We are excited to introduce to you our Founder & Principal Consultant, Darren Chapman. Here you can find out all you need to know about the person behind one of cyber security’s up and coming security companies, CyberScale, in a recent 60 Second Interview.
Tell us briefly about your background in IT?
I’ve been in IT for longer than I care to remember (it’s more than 20 years!), in a range of roles from 1st line support through to managing high performing consulting teams. Throughout that time, I’ve had a lot of involvement in security, but also a lot on the productivity side, so I understand that balancing both sides is critical in business.
How do you keep up to date with trends in the industry?
Lots of discussions with peers and peer groups including government and law enforcement, dedicated time for me (and the rest of the team) and a thirst for learning. Podcasts and audiobooks are gold!
What does the future look like at CyberScale?
Bright, exciting, scary and fun. I feel like we’re building something that can really make a difference to our client’s ability to deal with an ever-growing business risk without stifling their ability to do business.
What process is most important in creating a secure business environment?
Understanding what you have and why it is important to your business and your clients. It’s not until you’ve done that that you can really make good decisions about where to put your focus.
Where do you see the enterprise IT department in the future?
Ever changing, ever more critical to the business. IT (and security) should be a business enabler, that’s what it’s there for. Automation is huge, but we’ll always need smart people.
What advice would you give to your 21-year-old self over a coffee?
Hey 21-year-old Darren – when you create your web design company in a couple of years, and it seems like it’s not going anywhere – stick with it! You’ll be a bit too early, but it’s going to be huge!
What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?
There’s two – consistently positive feedback from employers and clients over the entire course of my career and building CyberScale from nothing after a huge leap of faith!
You can connect with Darren on Linkedin here or follow CyberScale here
The UK government has issued guidance on placing manufactured goods on the market in Great Britain (GB) from 1 January 2021. This includes guidance on when the new UKCA mark should be used and how to use it. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-the-ukca-mark-from-1-january-2021 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/placing-manufactured-goods-on-the-eu-market-from-1-january-2021 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/placing-manufactured-goods-on-the-market-in-great-britain-from-1-january-2021 All those manufacturing and distributing products in the UK should read the guidance and consider what immediate action is needed. You should identify which rules apply from 1 January 2021 and the guidance focusses on goods which are subject to the EU’s “new approach” product safety rules, which includes toys, electrical and electronic equipment, and personal protective equipment. There are different rules for chemicals, medicines, vehicles and aerospace. You should check to see if you need to change your conformity assessment or marking. —————————————————————————- In other news with new legislation being published this week, the ban has now come in regarding plastic straws, cotton buds and plastic stirrers from 1st October 2020. Charging for single use carrier bags is extended in April 2021 to all retailers and the minimum charge is changing from 5p to 10p. Drink containers with straws attached are banned from 3rd July 2021. There are some exemptions and businesses are allowed to use up existing stock obtained before the legislation came into force but only until March 2021.
Alex Chidlow has opened his first shop at 33 Queens Street, Horsham.
Experienced accountant Alex Chidlow has recently opened a walk-in tax and accountancy shop servicing the small business community in Horsham.
Alex has almost 20 years’ accountancy experience behind him, in a variety of roles which has provided him with a broad commercial and financial knowledge from which to draw on to support his clients.
He said: “I really enjoy getting to know clients and helping them with their businesses. Obviously, it’s been a real challenge for many small businesses over the last six months, but it’s been rewarding to have a direct impact on their survival by assisting with cash flow projections, furlough and grant applications.
“I’m really pleased the shop is now open for business and I’d like to encourage anyone interested in finding out more about our services and how we can help to pop in for a free consultation. We are also operating a telephone or online service for those who feel more comfortable with these methods. We provide a comprehensive tax, accountancy and advisory service and can offer a range of software solutions, to help clients select the right package for their needs.”
If you are interested in joining the TaxAssist Accountants network, regular Virtual Discovery Days are being held, where you can find out more about the technical, marketing and business development support on offer. Call 0800 0188297 to request attendance.
