Today we extend a warm note of celebration and mutual respect to all of the businesses with whom we faced the final of the Norfolk Business Awards. Our heartfelt congratulations go to The Feed and Potters Resorts who collected the Small Business and Customer Excellence award respectively. We were so proud to be a part of the occasion last night, and we are enormously grateful to all the clients and peer businesses and associates who helped us reach the latter stage of the contest. Charlotte and myself are forever indebted to those who have supported our growth into the Norfolk region, and to those who continue to provide such valuable feedback about our services. Your contributions have enabled us to become an even stronger and more specialist professional company. We continuously strive to innovate and explore new ways to serve our clients, on issues as diverse as recruitment, retention, talent management, exit planning – and so much more. Should you wish to talk to us about other ways we can support you, please feel free to contact us, and rest assured we will continue to keep you abreast of all our updates and our service developments as we continue our exciting journey. Thank you again for all of your support to date! Best wishes, Carole, Charlotte & the MAD-HR Team
Picture credit: Greater Anglia Greater Anglia is reminding passengers that there is a rail strike this Saturday – and advising them that a further eight strike dates have been announced for December and January. Train drivers’ union ASLEF is striking this Saturday 26 November, with Greater Anglia only running trains between London Liverpool Street and Norwich, Colchester and Southend Victoria and on the Stansted Express service. There will be no trains on any other routes – including between Cambridge and London Liverpool Street. The company is advising people to avoid travelling on Greater Anglia trains on Saturday and to check before they travel on Sunday morning as the 24-hour strike will cause first trains on Sunday to start later than usual. The RMT union has announced strikes on Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14, Friday 16 and Saturday 17 and Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4, Friday 6 and Saturday 7 January, which will severely impact Greater Anglia services and lead to a very reduced service. Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director said: “We are very sorry that our customers are once again disrupted by strikes and we are having to advise people to avoid travelling on our trains. “We know how much people were looking forward to a Christmas without the Covid restrictions of the last two years and now they are having to plan around strikes. “As a rail industry we are keen to get this dispute settled and talks will continue with the unions to do everything possible to reach an agreement.” Services this Saturday First trains will start later than usual and last trains will finish earlier than usual this Saturday. First and last train times to London Liverpool Street from Colchester will be 08.13 and 20.13; from Norwich 08.00 and 19.00; and from Southend Victoria 08.13 and 22.00. In the other direction, first and last trains from Liverpool Street to Colchester will be 10.00 and 22.00; to Norwich 10.30 and 21.30; and to Southend Victoria 09.47 and 23.45. Stansted Express service first and last train times will be: from Stansted Airport to Liverpool Street 05.15 and 23.42 and from Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport 04.10 and 23.25. Anyone who has booked a ticket to travel on Saturday 26 November will be able to travel either the day before or up to up to and including Tuesday 29 November instead, or they can contact their retailer for a refund or to change the date. Trains not running due to the strike will not be replaced by buses. RMT strikes 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. Greater Anglia is currently working on timetables but it is likely that only services between London Liverpool Street and Norwich, Colchester, Southend Victoria and Cambridge, along with the Stansted Express will run, with first trains from 07.30 and all journeys complete by 18.30. An overtime ban by the RMT from Sunday 18 December to Monday 2 January could also affect services. Passengers are advised to check before they travel between these dates. More details, including timetables and refund information, will be available on greateranglia.co.uk/strikes as they are finalised.
