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Click on the pdf below to read Walking With the Wounded’s Impact Report 2022

AF Group Limited – the largest agricultural buying group in the UK and independent provider of advice, insight, and services to the farming community – have confirmed that David Horton-Fawkes will join them as their new CEO this winter.

Commenting on the appointment, AF chairman Nigel Savory said, “David is a proven leader with an enviable track record of business growth. Having someone at the helm of our business who not only understands farming but can also help navigate the headwinds the industry is about to face was hugely important to the board. Therefore, we are incredibly excited about the future of AF and the value we can offer to farm businesses across the UK under David’s leadership.

David is currently the chief executive of Gascoyne Estates and his previous roles include Estate Director at Holkham Estate and Lowther Estate, giving him a strong understanding of both large and small farming businesses as well as the increasingly diversified rural economy.

David says, “I am grateful to the Chairman and the Board for giving me the opportunity to lead AF at a time when farming is facing a turbulent future and when all businesses must be alert to change driven by technology, climate and social attitudes. The role is a huge and exciting challenge and I am determined to make a positive difference for AF, its employees and its Members”.  

Adina Strajeru, a Greater Anglia conductor who has completed an apprenticeship

Greater Anglia is celebrating National Apprenticeship Week, with more than 100 staff currently undertaking qualifications.

The train company offers fully funded apprenticeships to all its staff, regardless of their age or the stage of their career, giving them the chance to develop and improve their skills to reach their full potential.

The train operator offers the apprenticeships for free in levels two to five, from an intermediate level up to a higher apprenticeship level, the equivalent of a foundation degree.

The scheme is open to drivers, conductors, customer service staff, train presentation teams and those who work in offices across the network.

It allows for tutor-led training but also gives crucial on-the-job training, allowing the apprentice to improve and gain skills – from communication and teamwork to problem-solving or learning about other areas of the business and the wider rail industry too.

Support and mentorship are provided on an ongoing basis by the learners’ managers, training provider-allocated coaches and skills tutors.

It means that anyone who completes it will gain a nationally recognised qualification, along with useful transferable skills.

Viktorija Novikova, Greater Anglia’s Early Careers and Apprenticeship Manager, said: “Our apprentices are a vital part of the Greater Anglia workforce, coming from a range of operations, customer service and office-based roles.

“Apprenticeships allow everyone to develop skills that all ultimately improve the experience provided to our customers day-in, day-out.

“Our apprenticeship scheme has been open since 2017 and we’ve trained hundreds of our colleagues in that time, from all areas of the business.

“There’s a perception that apprenticeships are just for those fresh out of school, but that’s really not the case. They can be started at any age and can provide a wealth of skills that you didn’t have before, all the while being given support and guidance – meaning our staff can really hit their full potential, no matter what their role.”

Adina Strajeru, who currently works as a conductor at Greater Anglia, has undertaken an apprenticeship as part of her role. She said: “The apprenticeship gave me a lot of confidence doing my role and it gave me the ability to understand people better. It has also helped me to deliver a better standard of customer experience.”

Throughout National Apprenticeship Week, Greater Anglia will be sharing stories from its current and former apprentices across its social media channels.

A steely fundraiser is pulling on his walking boots for a mammoth 135-mile trek along the Norfolk and Suffolk coastline.

Ricky Clarke, from Ipswich, is starting his energy-sapping challenge on 29^th April, in support of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).

The 46-year-old will be setting off from Hunstanton and plans to walk the coastlines of both counties before finishing in Felixstowe.

He will be wild camping along the way and expects his trek to take around a week, with his daily target between 25 and 30 miles.

“I’m buzzing for it and can’t wait to get started,” said Ricky, a machine operator for Ipswich printing business Fuller Davies.

“I walk and hike a lot of miles throughout the year, but have never attempted anything so strenuous and continuous.

“I’ve wild camped a few times in random places and hiked many miles, so now it’s a case of putting both together.

