Members of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce will meet with Ruud Haket, Managing Director of Greater Anglia on Friday 22 June 2012 in Norwich.
The meeting will provide an opportunity for Norfolk businesses to highlight any business issues and concerns to Greater Anglia. What is your opinion about the Greater Anglia rail franchise, do you have any comments?
If you have a comment that you would like the Chamber to raise with Greater Anglia, please email it to nova.fairbank@norfolkchamber.co.uk .
Air freight markets slumped sharply in the first half of 2011, bottoming out towards the end of the year. However, various distortions and month-to-month volatility have continued to mark performance since the beginning of 2012.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), things may finally be taking a turn for the better.
Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO, said after viewing the latest figures that, amid the many distortions that have marked the first four months of the year, it is possible to identify the start of a growth trend in cargo for some parts of the world.
“But economic uncertainty in Europe makes it very difficult to be optimistic in the near to medium-term,” he warned.
Asia-Pacific carriers saw a 7.3% decline in demand in April, well ahead of capacity cuts of 4.1% and reflecting weakening exports from China.
Meanwhile, European airlines saw a 4.9% fall in cargo traffic compared to the year before, despite having cut capacity by 0.2%, and North American carriers showed a 6.4% drop in demand with a 2.9% cut in capacity.
Latin American carriers recorded a 3.6% fall in demand, even though capacity expanded by 8.8% compared to April 2011. Middle Eastern carriers were the bright spot in cargo with a 14.5% increase in demand, and even this was behind a 15.1% increase in capacity.
African carriers showed a 6.1% increase in demand, behind a 9% increase in capacity.
This qualification is designed for people working in food businesses at a supervisory level. It would also benefit those responsible for quality assurance, raw materials buying, customer complaints investigations or on-the-job training. Candidates who complete this training successfully will be able to supervise and train in food hygiene, and monitor and audit hygiene standards. It is particularly relevant for those that have to develop or monitor HACCP based food safety management procedures and systems. This is the updated Intermediate food safety certificate. Learning outcomes: *Ability to implement and supervise a food safety system *Understand food safety procedures *Understand the concept of food hazards and the risks associated with them *Understand the terminology with respect to supervising food safety *Understand the techniques involved in controlling and monitoring food safety *Appreciate the risks linked with cross contamination *Understand the role temperature has to play in the control of food safety *Appreciate the importance of supervising high standards of cleanliness in food premises Prerequisites: A recent level 2 certificate would be a benefit Course dates: 15th, 16th & 22nd November 2018 Duration: Three day programme (9am-4:30pm) Cost: £457+VAT including lunch and all course materials Course Tutor: Sarah Daniels and Richard Mills are both Chartered Environmental Health Practitioners, having spent over 25 years each in the profession. The RedCat Partnership have been providing food safety training and consultancy in Norfolk, East Anglia and Nationally for over 19 years. RedCat are also members of the Society of Food Hygiene and Technology.
You can see the full range of courses on our website – www.redcatpartnership.co.uk For more information or to book please email Mitchell on mitchell@redcatpartnership.co.uk or called 01603 473732
See what the Bank of England’s Agents think about business conditions in Norfolk and East Anglia and what they think is going to happen with consumer demand, investment, exports, employment and the housing market. Click here to read the full report.
