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In order to select their chosen charity of the year, several charities are presented to the Swans (employees) who are then asked to anonymously vote for the one they would like to support for that year. The charities presented are those that have shown an interest in working together or have approached them for our support.

For the past 5 years Indigo Swan have supported Norfolk and Waveney Mind. It’s a charity they hold close to their hearts, which is why they are excited to reveal that tjhey will be supporting them for another year. It was a very close vote (the closest yet), so they have decided to support the runner up next year.

James commented: “We all have mental health, but poor mental health is something that all of us will come in contact with at some stage during our lives – whether that’s someone you know, a friend, a family member or even yourself. At Indigo Swan we’re passionate about being upfront, honest and open about challenges facing people with poor mental health. We want to continue to help with raising awareness and support all of the Swans within every aspect of their wellbeing.”

Find out more on their blog.

Business leaders from across the region were given some valuable insights into how to achieve the best possible performance by football international and Premier League star, Paul McVeigh.

Paul, who had a 16-year career as a professional footballer with Tottenham Hotspur, Norwich City and Northern Ireland, was speaking at the Larking Gowen Autumn Business Breakfast, at Milsoms Kesgrave Hall, near Ipswich, on 22 November 2022.

His experience of competing with and against some of the best players in the world, and being the first Premier League footballer to qualify with a Master’s Degree in Psychology, formed the basis of his presentation into how to achieve the right mindset to boost performance.

“In the four corner model of performance, you have technical, physical, psychological and social. The most important is psychological. The question you have to ask is: How much of your day are you dedicating to improving this?” he said.

“People are busy working throughout life. It’s just a case of being clear on what you are working towards every day, every month, every year. Normally, you are told what your goals are professionally, but nobody tells you what your goals are for yourself,” he said.

Since his retirement from professional football, besides becoming a thought leader in performance psychology, Paul has become an established radio and TV broadcaster and has published a book, ‘The Stupid Footballer is Dead’.

Graham Mummery, Audit Partner with Larking Gowen’s Corporate team, said: “We’re very grateful to Paul for a fascinating insight into the world of elite performance, and how lessons can be learned from sporting achievement at this level that apply to all aspects of life.”

The event was sponsored by Beckett Investment Management Group.

Find out more about Paul’s work here.

More and more people are electing to take up an apprenticeship in Norfolk. The results for 2021/22 have seen an increase in the number of people who start an apprenticeship, figures which had been in decline since 2016. Many employers who are new to apprenticeships are unaware that apprenticeships are not just for school leavers aged under 19, and that there are also apprenticeships opportunities for all ages, including for existing employees who may be looking at upskilling current staff.

Across England, new apprenticeship starts were up by 8.6% compared with 2020/21, whilst in Norfolk new starts were up by 17.7%, demonstrating the impact of work which organisations in Norfolk are doing in helping to buck the wider trend.

One of the areas with the largest increase compared with the same period last year was in Information and Communication Technology apprenticeships, which saw a 90% increase of people taking up an apprenticeship compared to 2020/21.

Cllr Graham Plant, cabinet member for growing the economy, said: “Being or hiring an apprentice can be so rewarding for both parties – it’s a great way to expand your business while also passing knowledge on. There are so many different types of apprenticeship to explore, from agriculture to the arts, and engineering to tourism. These qualifications are offered at different levels: intermediate, advanced, and higher, so there is bound to be something for everyone on offer.

“Apprenticeships aren’t just for young people, with almost half of apprentices this year being over the age of 25. Not only does it help the individuals on the course, but it helps to expand the Norfolk economy by creating jobs and enabling companies to grow to meet the demand of the future.”

Apprenticeships Norfolk, a free and impartial service run by Norfolk County Council, offers a wide range of support for both apprentices and companies looking to take on an apprentice, including information and guidance, as well as financial support. The Access to Apprenticeships grant, which is funded through the European Regional Development Fund, offers businesses up to £500 to enable them to overcome barriers to hiring an apprentice. The grant can be used for a variety of things, such as providing travel expenses, or the technology required by an apprentice to complete their studies, or for purchasing specialist equipment which would be needed, but can present a barrier to companies thinking of hiring an apprentice.

One company who was awarded the grant was BH Trees, a tree surgery company based in Norwich. They hired a female apprentice in a typically male dominated industry, which presented a challenge for them as a lot of standard safety equipment is designed for men. This equipment would be ill-fitting, and she would have had to share it, but the Access to Apprenticeships grant enabled the company to purchase equipment specifically designed for females.

Ben Hogben, from BH Trees, said: “We used the Access to Apprenticeship grant to purchase a tree climbing harness designed for arborists and for the female shape. I found the application for Access to Apprenticeships grant very straightforward – it was a single sheet to complete.

“I would urge other businesses to take advantage of the grant, it’s available to fund a huge range of equipment. It’s certainly made a difference to our business, and it’s certainly made a difference to our apprentice.”

Apprenticeships Norfolk has been running the #MadeInNorfolk campaign, aimed at encouraging businesses to take on an apprentice or to upskill an existing staff member using an apprenticeship. The campaigns success was recently recognised at the regional Chartered Institute of Public Relations awards, winning both the Best Low Budget campaign and the Best Public Sector campaign categories. The campaign was also highly commended at the national Annual Apprenticeship Conference awards.

For more information about starting an apprenticeship, or if you are a company looking to take on an apprentice, visit www.apprenticeshipsnorfolk.org and to learn more about the Access to Apprenticeships grant, visit www.apprenticeshipsnorfolk.org/access-to-apprenticeships

An award-winning East Anglian HR firm is celebrating the close of an exceptional year for growth, with an expanded Norfolk-based team of consultants.

MAD-HR, which was launched in 2014 by entrepreneur Carole Burman, has grown rapidly over the last eight years and won numerous awards for its customer service and its innovative approach to HR delivery through tech.

It was also shortlisted in the most recent EDP Norfolk Business Awards, and collected the Customer Excellence Award at the most recent Suffolk Business Awards.

This month, it has bolstered its team of Norfolk-based HR experts, and is now made up of a trio of specialists with a breadth of sector experience.

Victoria Smith, Robyn Littlefair and Jemma Caplin are are highly skilled HR experts and have a primary focus in serving businesses across the county of Norfolk, delivering HR advice and supporting matters associated with recruitment, retention,  employment law, employee wellbeing and HR strategy.

The latest trio brings the MAD-HR total staff count to 12, with other team members based in Suffolk and Essex.  Further expansion is on the horizon for the business in terms of additional headcount and geography.

“I am so delighted to have another three excellent HR specialists onboard as part of the MAD-HR offering in Norfolk,” said Carole, who jointly leads the business with co-director Charlotte Bate.

“We have seen a growth in the demand for our Make a Difference brand of HR in the county as many businesses are looking to scale.  By continually investing in our team we are able our  high levels of customer service from our team will be maintained.”

She added: “Collectively, our team has many decades of experience across the HR sector and each consultant is passionate about helping business owners and Directors ensure that they achieve their goals by delivering expert-led support on all employee, performance & development issues. We help clients achieve more, faster, and more efficiently

“Victoria, Robyn and Jemma are a great asset, and I know they already actively making a difference to many business leaders in the Norfolk area.”

You can find out more about MAD-HR at www.mad-hr.co.uk

With offices in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, MAD-HR provides expert outsourced HR expertise, through adhoc, retained and strategic services.

Image provided by MAD-HR