With Carrow Road set to re-open for Conferences, Meetings and Events from October 1, here is a guide to the event space and facilities we have here at the stadium.
Following a £400,000 investment in 2019, technology capabilities at the ground include video conferencing facilities in the Gunn Club allowing for live streaming and hybrid events, as well as built in HD screens in almost all event spaces.
We are also fortunate to have a wealth of space and flexibility within our 17 meeting rooms and 41 executive boxes here at the stadium, which are situated over the four stands (each with their own entrance), meaning we can offer clients a ‘self-contained’ stand of their own for their event should they so wish, providing a really safe and secure environment for them and their delegates.
In line with government guidelines, up to 30 people are currently permitted to attend business meetings and events together. With a full safety policy in place, Carrow Road is a Visit Britain ‘We’re Good To Go’ accredited venue.
We also have 3D tours available on our website for our main event spaces, so that clients can take a tour of the event spaces from their computers or laptops.
To find out more about how Carrow Road is re-opening safely for CME on October 1, click here.
For our conference, meeting and events information guide, click here.
To find out more about our venue, visit the Delia’s Canary Catering or call us on 01603 218704.
Freebridge Community Housing Host House Swap Event
Freebridge Community Housing will be hosting a coffee morning to promote the benefits of mutual exchange on Friday 18 August at the Hillington Square Community Café from 11am – 2pm.
A mutual exchange is an easy way for two social housing tenants to swap properties and this event is a great opportunity to network and speak to others who are interested in the possibility of a switch.
The event will include free cakes, hot drinks and children’s activities, along with a prize draw where those attending have the chance to win £25 of Love2shop vouchers.
Freebridge Director of Housing, Robert Clarke, said: “We are pleased to have this opportunity to promote the benefits of mutual exchange, for those involved it can mean they can relocate to a home that is more suited to their needs.
“We are happy to facilitate these moves as much as possible, and I would encourage anyone who is interested to come down to speak to our staff and meet other tenants who have an interested in exchanging their home.”
The event is open to anyone living in social housing, not just Freebridge Community Housing tenants. If you would like to attend the event please RSVP to Lettings.Enquiries@freebridge.org.uk or call 03332 404 444.
A lot has changed since John Mayer joined TaxAssist Accountants in 2000, but he has absolutely no regrets.
John Mayer, who operates his TaxAssist Accountants franchise from Weston-Super-Mare in Somerset, has recently celebrated 20 years at the helm of his flourishing practice. To congratulate him, the Support Centre staff in Norwich sent a hamper to mark the occasion.
John said: “A big thank you for the gift of the Fortnum & Masons hamper celebrating my 20 years as a TaxAssist Accountants franchisee, it is very gratefully received.
“Where has the last 20 years gone! I am so thankful I joined TaxAssist and is a decision I will never regret. It has given myself and my family a good, secure living and has allowed me to meet many great people, both clients and within the franchise.
“It has been challenging at times, sometimes hard work, but over riding all of this, vastly enjoyable, extremely rewarding, and something I am very proud to be associated with.
“I have seen the franchise grow from around £4m fee bank to its current £51m and I like to think I have put a little part into its growth.
“I was going to organise a 20-year celebration party this October, and get my band to play as I did with the 15 year-celebration. Sadly, due to Covid-19 that has to be put on hold until next year, but it should be a party to remember when it does happen!”
Karl Sandall, the TaxAssist Group Chief Executive Director, said: “It has been a pleasure to work with and get to know John over the last 20 years and to help him build the substantial practice which he heads up today. He has always been eager to embrace change and keep up with the times and I congratulate him on his many years of business success. I would also like to thank him for the contribution he has made to the franchise over the years.”
If you are interested in joining TaxAssist Accountants, we are holding monthly Virtual Discovery Days where you can spend a day with the team to find out more about the business opportunity and support on offer. Click here for more information.
For 30 years, the Norfolk Business Awards have celebrated and rewarded business excellence. Amidst challenging times for many businesses as we enter this milestone year, it seems more important than ever that we recognise the strength of our business community.
We hope that you will put your hard work, resilience and adaptability centre stage by submitting an entry. The awards are currently open for entries, and in our 30th year, as ever we will search for the very best of the best of what our wonderful region has to offer. Despite current challenges the awards are here to celebrate the strength of the Norfolk business community.
