Norwich-based processing equipment manufacturer Fabcon Food Systems has prepared for its next phase of global growth with a series of new appointments and promotions. Fabcon, which manufactures and installs handling and processing equipment for the snacks sector, has bolstered its team on the engineering, sales, logistics and management sides of the business. Andrew Peek, who co-founded the Delta Close-based firm in 2015 with Managing Director Trevor Howard, becomes Operations Director and adds research and design to his engineering, technical and design portfolio. Andrew’s move to a more strategic position sees Luke Cossey promoted from Senior Design Engineer into a new Engineering Manager role. The company’s leadership team has also seen a further boost with James Bradford becoming Production Manager, moving from his role as Supervisor and Compliance Officer. In the engineering department Jakub Bak joins as a Mechanical Design Engineer, with Nick Kittle coming on board as Controls Engineer following many years working as a sub-contractor for FFS. The Fabcon sales department has also been expanded as Adam Harvey joins the team as a Sales Engineer, working closely with new and existing customers. In further key appointments, Jim Ayre joins as Parts and Logistics Coordinator, in charge of purchasing and managing the stock and materials required for Fabcon’s growing list of orders. Meanwhile, Kevin Wrathall is appointed as Project Manager on a contract basis and will coordinate a variety of UK and global build and installation projects. Trevor Howard, Managing Director of Fabcon Food Systems said: “We are in a hugely busy but exciting period of growth with orders for our British-built machinery coming in from across the world. “This means we need more specialists but also an improved management structure to make sure we are giving our customers the best possible service, managing processes well internally, and also being out there developing relationships and winning new business. “All eight appointments and promotions are fully deserved and we really do have a first-class team in place as we look towards 2023 and a variety of global projects we have in the pipeline within the snacks industry.” Founded in 2015, Fabcon Food Systems manufacture, supply and install handling and processing equipment for the food industry. Designed and built at the company’s Norwich factory and design hub in the UK, the expanded Fabcon team of 30 supply systems and machinery to customers in the UK, mainland Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Africa. Image provided by Fabcon Food Systems
Haven’t got your Christmas email campaign sorted yet? “Don’t worry, there’s still time,” explains Rebecca Hartley, Marketing Manager at Smart Messenger:Can I let you into a little secret? Before I joined the Smart Messenger team, I always let out a small groan in December when it was time to sort out the company’s Christmas email campaign. As Christmas grew ever closer, the sales team were clamouring to get their seasonal greetings out to customers and suppliers while I was still struggling to complete various other urgent projects before the holiday shut down. The Christmas campaign felt like the least of my worries. That is, until I couldn’t delay it any longer and minor panic set in! Who was going to design it?How was I going to send it?How could I make sure it stood out from the crowd and made recipients feel extra special?Sound familiar? I won’t tell you how I managed to get those campaigns out of the door, except to say I found various ‘solutions’ including expensive purchased templates from questionable websites, homemade designs (which I was quite proud of at the time!) and quickly cobbled together campaigns using online services which were clunky to navigate and largely unfathomable, with no support when I ran into an issue. This year, it’s a totally different ball game. Now, I’m lucky enough to be the Marketing Manager for Smart Messenger, a leading UK-based email marketing solution that’s affordable, easy to use and has got Christmas covered for busy marketers! The platform comes with unlimited support from lovely people – including Holly Stibbon, Dave Hall and Sapphire Cullington – who are all experts in email comms. No more grappling with chatbots or googling for answers for our clients! It’s a game-changer for businesses that need better results from their email marketing. I wish I had known about it in previous roles – it would have made Christmas campaigns so much more enjoyable to create and a whole lot more effective. Last-minute help is at hand If you’re a bit of a last-minute Christmas marketer like I used to be, the good news is there’s still time to send a really professional Christmas campaign to your contacts with Smart Messenger. Even better, Smart Messenger clients have automatic access to a choice of nine free Christmas email templates that are customisable with their own branding and messaging. We create fresh designs each year, so there’s always something that’s sure to appeal. Get up and running straight away, with full support If you’re not yet a Smart Messenger customer, our team can help you get up and running straight away and we’ll provide full training to get you started without any fuss. The platform is very user-friendly but if you need help, our account managers are always on hand to provide full support over the phone or check over your emails before you send them to ensure they’re optimised and good to go. You’ll never need to struggle with an email campaign again! Extra special Christmas emails and managed sends As well as the free Christmas templates that are available to all Smart Messenger clients, we also create bespoke Christmas email templates for customers who want a design that’s completely unique to them, incorporating their own images or animations. Prices for bespoke templates start at £149 and a Smart Messenger package costs from just £10 per month. If you’re really pushed for time, we can manage the send and reporting for your campaign too. Ready To Get Started? With Smart Messenger, there’s no need to put off your Christmas campaign any longer, so why not get in touch with our team? We can help you tick this job off your list with an eye-catching and effective campaign that will bring some added sparkle to your communications this season. (And, we’ll also be on hand to support you with your 2023 email campaigns too!) If you’d like support with your Christmas email campaign, call us on 01603 858250 to discuss your needs or enquire via our website. We’d love to help you. Image owned by Smart Messenger
Loyal customers are the holy grail, for any business or brand. If you get caught out pulling the wool over your customers’ eyes, you can kiss goodbye to loyalty. Loyalty starts with trust, and a great way to earn trust is through transparency.
