Member News

This week King Nigel of Norwich took a break from panto and made a Royal Visit to Captain Fawcett’s Marvellous Barbershop Museum in King’s Lynn. Actor Rufus Hound is currently starring as King Nigel in Jack and the Beanstalkat the Theatre Royal, Norwich, until 7th January. Before Tuesday’s matinée Rufus whizzed over to Fawcett HQ for tea with Fawcett founder Richie Finney. After a quick tour of the Museum he said “What a place! Everything is totally in character. Honestly, everyone should come and see what’s been created here. It’s just amazing! As well as being known for his acting talent and frequent appearances on comedy panel shows, Rufus is famed for his trademark whiskers, saying “I’ve chosen to wear facial hair since I was able!” He was sporting a particularly lush ‘English handlebar’ moustache when a chance meeting led to Captain Fawcett’s collaboration with the bewhiskered comedian. The result was ‘Triumphant’, a rather splendid Signature Series Gentleman’s Grooming range which made its debut in 2019 with a Moustache Wax. ‘Triumphant’ was such a success, six months later the range was expanded and now includes a Beard Balm, Beard Oil and magnificent Eau De Parfum with a heady fragrance reminiscent of the balmy days of Spring. The scent was inspired by Rufus riding his beloved motorcycle through England’s green & pleasant countryside. Rufus says: “Captain Fawcett’s melange of magical moustache managers and array of oils, waxes and parfums are never far from my washbag or my whiskers. When we met he asked what my favourite smell was. My answer was immediate. I ride a Triumph motorcycle in an open face helmet. On those glorious days of summer, to be on a British bike, riding through the twisty, turny B roads of the British countryside is an exceptional treat. Whizzing through little villages on a bike designed to do just that is heavenly. The combination of sunshine, flowers and williwaw arrives olfactorily but manifests spiritually. If there was one smell, I wish there more of in the world, that’s it. “Being asked to collaborate with Captain Fawcett is one of the most flattering things that’s ever happened. When ‘Triumphant’ was mentioned in Vogue it was just unreal. I mean, I’m not Beyoncé, I’m just a bloke from the theatre with his own fragrance. It’s brilliant and completely nuts!” Rufus first fell for Norfolk when he starred in the touring production of One Man, Two Guvnors, also at the Norwich Theatre Royal. He says “Norfolk audiences are an excellent bunch. I was immediately up for coming back here to do panto. I like Norfolk very much and I could happily live in Norwich Market! It’s incredible!” Talking of Jack and the Beanstalk he says “Joe Tracini (who plays Jack) was born to be in pantomime. The roots of panto are brilliantly disruptive, they’re shows where communities take stock of themselves. They’re about local in-jokes and references to things like street names get the biggest laughs. It’s exhausting doing two shows a day but when people are really joining in, screaming and shouting, that’s where the energy comes from. There’s no buzz like it.” Oh yes there is…and it smells ‘Triumphant’! Jack and the Beanstalk is playing at the Theatre Royal, Norwich until Saturday 7th January 2023. Tickets start at £10.

Conversions are the backbone to any business; without them, your business wouldn’t be on the path it is today. But we all know looking for ways to increase your conversions without making drastic changes to your website is hard.

In this instance, the first thing to consider is making sure your website is consistent regarding your calls to action (CTAs) and specifically their chosen colouring.

Why is this important, you ask? Well it’s proven that our eyes are drawn to eye-catching colours, something that stands out from the rest of the screen. The best place to implement these colours are at your conversion and clickable points. These colours need to be relevant – you can’t just throw in a luminous orange for the sake of drawing attention to your telephone number. Why? Let’s get into it.

You say tomato, I say tomato

Word association is something that is often linked to brands – for example “every little helps”, you think of Tesco. “I’m lovin’ it”, you think of McDonald’s. We could go on forever, but you get the point. The same applies to colour.

Colours are associated with brands, such as purple for Cadbury and red for Coca-Cola. If we take Cadbury’s as an example, we can see on their website that they feature predominantly their royal purple colouring as their background.

They are using their secondary brand colour, white, as the colour for their main clickable elements. This colour works really nicely for them as the white is a bright contrasting colour compared to the purple which really catches the eye. These colours feature across the site to draw your eye to the pages Cadbury want you to explore, it’s simple but so very clever.

But what colour should I use? 