We are hoping to bring some festive magic and spread some Christmas cheer with our latest charity fundraising idea. The team at Contract Personnel are aiming to raise funds to help provide presents, essential items and festive gifts for the children’s wards at some of our local hospitals across Norfolk & Suffolk. At a time where some children and their families face spending time in hospital over the Christmas period, we are raising funds for hospitals including the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, James Paget University Hospital, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn and West Suffolk Hospital. After speaking with some of the hospitals, the funds will be spent on presents for the children, along with essential items for the wards – including cot mobiles, gift sets for the older children, sensory toys, arts and crafts sets and much more! We will then donate the prizes in our Christmas JOB BUS, which will be decorated with Christmas lights and feature Father Christmas! Anything you can donate to our cause will be greatly appreciated. We will be sure to feature your company across our social media channels and website – along with inclusion in our PR articles. And if you just wish to donate as an individual, we will really appreciate your kindness this Christmas! Donate HERE
Business leaders from across the region were given some valuable insights into how to achieve the best possible performance by football international and Premier League star, Paul McVeigh. Paul, who had a 16-year career as a professional footballer with Tottenham Hotspur, Norwich City and Northern Ireland, was speaking at the Larking Gowen Autumn Business Breakfast, at Milsoms Kesgrave Hall, near Ipswich, on 22 November 2022. His experience of competing with and against some of the best players in the world, and being the first Premier League footballer to qualify with a Master’s Degree in Psychology, formed the basis of his presentation into how to achieve the right mindset to boost performance. “In the four corner model of performance, you have technical, physical, psychological and social. The most important is psychological. The question you have to ask is: How much of your day are you dedicating to improving this?” he said. “People are busy working throughout life. It’s just a case of being clear on what you are working towards every day, every month, every year. Normally, you are told what your goals are professionally, but nobody tells you what your goals are for yourself,” he said. Since his retirement from professional football, besides becoming a thought leader in performance psychology, Paul has become an established radio and TV broadcaster and has published a book, ‘The Stupid Footballer is Dead’. Graham Mummery, Audit Partner with Larking Gowen’s Corporate team, said: “We’re very grateful to Paul for a fascinating insight into the world of elite performance, and how lessons can be learned from sporting achievement at this level that apply to all aspects of life.” The event was sponsored by Beckett Investment Management Group. Find out more about Paul’s work here.
Greater Anglia is joining the rest of the rail industry in supporting White Ribbon Day, the campaign to end violence against women and girls. Five of the company’s new trains will bear the White Ribbon Day logo to help raise awareness as they travel around the region. One intercity train, one Stansted Express train, one regional bi-mode train and two suburban trains will have the logo applied at each end and on both sides of the train, so the issue will be highlighted on routes all across the Greater Anglia network. White Ribbon Day takes place on Friday 25 November when Greater Anglia will also be helping to raise awareness of the issue on social media and remind people of the rail industry’s Rail to Refuge scheme which provides free travel for people fleeing domestic violence. Greater Anglia’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Jonathan Denby, said, “We’re pleased to support White Ribbon Day and its aims to end violence against women and girls and along with the rest of the industry, have provided help through the Rail to Refuge scheme and by making our website a ‘Safe Space’. “We’re proud to display the White Ribbon Day logo on some of our trains to help raise awareness and encourage everyone to make the White Ribbon Promise to never use, excuse or remain silent about violence against women.” Since March 2020, Rail to Refuge has seen train operators across the country provide free tickets to 3,118 people, including 874 children. 