Following feedback from the business industry, we are pleased to extend our entry deadline and will accept entries up until midnight on Sunday 20 September – giving more businesses the opportunity and time to submit their entries.
We have no doubt that once again this year we will be able to the tell stories of invention, brave leadership and good, old-fashioned hard graft. But what is already abundantly clear is that 2020 is going to be unique. At the start of the year no-one could have predicted the impact the virus would have on business. But equally no-one would have predicted some of the incredible ways our business community rose to the challenge. Whether it was changing production to make vital PPE for frontline NHS workers or rushing through new technology and training a whole workforce to stay connected from home. Of course we are not yet out of the woods. The challenges of this pandemic will continue for the foreseeable. But these awards are the perfect opportunity to celebrate the ways in which your business has survived and thrived.
This year our headline sponsor is Barclays – a fitting company to have in a year when banks had to come to the rescue of many firms. We would like to pass on great thanks to Barclays and all of our category sponsors over this period. We might be battling through a tough time for businesses but it is right to recognise excellence, and all of our sponsors are certain to support this.
Our entry partner is Reflection PR – if you need support with making the best of your entry visit www.reflectionprawards.co.uk or call 01603 219191.
To view the criteria, and submit your entries into the 2020 awards, please visit our awards website www.norfolkbusinessawards.co.uk – We cannot wait to hear your stories.
If you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to contact the Archant Events Team at all.awards@archant.co.uk.
It is with great sadness that we have to report the news that Simon Gray, founder of Credo Asset Finance passed away on Sunday afternoon 27th September 2020 after a short battle with cancer.
Simon started Credo Asset Finance as a ‘bedroom broker’ in 2005 after being in the finance industry for the previous 25 years. He named the company Credo after its Latin name ‘Trust & Belief’ with a vision to help local businesses secure funding as quickly and as efficiently as possible.
It was not long before he forged many relationships with these businesses and by 2010 with the help of investors, created Credo Capital Finance Ltd. This is an own book funding facility to offer finance to those that needed more than a simple automated decision to be approved.
He was a mentor for young people, employing many at Credo and for several years offering 0% interest free business loans and advice to those young people wanting to start a local business. Credo Asset Finance went from strength to strength under his leadership, growing to 28 staff members and lending in the region of £50 Million a year. Star Asset Finance acquired Credo in June 2017.
Simon loved spending time with his family, his wife Tracy and three children, Will, Anna & Alex, and loved his holidays. He sang in local choirs, loved a game of golf, enthusiast for motorsport and enjoyed long walks.
He was an extraordinarily generous man, always wanting to help those in need and astonishingly raised over £100,000 for charity in the last few years. This included climbing Kilimanjaro in 2016 and most recently the creation of the Canaryball Rally, which involved 20 cars travelling through 8 countries in Europe in 5 days in association with the Community Sports Foundation raising funds for their Build The Nest project in Horsford, Norwich.
He will be truly missed by so many, not least his Credo family. It is even sadder that Simon will not see his son Will marry Bara who works at Credo which was supposed to take place in June this year.
Ian Tims MD said “Simon was a legend in Asset Finance. I will ensure his legacy continues, building the business so that Credo carries on even stronger and brighter for the future.”
All our thoughts are with Tracy and the family at this incredibly difficult time.
On 28th September, the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) launched its G-Cloud 12 framework and it is now live for all public sector customers to use. G-Cloud 12 offers public sector organisations a straightforward and compliant way to purchase cloud based services, such as hosting, software, and support.
G-Cloud 12 works through an online catalogue called the Digital Marketplace. Services now include service definition documents, which provide detailed service information to support evaluating services, empowering customers to make better buying decisions. CJC Procurement Ltd has two service offerings; Cloud & Digital Transformation Procurement Services; and Software Cost Optimisation services.
The benefits of using G-Cloud 12 include:
straightforward contract award using a quick and easy 6 step process on the Digital Marketplace
transparent prices – catalogue shows suppliers, services, prices and supplier terms and conditions
access to the latest innovation and technologies
ability to move away from long term contracts – maximum duration is 24 months, which is then easily refreshed or can be extended by 2 x 12 month periods
includes clauses to help you address both modern slavery and corporate social value
Including CJC Procurement Ltd, 5,224 suppliers have each been awarded a place on the twelfth iteration of G-Cloud. Over 38,000 services will be available for customers to access, subject to a process of additional assurance. This is a growth of over 25% from G-Cloud 11.
