Dix is told on our website www.joedixfoundation.co.uk.

The Foundation’s organisers have recently been invited by the Prime Minister at a meeting in Downing Street, to become part of the coalition to end Youth Violence and Knife crime over the coming years.

In addition to promoting understanding and awareness of the problems involved, the Foundation has put together a programme designed to alter the pathways taken by some young people and help them manage their lives away from the draw of criminality and violence. The programme is a structured one and contains of a mixture of Shock and Awe and the understanding of the person and choices that can be made. It is not simply to preach right from wrong but to also offer guidance to realistic alternative pathways.

Apart from funding support which remains a difficulty in the voluntary world, we need volunteers who could be trained to become mentors and show young people that hard work through business and the like, can bring rewards too. If you feel that you have a little time to spare and would be interested in helping us and those in need, please feel free to contact us as we would welcome any enquiries/ problems we see are faced by society as a whole and can happen to anyone irrespective of their background or situation.

Emergency First Aid at Work: Why Practical, Face-to-Face Training Saves Lives

Last week Paul and I went to the Great Yarmouth business breakfast event, which was organised by Bryony Smith of theNorfolk Chamber of Commerce. The morning was all about creating new connections with businesses across a wide variety of sectors and enjoying a full English breakfast while you did it.

I’ve never been much of a fan of networking, but the English breakfast sold it for me and in the end I’m glad that I went. The first part of the event was focussed on introductions, some free networking time to talk to people you may or may not have known, and ended with a presentation by Glen Moore ofNew Anglia Growth Hub.

The free networking time is always the most difficult. I never know what to say to begin a conversation and Paul and I have yet to decide on our quick explanation of what Naked Element do, but I managed to have a few good conversations with some people I didn’t know and got a few business cards in the process, so part one of the morning was a success.

After breakfast, everyone participated in a networking activity, namely the networking bingo, so that the people sitting at each table could get to know each other. I think that this worked really well. It was an excellent way for people to break the ice and say little bits and pieces about themselves in an informal environment. We learnt that exercise was not popular on our table, however we had a few people who had lived in different countries and could speak different languages – something we never would have found out if the question wasn’t there for us to ask.

After the networking activity, Fred Rogers ofSubsea Protection Systemsgave a presentation on all of the products that they offer and what the future looks like for SPS. It was good to hear the successes of local businesses that have turned global, because eventually we’d like to appeal to a global audience as well.

The event closed after some more free networking time and I have to say that I enjoyed it a lot. There were a lot of people to talk to and even though it was formal dress code and a business orientated event, there wasn’t any pressure to act any differently and you could still laugh with the people on your table.

Words:Lewis Leeds

We’re absolutely delighted to share that Uptech has been named Telco Service Provider of the Year at the 2025 Network Group Awards.

The ceremony took place at the stunning Kimpton Clocktower Hotel in Manchester, and while the trophy has our name on it, this award is really a celebration of our team – particularly the telecoms experts over at our sister company, Premier Voice & Data.

This win was based on a real-life emergency where one of our clients found themselves in a tough spot. Their on-site phone system failed without warning, leaving them unable to make or receive calls. With no immediate help from their current provider, they needed someone to step in fast.

Our Premier Voice & Data team were on-site within 30 minutes. Within just a few hours, they’d deployed a full VoIP solution using in-stock handsets, reconfigured their call routing, and had the business fully operational again – with a better, more reliable setup than before.

What could have been days of disruption was turned around in an afternoon. More importantly, the client didn’t just get a quick fix. They got a long-term telecoms solution built to grow with them.

This award is a credit to the whole team who jumped into action and worked together to make it happen. It’s also a reflection of the trust our clients place in us when the pressure’s on.

We’re proud of the recognition, but even prouder of how our people work – calmly, quickly and always with the customer in mind.

Whether you’re a growing business in need of a reliable phone system, looking to upgrade your connectivity, or want a partner who’s there when it really counts, we’ve got you covered.

Through Uptech and Premier Voice & Data, we offer fully managed VoIP solutions, broadband and leased lines, mobile connectivity, and ongoing IT support to keep your business connected, secure, and ready for anything. If you’re ready to modernise your telecoms with a team that truly delivers, we’d love to chat.

sales@premiervoicedata.co.uk

01553 777777