Website design agency, Bigfork, have designed a new website for Newmarket House, an eating disorders clinic. The new website involved a revamp of the navigation system and content with new high quality photography. With the growth in tablets and smartphones the new website was designed to be mobile friendly and also has a SilverStripe content management system for the Newmarket House team to manage the content inhouse. You can see the new website here
We’re very proud of this new website we’ve designed for the leading agricultural equipment manufacturer, Richard Western. You can read the full case study here https://www.bigfork.co.uk/our-work/richard-western/
At our latest Charity Leaders Group event, organised in partnership with PEM, we welcomed Samantha Loveday from East Anglian Children’s Hospices (EACH) and Alison Taylor of Conscious Communications, as our guest speakers.
This was our first Charity Leaders Group event of 2019. Held at Arthur Rank Hospice in Cambridge it provided a forum for local charity leaders to discuss issues related to the charity and not-for-profit sector. The theme was ‘How to Stand Out’ and it was run as an explorative session looking at how charities can stand out from the crowd when it comes to fundraising, employer brand and public identity.
Samantha Loveday gave an overview of the current fundraising landscape and the challenges faced by the charity sector; including the uncertainty around Brexit and the impact of GDPR regulations. Samantha also revealed that while there has been a positive uptrend in donations from individuals over the last ten years, a key challenge faced by charities is finding ways to stand out amongst millennials. Older people are becoming more charitable with money, as they are in a better position to do so, whereas younger people tend to give time. Charities need to find innovative ways to engage new generations in providing financial support, both now and in the future.
As Samantha talked through potential strategies to build brand awareness and engage new audiences within a crowded market place, we noticed how many of these also correlated with the advice our Director David Culley gave in his session on employer brand. The ways in which charities can stand out to potential donors will also help them stand out to prospective high-calibre employees; helping them to attract and retain the talented teams needed to shape and implement strategies for the future.
One of the considerations discussed was sharing clear messages about a charity’s need for support and providing more emphasis on the direct impact of donations, so that people can really see the difference they have, or could, make. These communications will also help potential employees understand how they could make a difference every day if they were to work for the organisation. While charities and not-for-profit organisations may be concerned about competing for talent based on salaries and benefits, they can compete when it comes to offering a sense of purpose. This is becoming increasingly attractive to new generations entering the workplace. LinkedIn’s latest Workplace Culture report revealed that nine out of ten millennials would consider taking a pay cut to work at a company whose mission and values aligned with their own.
Alison Taylor of Conscious Communications looked at ways charities can manage their reputation at a time when public trust and confidence in charities has dipped due to negative stories. This echoed Samantha’s advice on creating a greater level of transparency to gain confidence in supporting and donating to a charity. In turn, transparency about the culture of an organisation including its values and behaviours will also help to attract the right employees in the first place. David stressed the importance of embedding a consistent culture in the organisation and the need to be constant in all communications and actions. He also advised that employers should never compromise on cultural fit when recruiting, as skills can be developed but natural behaviours cannot.
With the challenge of new generations moving increasingly towards a digital focussed and a potentially cashless society, Samantha also discussed looking at innovative ways to increase the use of online and digital platforms. EACH has continued to find ways to generate support in a virtual world. For example, it has successfully launched a new online retail outlet through its eBay store and also used the online platform to auction off clothes donated by ambassador Ed Sheeran. Increasing social media engagement and the use of digital platforms will raise brand awareness of the charity to new generations; not only as an organisation to support but also as a potential place to work.
Ultimately, the investment charities make to reach new audiences and stand out from the crowd should also have a positive impact on the employer brand. Sharing clear messages about the purpose, impact and culture of the organisation will showcase the charity as an employer of choice and a place where employees can make a difference and have a clear purpose.
The Charity Leaders Group is a unique opportunity for charity executives in the eastern region to hear presentations on topical subjects and to have a sounding board for challenges they may face.
AnotherPay Per Click advertsing account win for Bigfork. We are delighted to be working with Windsor Waste Management and look forward to improving their Google Ads campaigns.
With businesses increasingly competing for top talent, Corporate Social Responsibility could be the deciding factor for a potential new employee considering applying for a role in your company.
Research from Cone Communications revealed that for 58% of employees, from all generations, CSR is an important element of consideration when choosing a job, sometimes even more so than the proposed salary. Considering how important this is becoming, are you communicating enough about the values and ethics behind your business?