65% of people who used Rail to Refuge to date said they would not or could not have travelled if the journey hadn’t been paid for, with an average journey for recipients costing £73. The ‘Rail to Refuge’ scheme is a partnership between the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, and Women’s Aid Federation England, Welsh Women’s Aid, Scottish Womens’ Aid and Imkaan. Survivors are supported by Women’s Aid Members Services and when they are offered a refuge place, the service can book the ticket(s) they need, with train companies covering the cost. Tickets are also provided for their children, if required. They can be used as e-tickets on a phone or can be picked up from stations with a debit or credit card. The scheme allows survivors to board a train and travel without having to explain their situation to anyone. Survivors of domestic abuse who would like to access the Rail to Refuge scheme, or need other support, can get in touch with Women’s Aid through their Live Chat service, open Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 6:00pm, Saturday and Sunday 10:00am – 6:00pm: https://chat.womensaid.org.uk Greater Anglia has also made its website a ‘Safe Space’ for survivors of domestic abuse. Online ‘Safe Spaces’ are untraceable web pages with information on specialist domestic abuse support services, national helplines and other resources developed by the charity, UK SAYS NO MORE. The train operator has added the charity’s ‘Safe Space’ widget to its home page at greateranglia.co.uk to enable those experiencing domestic abuse to discreetly access support and information while carrying out daily online tasks. The ‘Safe Space’ webpage does not appear in internet browsing history and has a quick exit function. Image Credit: A Greater Anglia train bearing the White Ribbon Day logo. Credit: Greater Anglia
We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve been awarded the Investors in People’s (IIP) UK Employer of the Year Gold award (50–249 employees). Why did we win? This award recognises our employee engagement strategy as truly special. It’s something that’s very close to our hearts – our leadership team have worked hard on it to make sure that, as the business grows, we remain true to our values. Our approach helps us focus on the wellbeing of our people, how we hire and retain them, how we communicate, and our reward and recognition structure. And we’re so pleased to be recognised for it – especially as we celebrate 20 years of Pure in 2023. What the award means to us Caroline Batchelor, Director, said: ‘I’m so proud that we’ve won an IIP Gold award. Our people are so important to us. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do. We work hard to maintain and develop our positive culture. I just want to say thank you to everyone at Pure. This is all about you – you’re what makes Pure a great place to work!’ Ben Farrow, Operations Director, said: ‘Creating an engaged culture is an ongoing process and continually evolves. Achieving our IIP Gold accreditation earlier this year was an opportunity to hear how we’re doing. And winning this award is the cherry on top. We’ll continue to focus on sharing ideas, giving everyone a voice and building on our values to make sure Pure remains a great place to work. This award recognises what we’ve achieved so far and our commitment to investing in our people.’ Executive Director Lynn Walters said: ‘On behalf of the whole team, I’m so proud to have won this award. We have a brilliant team of people who care passionately about doing the right thing for jobseekers, clients and each other, as well as the communities we’re part of. At Pure, our culture is the top priority – it guides how we work every day. And we’re fortunate to work with some fantastic organisations across the eastern region who we share experiences with, something which helps keep us fresh and continually evolving. We’re looking forward to celebrating this award with the whole team.’ CEO, Ian Walters summed things up: ‘As a team, we’ve always valued helping people above recognition. But I still feel really proud and honoured that Pure has won this prestigious IIP award.’Collecting our award David, Caroline and Ben went to collect our trophy at the awards evening in London on Tuesday 15 November. It was great to see so many other inspirational organisations at the event, all of which are doing great things to #MakeWorkBetter. But only a few get to take home one of the sought-after trophies. And this year we were very proud to be one of them. ‘It was a fab night and a brilliant result for us all,’ said David. ‘I’m so proud of our organisation, our culture and, most importantly, all our people.’ Paul Devoy, CEO, Investors in People, said “The Investors in People Awards 2022 marks a new chapter for us. We came together again after three years in our biggest celebration of exemplary leaders and organisations who have transformed themselves into a force of good despite the challenges. I am proud of every organisation that entered this year, demonstrating the value in making work better and setting an example for other organisations to do the same.” Our thanks This award and our gold accreditation recognise our commitment to creating a great workplace. We’d like to thank Investors in People and the judges who made it happen. But most importantly, we’d like to thank the people who make Pure such a great place to work. Want to work for an award-winning organisation? Find out more about what it’s like to work with us.
