NABAS, the National Association for Balloon Artists and Suppliers, has launched an exciting new balloon recycling initiative with Terracycle. Local NABAS member Claire Carney Floral and Balloon Designs Ltd has signed up to the scheme and is accepting used balloons and partyware from their customers to be recycled instead of going to landfill.
Terracycle specialise in recycling traditionally hard-to-recycle waste, turning it into alternative materials that can be used to make other products. Foil, latex and plastic balloons can all be recycled, along with ribbons, bows, party hats and supplies.
NABAS Co-Chairs Victoria Cooke and Claire Carney said “We are delighted to facilitate this exciting scheme that will make it easy for our members and their customers to recycle used balloons and party products. Diverting these items from landfill and turning them into reusable materials has to be good for the environment. It also demonstrates our commitment to helping customers enjoy their celebrations knowing they can responsibly recycle their party products after the event”.
Why not come along to our free monthly get together of the Business Growth Club, and meet some great people whilst discussing the business principles behind the BGC. Relaxed, informative and good fun – free to attend, and no need to book just come along with an open mind. We meet at Carrowbreck House, Drayton Road, Norwich NR6 5FA. You can find more details here: https://businessgrowthclub.net/up-and-coming-events/
Tech Educators are pleased to announce a new course aimed at supporting businesses based in North Norfolk. A tailored version of their existing Digital Marketing with AI bootcamp will focus on the needs of the local region, offering in-person and online sessions that will give you and your business the necessary skills to thrive in todays every changing and evolving digital landscape. You will unlock tools and learn techniques to increase your efficiency using AI.
What is the difference between supervising and managing a team? The role of the supervisor is changing and what this role is (or what people think it is) can be unclear at times. This workshop is for anyone who already supervisors a team or a team leader who wants to freshen up their skills. Aimed at supervisors and team leaders, this module aims to set you up for success and encourage you to take the actions you need to get better results.
Lunch provided: On full day training courses a sandwich lunch with crisps, cakes and fruit will be provided. Refreshments will be available throughout the duration of this course.
Course Content Starting as you mean to go on – first steps on the success ladder Heroes and villains – making a good supervisor ‘great’ The shape of your role and the focus of your attention Developing teams – what to look out for Achieving a balance between nurturing vs. challenging Delegation as a means of developing staff When I insist – you resist – communication which works! The four supervisory styles – which one to use and when Mastering the art of delegation Forwarding the action – personal action planning
Course price: Between £74.00 – £96.00
For more details or any enquiries, please do contact us on 01603 788950, or email carrowbreck@broadland.gov.uk
A fun-filled night of bingo is set to take place at Mecca Bingo on Saturday 23 rd November at 3pm – 4.30pm to raise funds for Age UK Norwich.
The event, organised by Rosie Anne Peat, a graduate student from the University of East Anglia, aims to bring the community together while supporting a vital local charity.
All proceeds from the Bingo Bonanza will go directly to Age UK Norwich, a charity that provides essential services and support to adults in later life in the Norwich community. The funds raised will help to ensure that individuals can live independent and fulfilling lives.
Rosie, the event organiser, takes a particular interest in the clubs, trips and events that the charity puts on for those 50+, increasing social connection and reducing loneliness. Rosie said “I am passionate about supporting Age UK Norwich, and I believe that our upcoming Bingo Bonanza is a fantastic chance for everyone to come together and have fun while making a difference. I am amazed and grateful to all the businesses who have supported this event so far. So, we encourage everyone to come along and join us for a night of laughter, bingo, amazing cakes and prizes and finally, community spirit.”
The evening will feature traditional bingo games with over 20 exciting prizes up for grabs. There will also be a raffle, refreshments, and a friendly atmosphere.
For more information about the Bingo Bonanza or Age UK Norwich, please visit www.ageuknorwich.org.uk or contact 01603 496333 / enquiries@ageuknorwich.org.uk
Greater Anglia has today (2 September) launched series two of its Life on Rails podcast with Michael Portillo featuring as the special guest in episode one.
Presented by Lucy Wright and Dominic Rosso from the company’s Corporate Affairs team, the Life on Rails podcast gives passengers a peek behind the curtain of one of the largest train operators in the country.
Across this brand-new series of the magazine-style podcast, Life on Rails will welcome a wide variety of special guests who will share their incredible stories. Greater Anglia employees who are at the heart of operations will also explain how they have helped make Greater Anglia the most punctual and reliable train operator in the UK.
There will also be special features that will showcase how Greater Anglia is working tirelessly to give its passengers better journeys. Guests include fleet and operations colleagues who will be discussing how the new fleet of trains have helped to transform rail travel across East Anglia. Later in the series, senior leaders from the Greater Anglia Executive Leadership Team will join the podcast, as well as representatives from Network Rail to discuss how they are continuously investing in rail infrastructure and the role they play in helping us achieve record-breaking performance.
Each episode will delve a little deeper into some of the recent Greater Anglia news highlights. Lucy and Dom will examine some of the company’s most talked about stories and share some previously unknown information.