“It’s going to be an adventure and I love being at one with nature. I find it so uplifting and that’s one of the reasons I love hiking. Those highs will hopefully spur me on and see me over the finish line.

“One of my heroes is Ed Stafford, who’s the only man to walk the length of the Amazon.

“It took 860 days to complete but if he can do that, I’d love to think I can do the Norfolk and Suffolk coastline!”

Ricky, who has two daughters, Poppy, 14, and Luna, 11, first approached EACH about taking on the challenge in October.

“I wanted to give myself something to look forward to and now it’s full steam ahead,” he said.

“It’s great to give your mind a focus and your soul a boost. Speaking to the team there amplified those feelings.

“I’m taking this very seriously and it’s ingrained in my mind.

“After a final blow-out at Christmas, I’m now watching what I eat, have cut out alcohol completely and am training hard to build up more upper-body strength, in readiness for carrying my backpack.

“Between now and then I also plan to get many more miles of training under my belt.”

To sponsor Ricky, head here. He can also be followed on Instagram via footslog_farmer

Ali Butler, EACH Community Fundraiser for Suffolk and East Essex, said: “This is an amazing, exciting challenge and we really appreciate Ricky’s support.

“He’s clearly very focused and determined and I’m sure that resilience will keep him going during the tough miles.

“We wish him well and can’t wait to hear about his walking adventure.”

Image credits EACH

Employee engagement, productivity and wellbeing have never been more important. In fact, we’d go so far as to say that if you’re not making these a priority as a business, you’re going to struggle to attract and keep the very best employees.

Why is employee engagement important?

For one simple reason: engaged employees are more invested in their jobs and the success of the organisation they work for. This creates a better culture which means lower staff turnover, and increased productivity and results.

So how can you make sure you’re getting the very best from your people – and giving the same back? By joining the Best Employers community.

Wait, what’s Best Employers?

Best Employers was co-created by recruitment specialists Pure and psychometrics experts eras Ltd. It aims to help businesses develop engaging, supportive and inclusive workplaces that support their people and bring out the best in them.

Best Employers started life as a survey measuring engagement, culture and values. What made it particularly special is that companies were judged by the people who know them best – their own employees. While this survey is still very much at the heart of Best Employers today, it’s evolved into something much more all-encompassing. Participating organisations get the chance to win awards and accreditations, go to exclusive events, hear from inspirational speakers and share knowledge with a community of like-minded businesses. It’s all about making the eastern region a great place to work. And businesses that have taken part in the programme are using the results to transform their workplaces in positive and inspiring ways.

We’re not expecting you to just take our word for that though. Here are three stories from employers who’ve told us how Best Employers has completely changed the way they create their HR and people strategies.

Best Employers makes a difference

Holkham Estate

The Holkham Estate is on the north-Norfolk coast. It’s a private 25,000-acre agricultural estate that includes a holiday park, several shops, property development and an internationally acclaimed inn. Holkham employs up to 300 people in peak season and is aiming to become the UK’s most pioneering and sustainable rural estate. They first took part in Best Employers in 2018 and Alex Triplow, their Head of HR, found the results absolutely invaluable when it came to evolving their HR strategy.

One of the major changes they’ve made as a result of Best Employers was establishing an engagement group. This has since helped them bring in several improvements, particularly around the way the business communicates with staff.

‘We also used the survey results to create an action plan for each team,’ says Alex. ‘This has really helped drive activity and keep the focus on the importance of engagement.’

It’s paid off too. In Holkham’s 2021 survey, their team members commented on how much better things were since the previous survey, singling out the fact that the business had really listened to them, and acted on their ideas. ‘Our results really improved,’ Alex tells us. ‘We were delighted to win best in sector and a gold accreditation – it’s something we’re all incredibly proud of.’

