A very big thank you to the many businesses that have completed the survey so far. Your feedback is extremely valuable and we look forward to sharing our findings atour March eventand online. For those that haven’t yet been able to participate, we hope that you can find a few minutes of your time to complete this simple survey. The link for the survey is below, will take no longer than 10 minutes to complete and will close on Friday, 16 December 2016.
Women have made significant contributions to science through the years, however despite the remarkable achievements the proportion of the UK’s female STEM workforce is only 21%, according to Women in Science and Engineering (WISE).
Briar Chemicals are passionate about encouraging more girls into STEM careers and are proud to sponsor and lead exciting initiatives that offer first-hand experiences.
Education is vital to the future of science and our industry. We produce and supply companies all over the world with crop protection products, helping farmers to grow and protect their crops. By contributing to the industry, the future young scientists have the opportunity to work in a career in which they can contribute to society and really make a difference.
Our Education Programme is designed to inspire the next generation to discover the world of science. We actively encourage our staff to share their knowledge and skills to the young people within our community. By improving engagement with schools and colleges, it allows pupils to recognise their potential and the exciting STEM career opportunities available.
We offer industrial placement opportunities for chemistry and chemical engineering students keen to get an early insight into the wide range of careers in STEM. Carmina, our Student Placement from Loughborough University, who is currently studying for her Masters in Engineering said: The chemical industry offers great opportunities for a diverse career, working in different locations across the globe. Before joining Briar Chemicals, I spent five months at a University in Italy within a Chemical Engineering Research department; a fantastic experience, which, along with my time at Briar Chemicals, will help me further my career. “
Our ‘Insight in Industry’ visits offer a unique chance to experience STEM-related work in an industrial setting. Students meet with our highly skilled workforce who have qualifications in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and have the chance to look around working laboratories and production plants.
Introducing young people to influential and inspiring role models is a great way to teach them how science is applied to real life environments. In addition to engaging with our staff, we have also worked with role models such as TV Astronomer Mark Thompson and Zoologist Jess French as part of our annual science-themed poetry competition.
As proud sponsors of the Norwich Science Festival Chemistry Day, we aim to engage with people of all ages. Hands-on experiments and activities help show chemistry is part of their everyday life. By interacting with parents and teachers, we hope that they encourage children from an early age to explore the wonder of science.
On 8th March, as part of our celebrations of International Women’s Day, we will be hosting a ‘Girls in STEM’ event. Female pupils from local high schools will be invited to meet with women working within the industry at our manufacturing site, as pictured above. With many inspirational women in science, we support and develop those with aspirations of pursuing a career in STEM. Dorothy Hodgkin, a British biochemist, was awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her pioneering work into the structures of vitamin B12 and penicillin and remains the only British woman to receive a Nobel Prize for science.
For more information about careers at Briar Chemicals, please contact our HR team on hr.recruit@briarchemicals.com
Peter Lawrence & Rod Lee from Human Capital Department have been helping buisnesses in the Care Sector to implement Performance Management Processes which have improve motivation and commitment of staff which in turn means a better service for their clients.The attached article first appeared in Caring Times [Feb 17]. For more details contact us;
Peter Lawrence & Rod Lee from Human Capital Department have been helping buisnesses in the Care Sector to implement Performance Management Processes which have improved motivation and commitment of staff which in turn means a better service for their clients.The attached article first appeared in Caring Times [Feb 17]. For more details contact us;
HR GO, the national recruitment group with a joint venture in Norwich, is celebrating 60 years in business.
For nearly a third of that time – 17 years – the Lobster Lane office has placed around 600 people a year in permanent and temporary roles.
To celebrate the diamond anniversary, it has joined a nationwide 60 Acts of Kindness campaign by planning two big fund-raising events this summer, probably a Golf Day and a Quiz.
HR GO Norwich is one of few agencies undertaking assessments and Thomas International psychometric tests for all candidates seeking permanent jobs.
Lesley Harrison FIRP, managing director of HR GO Norwich, said: “We are delighted to be part of a family-owned recruitment company that has achieved so much in 60 years. We have enjoyed serving the businesses and people of Norwich and Norfolk for 17 years and look forward to working with them for many more.”
Norwich based chartered insurance broker, Hugh J Boswell, has recently announced they’ve become a Patron of Genix, the business support agency.