Not every brand is as lucky as Cadbury when it comes to their brand colours working so clearly together. Take AFS Supplies, for example. AFS is a long standing business of 40+ years, they have quickly become a leading provider of health and hygiene products, as well as providing services to livestock farming and all allied industries. On their website, you can see that their logo features a range of colours, which can make it difficult to choose which one would work best for not only the website but to accompany the industry with which they fall in.

As they supply to an array of industries, it is imperative that they choose an appropriate colour for their calls to action. Now, you may not believe in such things, but colours come with certain connotations. As already mentioned, purple has a sense of royalty, blue has an aura of trust, and brown, steadfastness. When it comes to the colour green, this has a calm presence – it helps to ease any feelings of dread as well as being linked closely to nature.

As AFS Supplies works a lot with the agricultural industry, of all the colours green was the clear choice. It represents a calm process to ordering your supplies, as well as aligning with their industry connotations.  The ease of choosing your colour can differ depending on the existing brand.

We have implemented the same strategy for Dust Masks Direct, AFS Supplies’ sister company. With only one brand colour, this one was easier to implement. As specialists in PPE they have a clearer target demographic which made it simpler to implement their brand colour throughout the site in the same way. The trusting blue used in their branding is perfect for their business. PPE is something vital to a lot of industries, so trusting the company you buy from is a must.

Cadbury has nailed it with their royal purple, communicating the luxury of their chocolate as well as their royal standing in the chocolate industry. Choosing your colour needs to not only catch the eye but represent your brand identity. 

You’ve chosen your colour – now what?

So you have your colour, now use it in the most efficient way to maximise your conversions! But how? We are using a natural green to accentuate all the calls to action around AFS Supplies site, such as the buttons to the product pages so it is clearer where on the site users should navigate to.  Not only are these used on calls to action but also on all clickable elements of the site to help with guiding the user throughout and to avoid any rage clicks on something that can’t be clicked on! Any signs of frustration on the site can mean the difference between a customer converting… or not.

Whatever you do, don’t fluctuate between colours! There’s nothing more misleading than a range of clickable colours. You’ll find with one or even two main colours, you will help to increase your conversion rate. It’s a simple and easy way to do so without bringing too many eye-catching colours to the site. 

Of course, adding colour to your clickable elements and calls to action is just a start to increasing your conversions. Further steps you could take would be looking into SEO, social media marketing or PPC.

Your marketing strategy needs to be tailored bespoke to your business depending on your marketing goals, it’s not one size fits all. Interested? Give us a call on 01603 859007 or email hello@nuimage.co.uk and we can set up the next steps! 

Images provided by NU Image  

Merry Christmas At this festive time of year we want to take a moment to thank you for all your support to St Edmunds Society in 2022. On behalf of all the staff and students, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year. CSJ Awards 2022 We are so delighted to announce that we won the CSJ Awards 2022! We had a wonderful evening celebrating the amazing work of grassroot charities across the country. We are very proud of the whole team. Thank you to the Centre for Social Justice for recognising our work in providing positive learning environments for young people who have struggled to achieve in mainstream education.

Happy New Year! If you’re like most people, chances are you have a list of resolutions for the start of 2023.  We have to admit that despite our best efforts, our resolutions sometimes don’t stick.  Our best intentions lasting a few weeks before we slip into our old ways.  Why is that so often the case? For that answer we can look to our habits and how they are formed.  Whether it’s to stay more organised or save more money, making good habits is key to achieving our goals. So, for this year, we want to be sure to focus on forming new healthy habits and making them stick!  With that in mind, let’s offer up some practical advice for creating lasting change throughout the New Year and beyond.

1. The Why

Be clear on why you want the change.  You might have a general view that you want to stay off social media because it feels like the right thing to do.  But what is truly driving you?  Successful habits are grounded in knowing truly why you want this change.  Spend some time writing down in as much detail as possible the reasons you have and the benefits you and possibly others could gain from this change.  Keep these reasons live and at hand.  Chances are that confirming your greater meaning will deliver greater sustainable success.

1. Be Specific

We might say to ourselves ‘I want to get healthier’, but without specificity, we can easily fail to reach our target as we lack a definable outcome that we can plan against (let alone knowing truly when we have got there).  Instead, write down as much detail about your goal to form a specific, measurable and timebound target.