So would Alex recommend Best Employers? ‘I highly recommend taking part in the survey,’ she says. ‘Not only do you get great insights into what’s working well at your business, it also gives you concrete information on how you can become an even better place to work.’

Beckett Investment Management Group

Beckett Investment Management Group is one of the largest providers of financial advice to individuals and corporate clients in the east of England. They have offices in Ipswich, Norwich, Bury St Edmunds and Kibworth, and manage around £1bn of client funds. In 2021 they got a platinum Best Employers’ accreditation, and also won Best Overall Medium Company. They also have excellent client satisfaction scores – their last survey gave them an average score of 9.6 out of 10 – which Ian White, Managing Director, believes is a direct result of having an engaged workforce. ‘Best Employers allowed us to build a successful wellbeing strategy based directly on feedback received from our people,’ he says.

Ian also believes that all businesses can benefit from making employee engagement a top strategic concern. ‘It can be easy to prioritise other things over the wellbeing of staff,’ he tell us. ‘But I believe this is the wrong approach: keep it at the top and give your company and its employees the best chance to succeed.’

Big C

Established in Norfolk in 1980, Big C is the largest cancer charity in East Anglia. Their mission is to make a positive difference to local people affected by cancer through support and information, research and equipment funding, and education. They first took part in Best Employers in 2018, using information from their survey to understand priorities for their people, and create action plans. Caroline Roberts, People Manager at the charity, says it’s ‘fundamentally changed the way we develop our people strategies and practices’. For example, as a result of Best Employers Big C have made their executive team accessible to all staff, including those based away from their head office. They’ve also improved wellbeing support for employees and volunteers, including bringing in qualified mental-health first aiders. And they’re investing extra money in training and development for all their people.

These improvements are reflected in their later survey results – in 2021 they got a gold accreditation, and also won the ‘Alex Pearce Award for the Most Improved’ after increasing their culture and engagement scores by a massive 25 per cent. ‘One of our aims is to become the employer and volunteer organisation of choice,’ Caroline says. ‘And lots of job applicants tell us our Best Employers accreditation really appeals to them.’

She’s also particularly impressed with the support they get from other employers as part of the Best Employers’ network. ‘The knowledge and learning we’ve got from engaging with other organisations through Best Employers’ activities has been extremely helpful.’

Get set for Best Employers 2023

If these stories have inspired you to join the next programme, get in touch using this form. It’s going to be a particularly special one as well, as we’re celebrating 10 years of Best Employers.

This text was originally written by MAD-HR Ltd. Copyright © 2022 MAD-HR Ltd. All rights reserved: https://www.mad-hr.co.uk/blog/time-to-put-employee-engagement-at-the-top-of-your-agenda. Photo provided by MAD-HR

A new community shop is being set up in Norwich to help people who are struggling financially or at risk of food or fuel poverty.

The shop in Earlham is being established as part of the Nourishing Norfolk Project, with funding from Norfolk Community Foundation, and has been set up as a community interest company with the help of regional accountancy firm, Larking Gowen.

One of the founders, Carole Jacques, who is Head Teacher at Earlham Nursery School, said the NR5 postcode the shop will serve is an area of very high deprivation, and there’s a pressing need to help local residents with food security.

“When lockdown came, there was a big focus on access to food from a number of groups, including students, families, working people and retired residents. Since the cost of living crisis, food poverty has just escalated,” Carole said.

“When we started looking into setting up the shop, we realised that to get funding we’d have to become a community interest company. Fortunately, we were able to get help from Larking Gowen, and without that support we wouldn’t have been able to get set up.

“They helped us with the paperwork and gave us clear guidance about our roles and responsibilities,” she continued.

The community shop will be in a room at the nursery school which is currently used as a staff common room and has separate access. People in need of support will join as members. They’ll have access to cheaper food and professional help in a number of areas including employment, health and budgeting.

“We see the impact of food and fuel poverty every day from our children at the nursery, even though they’re very young. This has been our motivation to set this up,” Carole said.