Michael Jobson, of Hugh J Boswell, said, “We attend Genix’s regular networking events, Coffee Means Business, and have been impressed by the number and variety of businesses who attend. The range of masterclasses and seminars held by Genix providing Norfolk’s business community with information and knowledge ensures businesses continue to thrive and prosper in the county. At Hugh J Boswell we want to ensure Genix continues to expand its services for the local business community.”
Alex Till, chief executive of Genix is delighted the insurance brokers has joined as a Patron and commented “Hugh J Boswell are professional, innovative and committed to provide a high standard of customer care and it’s great that Genix are working with the team. “
“At Genix we’re committed to ensuring Norfolk businesses continue to grow, employ and upskill local people and for the eastern region to prosper.”
For more details regarding Genix go to www.genix.org.uk or call 0800 096 3013.
At this year’s Festival of Knowledge, we had the pleasure of speaking with a representative from Lovells, a leading construction company passionate about inspiring the next generation of talent. Their message was clear — construction is not just about bricklaying; it’s a world full of diverse career opportunities that often go unrecognised.
“Construction is such an underrated industry,” they explained. “There’s a common misconception that it’s only for people who aren’t academic, but in reality, there’s a huge range of roles — from architects and designers to quantity surveyors, estimators, and even administrators — that keep the industry moving.”
The construction sector plays a critical role in building our communities, and yet there’s a noticeable skills gap. Lovells highlighted that for every tradesperson on-site, there are 10 to 15 people behind the scenes ensuring the project runs smoothly. This includes project managers, engineers, health and safety officers, and more — roles that require a broad range of skills and talents.
A Career for Life
One of the most inspiring takeaways from the conversation was the potential for career progression in construction. “There’s a real pathway for growth,” they shared. “You can start as a carpenter or bricklayer and end up as a site manager, construction manager, or even a regional managing director. I know people who started out on the tools and now earn six-figure salaries.”
It’s not just the career progression that makes construction a compelling industry; it’s also the variety of work and environments. “You’re outside, meeting new people, learning new skills, and constantly developing,” they added. “It’s a career where no two days are the same.”
Opportunities for Women in Construction
A key point raised was the increasing number of women in construction roles. Lovells is proud to have female bricklayers, site managers, and other professionals driving their projects forward. “One of our site cleaners is now a trainee site manager — it just shows how accessible career growth is in construction.”
The team emphasised that construction isn’t a ‘one-path’ career. People can start in one role and transition into another, carving out a career that suits their skills and interests.
A Focus on Mental Health
Another inspiring aspect of the conversation was Lovells’ commitment to mental health. Their team has expanded its number of Mental Health First Aiders and regularly runs mental health workshops to ensure their workforce feels supported.
“We’ve seen a shift in recent years. More people are opening up about their struggles, and it’s important they know there’s support on-site,” they explained. “It’s not just about building houses — it’s about building people up too.”
Why Events Like Festival of Knowledge Matter
Lovells’ team praised the Festival of Knowledge for giving them the chance to engage with young people directly. “Events like this are crucial,” they said. “It helps break down the stereotypes around construction and shows students that it’s a career full of opportunities — for everyone.”
As Lovells highlighted, the construction industry has space for every skill set, background, and ambition. Whether you’re hands-on, creative, analytical, or a people person — there’s a role waiting for you.
So, to all the young people who attended the Festival of Knowledge — the future is being built, and you could be a part of it.
Lucas & Wyllys Solicitors has been highly commended in the “Conveyancing Firm of the Year – Midlands” category at the prestigious Modern Law Conveyancing Awards 2025, recognising the firm’s outstanding client care, team performance, and continued growth.
The award celebrates excellence across the conveyancing sector, highlighting firms that demonstrate exceptional service, innovation, staff development, and commitment to clients. Being highly commended places Lucas & Wyllys among the leading conveyancing firms in the Midlands and surrounding regions.
Amy Church, Managing Partner at Lucas & Wyllys, said:
“We are incredibly proud to be highly commended in this category. This recognition reflects the dedication of our conveyancing team and the trust our clients place in us every day. To be recognised on a national stage is a real achievement and something our whole team should be proud of.”
Lucas & Wyllys continues to invest heavily in technology, training, and wellbeing, ensuring clients receive a responsive, secure, and personal service, while staff are supported in building long term careers with the firm.
This latest recognition follows a series of national award shortlists for the firm and reinforces its growing reputation for excellence in residential property law.