That is where the name ‘Naked’ came from. We wanted to be known as a brand that took an open and honest approach to business – we believed transparency plays a huge part in lasting relationships. It was the type of business we ourselves would most want to do business with, so it became a core part of Naked and how we work – from our name, our core values, our pricing, even our language.
So a question for you…
Does transparency live at the heart of your brand? And if so, do your customers feel it – how do you show it?
A Greater Anglia train. Credit: Greater Anglia Greater Anglia is reminding people that four days of strikes next week are set to severely disrupt rail services. The train company is advising people to avoid travelling on their trains for two 48-hour RMT strikes on Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14, Friday 16 and Saturday 17 December. Greater Anglia will only be able to run mainline services to London Liverpool Street from Norwich, Colchester, Southend Victoria and Cambridge and the Stansted Express airport service – with first trains from 07.30 and last trains completing their journeys by 18.30. Train services on Thursday 15 and Sunday 18 December will start later in the morning – from 07.30 – and are expected to be busy as a result of the two 48-hour strikes. The RMT has called a further strike from 18.00 on Christmas Eve until 05.59 on Tuesday 27 December. Details are still be finalised, but it’s likely to leave Greater Anglia running no trains after 16.00 on Christmas Eve, no Stansted Express services on Boxing Day and first trains on Tuesday 27 December will starting later than usual and not until after 07.30. Greater Anglia managing director Jamie Burles said: “We are very sorry that these strikes are disrupting people’s festive plans and badly affecting businesses counting on Christmas custom – as well as making it difficult for people to get to work and school or college. “Unfortunately, we are left with no option but to ask people to avoid travelling with us because as with previous strike days we are only able to run a small fraction of our usual services. “We will do all we can to run the best possible service in the days between strikes – from Sunday 18 to Friday 23 December. “The rail industry remains committed to settling has tried very hard to try to settle this dispute and talks are continuing.” Trains running on 13,14, 16 and 17 December are:
Intercity service between Norwich and London Liverpool Street: one train an hour, with first train from Norwich at 08.00 and last train back from Liverpool Street at 16.30.
Stopping service between Colchester and London Liverpool Street: one train an hour, with first train from Colchester at 07.30 and last train back from Liverpool Street at 17.00.
Service between Southend Victoria and London Liverpool Street: two trains an hour, with first train from Southend Victoria at 07.30 and last train back from Liverpool Street at 17.30.
Service between Cambridge and London Liverpool Street: one train an hour, with first train from Cambridge at 08.20 and last train back from Liverpool Street at 16.25.
Stansted Express – Stansted Airport to London Liverpool Street: two trains an hour, with first and last from Liverpool Street at 08.10 and 17.40 and from Stansted Airport at 07.42 and 17.12.
