Aston Shaw is proud to announce that we are sponsors of this year’s Norfolk Food and Drink Awards, which will be held on the 15th September 2014 at the Norfolk Showground. Since our inception in 1969, we have recognised the pride and excitement that surrounds our local region when it comes to quality food and drink.
As specialists in the hospitality, agricultural and manufacturing industries, we have many clients operating within the food and drink sectors, ranging from: pubs, restaurants, café’s, bars, farm shops and breweries. We felt that sponsorship of the awards was a fantastic way for us to show our support for both our clients and all those who are involved locally in the industry.
There are 10 categories overall, featuring “Best Independent Food and Drink Retailer” and the “Outstanding Achievement Award” which are all judged by a panel of expert and independent judges. The awards will be hosted by the Eastern Daily Press and will run alongside the 10th anniversary of the Norfolk Food and Drinks festival.
Aston Shaw are proud to announce that they are sponsoring the Wymondham Falcons U8 team for their forthcoming season. The youth side play their home fixtures at Kett’s Park, which is located in Wymondham adjacent to the police headquarters. The sponsorship will see the Aston Shaw logo emblazoned upon the Falcon’s kits.
Dominic Shaw, Director of Aston Shaw commented: “We are delighted to be sponsoring the Wymondham Falcons and show our support for the local community. There are a lot of people here who are incredibly passionate about young people being involved in sports and this was a fantastic way for us to demonstrate that”.
Aston Shaw are an independent chartered accountancy firm offering a comprehensive range of accountancy and business services, with 5 offices located throughout East Anglia.
The Falcons begin their campaign on Saturday 13th September, the team fully rested after the international break. Aston Shaw wishes the Falcons the best of luck for the season and will look forward to hearing how they are getting on, home and away.
Effective Imaging Ltd., t/a This is Effective, has
recently expanded their current wide format print service portfolio with the acquisition
of the Xerox Versant 280 Digital Colour Press, complete with finishing
equipment to bind, stitch, fold and cut. The move towards an in-house small
format print service is part of the company’s wider business development plan
to offer their customers a single supplier option for all their printing,
branding or marketing needs. This is Effective is now able to supply all types
of print items on a wide variety of media with different finishes, such as
business cards, leaflets, flyers, postcards, greeting cards, posters, brochures
and catalogues, notepads, half-fold and trifold leaflets, menus, and much more.
To support this expansion, This is Effective has employed
two full-time members of staff – one Production Manager and one Machine Operative.
This is sure to creating a positive impact on the local economy – something the
business takes very seriously as Strategic Partners of the Norfolk Chambers of
Commerce. To ensure that this new development aligns with the company’s core
values regarding sustainability, This is Effective is proudly Carbon Balance
Certified via the World Land Trust. This goes hand in hand with their commitment
to providing customers with eco-friendly solutions, such as the use of water-based
latex inks to reduce the use of harmful chemicals often found in traditional solvent
inks.
Company Director, Sara Docwra, spoke of the
development as “a logical step for us. We already produce an enormous range of
wide format print items in-house, such as banners and signage, but there is a
huge gap in the local market for a business that can supply everything
themselves with complete control over the production chain. This means that we’ll
be able to cater to all our customers, without them needing to use multiple
suppliers. It’ll be much more manageable from a procurement point of view. We
are so proud to be able to do everything ourselves as it’s rare in this day and
age. From their signage and workwear to their brochures, business cards and everything
in between, we can offer it all in-house. We are so excited about this expansion
and cannot wait to see what the future holds.”
This is Effective is an independent, family-run
business located in East Norfolk. Established in 2016 by company Director
Jonathan Ling, a signage and vehicle graphics professional with over 30 years’
experience, and joined by co-Director Sara Docwra in 2019, the business has grown exponentially since its inception. Now comprising a team of eleven staff members,
This is Effective provides a full service catering to any businesses requiring
printed items, signage, vehicle graphics, industrial and commercial engraving, customised
printed and embroidered workwear and branded merchandise. Each aspect of the
production chain is ensured in-house by the team of well-experienced and skilled
staff who manage each order with care and attention.
Abellio Greater Anglia has recognised employees at its Customer Contact Centre for delivering excellent customer service which saw them score top marks in a recent ‘mystery shopping’ survey.
Amanda Green and Estelle Christie, both from Norwich, work in the train operator’s Customer Contact Centre in Norwich as Customer Relations Advisors and were praised for their friendly, helpful and professional manner when dealing with customers’ enquiries on the telephone.
Both received a score of 100% for excellent customer service when secretly assessed by mystery shoppers whilst carrying out their duties – Amanda’s eighth 100% score in the last two years!
Amanda has clocked up 23 years’ service with the railway since joining at the age of 19 and working first as an On Train Catering Assistant and then in Retail Communications as a Train Announcer before joining the Customer Relations team.