Specialist premium party food manufacturer Frank Dale Foods Limited has called a creditors’ meeting for 28 February 2017 to appoint a liquidator. Norwich based business rescue and insolvency specialists McTear Williams & Wood is acting on behalf of the Company.
The Company employs 57 staff at its factory in Bunwell, South Norfolk whose jobs are now at risk.
Established in 1994 the Company traded successfully for many years but experienced a downturn in 2016 caused by production difficulties servicing sales after a period of significant growth. The resulting trading losses put strain on cash flow and efforts to refinance proved unsuccessful.
Frank Dale Foods Limited is best known as an upmarket manufacturer of savoury and dessert canapes, quiches and tartlets. It has won a number of national awards and in 2012 provided products for Her Majesty the Queen’s Jubilee.
Nigel Cushion, Chairman of the Company, said “sadly time has run out for the Company but we are hopeful that a buyer can be found for the business and assets so jobs can be saved and that is the Board’s main focus now”.
The Company will continue to trade up to liquidation in the hope that a buyer can be found for the business and assets as a going concern. Andrew McTear said ‘We are working with the board of directors to market the business and assets for sale and have already received serious interest. Anyone interested in buying the business should contact us immediately on 01603 877540’.
We at Tudor Lodge Consultants have recently started working on an exciting project with Medicareplus International (medicareplus.co.uk), a UK based manufacturer of a range of medical devices and products. Based in the heart of North West London, Medicareplus have over the years grown and now supply a range of companies and healthcare trusts with many devices and healthcare products including peak flow meters, gauze products, dressings and more.
Their website is a WordPress e-commerce site with a number of sections and various bespoke features. The problem faced by Medicareplus has been the difficulty in getting found for relevant terms as well as the explicitly product-related terms they are found for. With products falling under various categories each and with there being such a wide array of products and devices, there has been no shortage of opportunities to improve things online.
Ensuring that the content management system (CMS) used by Medicareplus is updated for SEO, with all security and ranking updates made was an initial priority. This was completed to make sure that all subsequent work’s effects are truly maximised.
We have worked to ensure that their site is properly crawled by Google and the content read appropriately. This has been done through various clean search engine optimisation (SEO) practices. We started the project by ensuring that all broken links on their site were fixed. These broken links effectively lead Google’s ‘spiders’ that crawl and rank sites to dead ends which have been holding back the site’s performance.
We have also ensured that all of the meta data on the site is fully optimised, with no duplications and no omissions across the entire site (which has over 150 pages; many of which are products.) We have maintained SEO best practices for all of the meta data and with feedback from Medicareplus International have made sure that the keywords and search terms targeted are completely relevant to their aims, goals and prospective customers alike.
We have started embarking on an exciting and resourceful content strategy with Medicareplus and this is sure to see their rankings on search engines increase further. We are looking to building on this budding relationship over the coming months.
If you are considering an office refurbishment, aside from the design style and quality of workmanship, there are many things to consider when choosing an office design company.
As a business owner, you will know the importance of health and safety in the workplace and how difficult it can sometimes be to abide to the regulations put in place.
With that in mind, Bluespace are pleased to report that we have received a much sought after accreditation from the Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme (CHAS).
What is CHAS Accreditation?
In a nutshell, CHAS helps both buyers and suppliers in the assessment of health and safety competence. This accreditation helps you with the often lengthy process of assessing a contractor’s health and safety standard and work practice. In order to receive the accreditation, CHAS have already carried out any assessments required and the award confirms that the company in question is performing to the best H&S standards and following up to date policies.
Continued dedication to Health and Safety
We are delighted to have reached the high standards that CHAS have in place, with regards to our health and safety policy statement and our organisation’s health and safety arrangements.
Bluespace are dedicated to ongoing health and safety training of our staff and continual updating of our policies, leaving you safe in the knowledge that when you trust your business to us for an office refurbishment or fit out, we have health and safety covered.
You know your website has potential, but it’s not getting the traffic it deserves. You’re missing out on opportunities to grow your business online.
Without a solid SEO strategy, it’s easy to stay invisible in a sea of competition. Every day you’re not optimising your site, you’re letting potential customers slip away to businesses that are.
Learn proven DIY SEO strategies with Smash Marketing’s Rebecca Houston, Digital Marketer with over 25 years in marketing, teaching tips that’ll bring more visitors to your site, boost your online presence, and set you up for long-term success.