Giles Kerkham, head of the Not for Profit Team at Larking Gowen, said: “This project is about getting food and support to people in Norwich who need it. We were delighted to help by setting up the community interest company.

“It’s been about discussing the intended benefits for the community and how they achieve them, while keeping the wording of their documentation simple, usable and effective. Having the community interest company will protect the committee members and give confidence to supporters and funders.

“As an independent regional practice, our role in supporting the wider community is extremely important to us. As part of this wider commitment, we’re proud to be one of the founder members of Norfolk ProHelp, the network of professional firms who commit to providing free, quality advice to the not for profit sector. We were very pleased to be able to accept this project to make sure that the community shop is set up in the best way to ensure its sustainability.”

Image provided by Larking Gowen

In December 2022, the Charity Commission published details of the new charity Annual Return that will apply for financial years commencing on or after 1 January 2023. For most charities, that means it will apply for the first time to December 2023 year end onwards.

Most of the information collected in the Annual Return is not made public, but is used by the Charity Commission to fulfil its oversight responsibilities, and to support charities. The content is therefore interesting, as it provides insight into the areas that the Commission considers current issues, and higher risk.

Highlights of the new return

Donations – charities with income over £100,000 will need to disclose the value of the highest value donation received from a corporate donor, and an individual, and to confirm whether this was from a related party.

Grants making – the value of grants made will need to be split between individuals, other charities and other. There’s also a requirement to confirm whether any charity grants were made to related parties.

Trustee payments – there’s a new question asking what, if any, payments to trustees were made for, and whether any trustees resigned to take up employment with the charity in the year.

Overseas activities – income from overseas must be split per country and source, to the nearest £100. How this income was received must also be confirmed, although the requirement is only to tick from a selection of options. There’s a similar approach for overseas expenditure, with the need to split the expenditure between countries, and to confirm how the funds were remitted. There’s also a need to identify the countries where the charity delivers activities.

Governance – there’s a new question that asks a charity to identify which, from a list of 14 policies and procedures, it has in place.

Area of interest to the Commission, and therefore perceived higher risk

• Interactions with related parties, including trustees
• Overseas activities and influence
• Governance

Details of the new Annual Return can be found here.

Need help?

If you have any concerns regarding the information discussed in this article, or have any other questions, please get in touch with your usual Larking Gowen contact or look for contact details in the Our People section of the our website. Alternatively, call 0330 024 0888 or email enquiry@larking-gowen.co.uk.

Chris Yeates

© Larking Gowen LLP

A new community shop is being set up in Norwich to help people who are struggling financially or at risk of food or fuel poverty.

The shop in Earlham is being established as part of the Nourishing Norfolk Project, with funding from Norfolk Community Foundation, and has been set up as a community interest company with the help of regional accountancy firm, Larking Gowen.

One of the founders, Carole Jacques, who is Head Teacher at Earlham Nursery School, said the NR5 postcode the shop will serve is an area of very high deprivation, and there’s a pressing need to help local residents with food security.

“When lockdown came, there was a big focus on access to food from a number of groups, including students, families, working people and retired residents. Since the cost of living crisis, food poverty has just escalated,” Carole said.

“When we started looking into setting up the shop, we realised that to get funding we’d have to become a community interest company. Fortunately, we were able to get help from Larking Gowen, and without that support we wouldn’t have been able to get set up.

“They helped us with the paperwork and gave us clear guidance about our roles and responsibilities,” she continued.

The community shop will be in a room at the nursery school which is currently used as a staff common room and has separate access. People in need of support will join as members. They’ll have access to cheaper food and professional help in a number of areas including employment, health and budgeting.

“We see the impact of food and fuel poverty every day from our children at the nursery, even though they’re very young. This has been our motivation to set this up,” Carole said.

Giles Kerkham, head of the Not for Profit Team at Larking Gowen, said: “This project is about getting food and support to people in Norwich who need it. We were delighted to help by setting up the community interest company.