Location: Carrowbreck House, 7 Carrowbreck Road, Norwich, NR6 5FA. This course has been designed to ensure that all employees are aware of their own safety and the safety of customers, contractors and the public. It is applicable in any workplace and the training can be adapted to meet specific needs. This course enables attendees to understand the principles of Health and Safety, contribute to any Health and Safety Management system, develop an understanding of the responsibilities placed on employers and employees, develop an understanding of hazard, risk and the main causes of harm to workers, acknowledge the importance of following systems, procedures and rules and understand how individual action can reduce risks to health and safety. Duration: One-day course (9:00am – 4:30pm approximately) Equipment: No equipment is necessary for you to bring to the course. Pens and note paper will be available. Lunch provided: On full day training courses a sandwich/roll or salad lunch with crisps and cake or fruit will be provided. Refreshments will be available throughout the duration of this course. Please note that it is a requirement of the awarding body, that we need to see photographic proof of identity of each candidate before they can be entered into the exam, for example, passport, driving licence, student union card or work pass. Course Content Legislation Health Safety Welfare The workplace and workplace equipment Risk assessment Manual Handling Hazardous substances Ergonomics and work station design Transport and vehicles Noise and vibration Subject to passing a 30 question multiple choice exam paper delegates will gain the Level 2 Award in Health and Safety in the Workplace. You will be given a Health and Safety manual to take away and keep after the course for future reference. Course Cost – £100 – £110 per person. For any enquiries or more information, please contact us on 01603 788950 or email carrowbreck@broadland.gov.uk
HMRC has been blasted for the length of time that callers have to wait before they get through to someone on the organisation’s helpline numbers.
The Low Income Tax Group undertook a mystery shopping exercise of three HMRC helplines in the week after Easter – the first of the new tax year – and it revealed that each caller was kept on hold for an average of 30 minutes before it was answered. The group also said it had reports of member clients hanging on the phone for up to an hour.
It says that over recent years, HMRC has consistently failed to answer their telephone helplines within a reasonable time-scale. It points to the halcyon days of the Inland Revenue back in 1997/98 when it vowed to answer a call within 30 seconds 91% of the time.
But now, according to the LITRG, callers “can spend four times as much time pushing buttons before you even get in a queue”. It said the subsequent wait can then be excessively costly for callers on a low income, especially as many rely on PAYG mobiles.
It carried out its “mystery shop” on Tuesday 10 April 2012 and made three calls using the routes taken by an ordinary PAYE caller, a pensioner and a tax credit claimant. On average, the wait was 29 minutes. On a PAYG mobile that could have cost £11.60 per call, which could equate to half a day’s income for a pensioner.
An HMRC spokesman said: “HMRC handles around 60 million telephone calls every year. During busy periods, there will be times when customers will find it more difficult to get through. We are working hard to improve contact centre service levels and have made good progress. We are managing busy periods better by deploying extra people to deal with short-term increases in demand.”
He added that the week after Easter was an exceptionally busy week, and typical call volumes can vary from 750,000 to 1.7m in any given seven-day period, so it was “very hard to forecast”.
“We are sorry if anyone has been kept waiting, or could not get through over the last couple of days, but we are getting back on top of things”.
Further details of the mystery shop exercise can be found on the LITRG website
Please arrive 15 minutes before the session starts at 8.30am.
Venue: Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, 9 Norwich Business Park, Whiting Road, Norwich, NR4 6DJ
In this session (Be Better at Motivating Your Staff) John Jackson, The People People will be your host.
You will learn:
This session will offer practical tips on how to help you create an engaging and high performance workplace with John Jackson. The tips shared are tested and proven to motivate, improve productivity, create loyalty, responsibility and increase customer service.
About John:
John’s career spans the worlds of both business and education. In both of these his work has been focused on working with managers and employees to bring about real and sustainable improvement in the workplace for the lasting benefit for all concerned. At present he teaches work-based learning courses for two university business schools as well as working as a consultant with a variety of organisations.
This session forms part of The Chamber Sessions. The Chamber Sessions are open to Chamber Members only. They are free to attend but booking is required. Places limited to one per company per session and each company will have an opportunity to book on to three sessions per series.
Bookings are now closed. For the opportunity to book into this Session, please call 01603 729708.
The 18 teams joining Credo Asset Finance for the Canaryball Rally later this year got together on Wednesday for an inspirational night of fun and fundraising ideas.
The Rally which will take place on 9th -13th October, will recreate the journey across Europe that Norwich City Football Club undertook in their famous 1993/1994 UEFA Cup run.
