We are delighted to introduce a fresh new look to Fosters Solicitors across our digital, print and physical branding.
Our new logo forms part of this exciting change, supported by a brand-new website and the use of fresh imagery and fonts across all of our communications.
Clients and visitors will also see new signage when visiting our Norwich city-centre, Wymondham and Lowestoft branches – as well as across inventory through our key partners, including Norwich City Football Club.
With Fosters a key part of its community for over 260 years, it has been important through this process to appreciate the firm’s tradition but understand its continued development and requirement for the brand in a digital age.
Commenting on the news, Fosters’ Chief Executive Chris Brown, said: “We are excited to be able to finally share our refreshed brand and new website, which is a culmination of months of engagement and consultation with our colleagues and clients to create our fresh approach.
“We feel this is the right time to make these changes, with the firm seeking to build on the growth we’ve experienced in recent years, especially digitally, and we believe this new brand identity will help us unlock further opportunities.”
He added: “We have balanced a new strong primary colour and fonts to highlight simplicity, warmth and accessibility, but with a hint to our Norfolk and Suffolk heritage through a supportive colour pallet.
“We also want to visualise our core values of transparency, unity and collaboration and the building of relationships, and through the introduction of the message ‘You + Us’, we want to make all our interactions with our clients, partners and community, feel friendly, approachable and easy to navigate.”
Ignite your workforce and start a community engagement project this year!
Community engagement takes a strategic approach to the interactions and relationships between your business and the local community to try to influence outcomes for both.
When you engage with your local community, it can help you develop a more socially responsible business and make more informed decisions.
As a follow up to the Norfolk Chamber’s ‘Audience with George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’ event on the 7 November, we submitted a number of questions from our members to the Chancellor. Responses to those questions are now starting to be received from the relevant Ministers within Westminster.
Gerard Mulqueen is Business Unit Director at the King’s Lynn based agricultural company Germains Seed Technology.
Gerard’s question to the Chancellor was:
“It is predicted, from various government papers and scientific journals, that a 60% increase in food supply will be required by 2050 to meet the needs of the nine billion global population, putting increasing pressure on the current global agricultural supply chain. This will also be experienced in the UK, where although we export in the region of £12billion of food and drink (2007), we are reliant on 40% of imports to supplement our internal food needs; an increasing trend.
As referenced in ‘A UK Strategy for Agricultural Technologies’, funding is ear-marked to support the commercialisation of research into sustainable intensification of agriculture. What proportion, and in what form, will this funding be available for the Agri-tech cluster in Norfolk?”
Find on the attached document the written response from the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs.
We are a complete communications provider, delivering; Mobile, Mobile broadband, VoIP, Fixed Line and Broadband solutions to businesses of all sizes. Based in Norfolk, our local team have an unparalleled knowledge of East Anglia, allowing us to offer a truly informed consultation about your business needs. We understand the geographic demands our region often places on businesses, making the need for reliable, first class communication ever greater.
Our board alone has over 100 years’ experience in the industry from both a B2B and consumer standpoint. Our retail-facing sister company, Digital Phone Company started trading in 1994 and remains East Anglia’s largest independent mobile provider to this day. We understand and appreciate that no two companies are the same and, as such, neither are their communication requirements. We pride ourselves on our complete flexibility & ability to offer truly bespoke solutions to each and every business we partner with – an ability we also believe allows us to be at the cutting edge of customer service in an industry which famously lacks it. Our local team have the ability to manage your account in real-time from anywhere in the world, meaning our clients are never without the support they need to keep their operations running seamlessly. Our award winning platform provides our customers with live data insight in respect to their employees mobile data use. Alongside this we offer controls to allow you to decide how your telecommunications are managed and what restrictions you would like in place on a user-by-user basis. In this way, we can help to improve your staff productivity. We cater to clients of any size, from sole traders to large, national firms. However, we believe it’s all too common for small firms to be overlooked or given a lower level of service based on their “perceived value”. We promise to deliver consistency of service and our full suite of customer benefits, regardless of size or financial value. Our desire is to be a single point of contact and advocate for all your communication needs & to develop long-lasting relationships built on trust, integrity and the knowledge that we can exceed your expectations. We would like to offer Norfolk Chamber of Commerce members a free non-obligation review of their current telecommunications and a demonstration of our award winning platform.
Fosters Solicitors and Norwich City Football Club are delighted to confirm the renewal of their partnership in a new multi-year deal, taking the relationship through to the 2024/25 season.
Having first partnered with the Canaries back in 2011 to become the club’s official legal partner, Fosters also supports the Norwich City Community Hero initiative and the Norwich City Fans Social Club.
Throughout our decade of involvement with the club, we have helped provide legal support to many Norwich City supporters and its wider community, currently offering a 15% discount on our range of services to season ticket holders and members.*
Sam Jeffery, Norwich City commercial director, said: “Our partnership with Fosters is one of the most long-standing of our partner portfolio, and with us now entering an 11th season working with this brilliant local firm, we’d like to place our sincerest thanks to them for their continued support.
