On Wednesday 27 February we booked out the top floor of Bill’s Norwich for a sold out networking breakfast. With over 85 businesses joining us in the newly refurbished restaurant, and different menu options to awaken the taste buds. The morning started with coffee of course, followed by some networking time between attendees. On arrival, we gave each delegate a sticker with a name on. This name then paired up with another in the room, for example if you had salt, you would have to find pepper. The activity got delegates mixed around and meeting businesses they may not have met before. It was then time to sit down for breakfast, with Full English, vegetarian, vegan and the healthy option of avocado on toast dishes flowing out of the kitchen. Conversations carried on over breakfast filling Bill’s with a great atmosphere. When everyone was full we welcomed our guest speaker James Groves of Indigo Swan. James joined us to give his top five tips to embed a positive culture in your workplace. James’ top tips were: 1. Remember that culture is not just felt internally, but externally as well 2. Live your values – it’s not just words 3. Walk the walk, don’t just talk the talk 4. Show you care about your people personally 5. Enjoy what you do! After answering some questions from the audience with fellow swans Tom, Alex and Aimee, James left the audience with a final question – ‘when is the best time to plant a tree?’. The answer; 20 years ago. Given that none of us have a time machine handy, James emphasised how you can’t go back, but you can start now. Our next Norwich event is our Wine Tasting at HarperWells! Make sure you join us to socialise among the business community over wine tasting and cheese boards. Click here for more details.
Age UK Norwich has launched its second ‘Happy to Chat’ bench, strategically located within the serene grounds of Norwich Cathedral. This initiative, aimed at combating social isolation and loneliness, has been made possible through the generous support of The People Kit and Leathes Prior.
The launch event, held on Thursday 31st July, saw representatives from all three partnering organisations gather to celebrate this significant addition to the community. Speeches were delivered by The Very Revd Dr Andrew Braddock, Dean of Norwich Cathedral, Dan Skipper, Chief Executive Officer (Age UK Norwich), Mary McGivern (The People Kit), and Mike Barlow, Senior Partner (Leathes Prior), all of whom highlighted the profound importance of fostering connections and reducing isolation. Mary explained “Who would have thought sitting on a bench and having a chat with a stranger would make such a difference to their lives, but it really does. I’ve experienced first hand the positive effect these chats can have. Always remember the person sitting next to you may well have not spoken to anyone for days or in some cases weeks”.
Attendees included staff and volunteers from Age UK Norwich, members of Leathes Prior, and members of The People Kit, creating a warm and collaborative atmosphere.
The ‘Happy to Chat’ bench is a simple yet powerful concept. It features a prominent sign inviting passers-by to take a seat if they are open to a friendly conversation. In today’s fast-paced world, opportunities for spontaneous social interaction can be limited. These benches provide a welcoming space for individuals to connect, share a moment, and potentially brighten someone’s day, helping to foster a stronger, more connected community.
This particular ‘Happy to Chat’ bench holds a special significance as it is dedicated to the cherished memory of Dawn Lossau, an employee of Leathes Prior and a truly devoted volunteer for Age UK Norwich. Dawn’s commitment to making a difference in the lives of older people was profound and inspiring. Her volunteering journey began as a telephone befriender, part of a corporate partnership volunteering programme between Leathes Prior and Age UK Norwich. Having completed this initial programme, Dawn’s passion for connection led her to continue her telephone befriending independently, outside of her work commitments. She deeply loved the opportunity to make a positive impact on people’s lives, and it is this unwavering dedication that this bench commemorates. We sincerely hope that Dawn’s memory will encourage countless others to sit, engage in conversation, and in doing so, contribute to reducing social isolation within our community.
Mike Barlow, Senior Partner at Leathes Prior commented “We are incredibly proud to support this bench alongside Age UK Norwich and The People Kit and deeply moved that it honours our much-missed colleague and friend, Dawn Lossau. Dawn was a cherished part of the Leathes Prior family for 17 years, full of compassion, laughter, and warmth. She gave so much of herself to others, both through her work and her volunteer efforts.
This bench, inviting people to pause and connect, feels like the perfect tribute to someone who cared so deeply about making a difference. Dawn, and the colour she brought to the world, will remain forever in our hearts. We hope this simple space for conversation brings comfort, connection, and a bit of her spirit to all who pass by”
Dan Skipper, Chief Executive Officer of Age UK Norwich said, “We are incredibly grateful to The People Kit and Leathes Prior for their invaluable support in bringing this second ‘Happy to Chat’ bench to fruition. The concept of these benches is beautifully simple, yet its potential to combat loneliness is immense. To dedicate this bench to Dawn, a truly remarkable individual who embodied the spirit of connection and compassion, makes this launch even more meaningful. We hope it serves as a lasting tribute to her legacy and inspires many more conversations.”
