February is a month where love is in the air, and The Hearing Care Centre are encouraging the public to truly connect with their loved ones by taking action against hearing loss. The team will be offering complimentary appointments where our expert audiologists will conduct a full hearing assessment, offer advice and guidance based upon the results and make personalised recommendations on solutions that could lead attendees on the path to better hearing. To find out more or to book an appointment for this event, call The Hearing Care Centre on 01473 230330 or visit their website.
A 20 year-old cyclist has recently been acquitted of manslaughter, but alternatively found guilty of ‘wanton or furious driving’, after a 44 year-old woman died having been struck by the cyclist on his bicycle in February last year when crossing the road in East London. It should be noted that this appears to be the first occasion a cyclist had been prosecuted for manslaughter in such circumstances. Causing bodily harm by ‘wanton or furious driving’ is an offence under section 35 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. This historic piece of legislation is still used in criminal courts up and down the land, being the basis of the offences of actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm, and wounding. Such an offence encapsulates being in charge of any kind of vehicle or carriage, including bicycles. At the time of the incident the cyclist was riding a Planet X fixed wheel bike which he purchased during the preceding month. The bicycle was designed for riding in a velodrome, thus not lawful for use on the road without first being modified to add front brakes. Having no front brakes on a pedal cycle (with a saddle more than 63.5cm from the ground) on a public road is an offence in itself in accordance with regulation 7(1)(b) The Pedal Cycle (Construction and Use) Regulations 1983, however in this case the prosecutors took the unprecedented step of charging the individual concerned with manslaughter, which carries a maximum life sentence. Crash investigators who studied CCTV of the incident concluded the cyclist would have been able to stop and avoid the collision if the bike had been fitted with a front brake. Posting online after the incident, the cyclist described how he warned the individual twice to get out of the way. He went on yo state: “It is a pretty serious incident so I won’t bother saying oh she deserved it, it’s her fault. Yes it is her fault but no she did not deserve it…Hopefully, it is a lesson learned on her behalf, it shouldn’t have happened like it did but what more can I say.” The alternative offence for which the cyclist was ultimately convicted carries a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. The cyclist will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on 18 September 2017, with Judge Wendy Joseph QC commenting that a custodial sentence is a distinct possibility. Judge Wendy Joseph QC, in her closing remarks, also stated: “If you want to rely on remorse, I am bound to say I haven’t seen one iota of remorse from Mr Alliston at all – at any stage.” This case has led to suggestions that cyclists who cause incidents should be subject to the same or equivalent offences as those charged against drivers. Whilst collisions between pedestrians and cyclists are comparatively much rarer and less likely to result in serious injury than collisions between pedestrians and motorists, serious incidents evidently still occur. A report compiled by Cycling UK claims that, in the period between 2005 and 2015, 32 pedestrians were killed in collisions with cyclists. If you have any questions on anything covered in this article, contact our Criminal Defence Team on 01603 610911.
Join us for what promises to be an informative and engaging event, where Kieran Dent from the Bank of England will share current insights on the UK economy.
They will be giving us an off-the-record view of the national and regional economy, what’s likely to happen with interest rates, how will the Pound fare, and what the impact is expected on business.
Get your voice heard and pose your questions direct to the Bank of England. The event will be held under ‘Chatham House Rules’ and the press will not be invited.
The event will take place on Wednesday 12th November at The Maids Head Hotel, where a 2 course lunch will be provided prior to the presentation.
Agenda
12.00pm – Arrival and networking
12.30pm – Welcome from the Norfolk Chambers / Lunch
13.15pm – Kieran Dent, Bank of England presentation
13.30pm – Q&A session
14.00pm – Closing Remarks and Networking
14.30pm – Event close
Who is it for?
This event is ideal for senior decision-makers such as CEOs, FDs, business owners, managers, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in gaining insights from the Bank of England.
About Kieran Dent
Kieran became Agent for the South East and East Anglia in 2023. Prior to joining the Bank’s Agency network, Kieran was, for many years, a senior economist within the Bank’s Monetary Analysis area, working on the Bank’s UK forecast and monetary strategy teams. Kieran joined the Bank in 2011, starting out in its Financial Stability area, working on the design of the Bank’s concurrent stress test of the UK banking system, and issues concerning the UK banking sector more generally.
About the Bank of England
The Bank of England is the UK’s central bank. Our mission is to deliver monetary and financial stability for the people of the United Kingdom.
Our Sponsor – RCP
RCP Parking is a family-run UK car park operator and parking management company based in Norwich. The business was established in 1994 by Shapoor Naghshineh and has since grown from a small operation to provide more than 60+ car park locations nationwide.