“It’s been about discussing the intended benefits for the community and how they achieve them, while keeping the wording of their documentation simple, usable and effective. Having the community interest company will protect the committee members and give confidence to supporters and funders.

“As an independent regional practice, our role in supporting the wider community is extremely important to us. As part of this wider commitment, we’re proud to be one of the founder members of Norfolk ProHelp, the network of professional firms who commit to providing free, quality advice to the not for profit sector. We were very pleased to be able to accept this project to make sure that the community shop is set up in the best way to ensure its sustainability.”

Love West Norfolk Day returns on 14 February and people are being asked to highlight why they’re proud to live, work or visit here. Also, what their favourite spot is and why.

We’re Celebrating Women in Business this International Women’s Day4th – 11th March | The Place

Discover King’s Lynn, the town centre’s Business Improvement District, is acknowledging International Women’s Day this March with a short programme of events designed to recognise,
celebrate and empower women in business in King’s Lynn.

Vicky, BID Manager, says:

We have a huge pool of talented and experienced women in business in King’s Lynn and we want to celebrate them and learn from their career experiences. All too often we look outside for advice and inspiration, yet we have a wealth of expertise and knowledge right here in King’s Lynn. Many of our independent businesses are led by women, several or our large national retailers have women at the helm, and there are a host of female directors and partners in our law and accountancy firms, not to mention a female CEO of the Borough Council and our largest housing association, Freebridge. International Women’s Day provides a great opportunity to pause and applaud their achievements and draw on their experiences to inspire and encourage younger women.

An event being held on the 8th March – IWD itself – will bring together a panel of these talented women and allow attendees insight into their experiences of the workplace. Hear their stories, ask for their advice, and together discuss how workplaces are doing – or can do – right by their female employees.

The IWD panel event will be held in The Place from 12:00pm – 2:00pm. The Panel will commence shortly after 12:00pm followed by a light lunch and networking at 1:00 pm. If you’d like to join in and celebrate our town centre’s female talent, please RSVP: info@discoverkingslynn.com.

In addition to the event on 8th, we will be hosting a celebration of local, female entrepreneurs and micro-business owners. On the 4th March, inside The Place, you’ll find a range of businesses showcasing their handmade wares, including local, female beekeepers, chocolatiers and crafters. Pop in between 10am and 4pm to browse a lovely selection of food and craft items and chat to these women about their unique business stories and experiences.

Another IWD event falls on the 7th March at 12:30pm, and will again be hosted in The Place. This short breathwork session being led by local mental health nurse-cum-yoga teach, Toni Markham, has been organised with town centre workers in mind, and offers participants a window of relaxation in their otherwise hectic schedules. The easy-to-practice breathing techniques shared by Toni will help attendees to calm their minds and nervous systems, setting them up for a more focused and productive workday! Come alone or bring a colleague,                                                                        please RSVP to:info@discoverkingslynn.com.

International Women’s Day provides the perfect opportunity to not only celebrate women’s achievements in the workplace, but to showcase exemplary employer initiatives and support too. In
the build up to Discover King’s Lynn’s events, and over the course IWD week, the BID will be asking local women about their experience of work. They’ll collect responses anonymously via a digital form with the hopes of collating a short report on what King’s Lynn business do well in supporting their female colleagues, and feasible areas of improvement.

Vicky says: As a BID, our role includes supporting Town Centre businesses to be the best that they can be, so we’re keen to hear what our businesses do well to support women in the workplace and hear if there is scope to do things differently and maybe better. We will collate responses and share good practice examples. If you would like to contribute, keep an eye on our social platforms!

The International Women’s Day celebrations will end with a pop-up event hosted in The Place by Soroptimist International on the 11th March, from 10am – 4pm. Along with a display of inspirational women from King’s Lynn History, the Soroptimists will be joined by a range of other businesses and community teams.