Over 91% of the overall suppliers on G-Cloud 12 are small and medium sized enterprises (SME). Of the suppliers new to G-Cloud 12, over 80% are micro and small organisations, demonstrating that G-Cloud continues to offer opportunities to suppliers of all sizes. CJC Procurement Ltd is one of these micro businesses and proof that such business can be appointed to public sector Framework Agreements. For more information on the CJC Procurement Ltd listed services, please follow the links below.
Internationally acclaimed Spanish installation artist and sculptor, Cristina Iglesias (b. November 1956), presents two major sculptures at the Sainsbury Centre, UEA. This free Sculpture Park exhibition on display from 14 November places Iglesias’ work in dialogue with Norman Foster’s iconic Sainsbury Centre building.
Celosía XI (Hafsa Bint Al-Hayy) (2006) consists of seven terracotta screens that evoke the lattices in Arab architecture. Iglesias co-opts their traditional geometric patterns by incorporating words into the structure of the screens. Passing through the enclosures is akin to reading passages of text. The title refers to the celebrated Andalusian poet Ḥafṣa bint al-Ḥājj ar-Rakūniyya (1135-1191).
The immersive installation Vegetation Room III (2005) is a defined architectural space. The interior walls are casts of organic vegetation. The combination of natural and architectural elements complements the aims of the Sainsbury Centre Sculpture Park: to bring together art, architecture and the natural environment.
This exhibition reunites the work of Cristina Iglesias and Norman Foster, who have collaborated on a number of projects. Iglesias’ sculpture can be seen in front of the Bloomberg Headquarters, London, which was designed by Norman Foster. She has also created a canopy for the façade of the Norman Foster Foundation in Madrid.
Both works are free to view on the West Lawn as part of the Sculpture Park. A trail map is available here.
In collaboration with Marian Goodman Gallery and Cristina Iglesias Studio.
Print and POS specialist BDH Tullford donated several clear, pull-up partitions to Norfolk-based charity Equal Lives this September, helping to keep their teams safe as they return to the office.
Having diversified during the coronavirus crisis, BDH Tullford initially began producing PPE components, face shields and partition screens to support the NHS. The opportunity to convert pull-up banners into portable partition screens using clear plastic was a natural development. Not only can they be wiped down with antibacterial spray but they can easily be moved around, allowing individuals and organisations flexibility in the workplace.
Having produced several pull-up screen prototypes, the company saw an opportunity to give back to the local community, donating a batch to a local charity as its employees began returning to the office.
The chosen charity, Equal Lives, is based in Framingham Pigot in Norfolk. It is dedicated to empowering disabled individuals so they can live independent lives. Its team of employees and volunteers works closely with local people, helping them to understand their rights and access the support they need – all while campaigning for equal opportunities.
Says Kimberly Myhill, Equal Lives’ Senior Business Development Manager: “Buying PPE and screens diverts vital resources away from the charity’s work.
“Receiving a donation like this not only allows us to save money but helps us to keep our colleagues and clients safe as we return to the office, allowing us to increased levels of assistance during a particularly stressful time.”
Comments David Hutchins, Director at BDH Tullford: “We’re delighted to provide support to a local charity with these screens. They’re easy to use, simple to set up and incredibly versatile
“Equal Lives provides invaluable services within East Anglia and we’re delighted that we can help them continue to provide those services in a safe and secure manner.”
We’re back from the
Show! The Brancaster team were proud to exhibit at the Royal Norfolk Show 2025,
one of the UK’s largest two-day agricultural events, held at the Norfolk
Showground.
As a member of the
Norfolk Chambers of Commerce, we were back in the Chamber’s vibrant business tent,
which brought together a diverse range of local enterprises, innovators, and
community organisations.
The event provided a
fantastic opportunity for us to connect with both new and existing clients, as
well as to forge new relationships with fellow Norfolk-based businesses.
With thousands of
visitors attending the show, our team was kept busy throughout the two days,
engaging in meaningful conversations about financial planning, retirement
strategies, and the importance of long-term financial clarity.
We Love Local
The business tent served
as a hub for networking and collaboration within the Norfolk business
community. We’ve always believed in the power of local partnerships.
