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Leading Suffolk tourist attraction, Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park, was the setting for the official launch of Larking Gowen’s 2024 Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Business Survey results.

Guests, representing some of the top tourist destinations in the region, were given a tour of The Lost Lands of the Tundra reserve at the farm, where polar bears Ewa, Flocke and Tala are now in residence. Venue host, Jimmy Doherty, spoke about how he saw the tourist industry as massively important for the region beyond the £10bn income it generates. Jimmy chatted to Chris Scargill, Tourism Partner at Larking Gowen, about the changes he has seen over the years in customer behavior and trends, what tourism really means to him, and of course, the red tape tourism businesses are often held back by, and more. You can listen to the full conversation on the podcast Tourism Business Chat here larking-gowen.co.uk/tourism-insights.

There you can find more content from the results seminar, including a chat with Jimmy’s Park Director, Stevie Sheppard, and other guests, on another episode. “Tourism isn’t just another industry. It provides amazing jobs and makes the most of our landscape and wonderful towns and beaches. It provides a fantastic respite for a nation that needs it now more than ever, with everything we’ve been through in recent times. I think the tourism industry should be seen as a national tonic sometimes,” he said. Speaking in discussion with Chris, Jimmy said the story of the polar bears coming to the farm had seized people’s imaginations and brought them into a closer relationship with the farm. “It’s really important that you have something new to offer, and these days you need investment just to move your business forward. To make that pay, you’ve really got to tell the story. It’s all in the storytelling, which has got to be authentic and has got to have purpose. To take people on a journey is a skill we have to learn, and it’s part of our world now,” he said. “We did this, not for the visitors, but because the polar bears we were rescuing needed a home, and animal welfare and conservation is at the core of our business. We’re fortunate that the story of the construction and rescue mission struck a chord with the general public and, as a result, we’ve seen an increase in visitor numbers. It’s important for our staff to see the business developing and staying true to our values whilst doing so,” he said. Chris Scargill said that although there was more negativity in the sector in comparison to the results of the 2023 survey, there were signs of light on the horizon.

You can view the full Tourism Business Survey results brochure here.

Anglia Innovation Partnership, the campus management organisation at Norwich Research Park, hosted its latest Enterprise Tuesday event on Tuesday 11 June at the John Innes Conference Centre, showcasing novel technology platforms and debating the value of ‘science push and industry pull’ activity in the cluster.

The event entitled ‘Research and Technology Platforms Open for Innovative Business’ presented case studies to explain how the specialist facilities were created, at the campus, how they are used in publicly funded research, on the campus, and their current and future potential application in industry.

Four of the platforms presented:

Dr Carolina Grandellis and Dr Iain MacAulay introduced the Biofoundry at the Earlham Institute, an engineering biology and automation facility for processing biological samples by using robots to do experiments faster and more accurately for microbiology and biotech companies wanting to screen a high number of bacterial strains.

Dr Alan Brailsford, Operations Manager, Quadram Institute presented information about QIB Extra which is the Quadram Institute’s commercial arm that works with industry partners in the food, diet and health sectors to provide its expertise and services to help develop their products with the profits being reinvested into further research.

Dr Penny Hundleby, Senior Scientist, John Innes Centre talked about the Crop Transformation platform which offers transformation and genome editing for a range of species including wheat, barley and Brassica crops. It can help to advance research in many areas of plant science by providing functional characterisation of genes of interest and by providing knock-out mutants using CRISPR/Cas9 based technologies.

Dr Ofir Meir, Chief Technology Officer at Tropic explained the working of its GEiGS (Gene Editing induced Gene Silencing) platform a frontrunner in the agriculture gene editing sector which uses universal gene editing tools such as CRISPR, to minimally edit the host’s own non-coding genes and redirect their silencing activity (RNAi) towards any desired target gene or gene family enabling critical disease resistance and valuable quality improvement traits across crops, livestock and aquaculture.

The second half of the event was a panel discussion – ‘Strengthening engagement through ‘science push’ and ‘industry pull’’ chaired by Dr Nick Goodwin, COO of Anglia Innovation Partnership featuring James Phillips, Head of Translation and Innovations Capability at the Biotechnology and Biology Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Linda Bedenik, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager, The Bioindustry Association, Luke Young, CEO and co-founder of Alora, Dr Jonathan Clarke, Head of Business Development at the John Innes Centre, Prof Brian Reid, Professor of Soil Science, UEA, Dr Jenny Longmore, Director of Research Operations, Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital and Dr Cathrina Edwards, PulseON Foods.

Roz Bird, CEO, Anglia Innovation Partnership, said: “Norwich Research Park is one of the largest research clusters in Europe, with over 30,000 people on site every day.

Our aim is to raise awareness of our technology and research platforms and encourage more research collaborations, and more industry access, to maximise the impact of the enormous amounts of publicly funded research taking place on the campus.

“These events are a really good way to highlight the genuinely fantastic opportunities that exist here and the importance of our facilities. We actively support fledgling companies with access to funding, facilitating collaborative partnerships and introducing them to useful business networks. Our unique combination of top-class facilities, access to funding and ease ofcollaboration means we can fast-track ideas to become viable start-up companies.

It was great to be able to show case unique technology and new enterprise activity yet again and to get a great response from our audience of over 100 delegates.”

Don’t make love wait! We are really excited to launch our Covid-secure Intimate Wedding Package.