RCP is currently managed by Shapoor’s daughter, Sarah (MD), who joined the company in 2009. RCP’s team of 45+ staff are passionate about parking and deeply committed to maximising the customer journey and the value of its clients’ parking assets. The business has become known for its customer-centric approach, working to boost parking revenues and maximise profits for both clients and customers.
RCP is a Great Place to Work accredited, a Living Wage Employer, and was recently called a ‘driving force for change in its sector’ by judges of the EDP’s Best Large Business Award (Winners 2024).
For over 5 years, Abate Pest Management has been servicing Bretts Transport’s 170,000ft2 ambient warehouse at its Guyhirn Distribution Centre in Cambridgeshire. Simon Brett, Managing Director has praised Abate for the services that they carry out to the required BRC requirement. He then asked if he could have some help at his private residence. Simon has had an issue with birds at his house for some time. Pigeons were roosting at various places and depositing pigeon guano over window ledges, brickwork and onto the drive. He had tried several different methods to resolve the situation but didn’t have much success. We advised that bird gel would be a great solution. Gel systems are a physical barrier to discourage birds from landing on buildings. The gel is applied to ledges and ridges in small pots. To the birds, the gel distorts their landing patterns and this discourages them from perching. It was later found that a gel solution had been tried before but not installed correctly making it ineffective. We also recommended a spike system for a certain area of the property which consisted of strips of plastic spikes that again provide a physical barrier preventing birds from landing. They are a cost effective and adaptable solution that can be used on a wide range of buildings. We cleaned down by soaking the affected areas with water and an anti-bacterial agent to prevent the creation of dust whilst cleaning all the guano. Our technicians then applied the gel and spike solutions throughout the necessary areas of the property. Simon said, “It was like magic. The birds instantly disappeared and haven’t been seen since the work was carried out”. Jon Blake of Abate said “Bird control isn’t just for commercial buildings. At Abate we create a bespoke solution for the type of bird problem and the property concerned. There are several solutions that we use to eradicate bird problems. Every property is different. We conduct a detailed survey to identify the best solution to use which may be based upon the age of the property; if it is listed and where the bird problems are taking place. To see all of the different proofing solutions, check out the bird control page on our website.”
Join us on Tuesday 21 June (17:30 – 20:00) at Norwich Business Support Hub in The Forum for our live screening from the British Library, celebrating our high street heroes. Listen to a top panel, moderated by renowned designer-entrepreneur Wayne Hemingway. Free refreshments available and an opportunity for networking before the live screening.
30 – Doors open – networking with tea, coffee and biscuits
00 – Welcome from BIPC Norfolk
18:30 – Live broadcast panel event
20:00 – Event end
High streets are the beating heart of our local communities. Having a presence on the high street gives businesses a unique opportunity to connect with their customers, and the responsibility to meet their needs as these change and evolve. What additional service could you offer to those who interact with your brand in person? What extra impact could you generate by sharing your spaces with neighbours and fellow makers?
The British Library has brought together a panel of three loved and respected local businesses, our high street heroes. Their founders will share practical tips through their inspiring stories and tell us more about their individual journeys.
Panel members:
Mary Otumahana, award-winning musician and founder of The RecordShop; a grassroots independent organisation based in Wood Green, that focuses on making an impact with a multipurpose music space located on the high street. By providing access to a recording studio and music career training, Mary is leading a mission to educate, inform and inspire inner-city youths to connect to their community through music.
Hellen Stirling-Baker, founder of children’s store, Small Stuff, has led her business from an experimental pop-up shop to a successful, eco-friendly bricks and clicks model at the heart of her high street in Crookes, Sheffield. A perfect example that being a small shop doesn’t mean you can’t have big values, Hellen is a local leader who champions ethical suppliers and supports other retailers, often sharing her shop for community-building events. Hellen is the deserved winner of this year’s High Street Hero for the Small Awards 2022.
Carolynn Bain, founder of Afori Books, the first Black-owned bookshop in Brighton. Carolynn almost did the opposite of most during the pandemic; inspired to stock only Black authors in response to the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, she started her business as an online shop. Demand was so high however, that Afrori Books was approached to open a physical bookshop in Lighthouse, a local Arts-based charity, with fit-out costs successfully crowdfunded.
Moderated by:
Wayne Hemingway, the renowned designer-entrepreneur heads a team of urban planners at Hemingway Design whose focus is on place, people and positive social impact, with projects ranging from Margate’s Dreamland to Media City, Manchester. Wayne also runs The Classic Car Boot Sale and Vintage Festivals, that in turn help independent sellers connect with customers face-to-face. Reimaging any space on the high street as potential to be a creative platform for change, he has a wealth of retail experience to share, and new insights into future trends that we can all learn from.
We are delighted to announce that we are working with The Wood Works, a leading provider of bespoke kitchen and furniture in the UK. Standing out in this crowded market is not easy, especially when you are based in London and there is a lot of choice available.