As well as an official CSR strategy document, other pieces of business information also reveal a lot about the socially responsible ways an organisation operates. Here are some examples which can be showcased across websites, social media, PR, marketing assets and recruitment materials. These will all help to give potential employees a better understanding of how your organisation considers the interests of its employees, customers, stakeholders and communities plus the environmental and social consequences of its business activities.
Mission statement and purpose
Your organisation’s mission statement can communicate a wider social purpose as well as business objectives, and research by Deloitte shows that ‘mission-driven’ businesses enjoy 30% more innovation and 40% more engagement from employees. As an example, Starbucks mission statement is ‘To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time’. Here at Pure, we highlight our overall purpose, which is to contribute to the economic growth of our region and to make a difference to people’s lives. This reveals how our team get to go beyond just recruitment and be involved in added value initiatives and career development programmes which help businesses and candidates to thrive.
Company values and behaviours
Company values give a real sense of how an organisation conducts responsible and ethical relationships with its people, customers, suppliers and stakeholders. Virgin shares its values on the recruitment section of its website, which are: ‘We are delightfully surprising, red hot, straight up whilst maintaining an insatiable curiosity, giving a heartfelt service and creating smart disruption.’ It also goes on to share more information through a list of company ‘Behaviours’ which include ‘Supportive: We are a family of friendly and inclusive people who pull together and openly help each other’. At Pure, we are also driven by our commitment to deliver against our strong company values of teamwork, quality, innovation, reward, support and delivering the best results. These are at the heart of everything we do, helping us to create a great place to work in which our staff are happy, supported, rewarded and motivated to go the extra mile for our customers.
Employee development and welfare
Sharing details of how your organisation looks after its staff including through physical and mental health support, inclusive career development opportunities and fair, transparent pay, highlights your organisation as a business which cares about its workers. Social media is a great platform to share real-life examples of the ‘human’ side of your business. For example, Grant Thornton posts a case study examples of employees whose day-to-day lives have really benefitted from being able to effectively juggle work and home because of the organisation’s agile workplace culture. These posts generate lots of likes, positive comments and enquiries about joining the organisation. For us, we highlight details of our employee wellbeing policy which includes mindfulness courses, counselling, lifestyle and fitness guidance plus a trained Mental Health First Aider who works with managers to support their teams. Soon we will also be able to update people on our initiative to train a team of employees to become Mental Health Champions. They will offer support to employees struggling with mental ill-health and raise awareness of mental health across Pure.
Environmental impact
A responsible business looks to minimise the impact it has on the environment by reducing its carbon footprint and using green practices. Depending on the nature of the business this could include anything from the use of sustainable materials and local produce through to reduced waste, and energy saving. Here at Pure, our offices focus on recycling as much as possible from paper and batteries through to printer cartridges. To help reduce the combined carbon footprint of our team, as well as supporting physical wellbeing, we also offer a Cycle to Work scheme for our employees. Writing a dedicated environmental policy to be shared externally and internally will highlight how your business has considered its environmental impact across all of its operations. It will also remind both current and future employees of their own individual responsibilities and the role they can play in helping the organisation to meet and exceed its green commitments. Don’t forget to also display and promote any relevant code of practices the organisation follows, whether formal or voluntary, plus any specific industry standards it meets and any environmentally friendly focussed awards or accreditations.
Community impact
Today’s socially conscious generation are looking to work for businesses that give something back and which support them to do the same. As well as fundraising and donations, look to provide hands-on opportunities for employees to take on volunteer activities. Statistics from Employee Volunteering reveal that 76% of volunteers felt the opportunity had a positive influence on how they felt about their employer. We have seen this first hand here at Pure through our commitment to actively encouraging our colleagues to work together and give back to their local communities. We support our team with paid time off to complete charity challenges, fundraising and volunteering. Our team’s recent activities include donating time to wrap Christmas presents for Lighthouse Women’s Aid, raising money to put together packages of clothing and food to take to homeless charity The Bus Shelter Ipswich, spending a day painting and decorating with Inspire Suffolk and taking on the accumulator fundraising challenge for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity. When sharing stories about your organisation’s community support, also highlight the reason why that particular charity or group was chosen. Was it chosen by employees because it had particular importance to them? Does it align with your business own social values? Or, as with our examples, are they directly within the communities you operate in?