The teams will start at the Nest in Norwich, before driving to Arnhem in Holland, Munich in Germany and finally Milan in Italy all in the aid of their chosen charity Community Sports Foundation and their #BuildTheNest campaign.
Two of the rally teams shared their own inspirational stories – Jacob Bowles, Norwich City’s current Fan of the Season, who along with his family announced on the evening they had already raised over their £5,000 target for the #BuildTheNest campaign trading from his ‘On the stall city’ market activities; and the aptly-named ‘Team U Pukki’ shared how their wide range of fundraising activities had already pledged nearly £4000.
Credo Managing Director Simon Gray said: “I was delighted to see such a good turnout and for our teams to network and share fundraising stories and ideas. Our thanks go to the Virgin Money Lounge for hosting the event and helping our teams set up their own fundraising pages.”
CSF Senior Fundraising & Events Manager Emma Fletcher said “It was wonderful to hear how rally participants are already doing such amazing things to raise money for the build the nest campaign. I can’t wait to see what else happens over the next couple of months, it’s an exciting time!”
There are a range of commercial sponsorship opportunities for businesses interested in supporting the Canaryball Rally – for details of how you could get involved please contact Fran Brown at Fran@credoassetfinance.com. Follow the Canaryball Rally on Twitter! @canaryballrally
Location: Carrowbreck House, 7 Carrowbreck Road, Norwich, NR6 5FA. This course is aimed at providing employees who have been nominated as fire marshals or fire wardens with the knowledge and skills to carry out their duties effectively. This course is delivered by qualified fire fighters. It is designed to provide delegates with an awareness of the requirements and implications of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, in addition to the general issues regarding fire safety. Delegates will learn the common causes of fires and how fires spread, in order that they may take this knowledge back to their workplace or area of responsibility to reduce the risk of fires starting or spreading, together with emergency procedures to be followed in case of fire. Duration: Half-day course (9:30am to 12:30pm approximately) Equipment: No equipment is necessary for you to bring to this course. Pens and note paper will be available. Lunch provided: If you are also attending the Fire Extinguisher Training course in the afternoon a sandwich lunch with crisps, cakes and fruit will be provided.Refreshments will be available throughout the duration of this course if only attending the morning. Course Content Upon completion of this half day course, delegates will have knowledge and awareness in the following areas: Responsibilities of fire marshals Relevant legal requirements Fire risk assessments, inspections and audits Fire detection and warning systems Emergency procedures, means of escape and evacuations Fire fighting equipment Maintenance and testing of fire precautions Course price: £45.00 For more details or any enquiries, please do contact us on 01603 788950, or email carrowbreck@broadland.gov.uk
The Government has introduced legislation promising to encourage long-term growth, although some of the country’s leading business organisations seem, at best, to be taking a wait-and-see attitude to the new proposals.
Presenting the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill to Parliament, Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “Growing our economy out of a period of acute crisis is the most pressing issue for this Government. We want to make sure the right conditions are in place to encourage investment and exports, boost enterprise, support green growth and build a responsible business culture.”
The Bill includes provisions to change the employment tribunal system by encouraging parties to come together to settle their dispute before a tribunal claim is lodged, through Acas early conciliation and greater use of Settlement Agreements.
It also aims to make the determination of less complex disputes quicker and cheaper for employers and employees alike, through a new “Rapid Resolution” scheme. Taking away the fear of employment tribunals will give business more confidence to take on new staff, the Government said.
The Bill will also address the disconnect between directors’ pay and long-term company performance by giving shareholders of UK-quoted companies binding votes on directors’ remuneration.
It will also reduce inspection burdens on businesses of all sizes and increase SME access to “reliable, consistent advice” on complying with regulations in areas such as trading standards, health and safety and environmental health.