How we grew from grand halls to gardens to beat Covid and reconnect with our Norfolk roots…
By the end of March 2020, Image Display and Graphics had seen an entire calendar of events work evaporate. Being specialists in the design, production and installation of exhibition stands and experiences, we stood at the forefront of an industry now decimated by Covid-19. A previous year of growth and investment swiftly turned to a struggle for survival despite our strong finances. Amidst shaken confidence and the ongoing efforts to manage the pandemic, our team was under no illusions that the events calendar we once relied on, would remain unreliable for the foreseeable future. That was, until the virus was better controlled and the ‘new normal’ begins to return to the old one. In the meantime the question remained, what do we do with our 30 years of expertise in 3D design, timber engineering and creating experiences for our clients? The answer would mean the difference between whether we survived covid or not. Turns out it was sitting in the garden, or at least, it would be.
Taking stock of the technology and dedicated team at his disposal, our Managing Director Iain, recognised the potential to pivot right into this new sector that was literally in his back garden. “We realised we could work with the same mind-set we apply to our exhibition stand projects. Very few garden rooms are specifically designed with the users’ needs in mind, fully decorated and ready to use immediately. That’s where we come in as an end to end design and build service, all about creating a great experience.” So the journey to creating Image Garden Rooms rapidly began. No matter what we wanted to ensure we captured the essence of what it meant to work with Image. Complete peace of mind and professionalism unify our projects, working to immovable deadlines and the highest standards. Why should your garden room be any different? In short, it shouldn’t. This is why whatever shape our garden rooms end up taking, they are always built around you.
To develop our new range of garden rooms, we drew inspiration from this unique events background, modern architecture and of course, our home county of Norfolk. Quickly, the ‘Classic’, ‘Knightsbridge’ and ‘Norfolk’ formed our pre-designed garden room range. Together with an entirely bespoke service we had carefully planned the basis for the Image Garden Rooms offering you can now readily explore. Full of choice, customisation and creativity, we sought to well and truly put the Image stamp on our latest extraordinary endeavour. Not only essential, but exciting, our family-run business has embraced the opportunity to deliver a product directly to our local community. Passionate about collaborating with fellow Norfolk businesses, the materials, groundworks, landscaping and even windows and doors are all sourced from within the county. With our new website, local advertising campaign and partnerships being forged across Norfolk, we’re laying the foundations for future success, and we’d love for you to be part of it.
For a limited time, Image Garden Rooms are offering a 5% discount on all ‘showcase projects’. In exchange for an interview with our clients, an opportunity to take some photos and video of the finished, we’re knocking 5% off any of our garden rooms. So if this sounds like something you’d like to be involved in, or know someone who would please explore our garden rooms and get in touch.
We’re also on the look out for collaborators, be theyr creative or construstion based, we’d love to support fellow Norfolk businesses in our new venture. Reinvigorating our Norfolk roots and resolving to beat Covid, together we want to prove that you can grow a business in the garden too!
We are delighted to announce that we are working with the historic Clifton Pub in St John’s Wood, London. The popular pub is said to be more than 200 years old and was frequented by Edward VII. However, the establishment faced closure in 2013 and then the pursuit of a wealthy individual to turn the estate into a mansion, equipped with a basement, home cinema and gym. Following the signing of thousands of local supporters, The Clifton Pub was saved and is now back in business thanks to two entrepreneurial brothers Ed and Ben Robson.
What Work We Are Doing With Them
The challenge for The Clifton NW8 is helping their website to rank on Google for their brand name such as The Clifton and The Clifton Pub. There are several other Clifton’s out there with big businesses and older domains including a school, hotel, club and even a bridge.
The SEO Approach
We have built up their domain by gaining some local press through the likes of the Kilburn Times, Ham & High and St John’s Wood Times. This has strengthened their domain and proven that they are a local business too.
We have had to make amendments to their website including cleaning out the code to ensure it is faster and is easier to crawl on Google.
With little content on the website, we have had to sharpen up all their meta-titles, meta-descriptions, headings and ensure that every image has an alt-text too.
The site has made considerable progress on Google, including several page one positions within 6 weeks of implementing the changes. We are encouraging the client to add regular content to the website to show Google that they are active and use it as an opportunity to bulk up the content site of the site.
Are you interested in establishing in the (East) Netherlands to help grow your business? The Netherlands British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC), and Oost NL would like to invite you to attend our webinar “The (East) Netherlands: your gateway to Europe” on Tuesday 29 September 15:00 – 16:15 CEST The webinar is centered on providing best practice information to help you establish in the (East) Netherlands to help grow your business.
The Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice award places the Norfolk Broads National Park-based venue in the top 10% of Hotels worldwide. Based on a full year of Tripadvisor reviews, prior to any changes caused by the coronavirus pandemic, award winners are known for consistently receiving great guest feedback. The Norfolk Mead has nearly 1,400 reviews on the travel website which every year collates reviews, ratings and shares from travellers to highlight the finest places to stay around the world. James Holliday, Owner of The Norfolk Mead commented: “We are very pleased to have received this award, which reflects the hard work our entire team put in to delivering a high-end experience for our guests across the Hotel, Restaurant and our spa Treatment Rooms. We consistently average a 5.0 ‘Excellent’ rating on Tripadvisor, reflecting the ratings our guests give us across our location, cleanliness, service and value. Knowing that the feedback comes directly from guests who have stayed with us means a lot and gives us a huge boost to keep doing what we are doing.” “Winners of the 2020 Travelers’ Choice Awards should be proud of this distinguished recognition,” said Kanika Soni, Chief Commercial Officer at Tripadvisor. “Although it’s been a challenging year for travel and hospitality, we want to celebrate our partners’ achievements. Award winners are beloved for their exceptional service and quality. Not only are these winners well deserving, they are also a great source of inspiration for travellers and diners as the world begins to venture out again.” To see our guest reviews and popular features of The Norfolk Mead, visit our Hotel Tripadvisor page. Recent reviews include: Perfect “We have been here several times, for good reason. Post lockdown The Mead was better than ever. The food was faultless. Staff are genuine and attentive. Rooms, luxurious, homely and comfortable. They have hit the ground running and taken the Covid safety measures in their stride. We will be back (again…and, again….and…again!).” Absolutely fantastic! “We had a lovely stay last weekend, felt thoroughly pampered and absolutely loved the food as always. Best steak and best scrambled eggs I have possibly ever had! Thanks for making our stay remarkable as always even in this tough time!” Absolutely stunning and perfect in every way “We visited the Norfolk Mead a few years ago, and we always said we wanted to go back for another visit, and we finally managed to get back this weekend. It was every bit as awesome as we remembered it from last time. The staff are super friendly and helpful, the hotel and grounds are immaculately presented, and everyone there is more than happy to help, we had a slight problem with the hot water in our room, and literally within minutes, we were whisked off to another room. It was dealt with in record time and it was not a problem to them at all. The hotel have all the necessary safety precautions in place, which has quickly become the norm for us all, but we felt very safe there indeed, and you could see that the safety precautions have been thought through to make it as comfortable for guests as possible, and as safe as possible for all. We booked a suite which was large, clean and very, very comfortable. We got there quite early as we wanted to sit in their gardens and have a drink to set the mood, and the weather mostly behaved itself and we sipped our drinks while enjoying the peace and quiet. It was just what we needed. The restaurant is really good too, great food and service, and very enjoyable indeed. After dinner drinks in their intimate bar to finish the evening off.Breakfast was just as good as we remember, great choices and delicious too. All too soon, the stay was over, but we will be back, and we will stay for longer. Just what you need to switch off from our current harsh reality!! Thank you all at the Norfolk Mead, see you soon.” G and C Amazing from start to finish “My partner and I did an overnight stay. We couldn’t fault The Norfolk Mead, every member of staff was attentive, polite and made us feel extremely welcome! Probably the best service we have ever received. Everything was perfect from the cleanliness of the hotel, to the outstanding food, drinks and massage. It was a great escape from being mum and dad for a little while … just wish we stayed longer! We will be back to stay again! Thank you…during these current times The Norfolk Mead is doing a fantastic job to keep you safe but relaxed at the same time!”
In this week’s podcast, James and Mark build on previous episodes to help business leaders and their teams feel more energised in work and life. Breaking tradition, this time they provide a bonus forth top tip, taking inspiration from the likes of Dr John Briffa, the 5am Club, Fat Boy Slim and cold showers. You can subscribe to Impromptu Business Chat on Apple Podcasts here, or listen now!
Watch an outdoor showing of much-loved movie ‘The Greatest Showman’ in Norwich and raise money to tackle homelessness on World Homeless Day, 10 October;
The event marks the launch of new charity, Hopestead, which aims to end homelessness in the East of England and ensure everyone has a place to call home;
The film will be shown at the Drive in for Hope event at Heartsease Lane, with all proceeds from ticket sales going to support the good cause.