NORWICH, Monday 20th January 2014 – Need help planning your 2014 getaway? Norwich International Airport invites you to attend their annual Travel Show on Saturday 25th January 10am-3pm in the airport terminal building. The Travel Show is open to everyone with free entry and free parking for all visitors in the short stay car park. Come along for some holiday inspiration and chat with the experts. There will be over 20 tour operator, airline and local business representatives offering first hand destination and product advice on their departures from Norwich International throughout 2014. Historically this day has always been a huge success with people eager to book and this year any holidays booked on the day will receive free holiday parking at Norwich International plus receive a booking discount of up to 5%. Don’t miss your chance to win one of the fabulous prizes on offer in the prize draw which will take place at 3pm. Prizes include; return flight tickets, Helicopter pleasure flight, flying lessons and much more. Additional free to enter competitions will be taking place on individual stands throughout the day with many more great prizes to be won. We look forward to seeing you there!
A series of free seminars aiming to empower businesses to take control of customer experiences is set to take place across Norfolk and Suffolk.
In the eighth year of the popular Accelerate programme, 2019 looks to strip back to the essentials of multi-channel marketing to generate improved results.
Delivered by Archant, publisher of the Eastern Daily Press and East Anglian Daily Times, the seminars will focus on marketing buzzword “omnichannel” – a cross-channel marketing approach that helps builds brands and convert potential customers into actual customers.
“It’s all about making sure customers have a fantastic user experience, no matter what channel they use,” explains Jamie Brown, head of digital knowledge and development at Archant, who will be delivering the seminars.
“So whether it’s a high street shop, the staff who work there, the mobile-enabled website, Google reviews, social media, emails or texts, the idea is to create a cohesive approach to all the different elements so that they reflect the whole.”
It can be hard for SMEs to keep on top of all these channels, but Jamie says all businesses need to get to grips with if they want to be successful and grow.
“Even if a product or service isn’t bought online, the purchasing process still revolves around the website, the Google reviews, the posts on social media,” says Jamie. “Infrastructure has changed – businesses must have a website and they must be visible online.”
The seminars will include a presentation covering the idea of omnichannel and a real-life case study of a business customer that has completed the journey, including visuals of before and after content, and the analytical results it has achieved.
Attendees can then speak one-on-one with experts who will explain how they can take the same approach, utilising the services, products and audiences that Archant can offer.
“People attending the seminars can take advantage of our 360-degree solution to marketing,” says Jamie. “We can provide the advice, infrastructure and audience that businesses need to be successful.”
Accelerate sessions will take place on Tuesday, March 12 at the Cliff Hotel in Gorleston; Wednesday, March 13 at Carrow Road, Norwich; Thursday, March 14 at West Suffolk College in Bury; and Friday, March 15 in Ipswich at Suffolk University. For more information and to book your space visit www.archanthub.co.uk/ACCELERATE
Independent consultancy, Risk & Policy Analysts (RPA) has become one of the first organisations in the region to be awarded a Living Wage Employer Accreditation. The company, which is based in Loddon, Norfolk, currently employs a team of 30, including some of the top economists, environmental scientists, chemists and ecologists in the area.
RPA Director, Meg Postle commented “We value each member of our team’s input into making RPA a success, and one of the most significant ways we can demonstrate this is by making sure that everyone is paid the Living Wage”.
The Living Wage is an hourly rate which is set independently and updated annually, based on the cost of living in the UK. An independent study of the business benefits gained found that employers recognised an enhanced standard of staff output, a reduction in absentee levels and a significant impact on recruitment and retention within their organisation as a result of implementing the Living Wage policy.
Rhys Moore, Director of the Living Wage Foundation said “The benefits the Living Wage brings to staff and business are clear. I welcome the leadership shown by RPA on this important issue”.
To find out more about becoming an accredited Living Wage Employer visit www.livingwage.org.uk
RPA provides expert advice to both public and private sector clients around the world, assisting decision makers with the development and implementation of sustainable policies. The Company’s main clients include the European Commission, European Chemicals Association, UK Government bodies (such as the Environment Agency, Natural England and Defra) and major EU industries.
At a recent meeting of the Chamber’s Transport & Infrastructure Group, the members reviewed both road and rail transport.