Experience our romantic wedding venue for your small but perfect post-lockdown wedding ceremony.

Set in eight acres of gorgeous riverside grounds in the Norfolk Broads National Park, The Norfolk Mead, a stunning red brick Georgian country house wedding venue, offers a touch of luxury. We hold a wedding licence, so we can host your boutique civil wedding ceremony or civil partnership in our beautiful grounds. We are specialists in diversity and an inclusive approach and welcome couples from the LGBT+ community.

Relax and take your time, with just the most important people present to witness your personal day. We have tailored our usual wedding menu for this package, and can work with you to put together a fantastic menu using locally sourced Norfolk produce.

Our 15 person intimate wedding package is priced at £2,200 including:

• Exclusive Hire of the stylish Garden Room Venue within our atmospheric walled garden
• Ceremony fee
• Experienced event planner
• Glass of prosecco arrival drink and toast drink for all guests
• Delicious three course sit down meal
• Half bottle of house wine per person
• White linen and white napkins
• Chiavari chairs
• Round tables
• Cake knife and table
• Easel for your table plan

The Norfolk Mead micro wedding package is valid on any day and any month from now until March 31 2021. Contact our wedding event planners Francesca and Victoria to enquire about availability and secure a date with a £500.00 deposit. Please contact the wedding team for more information via events@norfolkmead.co.uk or 01603 737 531.

Spirited Susan Cox soared to new heights in her quest to raise funds for charity.

The 69-year-old daredevil was left on cloud nine after completing an epic wing walk – in the process raising £1,500 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).

Her adrenaline-filled challenge took place at Shuttleworth Aerodrome, in Bedfordshire, on 7^th July.

“It was a fantastic experience,” said Susan, who lives in Woodton.

“My heart was racing as we taxied down the runway but before I knew it we were up, up and away.

“The feeling of speeding to the ground was absolutely thrilling and I’m so glad I did it. It’s something I’ll never forget.

“It’s something I intend doing again next year – hopefully with a loop-the-loop thrown in for good measure!”

Retired Susan has raised just over £3,000 so far which, minus her expenses, means donations of £1,500 to both EACH and her other chosen charity, East Anglian Air Ambulance.

She has long admired EACH’s work, having lived close to its former Quidenham hospice.

She recently visited The Nook, in Framingham Earl, and was given a guided tour by Community Fundraiser Anne Austin.

“It’s a great cause right here on my doorstep, caring for and supporting people in our community, and I’ve had friends who have used the services,” she said.

“It’s nice doing something not only for the children being cared for but also the parents, siblings and wider family members who are being supported so well.”

Susan’s fundraising page is staying open until the end of the month.

To sponsor her, head here.

Image credits EACH

Plans for the future of trade in Northern Ireland (NI) continue to emerge. Here’s the latest Import Export Support update, along with links to pages of particular interest to any business that trades through NI.

Trader support service

The Institute for Export have introduced a Trader Support Service (TSS) to support businesses through the changes to Northern Ireland trade which take effect on 1 January 2021. The free-to-use service will provide guidance and training, a digital service to support declarations, and support from customs experts, delivered by the brand new Northern Ireland Customs & Trade Academy (NICTA) and funded by the Government. The service is open to traders, intermediaries and carriers moving goods into and out of Northern Ireland. To access the programme, you need to register your business. Register your business To apply you’ll need the usual business information to hand, including:

• VAT Number
• EORI Number

Once registered you can access free training either as a downloadable guide or a webinar. Currently there’s one webinar available ‘Introduction to Customs’. The first session was fully booked but there are more scheduled. Training info here More support in the form of guides and webinars is promised, so it could be worth bookmarking the page. How-to guides here There’s also a useful jargon buster to help you get a grip on all those awful terms and acronyms. Jargon buster here If you need any help or advice on imports or exports, please call me. Click here for our website

Alpha 7 Track Club recently enjoyed a fantastic day at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire, embracing the unique charm and challenge of this iconic circuit. Designed for drivers of all abilities, the club is perfect for enthusiasts who love the thrill of the track but prefer to avoid the stress of competitive racing. The track day, hosted by Javelin Trackdays, saw Alpha 7 running five cars, three owner-driver vehicles and two available for hire, making it an inclusive and exhilarating experience for all participants. The day began with damp conditions, offering a prime opportunity for drivers to hone their skills in varying weather. By the afternoon, the sun broke through, creating ideal track conditions and a perfect backdrop for a social gathering. The event was not just about driving; it was a celebration of shared passion, as members exchanged on-track stories and deepened their connections.

Are you passionate about the adrenaline rush of track day driving? Do you enjoy the camaraderie that comes with participating in driving events? If so, the Alpha 7 Track Club is your ultimate destination. We unite like-minded enthusiasts who share a love for high-performance driving and the vibrant social atmosphere of our events. If you have your own Caterham we can help with technical support and transport logistics. If you don’t have your own Caterham, why not hire one of ours?

Alpha 7 Track Club is dedicated to ensuring everyone has a great time, whether you aspire to become a racing driver or simply want to enjoy driving on a circuit without competitive pressure. We welcome drivers of all skill levels and can’t wait for you to join our community!

Interested in taking the first step toward your track day dreams? Contact Alpha 7 today for more information on how we can help you hit the track with confidence and skill.