Member News

One of Greater Anglia’s new intercity trains at Diss station             Pic credit: Greater Anglia/Nick Strugnell   Rail passengers are reminded that Greater Anglia is introducing its new summer timetable on Sunday 15 May – so travellers should check before they travel in case their train times have changed. Greater Anglia is adding more seats and more services, including extra trains for holidaymakers travelling to and around the region and some increases to commuter services to match demand. From Sunday 15 May, the timetable, which is scheduled to run until December, will include:

• Intercity services between Norwich and London half-hourly all day until 21.00 Monday to Friday when they become hourly, half-hourly until early evening (then hourly) on Saturdays and mainly hourly on Sundays.
• Some additional services and some longer trains on services between Ipswich, Colchester, Clacton/Walton, Harwich, Braintree, Chelmsford, Southend Victoria, Southminster and London Liverpool Street, including in the evening rush hour.
• More new and longer trains on routes between Cambridge, Bishop’s Stortford and London Liverpool Street and on the Hertford East line once platform lengthening works are complete later this year.
• Stansted Express services between Stansted Airport and London Liverpool Street will be mostly half-hourly, with some extra trains at busier times.
• Rural services between Norwich and Lowestoft, Cambridge/Stansted Airport, Sheringham, and Great Yarmouth; between Ipswich and Cambridge, Felixstowe, Lowestoft and Peterborough; and between Marks Tey and Sudbury will continue with the usual service.

Extra summer services will run between Norwich and Great Yarmouth on Saturdays from 21 May to 10 September, and on Mondays and Fridays from 18 July to 2 September, providing over 66,000 extra seats for holiday-makers over the peak summer period. There will also be additional early Sunday services between Ipswich and Peterborough, departing Ipswich at 07.55 and returning from Peterborough at 09.50, from 15 May to 11 September. Greater Anglia has been closely monitoring passenger numbers in order to match services provided to demand for them. Passenger numbers are still lower than pre-pandemic levels, at around 77 per cent of 2019 levels across the Greater Anglia network overall, but falling to around 60 per cent for commuting to London. Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: “We’re making a number of service improvements in our May timetable changes. “We’ve been monitoring our passenger numbers and listening to customer feedback, so we’re increasing services or running longer trains where possible and appropriate – building on our actions over recent months, where we’ve been adding extra capacity in line with increasing demand. “The pandemic has changed our railway. We have a different contract with the Government which is wholly funding us. It’s important that we provide the best possible service to our customers and also value for money for taxpayers. “Over the coming months, we’ll see even more of our new longer trains with all mod cons replace our older trains on commuting routes into London, which will lead to more seats available for our customers and a much-improved travelling experience. “New trains already in place on our Intercity, Stansted Express and regional services have markedly improved service standards on those routes – including helping us to achieve record-breaking punctuality. “We’ll continue to monitor passenger numbers and make further adjustments as necessary, always seeking to run a very good service and to encourage more customers to take the train.”

  Funding is available to small/medium-sized enterprises in Norfolk and Suffolk called Pathways 50+.  This is an initiative funded by ESF (European Social Fund) and supported by Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils.  Futures for Business is delighted to administer this on their behalf to organisations in either Norfolk or Suffolk who fulfill the necessary eligibility criteria of an SME (Small to Medium-sized Enterprise) SME Eligibility

• Micro – Headcount fewer than 10, turnover and balance sheet ≤ €2million
• Small – Headcount between 10 and 50, turnover and balance sheet ≤ €10million
• Medium – Headcount between 50 and 250, turnover ≤ €50million, and balance sheet ≤ €43million

Pathways 50+ provides a grant to the organisation worth £1,950 to support the recruitment of a person aged over 50.  The paid placement must run for at least 13 weeks, consist of a minimum of 25 hours per week, and pay at least the national living wage (recently increased to £9.50 per hour).  Eligible employees must be aged at least 50, live in Norfolk or Suffolk, and have been resident in the EU for at least 3 years.  The Pathways contract also enables us to promote your vacancy on behalf of your business.  We can share details with the National Careers Service, also through the various other contracts delivered by Futures including JETS, we are very happy to post vacancies on Indeed too. If you are interested in taking advantage of the Pathways 50+ funding, please contact Angela Carpenter from Futures for Business – angela.carpenter@futuresforbusiness.com  Images provided by Futures

New Anglia Pathways 50+ is part-funded by the European Union through the European Social Fund (ESF).

The project has received £501,043,23 of funding from the European Social Fund as part of the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England. The Department for Work and Pensions (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) is the Managing Authority for the England European Social Fund programme. Established by the European Union, the European Social Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support skills development, employment and job creation, social inclusion and local community regenerations. For more information visit www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.