“As well as supporters, colleagues and partners able to access their legal expertise, the relationship is also firmly embedded in the club’s community, with their wider support for our Community Hero initiative and through the Norwich City Fans Social Club, the Community Sports Foundation. We are proud to be able to extend this key partnership and look forward to working with Fosters as a primary partner for another three seasons.”
Andrea Spooner, Fosters’ practice director, added: “The building of relationships forms part of our core values at Fosters, and this partnership embodies this for us. We take enormous pride in having worked together with the commercial team and wider club for over a decade.
“Many of our colleagues and clients are Norwich City supporters, but more than that, through the community work and reach of the club and its fans we’ve been able to highlight and support the wonderful work of key charities, people and good causes in our local community.”
She added: “This week we have been delighted to launch a fresh new look for Fosters Solicitors, which includes a brand-new logo and website. This will mean a change across our digital, print and physical branding, and we’re thrilled to highlight this new look across our signage and digital assets at Carrow Road at today’s match and those moving forward.”
As a follow up to the Norfolk Chamber’s ‘Audience with George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’ event on the 7 November, we submitted a number of questions from our members to the Chancellor. Responses to those questions are now starting to be received from the relevant Ministers within Westminster.
John Last, Vice Chancellor at the Norwich University of the Arts (NUA), asked two questions to the Chancellor, we have now received his second response.
John’s question to the Chancellor was:
“One if the enduring strengths of UK HE plc has been the influence we have had through overseas students coming to the UK to study, in terms of their contribution to our economy and then such students taking a UK-friendly way of thinking and openness to working with and buying from the UK back to their country of origin. At Norwich University of the Arts we appreciate the concerns about appropriate monitoring of entrants to the UK but nonetheless wonder if the Government might be able to do anything further to support Universities such as NUA in giving access to UK HE to suitably qualified students?”
Find on the attached document the written response from the Department for Business innovation & Skills.
Commenting ahead of the latest GDP results, Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said: At present Norfolk business confidence is high and the Norfolk and East of England business communities are resolute in their determination to take the recovery from being good to being truly great.
The recent British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey (released 7 January), showed that firms from all sectors across Norfolk believe they can create jobs, invest, and export. It is especially pleasing that the spurt in manufacturing has proven not to be a fluke, which demonstrates the dynamism of our small, high value, manufacturing sector. But Norfolk businesses have major ambitions, and to be able to meet them, more support must be provided. Cashflow continues to be an ongoing concern, and may hold businesses back from expanding to meet the growing levels of demand. We must give companies the opportunity to get the finance they need to go out and trade in the world if we are to succeed in rebalancing the economy.
In the manufacturing sector, key balances are at all time highs, and domestic balances in the services sector continue to break new ground. The strong export and investment balances confirm that business in the East of England is set to play a key role in rebalancing the economy.
One such example is Great Yarmouth based, Dabbrook Services Ltd who has had great success in exporting. Their first successful large export was to Kuwait in 2010, where they supplied and commissioned remote solar power systems.
Anna Smith, Finance Manager for Dabbrook said “Being one of the few companies worldwide able to offer the expertise to the design, manufacture and installation of Remote Power Systems, we are very active in exporting worldwide and to the Middle East in particular, having just successfully completed a $1.2m project, we are in the final bidding stages for a further $3m contract. With the help of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce and UKTI we are exploring further afield for new opportunities.”
Prior Diesel Ltd, operates in oil, gas, marine, power and construction industries and is also based in Great Yarmouth. They too have accomplished export success. Chris Conroy, Managing Director said:”In the last twelve months we’ve exported to over sixty different companies across the globe and we expect that number to increase this year.”
From September 2022, Langley School welcomes a brand new Head of Prep to lead the co-educational independent school at its stunning Taverham Park site.
After 14 successful years of Headship, Mike Crossley retires from Langley Prep but his successor is no stranger to the school. New Head of Prep Jason Hyatt was formerly Deputy Head for three years, before he took up a role at Gresham’s in north Norfolk in 2018. With decades of experience in education, Jason is also an ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate) Reporting Inspector and a Satips (Support and Training in Prep Schools) Council Member.
Jason comments, “I am absolutely delighted to be joining the Langley community as the Head of Langley Prep School. It is great to be returning to a school that I know so well from my time previously as Deputy Head.”
Langley is famed for celebrating intellectual curiosity, confidence, kindness and integrity, and Jason is keen to see these values in action, particularly given that Langley Prep School sits within a 100acre site of ancient woodland and parkland, home to a fantastic Outdoor Learning Centre, all just a stone’s throw from Norwich.
“I am passionate about pupils achieving their best through the many opportunities available to them while having kindness at the heart of everything that they do.”
Jason continues, “The School is extremely lucky to be located in such stunning grounds, giving children the freedom to grow. I believe that education is constantly moving forwards, reflecting the ever-changing needs of the world around us, and it is our job to help prepare our young people for this.”