In a new feature called Destination in the Spotlight, the podcast will welcome Community Rail Partnership Officers from across the network who will share some of the beautiful locations on their route and talk about some of the exciting activities that they are hosting.
In the first episode which launches on Monday 2 September, the journalist, broadcaster, and railway advocate Michael Portillo joins the podcast to discuss his Railway Journeys, what made him fall in love with rail travel, and what he finds most attractive when travelling on the Greater Anglia network.
Michael Portillo, said:
“I have a lot of fondness for Greater Anglia, and it was a pleasure to join their Life on Rail podcast.
“The introduction of the new trains has been particularly impressive, and I have been struck by their acceleration and punctuality. They also look very smart while being quiet and therefore do not upset my soundman if we are ever filming.
“I have been incredibly fortunate to spend time in East Anglia and the Greater Anglia staff very often come out and greet us. They want to make sure that everything runs as smoothly as possible, and I am truly grateful.”
Also in the first episode, Lucy and Dom will speak with Greater Anglia’s Safeguarding and Community Safety Manager, Georgia Payne. With World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September, Georgia will be discussing how we support people struggling with their mental health.
Thalia Rushmore is the Community Rail Partnership Officer for the East Suffolk Lines between Ipswich, and Lowestoft and Ipswich and Felixstowe. She joins the podcast to speak about some of the beautiful locations along this route and share some of the exciting activities that they are hosting.
Dominic Rosso, Greater Anglia’s Senior Media and Public Relations Manager, said:
“The Life on Rails podcast is back. We are truly excited to give passengers a peek behind the curtain of Greater Anglia and showcase how we are putting passengers first.
“It was a true delight to welcome Michael Portillo to the podcast and hear how his affinity with the railway began and why he believes that rail is the best way to travel.”
(Credit. Greater Anglia)
Life on Rails series 2, episode 1 is now live. It is available on all usual podcast platforms and www.greateranglia.co.uk/podcast. The podcast will be issued bi-monthly.
Green Duck has been confirmed as an approved supplier for G-Cloud 12.
Green Duck has been approved across all three sections of the Governments Digital Marketplace, known as G-Cloud 12. It is the latest version of the Crown Commercial Procurement Framework for Cloud services which covers Cloud Hosting, Cloud Support and Cloud software.
G-cloud is designed to make it easier for the public sector and government departments to access cloud technology and services. It gives public sector organisations access to a marketplace of cloud suppliers that have been approved through a rigorous assessment process.
Now part of the supplier network, Green Duck’s range of Cloud Services and solutions can be delivered under the G-Cloud 12 Framework.
Green Duck is planning for growth in 2021 and part of that can now be achieved by working with the public sector enabled by our G-cloud 12 supplier status.
Graham Duckworth, Co-Founder at Green Duck says “We are proud to have been accepted as a supplier. G-Cloud represents a great additional opportunity for us, as a cloud service provider, to offer solutions for projects offered by the public sector. More and more government organisations are putting their trust into suppliers that work within the G-cloud framework as they move into a more cloud-based way of working.
“Not only are our core services built around reliability and dependability, but we have a whole department dedicated to cyber security which adds additional weight to our G-cloud supplier status.”
Having a website for your business isn’t a choice anymore, without one you lose credibility as well as opportunities. This brand new course shows you how to set up and maintain a website for free using WordPress, the most popular blogging and content management system on the web. What if you don’t know how to code? That’s ok because code isn’t needed.
Course Content Setting up and installing WordPress Selecting a theme ( look ) for your website Front end and back end Your dashboard Adding extras to your website Inserting images and videos Adding pages Creating a blog Linking to other sites Security Managing users Who should attend? If you’re looking to create a website If you’re looking to create a landing page Understand WordPress more Manage your own WordPress website Suitable for business owners and anyone looking to create an online presence
Captain Fawcett Ltd, Manufacturer and Purveyor of simply ‘First Class Gentleman’s Grooming Requisites’ based in King’s Lynn, has been flying the flag for West Norfolk on the epic BarbersRide motorcycle adventure across Europe to raise funds for international children’s charity Make-A-Wish.
On the 3rd August Richie Finney, owner of Captain Fawcett and co-founder of BarbersRide, set off from Fawcett HQ to join a fellowship of mad-cap motorcyclists, united by their passion for bikes and barbering. The mission? To raise much-needed funds for ‘Make-A-Wish’, a charity which turns the dreams of seriously ill children into real life magic.
Covering 972 miles / 1564 km (excluding getting there and back), a motley crew of over 30 riders roared through their a 5 day mission raising over £25K. Indeed, with BarbersRide now in its eighth consecutive year, since the Ride’s inception, total funds have climbed to over £143K – and donations for 2024 are still coming in! Huzzah!
Captain Fawcett, a West Norfolk Champion and East of England Export Champion, is a key sponsor of BarbersRide. The company founder, Richie Finney, is also one of BarbersRide’s founding members. He says: “It is a true pleasure to be part of bringing barbers and bikers together on these extraordinary annual journeys of camaraderie, mayhem and just fantastic goodwill. 2024 was BarbersRide’s first time taking to the highways of mainland Europe. Suffice to say, the warmth and hospitality of Europe’s barbers never fails to rise above its already legendary reputation. They truly excelled themselves, with live music, food and drinks laid on to revive the somewhat weary riders. We simply couldn’t do it without them. My personal thanks to Jenna at Fawcett HQ for her superb support and (almost) infinite patience!”