Do you live in or within a few miles of Happisburgh or Reepham? Join the dialogue to shape the Community Benefit Fund – this week! Reepham, Cawston, Great Witchingham, Oulton & Ingworth Happisburgh, Witton & Ridlington, East Ruston, Lessingham, Walcott & Honing Don’t miss this chance to help shape the £15 million Norfolk Zone Community Benefit Fund at an early stage, and discuss the ways in which it might work best for your community. This week we’ll be focusing on the communities in and around Reepham on Wednesday 11th May and Happisburgh on Thursday 12th May. Attendees are welcome to participate in person or via online meeting links. Full details and registration links can be found below. If you aren’t based in or near these areas, please don’t worry, you’ll get your chance to contribute to the discussion in the coming months. These are just two of a series of localised meetings and we’ll be arranging more of them in due course. If you’d like to get involved in helping us with that, please feel free to drop us a note. We’d love to hear from you. If you have any questions about the events please contact us directly using the email address: info@norfolkvanguard.co.uk  

Article Content: Cyber training is a powerful tool available to all organisations. When building cyber security defences it’s important to ensure that one of your greatest protective assets, your people, are invested in and able to do everything possible to protect valuable data, information and systems from the wide range of threats posed by cyber criminals.  Unfortunately no organisation is safe from these threats, no matter what size your operation is, or the industry you are in, cyber criminals will be seeking ways to get in to your systems and cause damage.  We see so often that this route in is via staff. We’ve put this video together to explain the range of things that can happen in any organisation, all of which can lead to the need for cyber training. Staff at all levels will benefit, and we see first-hand just how much of an impact training has.  We don’t want to spoil it for you…so why not take a couple of minutes out to have a watch, and if you like it make sure you share it with your colleagues and contacts! Don’t just take our word for it though…there are lots of stats out there about how organisations need to invest more in staff training, the latest Cyber Security Breaches Survey highlights how little training is taking place – if you want to better protect your organisation talk to us today.  

Buy To Let: Company or Personal? Deciding on the right set-up for you Buy to let properties can be purchased and managed as an individual or through a limited company, with each option having its own implications for tax purposes. If the intention is to rent out one or two properties, setting up a limited company is unlikely to be the right route. However, if a property portfolio is to be built up, then it may well be beneficial to create a limited company from the outset. Buying a property through a company is becoming an increasingly popular choice for investors. According to Companies House data, a record 47,400 new UK buy to let companies were incorporated in 2021. Company ownership Buying rental properties through a limited company offers full tax relief on finance costs such as mortgage interest and mortgage arrangement fees, access to potentially lower tax rates and flexibility for planning, including for inheritance tax. Mortgage interest relief Limited companies can offset all their mortgage interest, and other finance costs such as mortgage arrangement fees, against profits from their rental income before paying corporation tax. This means that while individual landlords are effectively taxed on turnover, corporate landlords are taxed on profit. Corporation tax Rental profits, after deducting finance costs such as mortgage interest, are currently subject to corporation tax at 19%. Small companies with profits of £50,000 or less will continue to pay tax at 19% from April 2023. The main rate of corporation tax is rising to 25% from April 2023  where taxable profits are £250,000 or more. For companies with profits between £50,000 and £250,000 they will have a marginal rate of 26.5% on excess profits over £50,000. Taking an income As the company owns the property, the rental profits belong to the company. To access the rental income for personal use, a form of remuneration needs to be paid, which gives rise to a second tax charge. There are various options such as salary, dividends, provision of assets such as company cars or pension contributions. Each comes with tax consequences, and the best route will depend on personal circumstances. Building a portfolio If the aim is to invest in several buy to let properties and there is no need to draw much, or any, income from the rent, the company structure could be an attractive option.       Family planning A company can be a useful structure for those looking to pass on their property portfolio to family. It is typically more straightforward and cost effective to transfer company shares to family members compared to properties, or proportionate interests in a property. Personal ownership For buy to let landlords looking to use their rent as a form of income to live on, purchasing as an individual may prove to be the more tax efficient solution. Mortgage interest relief From 2020/21, landlords were no longer able to deduct finance costs, including mortgage interest, from their property income; instead they receive a basic rate tax reduction to their income tax liability. As well as restricting tax relief to basic rate (20%), the measure has the effect of increasing taxable income and can result in the landlord becoming a higher-rate taxpayer and may affect certain benefit entitlements such as child benefit. Income tax Landlords are liable to income tax on rental income. The rental income will be added to the landlord’s other income to determine the tax band. Capital Gains Tax Capital gains on residential property are subject to CGT at 18%, where the gain falls within the basic rate band and 28% where the gain falls into higher rates. HMRC require online reporting and payment of CGT on the disposal of UK residential property within 60 days of completion. Taking an income If the landlord wants to take a regular income from the buy to let properties, then investing as an individual is more likely to be tax efficient. Preferable mortgage rates Personal ownership typically attracts preferable mortgage rates and lower fees than through a limited company. Arrangement fees, which can either be paid up front or added to the mortgage, also tend to be lower when buying as an individual. Seek advice from your mortgage broker. How we can help This is an overview of the key differences between owning a buy to let property through a limited company and as an individual – there are many variables that will influence your decision, and it can be helpful to seek professional advice when it comes to assessing your own circumstances and tax position. For more details, get in touch with Sam Holloway at M+A Partners on sam.holloway@mapartners.co.uk.   You can view this original article here