Customer Relations Supervisor, John Nelson, said:
“It’s great to have received such positive feedback for our team members. As a department we’ve been working really hard to ensure that we provide the best level of service to all of our customers and this is an excellent example of how it can be done. I’d like to extend my congratulations and thanks to Amanda and Estelle for their commitment and effort, and for leading the way in the provision of great customer service.”
Customer service and quality standards at Abellio Greater Anglia stations are assessed on a regular basis and Amanda and Estelle achieved their perfect scores when assessed as part of a recent mystery shopping exercise carried out between 17th August and 13th September 2014.
Andrew Goodrum, Abellio Greater Anglia’s Customer Services Director, said:
“Since the Abellio Greater Anglia franchise began, we have been concentrating our efforts on improving the customer experience; one important element of this is to give our staff additional training, enabling them to provide the best service possible for the over two million passengers a week using our services in London and the East Anglia region.”
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Norwich Business School (NBS) has been praised for its exceptional commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and small business engagement in the region, with news of a 5-year accreditation of its Small Business Charter.
The award acknowledges the role that NBS plays in helping businesses and enterprise in the region by delivering bespoke business friendly education and research that has helped dozens of companies learn, grow, expand and thrive.
This includes bespoke consultancy advice to businesses via theHelp to Grow programme. Since 2023, NBS has successfully delivered the programme to over 100 SMEs, with 120 managers and business owners participating across six cohorts. This initiative has not only provided valuable learning experiences but has also fostered strong, long-term relationships between NBS and the SMEs supported.
Professor Amir Sharif, Head of Norwich Business School, said:
“I am extremely happy with the news that Norwich Business School has been able to achieve the full 5-year reaccreditation for the Small Business Charter (SBC), receiving 100% attainment against all 29 criteria of the accreditation.
“This reaccreditation serves to highlight our strong commitment to fostering entrepreneurship, and working closely with small businesses, ensuring ourcurriculum design, has real external engagement, and its impact is evaluated.
“This will motivate us to continue enhancing our work with businesses via our applied research excellence to deepen our support for the local and regional economy.”
Flora Hamilton, Executive Director of the Small Business Charter and CEO of the Chartered Association of Business Schools, said:
“Congratulations to University of East Anglia, Norwich Business School on their reaccreditation with the Small Business Charter. By working closely with local and regional stakeholders, they create real impact and equip future business leaders with the skills to drive innovation and growth. We are pleased to recognise their excellence with this reaccreditation.
“I am excited to continue championing the next cohorts of Help to Grow and driving further impact for businesses and entrepreneurs.”
The assessors’ and Small Business Board (SBC) board feedback mentioned respectively that:
“The application for the reassessment demonstrates an exceptional commitment to fostering entrepreneurship, enterprise, and small business engagement within the institution. Across all dimensions, the evidence provided is robust, comprehensive, and reflective of a dynamic and well-integrated approach to supporting entrepreneurial education and activity.
“The strong alignment between institutional strategy, curriculum design, external engagement, and impact evaluation highlights a mature and effective ecosystem for enterprise development, making this application particularly compelling.”
99.7% of Norfolk and Suffolk’s business base is made up of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and micro businesses, additionally the number of AI businesses in the East is 8% higher than in every other area of the country. NBS is a major provider of advice and consultancy to businesses as they seek to scale, grow and navigate the challenges of the local and world economy by accessing expert business education and research. Company testimonials about the Help to Grow programme
Inspiralis Ltd – Inspiralis is a contract research organisation and enzyme supplier, specialising in DNA modifying enzymes that supports those looking for novel anti-infective and anti-cancer compounds.
Dr Natassja Bush, Managing Director,said:
“I have a much better understanding of what our value proposition is and who our ideal customer is. I also feel like a better leader and what I need to do to help the company grow.”
Idenfo – Idenfo is an AML (anti-money laundering) solution and services company that offers a range of consultancy, managed services and software solutions to aid financial institutions fight financial crime. Founded in 2019 the company operates primarily in the United Kingdom, UAE, Qatar and Pakistan.
Antony BellingalCo founder of Idenfo, said:
“When you are the founder of a business it’svery easy to think that your own method of doing things is the right way to do it. Coming to do a course with academics with practical experience really can help challenge your opinions. Another part of the course was having a mentor and he often challenged my assumptions and I found that very helpful. I’ddefinitely recommend the course, I felt more complete as a manager.”
Collen & Clare –Collen & Clare is a multi-brand independent retailer of men’s and women’s clothing based in the destination seaside town of Southwold in Suffolk. Regularly quoted as being ‘one of the top 50 boutiques’ in the country we enjoy a reputation for great customer service and an edit of over 100 brands.
Vanessa Collen, Managing Director of Collen & Clare, said:
“I went into the programme wanting to grow my customer base but came out of it with a plan to work more closely with the customers I already have. On the advice of the work done with UEA I surveyed my customers to ask them what they think of us then implemented some investment projects into our technology platforms. But all of this comes from the opportunities the programme gave me to access resources, skills and advice that I had no idea existed.”