1. Break Down That Goal

Your brain likes to feed on rewards with unconscious acknowledgement that what you are doing is reaping some form of benefit.  It’s a common trap for us to have this magnificent goal in our minds that can become overwhelming and difficult to achieve if you don’t start seeing immediate results.  Break that bigger goal up into a journey with more achievable steps.  That half marathon becomes a ten, twenty, then thirty-minute run.  At each milestone, celebrate your journey with something you enjoy and make it fun!

1. The Two Minute Rule

Research has stated that starting activity associated with a new habit is one of the hardest parts.  So, try breaking down the start of your activity to an action that takes just two minutes.  The idea here is that this initial action will slide you into the next step and then the next.  Change ‘going for a 15-minute run’ to ‘changing into my running clothes’.  Change ‘I’m going to learn one song on my guitar’ to ‘I’m going to pick up my guitar and tune it’.

1. Accountability Partner

It helps tremendously to share what your goals are with someone else.  It makes it feel more real when you talk about it and chances are that you will want to provide your accountability partner with good news.  In turn they can provide you with support and encouragement.  If possible, choose someone who can be non-judgemental and supportive.

1. Make Good Choices Easier and Bad Ones Harder

It’s difficult at the best of times to make new habits stick.  So, make the journey easier where you can.  Place your guitar where it’s visible, remove those beers from the fridge, put your mobile phone out of sight in another room, replace those snacks in the drawer with heathier ones.

1. Be Patient

It takes time to form new habits, remember this when you don’t see early results.  Repetition is the key to making habits stick rather than the length of time.  For example, five minutes of guitar practise each day forms more new neural pathways than thirty minutes of practise once a week.

1. Make It Tangible

Find the medium that works for you.  If you are a visual person, you can try creating a visual board of pictures and statements linked to your habit and place it somewhere prominent or you can use a calendar or a journal to record your progress.  If technology is your thing, there are a host of habit tracking apps you can utilise such as Streaks, Way of Life and Habitify.  Why not gamify your habits with Habitica.  The trick is to find a medium that works for you.

1. Your Clan

Surround yourself with people who share the same outlook and belief to how you want to show up in life.  It’s harder to change a habit if everyone around you is doing the opposite.  You are what your environment makes you.

1. Don’t Give Up If You Slip Up

Many of us slip up at the first time we miss a habit.  Acknowledge the miss, but don’t take it as total failure.  Recover your positive thoughts and keep moving forward knowing that the road ahead is not always in a straight line. Do try these tips and see what ones work for you in combination.  I hope they go some way in helping you achieve your new year resolutions for this new year and beyond! Nick is a professional life and business coach based in Norfolk.  Helping professional working parents get the career they want and to achieve a healthier, happier, work/life balance.  Nick also partners with solopreneurs, small and medium-sized business owners, providing expert coaching services to support themselves and their employees thrive in the workplace – www.nickhowellcoaching.com Images provided by Nick Howell Coaching from unsplash: Engin Akyurt (2023 beach) and Tim Mossholder (Resolutions sign)

VAT Director Gilly McGill was a little disheartened after the Autumn Statement, as she initially thought the revisions on VAT were lacking. However, a post budget discussion with Tax Partner Dominic Carter brought the impact of fiscal drag to the table which, on closer inspection, will have implications across all taxes. In this episode they discuss inflationary impact, the increase in businesses brought into VAT registration, Capital Goods Scheme reporting, Making Tax Digital and, ultimately, what the impact of fiscal drag means for the level of tax paid by businesses and individuals. For further information on today’s topic, and how we can help support you and your business on all tax related matters, click here.  You can get in touch with our presenters directly through the Our People section of our website here. GET IN TOUCH! If you have any questions on today’s episode, and would like us to get in touch, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We would also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, this really helps people find us! You can find more episodes from this series on our website here. Listen here!