We are delighted to announce that we have been selected as a finalist at the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) Awards 2022. The CSJ Awards are national and high profile, recognising charities that are innovative in tackling poverty and exclusion in Britain. They exist to ensure that the voices of those working to address these issues are given access to decision makers in Westminster. As an organisation, we are delighted to be recognised for the outstanding work we do in supporting vulnerable young people through vocational training. We raise their self-esteem and confidence, whilst enabling them to gain trade related qualifications, employment opportunities and a much improved quality of life as well as being accepted in the community. We are very grateful for this opportunity and the positive outcomes it will bring. Previous award winners can be found at www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/about-the-csj-alliance/awards-2021https://st-eds.org/csj-award-finalists/
Seeing the iconic Jacobean mansion of Blickling Hall bathed in light while you enjoy a slice of Blickling wood-fired pizza on the main drive is a treat which for many has become a family tradition. This year, that quintessential Norfolk estate – the first complete estate ever to be cared for by the National Trust – will once again be celebrating the festive season with two very special and unique experiences, each aimed at creating lasting memories. During the day, the beautifully decorated hall will open its doors to reveal rooms packed full of decorations, lovingly created by staff and volunteers. Nutcrackers, an estate children’s party, cocktails in the South Drawing Room and an Ice Ball all help to create a fantastical experience for visitors. Property Curator, Megan Dennis and her team are excited to share it with visitors. “Christmas in the hall at Blickling is so special. This year we are celebrating the magic moments of Christmas – all the special family traditions and games. We welcome visitors to explore the house, decorate a tree, help the cooks prepare for Christmas Day and take a whirl on the dancefloor. The beautiful decorations created by our talented volunteers really make the hall a unique place to visit at this time of year. Their passion and enthusiasm for Blickling shines through in every room.” An army of florists, gardeners, crafters and artists have all contributed, under the guidance and direction of Jo Pipe, Blickling’s House and Collections Officer. “We have created a 1930s fantastical adventure for our visitors to explore. Meet people from the past and create your own special memories in this beautiful place.” In the evening, the house doors close and it is the turn of Blickling’s gardens to take centre stage. Transformed into a riot of colour and illuminations, with little ‘wow’ moments tucked around every corner; an accessible, level route will help all visitors enjoy an after-dark festive adventure in one of Norfolk’s most special places. For Experience and Visitor programme Manager, Sebastian Billing, it’s his favourite time of year. “I’ve known Blickling all my life and for my family, it’s always been a playground for the senses. Our Garden of Lights event transforms the outside spaces – once the sun goes down, it feels like every inch is painted with imagination. Seeing visitors of all ages laughing and making memories in a place that means so much to the local community, shows us that the essential fundraising we do as a charity can look and feel pretty magical.” Blickling’s festive celebrations kick off on Monday 28 November and run through to Sunday 18 December 2022.
The House is open daily from 11-2pm, tickets are free for National Trust members, no booking necessary.
The Garden of Lights event takes place daily between 4-8pm, all tickets must be pre-booked. Weekend tickets have almost sold out, but there are still tickets available to visit Monday – Friday. Bring the kids for a memorable after-school adventure, or visit after work for a fun evening out with colleagues or friends.
Image: Make-A-Wish UK Chief Executive Jason Suckley & Richie Finney, owner of Captain Fawcett King’s Lynn’s Captain Fawcett Ltd (Manufacturer and Purveyor of simply ‘First Class Gentleman’s Grooming Requisites’) has been flying the flag for West Norfolk on an epic 800 mile motorbike ride across the South of England to raise funds for national children’s charity Make-A-Wish UK. BarbersRide is now in its sixth consecutive year with total funds reaching over £110K for The Lion’s Barber Collective, London’s Great Ormond Street and Liverpool’s Alder Hey children’s hospitals and Make-A-Wish. This year alone BarbersRide have raised £27K* for Make-A-Wish UK. Huzzah! www.justgiving.com/team/barbersride2022 On the 7th August a fine fellowship of mad-cap adventurers, united by their passion for bikes and barbering, set off from Weston-Super-Mare on a 5 day mission to support ‘Make-A-Wish’, a charity which turns the dreams of seriously ill children into real life magic. Richie Finney, West Norfolk Champion and owner of Captain Fawcett Ltd is one of the founding members and key sponsor of BarbersRide, an annual road trip adventure bringing barbers and bikers together on a journey of camaraderie and mayhem. 2022 saw this band of brothers take to the highways in the thick of a record-breaking, tarmac-melting heatwave. Each evening featured the chance to cool down at BarbersRide’s legendary after parties with live music, food and drinks to revive wilting riders after fantastically formidable trails through England’s rolling West Country and on to Margate, this year’s sparkling seaside destination. BarbersRide have supported Make-A-Wish UK since 2019, saying:“Make-A-Wish grants special wishes for sick children when they are most in need and bring positivity and happiness in times of distress. We decided to work with a national children’s charity so that children from each region could benefit and Make-A-Wish were the perfect organisation to partner with. We even managed to ride in 2020, observing social distancing, with incredible support from our sponsors, our riders, the barbers and barbershops. More than ever, the global pandemic made all of us appreciate how important it is to find ways to keep going and stay resilient when there are obstacles in our way.” Make-A-Wish UK Chief Executive Jason Suckley said: “We are hugely grateful to BarbersRide and all those who have supported their brilliantly unique way of fundraising for Make-A-Wish over the years. Any money they raise will help us with our ambitious mission to light up the lives of every child in the UK who has a critical condition, by granting their wish. From the moment they are diagnosed, the joy of childhood is often brought to an abrupt end while treatment, medical appointments and worry take over. It can ’t be underestimated how powerful a wish can be in bringing light and joy to those children, as well as their loved ones, creating positive moments and cherished memories that have a lasting impact on all their lives.” Rumour has it, BarbersRide may be heading across the sea to Ireland in 2023. Watch this space… barbersride.com* 2022 total is calculated via a number of JustGiving pages as well as offline donations direct to Make-A-Wish.