As part of their commitment to developing their partnerships with stakeholders, Abellio Greater Anglia have commissioned the independent research organisation – Jungle Green Ltd – to conduct an online Stakeholder Research Survey. This research involved a short questionnaire that will help Abellio Greater Anglia understand the areas in which they are doing well and where they need improvement.
Abellio Greater Anglia to shape how they work with stakeholders in the future by completing the online survey.
Aston Shaw has released a new and improved mobile application for both apple and android devices, which boasts a number of great new features.
Aston Shaw first released an app in 2011 and many of the most-used features have been retained, such as the rather useful tax calculator, tax table, tax tips and a key tax dates calendar.
Tax Calculator – Using the calculator, you can work out how much tax is payable on taxes such as corporation tax, dividends, income tax and many more.
Tax Tables – Using the ‘Tax Tables’ feature you can see current taxation rates and benefits, from National Insurance to Vehicle benefits.
Key Tax Dates – Keeping informed of key tax dates is important, it can be the difference between meeting deadlines or being lumbered with penalties.
Tax Tips – Receive practical, up-to-date tax tips that can help you save money.
The new version of the app however, has the addition of:
Blog
Quickbooks
Receipt Bank
What do these new features mean for clients?
The introduction of the blog feature means that clients can keep up-to-date with Aston Shaw’s award winning blogs! Blogs cover a range of topics, from industry news to business tips. Clients will also have the option to receive push notifications every time a new blog is uploaded.
The integration of quickbooks into the Aston Shaw app means clients can run their business anywhere by using the number 1 small business cloud accounting platform. With quickbooks you can:
Create and send professional invoices and estimates (in multiple currencies).
Download, categorise, and reconcile bank and credit card transactions.
Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet reports show how your business is doing.
Attach photos and notes to estimates, invoices, customers, and transactions.
Receive overdue invoice notifications so you always know who owes you money.
Customise tax rates for your business.
Do you hate having to keep looking after receipts? With the Receipt Bank feature on Aston Shaw’s app, you can simply snap photos of your receipts or invoices and Receipt Bank will extract all of the information for you. This means you can get rid of all those annoying bits of paper.
The new app also benefits from a quick access link to the client login section of the Aston Shaw website, making it even easier to manage your finances on the go.
The app is available for download now on the Apple App Store and Google Play!
The BCC publishes its Skills and Employment Manifesto to address ‘skills mismatch’ described by many UK employers
BCC President, Nora Senior: “Although we believe that successive governments have failed our young people by not properly equipping them for their future careers, it is time to break away from the blame game.”
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has today (Thursday) published its Skills and Employment Manifesto, setting out ways to radically transform the systems that educate our young people, and recommendations for training our adult workforce.
Employers consistently tell us that there is a mismatch between what they are looking for in their staff, and the skills, experience and attitude offered by too many prospective candidates. The Prime Minister regularly refers to a global race, yet the BCC believes that in the 21st century, it is the countries with the most skilled workforces – both young and old – that will be the ultimate winners.
The Manifesto calls for:
Ensuring that ’employability’ skills are at the heart of how schools are assessed and rated
Investing in quality careers education for all young people, including regular, quality contact with a variety of employers
Using Chambers to offer independent advice and support to SMEs to increase investment in apprenticeships and workplace training
Clear, universally understood qualifications for literacy, numeracy, computing and foreign languages
Qualifications to be consistent and clear, to enable employers to understand an individual’s competencies
Tax incentives for the development of foreign language and export skills
All employment policy to become the responsibility of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)
Universities to work with Chambers of Commerce to promote enterprise among a wider range of students, and to ensure university courses are relevant to future job opportunities
The government to give employers a choice on how they receive government funding for apprenticeships – either directly through the tax system or via their chosen training provider
Commenting, Nora Senior, President of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:
“Skills will decide who wins and who loses in a 21st century economy – yet employers across the UK constantly say they struggle to find prospective employees, particularly those leaving education, who have the right skills to succeed in the workplace.
“Although we believe that successive governments have failed our young people by not properly equipping them for their future careers, it is time to break away from the blame game. Various organisations and sectors continue to blame each other for a lack of ‘work readiness’ among young people, but it is time for everyone to accept some responsibility, and find ways to move forward.
Commenting Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber said:
“The world has changed at a rapid pace. If Norfolk doesn’t keep up, employers who are unable to access the skills they need or those unwilling to invest in training will lose business to other firms at home and abroad, putting us at a disadvantage. Simple measures, such as investing in quality careers education, making employability a key measure for schools, and supporting interaction between pupils and local employers, will deliver more jobs and growth in the long-term.
“Government, schools, colleges and employers must all work together in the coming months and years to ensure that the UK including Norfolk has a workforce that is ‘fit for purpose’. Failure to do so risks consigning generation after generation to a less prosperous future. Norfolk Chamber has made this a key priority for a number of years and it is great that we have our national network assisting us orchestrate change”