Norfolk County Council has submitted a proposal to the department for Transport (DfT) which could see up to 70 zero-emission buses arriving in Norwich in 2024. In March this year the council secured £3.3m funding after a joint bid with First Bus was submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT) for funding from the ‘Zero Emission Bus Regional Access’ (ZEBRA) scheme. The bid was matched by £3.6m of local investment from First Bus and will deliver 15 battery electric buses which will be in operation by March 2024 along with supporting infrastructure and electrical grid upgrade works. Since then, the DfT has invited all cities that were successful in receiving ZEBRA funding to submit a change to the scope of their schemes, which could include additional buses and electrical charging infrastructure. Following discussions with First Bus, the Council has developed a proposal for an additional 55 zero emission double decker buses to also be operational by March 2024. If successful there will also be a need to install an additional 57 fast chargers at the Rowntree Way First Bus depot. Cabinet member for Highways, Infrastructure and Transport Martin Wilby said:  “We are excited that we already have the 15 buses confirmed to be in operation in 2024 but to have the opportunity to increase this to a potential 70 buses was one not to be missed. If successful, this will be an extraordinary boost to our ambitions to run a net-zero transport system in Norfolk. The support that First bus has shown for this demonstrates the excellent working relationship we have with our bus operators here in Norfolk and how working together can help to achieve the very best for our County.” Piers Marlow, Managing Director at First East of England said: “This proposal will enable our Roundtree Way bus depot in Norwich to operate an entire zero emission bus fleet.  This means we can remove all diesel infrastructure and engineering equipment and demonstrates our commitment to zero emission buses going forwards and our alignment to the Government’s ambitions for a net-zero carbon transport system. “We will continue to work closely with Norfolk County Council to deliver bus priority for customers in Norwich and progress the decarbonisation of our bus fleets across the region.” The bus routes that these additional zero emission buses would serve all operate in Greater Norwich and will run through the city centre, which is currently declared an Air Quality Management Area. The switch from conventional diesel engine buses to electric would reduce Co2 emissions by more than 80,000 tonnes – which is equivalent to taking around 4700 small petrol cars off the road. It will also save 32 tonnes of NOx and PM2.5 every year. These are the fine particles and other exhaust gasses known to reduce air quality and harm people’s health. We anticipate hearing back from the DfT with a decision on our proposal by the end of the year. 

UK labour market activity slowed for its third consecutive month as employers cut back on hiring in order to weather recession, according to BDO’s Employment Index

• Price pressures remain high for firms as the Inflation Index registers another historically elevated reading, despite falling for the second consecutive month
• BDO’s Output Index fell to its weakest reading since the third national lockdown as the cost-of-living crisis continued to drive declines across the services sector
• Business confidence plunged to a two-year low as recessionary pressures and the expectation of further economic woes caused optimism to plummet

Weaker hiring intentions and recessionary pressures suggest a challenging winter ahead for UK businesses, according to the Business Trends report from accounting and business advisory firm BDO. November saw all four indices across employment, inflation, output and optimism fall for the second time in the last three months. The latest figures show BDO’s Employment Index contracted by 1.20 points in November, as it fell for the third month in a row to 111.85. While the Index remains above 95, considered the watershed between growth and contraction, it now sits at its lowest point since February 2022. This decline has been caused by weaker hiring intentions across the services sector. BDO’s Inflation Index declined for the second time in the past three months, falling to 118.43, although still remains historically elevated. This represents a sizeable contraction of 2.24 points – the largest fall the index has seen since May 2020. The lower reading was driven in part by a drop in the value of sterling improved following market volatility attributed to government measures announced in September’s mini-Budget. Indications of a recession have put downward pressure on productivity growth among businesses. BDO’s Output Index recorded a steep drop of 2.43 points to 90.56 in November, registering its weakest reading since the third national lockdown at the start of 2021. This suggests that overall economic output is contracting, with further sub-95 values expected until at least Q2 2023. BDO’s Optimism Index plunged to a record two-year low of 91.64 in November, as recessionary pressures and the expectation of further headwinds caused a drop in confidence. The services sector has seen the largest fall in optimism, having been particularly exposed to inflationary pressures and a decline in output, as supply chain disruption and soaring living costs impacted consumers and businesses alike. Entering the Christmas run-up, waning confidence among businesses reflects falls across the Employment and Output Indices, while there are still significant pressures on the Inflation Index. Peter Harrup, Partner and Head of East Anglia at BDO LLP, said: “This time last year, businesses faced an uphill battle after months of on-going COVID-19 restrictions and the pandemic still impacting economic activity. While the challenges may be different this year, the outlook remains concerning, as the latest figures suggest the economy is on the verge of contraction. “Rising costs, continued supply chain challenges and historically low spending power are just some of the challenges businesses and their customers face at a time of year when activity should be reaching its peak. “As another interest rate decision is due, and with a tough macroeconomic environment to battle, firms need the right support and reassurance from the Government to provide confidence ahead of an uncertain winter.” Image provided by BDO