We were hired by The Wood Works as SEO and UX (user experience) specialists to help drive users and conversions to the site. The secret was to find the balance between letting people browse and also submit their details.
User Experience
Giving users the opportunity to browse a full range of kitchens and furniture was key, so we implemented a simple flick through via mobile and tablet for anyone prospective customers. In addition, we have proactively compressed hundreds of images on the website to below 100kb to increase the speed, whilst still maintaining quality high res images.
We have opted for adding contact forms and calls-to-action within the web page and always on the footer of every page, creating a natural scroll down to get in touch and make an enquiry.
SEO
In terms of keywords, we have devised a strategy which targets local keywords around Hitchin and Hertfordshire and also Mill Hill, where their new branch will soon be based (in North London). We consider that location keywords should be easier to grab top spots for on Google since they are less competitive. We have achieved this via adding the location keywords into the meta-titles and descriptions and also acquiring links from local authorities such as the Herts Growth Hub and Watford Observer.
The organic searches we have generated have been maximised through an effective remarketing campaign via Google’s display network and facebook marketing. This is part of our strategy to help convert customers, believing that the first-time customers may not get in touch but once they have seen the brand several times on other channels, they will be inclined to take that next step.
Moving forward, we believe that a focused approach to add continuous content and strong links to the site will help achieve top spots for the shorter-tail, more competitive keywords such as ‘bespoke furniture’ and ‘bespoke kitchens.’ We acknowledge that for more competitive keywords, you must start ranking on page 10 to 9 to 8 etc and slowly make your way up.
Want to stand out on LinkedIn? Posting is one of the most powerful ways to get noticed—but let’s be honest, it’s not always easy. What should you share? How often? Should it be personal or professional? And what’s this algorithm everyone talks about?
Join us for an interactive session that takes the guesswork out of LinkedIn content creation. You’ll learn practical strategies to boost your visibility, grow your network, and make LinkedIn work for you.
In this session, you’ll discover: ✅ The essentials of creating content that gets attention ✅ How to identify and build your unique content themes ✅ The 5 Cs of LinkedIn posting—your secret formula for success ✅ Which content types perform best (and which are right for YOU) ✅ How AI can save you time and spark ideas for posts ✅ The anatomy of a high-performing LinkedIn post ✅ Engagement strategies to turn visibility into growth
Whether you’re new to LinkedIn or looking to level up your presence, this session will give you the tools and confidence to post with purpose—and get seen by the right people.
Don’t miss out—your next LinkedIn post could be the start of something big!
Meet the Trainer Mark White, known as “The LinkedIn Professional”, after a 12 year career in international sales & marketing, Mark has dedicated the last 15 years exclusively to training teams and individuals on LinkedIn, with the focus primarily around its application to business development, marketing, personal branding and recruitment.
Eligibility:
These small-group workshops are funded by Norfolk County Council and the Department for Business and Trade. They are open to any trading business, freelancer, or charity based in Norfolk, UK.
Due to funding restrictions, only one ticket per company is available initially. If a workshop is not fully booked, a second ticket may be requested the day before the event by contacting jo.barnard@newangliagrowthhub.co.uk.
Give the gift of Park Farm Hotel. Whether it be for a birthday, special occasion, Christmas or just to let someone special know you care. Give them a Hotel voucher to enjoy the finest hospitality Norfolk has to offer.
Enjoy a generous 10% saving from your total order when purchasing hotel vouchers online. Just use this discount code upon check out chamber2017
Even before Uber made the headlines (for all the wrong reasons) by covering up a massive data breach, the imminent introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has made data protection a hot topic. The GDPR is a brand new regulation which will replace the Data Protection Act with effect from the 25 May 2018. You may have heard some chatter about the more sensational features of the new GDPR, such as more stringent consent requirements for processing of personal data and huge fining powers. We, at Leathes Prior, prefer to shut out the chatter and take a practical and prepared approach to these upcoming changes. We have therefore prepared a new GDPR-ready data protection clause, which will help employers comply with data protection law both before and after May 2018 in respect of their employees. The GDPR will introduce stringent new requirements on obtaining consent for processing personal data, and so a general clause in an employment contract requiring an employee to consent to all processing activities is unlikely to be effective. But fear not! Among general changes in terminology, this new clause highlights that, under the GDPR, consent should not be the legal basis used for the processing activities which employers are required to carry out in relation to their employees (such as payroll) – consent is not the only basis for legal processing of personal data when it comes to employees. Transparency and accountability in data processing are a central feature of the GDPR. Our new data protection clause highlights the need for employees to notify employers of any data breach immediately (such as a lost laptop, missing mobile or even an errant email) so that you can keep accurate records and safeguard your business in the event of a breach. Of course, employment contracts are only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to complying with the new law. For our part, we are currently in the process of reviewing our Data Protection Policy which will be available soon – so watch this space! In the meantime, if you have any questions about amending your staff handbook or employment contracts, please contact the Employment Team on 01603 281142. If you would like advice on the GDPR in relation to your commercial transactions and activities, please contact our Commercial Team on 01603 281165, for a no obligation quote. Note: the content of this article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Specific legal advice should be taken in any specific circumstance.