The Bill has not been well-received by the Institute of Directors (IoD) with Alexander Ehmann, Head of Regulation and Employment Policy, describing it as disappointing.
“It signals another missed opportunity for the Government,” he said. “In a week where Adrian Beecroft’s report has dominated the news agenda, the gap between government rhetoric and actual deregulation is all too obvious.”
For the CBI, Chief Policy Director Katja Hall said that it was light on detail in some key areas.
“Companies will judge the Government’s progress by what changes in their business on the ground,” she said. “So far, there has been too little progress in too many areas, with the Government’s intended changes yet to filter through.”
A new book that captures people’s reflections on life during Covid-19 has been published to raise funds for NHS charities.
When The World Paused Again began life as a blog in March 2020, launched to capture people’s thoughts as the first lockdown began. A total of 75 people took part and the posts were subsequently published as a book in October 2020, raising around £600 for NHS charities.
Michelle Gant, Director of The Engaging People Company, set up the blog and the book: “Writing has always been cathartic for me, and it’s something that I have been able to turn to during difficult times, and journaling particularly has helped me to process thoughts and emotions.
“Which is why I thought an online journal – a blog – would be a fantastic way to help make sense of what was happening way back in spring 2020.
“I decided to open the blog up to others who might find it helpful too – and I was overwhelmed with the response. By the end of it, we had enough content for a book that we could publish to raise funds for our NHS heroes.”
That book was the first instalment of When the World Paused and Michelle thought that would be the end of the project. But when lockdown was announced again this year, she decided to reopen the blog.
“For many people it seemed that this winter lockdown was more challenging than the previous one and once again, I thought that writing could be a useful tool to help people process what was happening.
“This time, I wanted to look ahead more, and the focus was on what a pandemic taught us about living, helping people to find positivity in an uncertain and hugely challenging period of our lives.
“I invited last year’s contributors to take part again and many of them were keen to do so, capturing their reflections one year on from the last time they had written.
“But, it was also fantastic to see so many other people who hadn’t previously been involved want to contribute. When I closed the blog in June, 84 of us had taken part and shared our thoughts and feelings.”
This included contributors from Norfolk as well as from across the UK, from places such as London, Manchester, and Tyne and Wear. There were also writers from as far afield as Holland and Abu Dhabi.
And, the youngest contributor was Michelle’s daughter Thea who was aged five when she recorded her latest reflections in May this year.
“When I started the blog, I was conscious that I was also capturing a moment in time for my daughter. She will only have vague recollections of the last year and I wanted to record memories for her. But I also thought she would have something to say on this time of her life.
“And so I interviewed her – both this year and last – and I wrote down verbatim what she said. Her reflections, like so many in the book, moved me but made me laugh too.
“I am enormously grateful to all of the contributors who have taken part and shared their thoughts quite so openly. Reading their reflections was certainly a highlight of an uncertain time.”
Please arrive 15 minutes before the session starts at 8.30am.Venue:Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, 9 Norwich Business Park, Whiting Road, Norwich, NR4 6DJ In this session (Be Better at Presentation Skills) Su Ingle, Su Ingle Media will be your host.You will learn: Want to speak in front of groups with confidence? Su Ingle of Su Ingle Media will guide you through how to overcome nerves, express yourself effectively and engage your audience. About Su: Su presented the BBC science series “Tomorrow’s World” and the BBC World Service radio series “Science in Action.” She has directed and produced several television programmes for the BBC, Anglia TV, TV New Zealand, and Survival Anglia. Since then she has built up a great deal of experience in media, presentation, crisis management and issues training with a wide variety of organisations, from local health authorities to agricultural and pharmaceutical companies. She has worked worldwide with many prestigious clients in multinational companies. Follow Su:@suingle23 Supported by:
This session forms part of The Chamber Sessions. The Chamber Sessions are open to Chamber Members only. They are free to attend but booking is required. Places limited to one per company per session and each company will have an opportunity to book on tothreesessions per series.