After Christmas, your employees will be more likely to be prioritising their health. You can help them achieve their goals and improve wellbeing and productivity by booking Norfolk Health Checks to visit your workplace in January 2023! The NHS Health Check is a free check-up of overall health for people aged 40-74 and takes 20-30 minutes to complete. Specially trained Health Check Practitioners will do some basic tests and complete a questionnaire with participants, before giving tailored advice and signposting to help them reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. The service is fully funded by Norfolk County Council, meaning that we can deliver health checks to your employees, at their place of work, free of charge. We will also provide any employees that are not eligible for a health check with access to a wide range of resources to help understand and improve their health. Interested in health checks at your workplace? Visit the new Employer Page on our website, give us a call on 0808 175 0413 to find out more “I work for DWP and as a decision maker I can say that the service that you delivered was exemplary. A comment has been made that it was lovely – that it didn’t feel like a tick box exercise but an empathetic and informative experience that they would recommend to others. The practitioners were both very knowledgeable and friendly, so they easily put you at ease.   As a site wishing to promote personal wellbeing, the sessions have been very helpful in helping others to think of their own help first.” – Heidi Mann, Department for Work and Pensions “Overall it was a hugely positive experience and I know that many (staff) have already started to make small changes to their lifestyles to improve their health.” – Simon Hobbs – Managing Director of Electrical Testing Ltd

It’s Been A Busy 2022 For Layrd Design! Moving Office, Awards and New Team Members. We moved into our new office space in November and have welcomed three new team members over this year. Emily Batten and Gina Clarke joined us as new Interior Designers and Emily Gray joined as our brand new Design Studio Manager. Our Director, Will, won the Silver Award for Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the SME Cambridgeshire Business Awards too! Sketch & Social December Meet Our sketching group will be at St Paul’s Church, Cambridge, from 6pm on 14th December.  You can sketch a live yoga class (or the amazing architecture), then join us for a festive drink afterwards. All abilities welcome – just bring along a sketchpad and pens! Completed Projects In 2022 Layrd Lounge at Cambridge United Football Club.   We worked with fantastic local businesses to create the spectacular Layrd Lounge, the executive hospitality area for match days and non match days at the club. Read our case study below and get in touch if you’d like a tour! Yawn Marketing Boardroom, Norwich   We completed the full design and fitout for this Norwich marketing agency’s meeting space. Read our case study to find out more about this project. What’s Coming In 2023? Future Spaces is back for 2023. We’re bringing conversations around sustainability and wellbeing in design to Cambridge’s West Hub venue in March. We can’t wait to welcome everyone! We’re looking forward to the opening of a new street food market, The Yard, in Ely next year. We’ve designed, obtained planning permission and project managed this scheme – completing in Spring.   Interesting Reads & Recommendations. As Interior Designers, we love immersing ourselves in the latest trends, publications and tools (and we think you’ll find them interesting too!) Dezeen – Super inspiring and accessible architecture, design and interiors online magazine. Design Milk – Quirky online magazine, all about trends in the design and home furnishing world. Interior Design Magazine – High end interiors and architecture magazine. Coolors – Free tool to generate colour palettes for your space! TED Sustainability by Design – Curated playlist of TED talks, all about sustainability in design. ArchDaily – Online blogs covering a variety of global architectural news, projects and events. https://www.layrddesign.co.uk/

Help to Grow: Management is an applied course supporting managers and leaders of small and medium sized businesses (SMEs). Learn new skills, boost your profits and improve business performance, resilience, and long-term growth. The programme is accredited by the Small Business Charter, with funding support from HM Government. The curriculum will support you to build your capabilities in leadership, innovation, digital adoption, employee engagement, marketing, responsible business, and financial management. You will receive one-to-one support from a business mentor, and by the end of the course you will have developed a tailored growth action plan to help release the full potential of your organisation. The 12-week programme is 90% funded, meaning the fee payable by participants is £750.  Help to Grow: Management has been designed to fit alongside full-time work commitments. You can find our more via our web pages here: https://t.co/GmHlMIYq1D and register yourself for the course directly via this link: https://smallbusinesscharter.org/h2gmcourse/uea-ee-cohort-2/.