Pic credit: Greater Anglia Greater Anglia is reminding people to avoid travelling on its trains on Saturday 26 November, when services will be disrupted by a train drivers’ strike. Services on main routes to London will be severely reduced and there will be no trains at all on many Greater Anglia lines due to a strike by train drivers’ union ASLEF. There will be one train per hour on routes between London Liverpool Street and Colchester, Norwich and Southend Victoria and on the Stansted Express service. But there will no trains at all on any other routes including the Cambridge to London Liverpool Street mainline. First trains will start later than usual and last trains will finish earlier than usual. First and last train times to London Liverpool Street from Colchester will be 08.13 and 20.13; from Norwich 08.00 and 19.00; and from Southend Victoria 08.13 and 22.00. In the other direction, first and last trains from Liverpool Street to Colchester will be 10.00 and 22.00; to Norwich 10.30 and 21.30; and to Southend Victoria 09.47 and 23.45. Stansted Express service first and last train times will be: from Stansted Airport to Liverpool Street 05.15 and 00.30 and from Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport 04.10 and 23.25. Anyone who has booked a ticket to travel on Saturday 26 November will be able to travel either the day before or up to and including Tuesday 29 November instead, or they can contact their retailer for a refund or to change the date. Trains not running due to the strike will not be replaced by buses. First services on Sunday 27 November, will start later than usual as a knock-on effect of the 24-hour strike. Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director said: “We’re very sorry that once again we must advise people to avoid travelling on our trains, but with our drivers on strike we have no other option. “We know people will have been planning to go Christmas shopping, visit the Christmas lights in London, go to shows and events or to watch FA Cup matches on Saturday 26 November and that now they will be disappointed. “We will continue as an industry to carry on talking to ASLEF and other rail unions to try to resolve these disputes, to bring an end to these very disruptive strikes.” Full details of timetables, refunds and other information will be available from www.greateranglia.co.uk/strikes. Other train companies affected by the ASLEF action are Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, London North Eastern Railway, Northern Trains, Southeastern, Transpennine Express, and West Midlands Trains.
Pictured: Martin Dronfield, Executive Chair of the East of England Energy Group Photo credit: East of England Energy Group / CHPV The East of England Energy Group’s (EEEGR) response to the UK Government Autumn Statement Chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivered his Autumn statement to MPs in Parliament yesterday, confirming that Government will proceed with Sizewell C and laying out plans to extend the oil & gas windfall tax to all power generating companies. Responding to the statement, EEEGR’s Executive Chair, Martin Dronfield, stated: “We were thrilled to hear the chancellor commit to the build of Sizewell C which will bring massive economic growth to our region. Alongside this, the project will provide 3.2GW of clean energy to the system, becoming a vital part of the energy mix. It was also good to hear the announcement of fresh funding to improve the UK’s energy efficiency to help homes and businesses reduce energy consumption, something particularly welcome in the current energy crisis climate. Reacting to the announcement of new 45% windfall tax measures for electricity generators, Dronfield said: “EEEGR along with its members are concerned about the potential impact of any windfall tax on revenues and profits along with the consequential effects this may have on future investment programmes and the overall attractiveness of the UK energy market. We’re glad to hear that the measures will be temporary, however would not want any new taxation arrangements to negatively impact renewable energy generators and potential investment in clean energy projects for the eastern region. We urge government to work with industry to ensure any tax is set at the right level so that the measures implemented do not adversely impact the companies that will play a huge role in the UK’s race to net zero.”