Anyone who has booked a ticket to travel on strike days will be able to travel either the day before or up to and including Tuesday 20 December instead, or they can contact their retailer for a refund or to change the date. Tickets for 24, 26, and 27 December can instead be used on 23 December or up to and including Thursday 29 December. Trains not running due to the strike will not be replaced by buses. The RMT has further strikes planned for Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4, Friday 6 and Saturday 7 January. RMT members due to strike in December and January include Greater Anglia station, catering, revenue protection, train cleaning and conductor teams, along with Network Rail signallers and maintenance staff. Further information about the strikes can be found at greateranglia.co.uk/strikes.
Above: One of the new help points. Credit: Greater Anglia Greater Anglia is improving customer help points at stations, following feedback from customers about response times and connectivity. The train firm is using AI technology on a number of its station help points to ensure customers can get the answers they need quicker. Customers using help points at stations fitted with the AI technology will be able to get answers to questions such as what train they need to catch and what time the next train is leaving more quickly – simply by pressing the blue ‘information’ button. The AI system, called ‘IVY’, will supplement teams who answer the help points manually, freeing up operators to deal with more complex queries. The system will also automatically put a customer through to an operator if anyone says they need assistance or help in emergencies. Users can also press the dedicated green ‘emergency’ button. The help points with the new technology are now installed at Acle, Beccles, Bury St Edmunds, Cromer, Dovercourt, Enfield Lock, Harlow Mill, Hythe, Lea Bridge, Ponders End, Prittlewell, Sheringham, Stansted Mountfitchet and Waltham Cross stations. The new system can be updated as it evolves with additional features in the future such as giving more information such as the cost of tickets. Neil Atkin, Greater Anglia’s Head of Customer Experience, said: “We’d love customers to put the help points to the test by asking them questions and letting us know what they think of them. “We’re always listening to our customers and this innovative AI system has been developed based on their feedback. “It will make our help points better for our customers, particularly at our unstaffed stations and when the connection may not be 100% clear or answered as quickly as customers always need, and there is always the option to talk to one of our customer service agents if needed.”
Chatsbrook has organised a Santa Run event starting at Ketteringham Hall at 10am on Tuesday 20th December 2022. Hot drinks and bacon rolls will be available before departure! The convoy will leave Ketteringham Hall and head towards EACH at The Nook for 11.30am! and we will be staying at The Nook until 2.00pm. We are asking for a minimum charity donation of £10 per car (but we are sure we can do a bit better than that!) there will also be a prize draw for a Lotus Track Day Experience courtesy of Chatsbrook. The event is being shared with Porsche Drivers Norfolk and Norfolk Performance Cars due to limited numbers being allowed at the venue. We’re hoping to put some big smiles on some children & their families faces! Thank you for all your support. We will make sure anyone not attending can make a donation, should they wish to. The Team at Chatsbrook
Norwich High School for Girls GDST on Newmarket Road in Norwich has been awarded The Sunday Times East Anglian Independent Secondary School Of The Year in the 2023 Parent Power League released on Friday 9th December 2022.Parent Power 2023 identifies the highest-achieving schools in the UK. The definitive school rankings use the most recent moderated public examination results from the state and independent sectors. The Sunday Times commended the school for jumping 141 places since 2019 in the national ranking to 88=, and also referenced the school winning the TES Independent School Awards Wellbeing Initiative of the Year in 2021. Helen Davies, Parent Power Editor at The Sunday Times, referenced how the pandemic allowed the school to stop and look at what they were doing and why. Overall, girls have triumphed in the Parent Power League with girls-only schools appearing to have coped better with the effects of the pandemic in both the private and state sectors. Cheryl Giovannoni, Chief Executive, GDST, said: “A huge congratulations to all our students and staff at Norwich High School for Girls. This impressive leap by more than 100 places on the Sunday Times Parent Power List since 2019 is a testament to the commitment and hard work of the Head, Alison Sefton and all the staff who have worked tirelessly through some challenging times.” You can read the full article here