If you would like more information about any of the events mentioned in this press release, please visit our website www.discoverkingslynn.com, or email us at info@discoverkingslynn.com.

Join the discussion at our next Masterclass.

Wednesday February 22^nd

Most of the time our focus is on the current environment – what is happening in the economy, in politics and in the markets in the short-term. At Chadwicks we’re equally interested in the long-term ‘mega-trends’ that will shape our future regardless of what is happening in the short term. This session takes a step back to look at the bigger picture and consider how we might meet the challenges presented by the long-term mega-trends.

5 years ago we deep-dived into the long-term demographic, environmental and technological trends driving change in the world. A pandemic, war, Brexit, and few other events later, we’re diving again to see how they’ve changed (if at all).

In this session, Radostina Dencheva reflects of the findings from her 2018 paper and brings us up to date before handing the baton to Dr Saul Humphrey who will look at ways the effects of these long-term trends are being addressed in the built environment.

While these are important issues for investors, they are, arguably, existential issues for all of us.

Date:                      Wednesday 22^nd February

Time:                      6pm – 8pm

Venue:                   The Enterprise Centre, UEA, Norwich. NR4 7TJ

(light refreshments & superb cake will be served)

Register your place: Latest Masterclasses (chadwicks.co.uk)

Chick out Chantry Place Norwich this Easter, from Saturday 1^st April to Sunday 16^th April 2023, for its free family Easter trail around the Centre and meet the RSPB team on select days throughout the school holidays when they give out free sunflower packs and let little ones get hands on with nature.

Families can pick up a free trail map for the Chantry Place Easter Eggstravaganza trail from Langleys and then follow the posters to collect letters which will spell out an Easter themed word. A competition prize is on offer too for one lucky winner worth around £150, including Easter eggs, Jellycat toys and an H&M voucher, with some bird houses too up for grabs for runners up. Everyone who completes the trail can also pick up a sticker too from Langleys at the end.

Chantry Place will also be welcoming the RSPB to Chantry Place on Tuesday 4^th, Friday 7^th, Saturday 8^th, Sunday 9^th and Thursday 13^th April for more free family fun. Visitors will be able to pick up some free sunflower seed packs for a fun competition, meet the RSPB team and visit its nature display table featuring owl pellets, snake skins and bones and more. They can be found on the lower ground floor near Langleys.

Paul McCarthy, general manager at Chantry Place, said: “This year we are planning free events in the school holidays for families to enjoy and this self-led chick trail will be enjoyed by little ones as they search for all the letters, then get some help to unscramble them into an Easter-themed word. We are looking forward to being visited by the RSPB too so that visitors can have fun learning and discovering more about nature and the work the charity does in protecting habitats and saving species.”

Freya Stuart, Membership Venues Officer at the RSPB, commented: “The RSPB is thrilled to be visiting Chantry Place on selected dates over Easter when we will be sharing an exciting, family-friendly grow challenge. Drop by to pick up your free Sunflower Race Pack (subject to availability) and take part in your very own Sunflower Race at home! April is the perfect time to plant sunflowers! Whose sunflower will be the tallest? Who will have the biggest flower? And who will produce the most sunflower seeds to feed hungry garden birds? Visit our ‘nature pod’ next to Langleys toy shop on the lower ground floor opposite Boots to pick up your pack, learn some amazing nature facts and discover more about the RSPB. Nature is in crisis. Together we can save it!”

At Chantry Place, visitors can discover a range of Easter gifts and treats, including delicious Easter eggs from Hotel Chocolat and décor from Flying Tiger. The shopping centre is also home to numerous restaurants including Wagamamas, The Real Greek, YO! Sushi and Ask Italian, making them a perfect place to grab a bite to eat before or after the Easter fun.

For more information on events happening around the centre, please visit www.chantryplace.co.uk/events

To find out more about Chantry Place, visit chantryplace.co.uk