Members of the public are encouraged to visit the new ‘Happy to Chat’ bench in the Norwich Cathedral grounds and embrace the opportunity for a friendly conversation.
If you are interested in having a ‘Happy to Chat’ bench in your local area in Norwich, please contact Age UK Norwich to discuss possibilities and how you can help bring more opportunities for connection to your community.
So many business people we meet love what they do, whether it be a developing a great product or delivering a first class service. But when we ask them how much they love the sales part of their business they often shudder, roll their eyes and go silent. But if we are great at doing what we do how much are we letting our clients and ourselves down if we don’t have a similar passion for selling our products and services?
If this is you then you must come to our next event we are running in conjunction with NatWest entitled “Ethical Selling Skills for Business Success”.
At this exciting event we will:
Show you that ethical selling is the way to a truly successful business
Destroy some key myths about Selling and Salespeople
Build your confidence to proudly represent your business to rapidly increase your business sales
Give you a simple 5-step process to instant sales success
Teach you to love objections and to deal with them effortlessly
HMRC are encouraging businesses trading outside the UK to apply for an Economic Operator Registration Identification (EORI) number. If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, from 11pm on 29th March, UK businesses will need to apply the same processes as are currently used when exporting and importing outside the EU.
If you’re VAT registered this process is simple and can be done online, it should only take around 10 minutes. You’ll need your VAT registration number and name of your business in which you’re VAT registered.
If you’re not VAT registered you’ll need some more information which can be found here.
To apply for your EORI number or find out more please click here.
Export Licences
The Department for International Trade has announced a new Open General Export License (OGEL) for the export of dual-use goods (with both civilian and military application) to the EU. These items could be used for both civil and military applications and could include: goods, software, technology, documents, diagrams, raw materials such as chemicals, components like bearings and complete systems such as lasers. You can find further information on these items here.
The licence will come into effect as from 11pm on 29th March, if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
HMRC has written to 145,000 businesses who are trading with the EU regarding the transitional simplified procedures (TSP) for customs, if we leave the EU without a deal.
The procedures should help to avoid prolonged checks at the border and would also mean that goods can be transported from the EU to the UK without having to make a full customs declaration at the border, also delaying the payment for import duties.
Whilst we are not sure how long these changes will last; the government have said they will provide 12 months’ notice if any changes need to be made.
Registrations for TSP are now open, and businesses can register if they have an EORI number, please click here for more information.
If you have a specific query or need more advice on Brexit, please contact: hello@norfolkchamber.co.uk or call 01603 625977.
Completion of the improvements to Ely North Junction
New Rolling Stock
Priority loops at Chelmsford to create more capacity
Electrification of the Norwich to Cambridge line
The four-county East Anglia Rail Summit met in Westminster yesterday, one year on from the launch of the East Anglia Rail Prospectus.
Representatives from Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridge; together with Network Rail and Greater Anglia Rail Franchise all attended the summit. Norfolk’s delegation included the Norfolk Chamber, the majority of the Norfolk MPs, Norfolk County Council and New Anglia LEP.
The summit reviewed the improvements that have been approved for Ely Junction, Bow Junction and the West Anglia three tracking system. The improvements to Ely junction will allow more capacity and will facilitate a half hourly service from King’s Lynn to London, as well as providing another step in the right direction for the Norwich to London in 90 minutes.
Despite theencouraging progress, the group agreed that more rail improvements were necessary:
Improvements to Chelmsford to create a priority loop which will provide additional capacity, that will benefit all four counties and create economic benefits across the region.
New Rolling Stock – the existing rolling stock will no longer be compliant by 2019, however to ensure new rolling stock is deliverable in good time, it must be called for now.
Electrification of the Norwich to Cambridge line – Huge advances have been made in bio and life sciences in both Norwich and Cambridge. Long-term, there is an economic case to be made for electrification of the line to ensure that both cities can benefit from linking science and innovation with ease of access.
Course Title; Level 4 Award in Health & Safety in the Workplace
Aim; This qualification provides those in managerial and supervisory positions with appropriate knowledge and understanding of health and safety hazards, controls, and their management. It is also suitable for those wishing to deliver CIEH health and safety qualifications as part of their training provision.
Objectives;
*Understand the meaning of ‘management of health and safety’
*Understand the structure of UK and European law, and to interpret these requirements
*Understand most workplace hazards, their control, and to design safe practices and procedures
*Develop monitoring and auditing programmes
*Liaise with enforcement officers
*Have sufficient technical knowledge to teach level 1 + 2 health and safety training (with appropriate training skills)
Organisation
Duration; 6 days course consisting of 5 days in the classroom and the 6th day for assessment
Exam/Assessment; Controlled assignment and examination. The course is accredited by Ofqual.