Running a small business is hard, and HR compliance can feel overwhelming — but getting it wrong is expensive. From incorrect contracts to mishandled disciplinaries, many SMEs don’t realise they’ve breached employment law until it’s too late.
This practical, interactive training course gives SME owners and managers the tools and confidence to manage HR safely, legally, and effectively.
Delivered by an experienced CMZ-HR Independent HR Consultant, the session breaks down compliance into simple steps you can apply immediately — no jargon, no legal lectures, just real-world advice for real-world businesses.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
By the end of this session, you’ll know how to:
✔ Issue legally compliant contracts and policies
✔ Manage recruitment, interviews and Right to Work checks
When it comes to SEO, some of the hardest things to rank for include life insurance, car insurance and short term loans. Trying to rank your website in the toughest algorithm requires real dedication, focus and perhaps a different approach to how we would regularly do SEO (search engine optimisation).
We are delighted to be working with Cashfloat, a fresh brand that has secured page 1 positions for ‘short term loans’ and ‘payday loans’ outranking some of the most long-standing and established companies in the industry.
Background
The short term loans and payday algorithm has historically been so difficult to rank for on Google.co.uk that it came with its own SEO algorithm which Google updated on three separate occasions in 2013 and 2014, known as payday loans 1.0, 2.0 and so forth.
Initially, the first page of Google for these competitive terms was dominated by ‘hacked sites’ who would encourage applications and sell the data over and over. At one point in 2012, page 1 consisted of only two real loan companies and 8 hacked websites. This caused the execs at Google HQ to wake up and create a special approach for these search terms, taking away irresponsible companies and protecting customer details.
The algorithm changes included demoting websites with ‘thin’ content that was not deemed relevant, those witih spammy or irrelevant links including private blog networks, directories, paid submissions and reciprocal link strategies.
The result for not following best practices could lead to being demoted 10 pages on Google or removed altogether, not even ranking for your brand name, a total blacklist.
How We Have Approach Cashfloat
Keeping within the Google guidelines, we have adopted a super-clean approach for Cashfloat. This has included adding regular, well-written and unique SEO content and uploading around 6 articles per week, with strong internal links to other pages. The language and content is also approved by their compliance team to ensure it is FCA friendly.
In terms of links, we have had to attract natural follow links through writing useful guides and using SEO tools like Majestic to find the strongest links of competitiors and trying to replicate their backlink profiles. This is coupled with regular link disavows to Google to remove any low quality of spammy links that are naturally accumulated in the loans industry, similar to hosting, gambling and binary.
Our success with Cashfloat has put them in a strong position leading to the busy Christmas and January spillover, alling them to maximise their returns and strengthen our relationship as an SEO partner.
This workshop explores what Ageism is and how it affects us as individuals and as a society.
Are you ready to tackle the last “acceptable” prejudice?
Ageism affects us all—from “snowflake” younger people to “boomer” older generations—yet it remains largely unchallenged in our workplaces and communities.
Transform Your Understanding in Just 90 Minutes
Age Friendly Norwich invites you to this engaging, interactive workshop where small group sizes ensure meaningful discussion and real learning.
What You’ll Discover:
Recognise the Impact – Understand how widespread ageism is and how it affects people across all age groups, often in ways we don’t even notice
Challenge Your Own Biases – Learn to identify ageism in everyday situations—even when it’s kindly meant—and develop practical tools to challenge it effectively
Celebrate Ageing – Discover the many benefits that come with ageing and how positive attitudes can help everyone live well for longer
Take Action – Find out about the Age Friendly Employer pledge and connect with organisations already making a difference
Why This Matters
Age discrimination compounds other disadvantages and holds back our community. But you have the power to change this—starting with recognising ageism when you see it.
Ready to make a difference?
📍 Face-to-face session with small groups for maximum interaction ⏰ 90 minutes of CPD-accredited learning 🤝 Network with like-minded change-makers
Register now to secure your place and join the Age Friendly movement challenging ageism in Norwich.
Together, we can create a truly age-friendly community where everyone thrives.
Sessions available
Tuesday 16th December 10:30 – 12:00 or 13:00 – 14:30
Thursday 22nd January 10:30 – 12:00 or 13:00 – 14:30