A Stansted Express Stadler train on test in the snow in Faurei, Romania. Credit: Greater Anglia/Simon BusserDid you know that Greater Anglia’s new trains are tested in extreme weather conditions and have special features so passengers can enjoy comfortable and reliable journeys all year round?From being sent to an industrial freezer to being blasted with water to check for leaks, no stone is left unturned to ensure that the company’s new fleet of 191 trains will perform as reliably as possible.Being ready for winter and bitter temperatures is a key focus of the whole of the rail industry in the UK – and Greater Anglia is no exception.As part of the rigorous testing requirements for a new set of trains, a carriage is transported to Vienna, Austria and put into a special chamber in a process called ‘climatic testing’ to ensure it can withstand a freezing chill.The chamber is taken down to a temperature of -25°C, with ice forming on the carriage windows and bodywork while engineers, wrapped up in hats, scarves and gloves, check that all systems work as expected.Checks are carried out on CCTV cameras, heating and cooling systems, electronic information displays inside and outside the train, windscreen wipers, demisters, motors, brakes and doors to makes sure they can work in sub-zero temperatures.Ice on the windscreen of an Alstom-built commuter train in the climatic testing chamber. Credit: Greater AngliaAll of Greater Anglia’s new trains are also equipped with snow brakes. This system applies the brakes very gently on each set of wheels throughout the train in turn automatically, like dominoes, ensuring that heat is put into the brakes and that they can still stop the train very quickly on the coldest of days. Couplers, which allow two trains to be joined together, are also heated to prevent delays when another train is attached.Meanwhile, modern heating systems inside the train keep customers warm and comfortable.It isn’t just the winter that can pose a challenge though. Torrential rain can hit at any time in the UK and to test how a train handles it, every train undergoes an extreme wet weather check. The company’s new commuter trains, for example, pass through a specially designed rig which blasts water at it from a variety of angles at high velocity, with engineers checking panels and systems inside the train for leaks. Spring and summer can bring warmer, sometimes sweltering conditions, but customers can remain nicely cool with air conditioning that circulates cold air throughout the train every six to nine minutes. Underfloor heating on Greater Anglia’s new commuter trains stops any cold spots forming. The system is self-monitoring so automatically adjusts the temperature to help with comfort inside the carriage.A Stadler-built bi-mode train, in use on Greater Anglia’s regional routes. Credit: Greater AngliaThe heating and air conditioning system on the Stadler-built trains that run on services between London – Norwich, London – Stansted Airport and the regional network from Ipswich and Norwich, Cambridge and Marks Tey is also controlled automatically by the train.On all of the new trains, the air conditioning system also balances the mix between fresh air and recirculated air to help use less energy.Autumn, too, can sometimes bring its challenges through slippery rails.As thousands of leaves fall onto the tracks, they stick to damp rails and passing trains compress them into a thin, slippery layer on the rail which – much like black ice on the roads – can affect braking distance, reducing grip and acceleration. This can ultimately cause delays as train drivers have to brake and accelerate more gently than normal.Greater Anglia’s Alstom-built commuter train. Credit: Greater AngliaAll of Greater Anglia’s new trains are fitted with the very latest Wheel Slide Protection (WSP) systems which have been thoroughly tested and developed over many years to be optimal and makes our trains resilient to the effects of slippery rails.Like ABS in cars, WSP helps the trains’ wheels to brake more evenly in slippery conditions and stops them from locking up and sliding, preventing wheel damage and wear. Modern traction control systems stop the trains from slipping when accelerating too.The trains come with an automatic sanding function that works when the brakes are applied, which releases sand, giving the steel wheels more grip in slippery conditions and making the brakes even more effective.The company’s trains on the regional, Stansted Express and London to Norwich routes are also fitted with spring-loaded blocks on the wheels, similar to that on a mountain bike, that continually rub against the wheel, cleaning it of any debris.Martin Beable, Greater Anglia’s engineering director, said: “It’s fantastic to have new modern trains that are tested so very vigorously to withstand everything that the British weather throws at them and with special features which keep customers comfortable in all seasons.“We are one of the best performing train companies in the country and we – as always – will work hard to maintain these high standards, while we continue to bring the rest of our excellent new trains into service.”Greater Anglia runs services between London Liverpool Street and Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire and all of its new trains are longer with more seats than carriages of the company’s old trains.They all come with USB and plug points, fast free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, improved accessibility features including an accessible toilet on every train, better passenger information screens and dedicated cycle spaces.They also come with regenerative braking, which delivers energy back into the electrical supply network, rather than wasting the energy through heat as is the case with conventional systems.