Cost; £595 plus VAT includes notes, refreshments, lunch, the assessment & certification fees
Awarding Body; Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH)
Tutor; Richard Mills or Sarah Daniels
Differentiation; Prior knowledge of health and safety is required: CIEH Level 3 Award in Health & Safety would be desirable. This is a challenging course; candidates require a moderate level of academic skills and ICT ability. Access to a computer, for assignment research, email, etc is strongly recommended.
Audience; This qualification is for business owners, managers and supervisors, who devise, implement and monitor a company’s health and safety, and for those who want to become trainers
For more information on this course please contact us on www.redcat.gb.com
Read updates issued by the Export Control Organisation including details about imposition of arms embargoes, Open General Export Licence amendments or announcements about Control List changes.
Notice to Exporters 2013/18 The Secretary of State has decided that reporting requirements on the use of Open Licences under the Transparency Initiative will be scaled back. Read more about this important decision.
Notice to Exporters 2013/19 Changes to Open General Export Licence (Military Goods: Collaborative Project Typhoon).
Notice to Exporters 2013/20 A number of Open General Export Licences (OGELs) were amended as a result of Croatia becoming a Member State of the EU on 1 July 2013. There was a mistake in the Military Goods, Software and Technology OGEL which has now been corrected – read this Notice for details.
Attleborough Town Hall – one of a series of five events co-hosted by Norfolk Charity BUILD and Norfolk County Council, bringing together social care service providers and their customers (ie people with disabilities, carers, family members) to help develop the new market where eligable personal budget holders, and those that fund their own care, can make informed choices about who provides accommodation, support, advice, as well as social, leisure and learning activities.
Open to the public, on a drop in basis with limited spaces left for service providers.
Commenting on the draft rules on the EU Settlement Scheme statement of intent, published today by the Home Office, Mike Spicer, Director of Research at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:
“The guidance published today will be welcomed by employers and EU employees alike. It provides clear information on the status of EU nationals resident in the UK and those who arrive during the transition period after March next year. We know that some businesses lost European employees in the aftermath of the referendum, owing to the uncertainty they faced, so assurances that they can stay are a positive step forward. The next step is for the draft rules to be laid before Parliament and we urge all Parliamentarians to ensure this stage is concluded swiftly.
“We look forward to working with the Home Office to ensure greater clarity on this and other areas in the long term.”
In the 2016 Global Entrepreneurial Monitor report, 5.1% of the adult population in the UK were actively trying to start a business and 11.1% of working age adults expected to start a business within the next 3 years
Nwes & NatWest are pleased to present a series of events in partnership across the county to support your entrepreneurial journey
5th September: Kings Lynn Innovation Centre
6th September: Lowestoft Riverside Business Centre
7th September: Norwich, Rouen House
Who should attend this event?
This event is intended for small and medium business owners including those who are considering starting their own business in the next 12 months.
How will this benefit my business or idea?
Our events in Kings Lynn and Lowestoft will be supported by an Advisor Panel who consisting of different industries and skillsets. You will have the opportunity to book a one-to-one consultation with them after the event. In Norwich you will have the opportunity to approach the businesses exhibiting to ask your question.
What topics will be discussed?
We will be exploring how grant funding can support your business with a bespoke offering from Nwes. Cashflow is one of the key issues that affects businesses – what can you do to mitigate risks and improve the performance of your business?
Have you considered China as your next export market?
Looking for advice on doing business with China?
China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) is hosting a 1-2-1 business clinic with an expert China advisor on the 13th March, 2019 in Norwich. Boyi Mu- China Market Business Advisor from CBBC will be available to discuss matters ranging from the market potential for your products or services, to how to establish a presence in the market, as well as the support and services available to help you deal with the unique challenges in China and develop your business in a cost effective way.
Please click here for more information and to register for the event.
In the 2016 Global Entrepreneurial Monitor report, 5.1% of the adult population in the UK were actively trying to start a business and 11.1% of working age adults expected to start a business within the next 3 years
Nwes & NatWest are pleased to present a series of events in partnership across the county to support your entrepreneurial journey
5th September: Kings Lynn Innovation Centre
6th September: Lowestoft Riverside Business Centre
7th September: Norwich, Rouen House
Who should attend this event?
This event is intended for small and medium business owners including those who are considering starting their own business in the next 12 months.
How will this benefit my business or idea?
Our events in Kings Lynn and Lowestoft will be supported by an Advisor Panel who consisting of different industries and skillsets. You will have the opportunity to book a one-to-one consultation with them after the event. In Norwich you will have the opportunity to approach the businesses exhibiting to ask your question.
What topics will be discussed?
We will be exploring how grant funding can support your business with a bespoke offering from Nwes. Cashflow is one of the key issues that affects businesses – what can you do to mitigate risks and improve the performance of your business?