Regular BarbersRide Sponsors BARBICIDE® say:“We’ve been with BarbersRide from the start, we believe in what they’re doing for Make-a-Wish and hope that the Captain and his riders had a great European tour this Summer. Barbers do so much for our industry and it’s a chance for Barbicide to give something back.”
BarbersRide have supported Make-A-Wish since 2019, saying: “Make-A-Wish grants special wishes for sick children when they are most in need and bring positivity and happiness in times of distress. We decided to work with a national children’s charity so that children from each region could benefit and Make-A-Wish were the perfect organisation to partner with. In 2024 we were delighted to work with our European friends and extend that support to Make-A-Wish in Germany and the Netherlands. This incredible charity is truly a global phenomenon.”
Make-A-Wish Chief Executive Jason Suckley said: “We are hugely grateful to BarbersRide and all those who have supported their brilliantly unique way of fundraising for Make-A-Wish over the years. Any money they raise will help us with our ambitious mission to light up the lives of every child across the world who has a critical condition, by granting their wish. From the moment they are diagnosed, the joy of childhood is often brought to an abrupt end while treatment, medical appointments and worry take over. It can’t be underestimated how powerful a wish can be in bringing light and joy to those children, as well as their loved ones, creating positive moments and cherished memories that have a lasting impact on all their lives.”
In 2025 BarbersRide will take to the road again. Get involved!
Barbershops and brands
If you are a barbershop who would like to be considered to host an event or if you work for a brand that would love to be involved in sponsorship, then the BarbersRide team will be thrilled to hear from you.
Whilst COVID-19 has dominated the conversation of late, and many of us had almost forgotten about the ‘B-word’, movements around Brexit have continued. With the deadline of 1 January now looming, MHA Larking Gowen, chartered accountants and business advisors, has an online Brexit Hub. Their team of experts will be compiling their insights through blogs, helpsheets, podcasts and more!
Recent additions to the Hub include brochures on Customs Grants Extension and Authorised Economic Operator Status, as well as the following blogs:
UK Global Tariffs post-Brexit may be good news for the agricultural machinery sector
Brexit: What are you waiting for?
Is your farm fit for Brexit?
How can the manufacturing industry prepare for Brexit?
VAT on Brexit
The agricultural subsidy of the future. Will it be a success?
The future of the Basic Payments Scheme
Is the agricultural sector about to be thrown under the bus?
Partner at MHA Larking Gowen and Brexit expert, Chris Scargill, recently launched a new Bitesize Brexit podcast as part of MHA Larking Gowen’s Insights series. Episodes so far include:
Government funding for training on customs declarations
If you have any questions about Brexit and how it affects you and your business, please get in touch with your usual MHA Larking Gowen contact, or alternatively, call 0330 024 0888 or email enquiry@larking-gowen.co.uk. If you want to contact our team directly for advice or support, you can reach out on Our People page.
Now the fastest growing social media platform, with a user base of hundreds of millions. Growth per month has been estimated to be in excess of 1,000% so it would be pointless to give you exact user figures as they will change dramatically by the time you read this. Twitter is a phenomenon and a powerful way to connect with potential clients, a bit like you would at a network event x 1000 A huge B2C platform and easily one of the fastest ways to give and get a #recommendation (more about #hashtags in the course) Using Twitter can connect you to new customers quickly, get you connected to the right people, promote your position as a thought leader in your industry and drive traffic to your website. This course is for you if you are a SME, Business Development Manager, Sales manager, Marketing Manager, whichever industry you’re in, and you are keen to utilise Twitter for your business to drive traffic and get results.
Duration: Half-day course (9.30am – 12.30pm)
Equipment: No equipment is necessary for you to bring to the course. Pens and note paper will be available.
Lunch provided: Light Refreshments will be available throughout the duration of this course.
Course Content How to build a Twitter Tribe Customer service on Twitter Thought leadership on Twitter #Hashtags why and what for Driving traffic via Twitter Photos and video on Twitter How to use Twitter trends Getting PR via Twitter
Course price: From £37.00 to £48.00
For more details or any enquiries, please do contact us on 01603 788950, or email carrowbreck@broadland.gov.uk
NCSL is thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new website, now live at Norwich City Services | LATCO | Norwich, UK. This significant milestone marks a transformative step in our digital presence, designed to better service our clients, attract top talent, and increase brand visibility.
The new website offers an intuitive and engaging user experience, showcasing our services, values, and company culture with enhanced imagery and streamlined navigation. Prospective employees will find a dedicated careers section, providing a deeper insight to the exciting opportunities and inclusive environment NCSL offers.
By enhancing our online presence, we are positioning NCSL for greater engagement, stronger recruitment efforts and increased brand identity. We invite everyone to explore our new site and discover what NCSL is all about.