Burnout should not be the cost of success After a gruelling 3 years of pandemic and recovery which took the rug from under us all, many organisations have been made to review how they worked, how they could survive and, if they did, how they could reinvent themselves. CEOs of all organisations have taken the brunt of critical decision-making. Business leaders, whether in the not-for-profit sectors or commercial world are used to working under high-pressure, however in the not-for-profit sector where CEOs may be working with a smaller team the onus is on them to ‘keep the ship afloat.’ Pressure from funders, Boards of Trustees and stakeholders can be immense and is taking its toll. At CBR Business Solutions, we are seeing the impact of these pressures on CEOs in the voluntary sector. Our conversations with CEOs and trustees highlight the huge strain that CEOs have been under and the impact this is having on them. The pressure to ‘lead by example’ means that many CEOs follow a culture of overwork.  They are often preparing for worst-case scenarios which may include considering restructures and redundancy scenarios, directly affecting the people they work with and rely on. On top of Covid and Brexit, the cost-of-living increases, balanced against downturn in income and the prospect of delivering all of these messages to staff they care about, can increase anxious thoughts. Whatever is happening within the organisation, CEOs can feel a need to look strong and positive in front of their staff and Boards of Trustees and feel that any show of vulnerability will be seen as a weakness.  This increases a feeling of loneliness. “Give up the delusion that burnout is the inevitable cost of success” is a well-known quote by Arianna Huffington, Co-founder of The Huffington Post and CEO of Thrive Global. Whilst CEOs are the decision-makers who help lead others, as individuals they are not super-heroes/heroines. There is a need for strong support from their Boards, not only in terms of organisational strategic decision-making, but also wellbeing, mental health and resilience. A duty of care towards your CEO In our work providing HR support, we are often seen as trusted advisors – people who know the organisation well but are independent. An increasing number of our conversations are with CEOs feeling the pressures of the role, or trustees concerned about how to support the CEO and mitigate the risks for the organisation that over-reliance on one person may bring. What is often overlooked, is that the CEO is also an employee of the organisation. Under employment legislation they have the same rights as any other employee. Every UK employer has a duty of care which looks to the critical health, safety and general welfare of all employees, regardless of the size of an organisation. Generally speaking, employers’ duty of care comes into force when a person or group of people do something that might reasonably harm someone and this harm may be in the form of mental or physical injury. With work-related stress now widely recognised in the UK as a serious health and safety issue, employers are duty bound to treat this condition like any other workplace hazard. From a legal perspective, an employer who has failed to identify and take reasonable steps to prevent work-related stress, can find themselves exposed to claims for constructive unfair dismissal where employees have felt forced to resign due to stress.  Equally the dismissal of an employee on grounds of capability because of stress, may result in a claim for unfair dismissal. Trustees of a charity have a responsibility towards all staff (and volunteers) and must ensure that the charity complies with relevant law including employment, pension, equality and health and safety legislation.  Trustees therefore have a vital role to play, in supporting their CEOs through effective lines of communication and support and by understanding their responsibility for ensuring that the health and wellbeing of their CEO is taken account of. How CBR Business Solutions can help As HR Consultants with particular expertise in the voluntary sector, we are working daily with CEOs and Trustee Boards with their decision-making processes and plans and considering how those may impact employees. Having a third party, independent professional to be able to have a confidential, open discussion on upcoming strategic decision making, which will inform in-time next steps and ensure legally complaint HR practise, is hugely beneficial to any process. “We  have used several HR providers in the past but would rather buy from a fellow infrastructure organisation.  The advantage we have with CBR is they know the VCSE sector, our value base, why we want to do things a certain way. The benefit of external HR is they are independent.  We have CBR for some specific pieces of HR work, but they are also useful for assurance when implementing change.” CEO – MACC – Manchester. If you are facing similar issues and would like to discuss how we can support your organisation, you can find out more here or contact our HR consultants Kate and Nicola: HR@cbrsolutions.org.uk Image provided  by CBR  Business Solutions