Brent Council did. UEA graduate Leeana Pitt contacted UEA’s Research and Enterprise Services to help with a customer service training need in 2013.
Leanna was put in touch with *Cast, UEA’s role-play services company, who were asked to deliver a series of 22 role-play sessions aimed at improving the communication skills of Brent’s social workers.
The resultant training was such a resounding success that Brent Council saw an increase in ‘excellent’ customer experiences from 58 to 73 per cent with no poor customer experiences recorded at all after the sessions.
The Customer Service training, which received consistently positive feedback from the delegates, was based on a review of the current performance of a group of 200 social workers, care assessors and contact agents. The review highlighted the need for a more reflective social care practice when communicating with customers, and the importance of a diverse ability to adapt communication styles depending on the needs, age, and culture of the client.
*Cast works with businesses to deliver communication, presentation and customer service skills training by providing realistic, simulated customer-service environments. The commercial company, led by Val Taylor of UEA’s School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, employs students, graduates and professional actors to perform scripted role-play scenarios built around each company’s specific needs.
“Cast were professional, flexible and co-operative to work with. They delivered an excellent quality of service and talented actors, who worked hard to meet our specific requirements to ensure the sessions were as successful as possible.” Leeana Pitt, Team Manager, Brent Council.
*Cast is just one area where UEA has been able to help an organisation find a business solution, to find out how we can help you, contact business@uea.ac.uk, or +44 (0)1603 591578 or visit our website.
Breakwater IT, a leading IT support and technology solutions company, has announced the promotion of John Gostling to Operations Director. John joined Breakwater in 2012 as a senior engineer before becoming Service Desk Manager and most recently Operations Manager, a position he has held since July 2013. The move to Operations Director will reinforce the Executive team at Breakwater, helping to deliver the company’s commitment to high levels of customer service and reliable IT solutions.
Commenting on the news Peter Davies, Chairman of Breakwater IT said “I am very pleased to confirm the appointment of John Gostling as Operations Director. John has worked for Breakwater for 2 years now and has a great mix of technical knowledge and practical business experience. He is popular with our clients and staff alike and has the strategic vision to take the company to the next level.”
Prior to joining Breakwater IT John held a number of positions within the IT industry, both within the East Anglian region and in London. John brings 16 years of experience in IT support and solutions, including a wealth of technical knowledge and account management. His move to Director will provide the platform from which to drive Breakwater’s pledge to provide customised solutions for their clients, using a mix of tried and tested and, where appropriate, new technology.
As Operations Director John will also address the growing issue of security problems that all companies now face. Breakwater sees security as a key focus and is dedicating resources to find reliable solutions for their clients; John said “security problems are growing and we need to be in a position to mitigate these, Breakwater will be using cutting edge security technology to manage passwords to applications, whether they are Cloud based or on premise.”
About Breakwater
Breakwater was founded in 2005 and has established itself as an efficient and highly reliable IT services provider for both the SME and corporate market place. Their experienced team of analysts and account managers are based at the Meridian Business Park in Norwich. Breakwater’s services range from IT consultancy and support to bespoke technology solutions and a dedicated business telecoms division.
We are set to expand our reach in the southern regions of East Anglia by opening a second office in Bury St Edmunds.
Serving clients nationwide, we have been supplying commercial insurance and risk management solutions from its Norfolk headquarters for over a century.
Having seen significant recent growth in our East Anglia client base outside Norfolk, Peter Foster, Managing Director, explained that a second branch was needed.
He said: “We have been keen to develop a base in Bury St Edmunds for some time so that we are nearer to our clients in Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex and can be more effectively integrated within their business communities. This is the right time to make the move.” With the new office set to open this September, the first new recruit at the Bury St Edmunds branch will be Joanne Hocking, who will join the company as an Account Executive to support the continued growth of our Community Broking division.
Joining the team from the Suffolk division insurance intermediary Towergate, Jo has spent her career in Bury St Edmunds and brings with her a wealth of local industry knowledge and connections. Commenting on her new role, Jo said: “I am very much looking forward to co-ordinating the growth of Hugh J Boswell’s Bury St Edmunds office and the exciting opportunities ahead.
Following on from our auction of a rather unique piece of memorabilia signed by Brian Blessed, Norfolk at the Pictures was also selected to be our July Charity for our monthly #ESECharityDay.
Receiving 5% of our online profits on the last Friday of July the charity was presented with a cheque for £420.00, Marc Atkinson was kind enough to give us a tour of the cinema whilst he told us what the money raised will be used for.
The project aims to collect and preserve memories of cinema going in Norfolk as well as offering an educational aspect, both to schools and the general public. The funds will be used to renovate part of the building offering better facilities including a lift offering much improved disability access to their premises.
You can keep up to date with the charity by reading their blog,or following them on twitter and facebook.