Jonathan Denby, Greater Anglia’s Head of Corporate Affairs provided an update on the Greater Anglia Rail Franchise and what it planned to deliver over the duration of its 9 year franchise. He gave an overview of what the new transformational franchise aimed to achieve, including the replacement of the entire fleet with new rolling stock and an outline of the infrastructure needed to ensure the success of the Great Eastern Mainline.
The group also reviewed Highway England’s discussion paper on their emerging strategic economic growth plan. The group were concerned that several key income generating sectors did not appear to have been taken into account when considering the areas of Highway England’s research. The agricultural sector was not mentioned, yet Norfolk is one of the largest food producers in the UK. Additionally there wasn’t a map of showing regional GDP, which Chamber Group felt would be an essential perspective in assessing how the road network should support various regions.
Nova Fairbank, Public Affairs Manager for Norfolk Chamber said:
“A formal submission was made via the Highways England online consultation, but I also had the opportunity to highlight our views at a subsequent meeting, in London together with the British Chambers, where I was able to directly feedback to Elise Lewis, the Divisional Director for Strategy & Planning at Highways England. Ms Lewis advised that the consultation document was a condensed version and the points we had made had already been taken into account. We await the final publication in Spring 2017.”
The next meeting of the Transport & Infrastructure Group will be held on 10 April.
We are very pleased to announce that the Maids Head Hotel is an accommodation partner with the new English National Park Experience Collection, which has been supported by Visit Britain and Visit England through the Discover England Fund.
More than 70 experiences, encouraging people to get hands-on in the English National Parks are featured in the Travel Trade Buyer’s Guide, which was launched at the end of January.
Paul Dickson, our resident tour guide has an experience in the collection – Rails, Trails & Sails, which links Norwich with the Broads National Park at Reedham. The tour begins with stories at the Maids Head, followed by a walking tour of the Cathedral Quarter. Then it’s a short stroll to the railway station to catch the train to Reedham, where Paul covers the story of the railway in the Broadland town and the history of the wherry trading vessel. There are also visits to Reedham Church, built on the site of a Roman fort and Humpty Dumpty Brewery.
Open Academy, a Gold Young Chamber Member, are looking for businesses willing to take young people for work experience.
Their Year 10 students have their Summer Term work experience week 8th – 12th July and employers would need to be able to accomodate the students for the whole week.
If you would like to help the students gain the experience they need to succeed in the workplace please contact Caroline Davies at Caroline.Davies@open-academy.org.uk
Norwich Puppet Theatre is an inspirational centre for the development and celebration of puppet theatre and an outstanding cultural venue in the East of England. It is a registered arts charity, founded in 1979. The theatre opened its doors in December 1980, situated inside a converted Medieval Church at St James, Norwich, being one of only three building-based puppet theatres in England. It is the home of a ‘family’ of puppets, some of whom have ‘lived’ there for almost 40 years!
Back in 1979, the pressure was on to convert the redundant church, temporarily a night shelter, to a fully equipped live theatre specially designed for the art of puppet theatre. Then as now, Funding was a pressure. From that time, Tony Ede, Steering Group chairman talked about “another jewel in the crown of Norwich”. Then, as now, he said that a great deal of time and hard work had already been put into the scheme. All that he asked for was £15,000 (“not too much money at that time”, he said) from business and the community as well as time energy and moral support to bring original professional puppet theatre to Norwich.
Then, as now, the Puppet Theatre toured nationally and internationally carrying the name of Norwich as an ambassador representing our fine city and all our sectors and communities.
We are working on a “£40k for 40 Years of Puppet Theatre” campaign for our birthday in 2020. We are very keen to speak to partners who can help us raise the money we need by sponsorship, partnership, energy and goodwill. We are often told, “I have so often passed by but never been in.” Please contact us and arrange a visit if you’d like to discuss opportunities to work together, or simply look at https://puppettheatre.co.uk/whats-on and come to one of our events. The charity provides an excellent introduction to the magic of theatre with original shows, activities, workshops and master classes for all ages and abilities. Our touring has a trusted and popular national footprint, taking live professional puppet theatre all over this land! Our creative learning work mainly operates from our base in Norwich, and the main beneficiaries are in Norwich and Norfolk. Contact me, Chair of Trustees on nichopkins@puppettheatre.co.uk or our lovely team on info@puppettheatre.co.uk or 01603 615564 To support us online https://puppettheatre.co.uk/support-us/donate