The cost of living and the current economic environment is at the forefront of most people’s minds. For many thoughts are with key issues of keeping a roof over their families’ heads, putting food on the table and keeping warm. Those on the lowest incomes will be hit hardest. Many employers are thinking about what support they can give to their employees and workers at this time. This may come as a surprise, but not all support needs to cost money. Here are our top items to consider:
Can you offer a cost-of-living-bonus? In this situation, you must assess the impact on all individuals, particularly for those receiving Tax Credits or Universal Credit, as this approach may prove consequential.
Flexible working to support individuals who need to take on a second job, however, remember to assess the implications for the business, particularly where you have restrictive covenants in place, as you want to avoid a conflict of interest or burnout.
Promote all the benefits you currently offer and how to make the most of them. For example, counselling services help with stress and anxiety.
Start to normalise conversations about money worries. Create an environment that makes individuals feel heard and understood. Train your managers to provide the right support to their teams.
Bring in the experts and provide workshops for financial management, financial planning, budgeting etc. You would be surprised how many people lack knowledge on these issues.
Get creative and find a way for employees to share ideas and practical advice to support each other through this difficult time.
It is worth noting that in-work poverty is real, and even before the cost-of-living crisis, it affected one in eight workers in the UK. The problem is most prevalent in accommodation and food services, with construction, wholesale and retail, amongst others, not far behind. Other factors such as pay, hours, location and barriers to childcare and transport all play a part. So, what can you do on a wider scale to support your workforce? Here is the outline of a three-pronged approach to address the key issues:
Review your reward strategy. Are you paying a fair and liveable wage allowing individuals to lead a dignified life with access to opportunities and choices?
Empower your workforce to support their own financial well-being as part of your wider well-being strategy.
Develop a learning culture to show individuals a clear path to progression by developing skills, removing barriers and challenging perceptions.
A Greater Anglia bi-mode train. Credit: Greater Anglia Greater Anglia’s new four-carriage bi-mode trains have been crowned “most reliable train of their type” in the country in independent industry awards for the second year running. Greater Anglia, along with their maintenance partner Stadler, scooped three industry reliability awards for the train operator’s new trains at the annual Golden Spanner Awards, held by Modern Railways Magazine. The four-carriage Class 755 trains, which operate on rural lines in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire, were named the most reliable train of their type in England, Scotland and Wales based on the ‘miles per technical TRUST incident’ (MTIN) statistics – which cover faults that cause a delay of three minutes or more. These bi-mode trains, which are powered by diesel and electricity, recorded an average of 17,676 miles between incidents – the best in the country and improving from 14,767 miles between incidents last year. As a result, the trains, which were built and are maintained by Stadler, won the golden spanner in the category of new diesel trains. There was also recognition for Greater Anglia’s three-carriage bi-mode trains, which won a bronze spanner for the lowest average delay per technical incident. In addition, Greater Anglia’s Class 745 intercity trains which operate between Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester and London picked up a silver spanner award, meaning they are the most improved train of their type, with a 126.9% year-on-year improvement. Martin Beable, Engineering Director, Greater Anglia, said: “Our new trains have transformed rail travel in the region, and we’re thrilled they have been recognised with these awards. “The fact that we have received a gold, silver and bronze award shows we are making good progress in all aspects of fleet performance, from having a low number of technical incidents, to getting trains moving again and recovering quickly from incidents that do occur, to wider improvements in overall fleet performance.” “I would like to thank the teams at Greater Anglia, Stadler and Rock Rail who were all integral to these notable achievements. These awards are testament to the hard work of our colleagues, who work around-the-clock to keep trains running.” Paul Patrick, managing director of Stadler Rail Service UK; said: “Stadler trains are safe, reliable, with a focus on comfort and green technology. The performance of the fleets we built for the East Anglia network and maintain at Crown Point are testament to effective partnership working with Greater Anglia and our shared commitment to continuous improvement for the benefit of passengers.” Greater Anglia is currently in the process of replacing all trains in its fleet with brand new ones, which are all longer, with more seats, USB and plug sockets, fast free Wi-Fi, air conditioning and improved accessibility features as well as dedicated cycle spaces.