An end of year message from the CEO As this year draws to a close, it seems fitting to reflect on the work that we as your local Branch of the RSPCA carried out over the course of 2022. From rabbits to rheas, goats to gerbils and (a lot more than two) turtle doves, we’ve seen it all this year… At this time last year many of us would have been looking back on the impact of the pandemic and looking forward with the hope that 2022 would be a much better year. Unfortunately, the war in Ukraine and the subsequent impact on the cost of living added an additional financial strain on many people. We are nothing if not adaptable, and over the course of the year, the Branch has dealt with an unprecedented volume of requests for assistance from members of the public, ranging from financial aid towards veterinary costs and/or subsidised neutering, to people who sadly were no longer in a position to keep their animals, to people who simply could not afford to even feed their animals. At the time of writing, we have had our busiest year ever, with over 700 animals being accepted into Branch care, and over 600 animals so far being adopted into loving new homes, which is something that we are very proud and privileged to be able to do. Alongside this, our Animal Welfare Team has issued hundreds of subsidised veterinary welfare and neutering vouchers to members of the public to ease the pressure on people looking after their animals in the face of challenging financial circumstances. We have also been supporting the foodbanks in Norfolk and Suffolk with regular deliveries of animal food for pet owners to use, and we have been supplying our fellow animal welfare organisations with additional food to enable them to continue to do the fantastic work that they do too. We recognise that bringing about positive animal welfare change is an issue that the RSPCA cannot solve on our own, so in conjunction with our animal welfare colleagues from the Cats Protection Dereham Adoption Centre and Norwich Lost & Found Cats, the Branch ran our first subsidised microchipping event since the start of the pandemic. This was a big success with many cats, dogs and rabbits being implanted with microchips on the day. This is the start of several joint initiatives being carried out in the future, and we pledge to continue this partnership working throughout 2023 and beyond. Whilst frontline animal welfare will always remain at the core of the work the RSPCA carries out, we also increased our education and awareness work following a pause during the pandemic, with a primary focus on educating the public about good animal welfare and the work that we as your local Branch carry out. This has been very popular with audiences across the 2,500 square miles that we cover and we are confident that this proactive approach is having the desired effect of promoting the animal welfare message that is necessary to impact true positive change. All our animal welfare and education efforts require significant funding to undertake and we are so grateful to the tireless work of our seven shops for their amazing efforts in generating much-needed income, along with the generous support that we receive from the public. Without the continued efforts from our dedicated Income Generation Team and the wonderful generosity of our supporters, we would not be able to achieve anywhere near as much as we have for the animals across Norfolk and Suffolk – thank you all so much. To all our supporters and to the staff, volunteers and Trustees that make up the team here at the RSPCA Mid Norfolk & North Suffolk Branch – have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year – we look forward to helping even more animals in 2023! Gregory Brown Chief Executive Officer   Record year for animals finding a home! It’s been a very busy year for the Branch with lots of animals needing our help! We’ve helped everything from cats and dogs to rabbits, mice, goats, guinea pigs, chickens, ferrets, peacocks and giant African Land Snails! And amazingly, we have rehomed more animals as a Branch than ever before. As of 1st December, we have found homes for 605 animals! Below, is just a small selection of them,can you spot your newest family member? ‘Reindeer’ kittens dumped in a field three weeks before Christmas Sadly, just a few weeks before Christmas, our team was recently called out to help with nine cats and kittens which were handed into a vet after being found abandoned in a field. The nine cats, mostly kittens from various litters and a very worn out Mum, were found in crates by a member of the public who soon alerted the local veterinary practice. Our Animal Welfare team were quick on the case, ensuring that all of the cats received veterinary treatment and were checked over for signs of neglect and abuse. Thank you everyone who came and supported us at the Hockwold Hall and Norwich Forum events! We will provide full updates on our festive events in the January newsletter. Our final event of 2022 is a Canine Carol Concert – bark the canine angels sing!

Venue: Holkham Hall

Date: Tuesday 20^th December

Time: 10.00am – 2.00pm

The concert takes place between 10.00am and 11.00am on the lawn outside the Hall, then there will be stalls to browse until 2.00pm in the Courtyard. Bring your pooch, enjoy the carols, browse the stalls then maybe enjoy a walk around the beautiful Holkham Estate. (Parking charge applies). Details on the Holkham Hall website. Adoption Star Catch Up This month we are catching up with the owners of a gorgeous cat called Pula who was adopted from our Branch in March of this year! Pula came into our care as part of a multi-animal household after her owner was found to be keeping them illegally after being banned from keeping them. She and her siblings needed a lot of love and care when they came to us as all of them had medical issues from being neglected. This lovely lady along with her previous housemates all landed on their feet, however and soon found a second chance of happiness in a new, safe home. Pula has been living in her new home for over six months now and her new family couldn’t be happier! Pula has settled in really well. She no longer bounces off our bed at 1.00am. Pula loves her brush first thing in the morning, from Daddy, before he gets himself washed and dressed. At around 9.30pm, she starts looking for a game with Mr Duck, who she knows is kept in Mummy’s desk drawer.  If we stop playing with her, with Mr Duck, she picks him up and carries him across the room, meowing all the time, bless her. Pula is a very intelligent pussycat and very obedient, and an absolute joy. Keeping your pet safe at Christmas The festive season can be an exciting time for all including our four-legged companions. Here’s some advice to keep your pets safe and happy. Christmas food Festive food is delicious to us, but to our pets, much of it is highly toxic and dangerous. Avoid giving your pets these foods as treats as it can make them unwell:

• Chocolate
• Mince pies
• Christmas pudding
• Onion gravy
• Alcohol
• Bones from carcasses – these are a dangerous choking hazard

Christmas decorations and trees Some festive plants and flowers can be toxic to pets, including poinsettias, holly, ivy, mistletoe and lilies, so avoid buying these if you have pets. Tinsel and wrapping paper might be tempting for your pet to play with, but make sure they don’t eat it. From children to adults, we all love a Christmas tree, but they can cause problems for our pets. It’s best to only allow your pets around the tree when you can keep a close eye on them, because:

• Hanging edible decorations, such as chocolate, are poisonous to dogs and can make them seriously ill

Cats and dogs might be tempted to chew or play with fairy lights or hanging tree decorations Keeping pets safe in cold weather With darker nights and colder days, we want you and your pets to stay safe and warm this winter. Read our top tips and find out how you can keep your pets happy and comfortable. Walking dogs in winter

• Stay safe when walking your dog in the dark. Wear reflective clothing and think about a reflective collar or light for your dog’s collar. A good torch is also a must-have to light the way for you both!
• If you have an elderly or sickly dog, buy a special coat or jumper to keep them warm.
• Keep dogs away from ponds and lakes that are iced over – thin ice may break under a dog’s weight.
• If it’s snowing outside, watch out for your dogs’ paws becoming compacted with snow, which is uncomfortable for them.

Be aware that antifreeze and rock salt can be poisonous to pets. Wash their paws thoroughly after walking your dog in areas that may have been gritted with rock salt. Keeping cats safe and warm

• In the coldest months, it’s important that your cat has access to a warm environment, such as your home or another heated indoor area.
• Check your feline friend’s bedding is away from cold draughts and stays warm and dry.
• Microchipping your cat is important as they might try to find somewhere warm nearby, which might not be the safest place for them. Ensure the details are up to date, so that they can be traced back to you.

Check under your car for sleeping cats. In the winter months, it’s not uncommon to find outdoor cats seeking shelter underneath your car. Before setting off, make sure you tap the bonnet of your car and check around the wheels and on top of the tyres before you start the engine and drive. Rabbits and guinea pigs

• Outdoor pets, such as rabbits and guinea pigs, need extra bedding such as dust-free hay in the winter months. Keep their home protected from bad weather by using blankets or covers, to help insulate hutches in the winter months. Remember to make sure they’re still well-ventilated.
• Keep your pets dry in rainy weather by making sure the indoor area of their enclosure has a sloped roof to allow water to drain away. Raise it off the ground by at least four inches and place it in a sheltered position, facing away from wind and rain.

As the temperature drops, you could move their enclosure into an outhouse shed or unused garage. If you decide to bring your rabbits or guinea pigs indoors, they’ll need plenty of time and room to exercise in a safe and secure environment. Charity Christmas Cards Christmas cards are available to purchase in all our charity shops or online via our eBay shop We have lots of lovely animal themed designs to choose from, all cards are recyclable and 100% of the proceeds go to our branch. Petplan Advent Calendar The Petplan Advent Calendar is back! Throughout December, there’ll be twenty four doors to open full of exciting prizes, goodies and competitions!  On the 7th and 13th December, you’ll also be able to nominate our Branch to win a £1000 donation! This money will make a huge impact for the animals in our care and enable us to give them all a very Merry Christmas indeed so please remember to nominate us! Christmas Opening Hours  Ashwellthorpe HQ Our Branch office will be closing at midday on Thursday 22nd December for the Christmas holidays. To report an animal that is sick, injured or distressed please contact the National RSPCA Cruelty Line on 0300 1234 999. Our shops Saturday 24th December – closing at 3.00pm Christmas Day – CLOSED Boxing Day – CLOSED Tuesday 27th December – CLOSED Wednesday 28th, Thursday 29th and Friday 30th December – all open as usual Saturday 31st December – closing at 3.00pm Sunday 1 Jan – CLOSED Monday 2 Jan – CLOSED Tuesday 3rd January – all open as usual Sign up to our newsletter here