Being part of the Royal
Norfolk Show, and the Chamber, gave us the perfect platform to showcase our
values, meet like-minded professionals, and have some really valuable
conversations.
Among the many visitors
to the Brancaster House stand were representatives from Paul Macro Photography,
Lucas & Wyllys Solicitors, and Priscilla Bacon Hospice – great partners of
ours each of whom shared insights into their own work and explored
opportunities for future collaboration. These conversations highlighted the
strength and diversity of Norfolk’s professional community and the shared
commitment to supporting individuals and families across the region.
Pull Up A Chair
One of the most
talked-about features of our stand this year was our custom-designed 3D
cardboard chairs. Fully branded and made from sustainable materials, the seats
provided a comfortable place for visitors to pause and chat.
The chairs were a real
talking point. People loved the design and the fact that they were
eco-friendly. It was a great way to start conversations – not just about
financial planning, but about how businesses can make small, thoughtful choices
that reflect their values.
As the weather was
sweltering, we also offered free bottled water to visitors and – as a touch of
fun – we handed out pick ‘n’ mix bags of sweets, which proved popular with
attendees.
A Successful and
Enjoyable Event
The Royal Norfolk Show
is always a highlight in the county’s calendar, and 2025 was no exception.
Financial planning is
deeply personal. Events like this allow us to have real conversations with
people, about their goals, their long-term plans, and how we can help them
build a more secure future. It’s not just about numbers; it’s about
understanding what matters most to each individual.
Looking Ahead
We’re incredibly proud
to be part of the Norfolk business landscape. The Royal Norfolk Show reminded
us just how much talent, passion, and potential there is in this region. We’re
excited to keep building on the connections we make and to continue helping
people plan for the future with confidence.
In just under a month myself and 8 good friends are taking on the Yorkshire 3 Peaks to raise awareness and funds for the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research UK. So thats 24 miles with 5200 ft of Ascent in 12 hours.
Last year one of my oldest friends welcomed his baby son into the world. Hugh had a pretty tough start in life, with a traumatic birth and a long stretch in NICU. When he was 5 weeks old Darren and Hugh’s mum, Jayne, got the diagnosis of Prader-Willi Syndrome. A complex genetic syndrome 60 times rarer than Downs Syndrome. It affects less than 1 in 15,000 children. The list of struggles Hugh and his family are going to have to face in the coming years is a pretty sobering read. Darren has done a much better job than me for explaining the condition and the challenges over on our just giving page.
So on a very rare night out with Darren we were all saying how useless we felt and how we wished we could help in some way. Thats when the idea for taking on the 3 peaks came about. (all the best ideas originate in the pub…. right?) I know its not a huge challenge compared to some, but you’ve seen what sort of shape I’m in so you know its not going to be a walk in the park for me. To be fair the rest of the lads are not in great shape either, but we’ve all been putting in the training miles (Personally 165miles since May) and feel more than up for the challenge.
We’ve already hit our target of £2,000 but we’d like to get as much as we can for this charity and the amazing work they do.
The challenge is set to take place on 02 September 2017.
Chartered accountants and business advisors, MHA Larking Gowen, has strengthened its Private Client offering by appointing a new partner, Sally Farrow on 1 October 2020.
“We are delighted to announce this important appointment,” stated Jon Woolston, Managing Partner of MHA Larking Gowen, which has a team of over 320 people across seven offices throughout East Anglia, making it a major regional independent accountancy partnership and one of the UK’s top 40 accountancy firms. “Sally originally joined the firm as a trainee then went on to work for a national firm of accountants. She rejoined the firm in 2018 with a specific focus on tax planning and tax compliance for our private clients, including trustees, bringing with her an invaluable perspective to this important part of our business.”
Based in Norwich but covering all MHA Larking Gowen’s offices in the region, Sally will head up the newly formed Private Client tax team with an emphasis on delivering private client services for individuals, trustees and executors and growing the wider private client offering.
Sally has over 20 years’ experience and is a Chartered Tax Adviser and a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.
Sally commented: “I was delighted when I was asked to join the partnership. We have an excellent Private Client offering and I look forward to leading the team in the future. We will continue to focus on providing great client service and proactive advice.”
Jon added: “Sally is a significant asset to this business and our clients. My fellow partners and I look forward to working with her as we continue to expand the firm.”