People in Norfolk have the opportunity to watch a much-loved movie and raise money to end homelessness in the East of England at a special drive-in cinema taking place on 10 October, World Homeless Day.
The ‘Drive in for Hope’ is set to be held at Heartsease Lane and will see the musical drama ‘The Greatest Showman’ shown, with the proceeds of all tickets going to support those who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
The event is taking place to mark the launch of Hopestead, a new charity established by Flagship Group, a social housing provider with a goal to solve the housing crisis in the East of England. Hopestead is Flagship’s commitment to ending homelessness.
Marie-Claire Delbrouque, Managing Director of Hopestead said: “We believe everyone deserves a place to call home and our goal at Hopestead is to end homelessness in the East of England.
“We know this is a big challenge. But by tackling the causes of homelessness and working in partnership with likeminded organisations already working hard to eradicate homelessness, we believe we can meet that challenge.
“To mark our launch, we wanted to connect people – safely – because we believe in community. And what better way than through a film which is universal and unifying. Drive in for Hope will not only be a fantastic evening, but it will also allow us to raise vital funds that we can use to support those in need. Please do join us.”
Tickets for the Drive in for Hope cost just £30 per car (plus a small booking fee) and can be bought here: www.hopestead.org
The Norfolk event, which will take place from 7pm – 11pm, will be mirrored on 9 October at Trinity Park in Ipswich, with The Greatest Showman also being shown there.
The film showing will be preceded by short videos from people who Hopestead has been supporting during Covid-19.
Although officially launching in October, in fact, Hopestead began an initiative earlier, offering support to Flagship Group customers during the pandemic, when it became clear that Covid-19 had the potential to increase homelessness. In response, Hopestead has since given out in excess of £350k to support nearly 700 families who might be at risk of losing their homes.
Marie-Claire added: “Now more than ever we are seeing people and communities struggling – which is why the role of Hopestead is so vital. We believe that we have a fundamental responsibility to end homelessness – including working to prevent people losing their homes, such as the financial help that we were able to provide earlier this year during the pandemic.
“We know that ending homelessness matters because sustainable communities benefit absolutely everyone.
“We believe passionately in our purpose and we are looking forward to working with partners and organisations with a common interest to bring about this change for good – because we believe that everyone deserves a place to call home.”
The government has today (Thursday 24 September) approved Norfolk County Council’s Development Consent Order application to build and operate a crucial new lifting bridge across the River Yare in Great Yarmouth.
The Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing will link the A47 at Harfrey’s roundabout to the port and the enterprise zone on the other side of the river. The bridge will ease traffic congestion on the town’s roads, shortening journey times and improving journey reliability, as well as support wider plans and work to maximise investment, regeneration and economic growth opportunities in the town and wider borough.
The Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps MP confirmed the decision in a letter, which marks the end of a year-long Development Consent Order process that began last September with a six-month examination period.
The council will now submit a final business case to the government which, if approved, would unlock £98 million of national funding towards the expected £120 million cost of the project. The remainder of the funding is likely to come from local sources. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2021 with the bridge open for use in early 2023.
Cllr Graham Plant, Deputy Leader at both Norfolk County Council and Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said: “This is fantastic news, we’re now tantalisingly close to making this much-needed bridge a reality. Not only will it make getting around so much easier for many people currently living and working in the borough but, crucially, it will support the town’s key industries, including those linked to the offshore energy and maritime sectors, tourism and manufacturing. This is more important than ever now as we seek to help Norfolk’s economy recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.”
The Rt. Hon. Brandon Lewis CBE, MP for Great Yarmouth, said: “This is excellent news, the Third River Crossing will be transformational for the whole of the Borough of Great Yarmouth, significantly improving traffic flows, which will help residents and visitors to get around. This improved traffic flow will also bring meaningful benefits to local businesses, especially those in the energy sector.”
Chris Starkie, Chief Executive of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “I’m pleased to see this step forward towards construction of the much-needed third crossing in Great Yarmouth. The crossing will open up key land for redevelopment, helping to maximise the potential of the harbour and the industries which it supports, particularly our world-leading energy sector.”
In January 2019, the council announced it had awarded the contract for the Third River Crossing to BAM Farrans, a joint venture between two construction industry leaders. As well as being responsible for finalising the design of the twin leaf bascule bridge and its approaches, including a new roundabout on the west side of the river, BAM Farrans will also construct the bridge on behalf of the council.