One of the main questions we have from clients when they run limited companies is around directors’ loan accounts. How they work and what they are. To understand directors’ loan accounts, the key thing to remember is a company is its own separate legal entity and any profits generated by the company belong to the company (not the director). Every transaction between a director and the company is between two separate “persons”. This is completely different to a business  run as a sole trader. When money is taken out of a limited company, therefore, it has to be accounted for within the accounts according to what it is. For example:

• If a salary, it needs to go through the payroll;
• If a reimbursement for business expenses, the director needs receipts as evidence;
• If a dividend (where the director is also a shareholder) the relevant legal dividend paperwork needs to be drawn up and signed at the time;
• It could be rent, if the director owns the trading property; or
• A loan to and from the limited company (this is the directors’ loan account).

Each type of payment has its own tax consequences. How a directors’ loan account works The directors’ loan account keeps a tally of the money a director has lent the company, less monies he/she has taken out (which have not been accounted for elsewhere as salary, dividend, rent etc). This running total starts from the first transaction the director has with the company. If, for example, a dividend or a salary is declared correctly, but not taken out in full by the director, this is also shown as monies lent to the company and added to the directors’ loan account. If the directors’ loan account goes overdrawn (ie more money is taken out of the company by the director then owed to him/her), this can have tax consequences for the director and the company. Tax advice should be sought asap by the company to minimise the effect of this by careful tax planning. Therefore, regular conversations with an accountant are vital to ensure there is a plan on how money is taken out of the company by the directors. Key considerations include, making sure it is structured tax efficiently and takes into account the dynamics and wishes of the director group. If you have any queries and would like to discuss further, do contact your normal M+A Partners contact or Mary-Anne Sargeant on 07917 530018 or email mary-anne.sargeant@mapartners.co.uk. You can view this original article here

Welcome to the first episode this new podcast series! This week, James & Mark examine our own perceptions of why things happen in our lives, whether we think we can control them, and how it informs our behaviour. With a focus on the well-known psychological theory ‘Locus of Control’ Content: Welcome to the first episode this new podcast series, sponsored by Larking Gowen. There will be three different episode styles in this new series, expert guest interviews, special bitesize gems, and these deep dive episodes. James and Mark will be ‘deep diving’ into a specific topic each week. If you were a listener of Impromptu Business Chat, you’ll be familiar with their casual, fun and informative discussions. Now they’ll be focusing on how listeners can further put the advice and themes they explore into action. This week, they examine our own perceptions of why things happen in our lives, whether we think we can control them, and how it informs our behaviour. With a focus on the well-known psychological theory ‘Locus of Control’ they discuss the importance of learning to focus on what we can influence, and not what we can’t, like the weather! They look at our power of embracing failure, monitoring our own language and how to spot our own personal triggers ahead of time. Are you a victim, or do you take responsibility? Developing our own locus of control can help build stronger relationships, be that with our families, customers or our teams. How you cope in times of stress can have a huge impact on your overall wellbeing, so let’s see how you can find the power to take control and create positive change… To listen to the podcast, see the show notes and contact us, please click on the Listen here link below. Listen here!

Attleborough based renewable heating expert Finn Geotherm, has been shortlisted in this year’s National ACR & Heat Pump Awards. These prestigious trade awards celebrate the highest achievements across the UK’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning sector. Finn Geotherm is a finalist in the Heat Pump Installer of the Year category. Established in 2006, the company has always focused solely on heat pumps, having completed more than 1,000 installations date in a vast range of buildings from care homes and universities to stately homes and bungalows. Guy Ransom, commercial director at Finn Geotherm, said: “We are delighted to be nominated in the National ACR & Heat Pump Awards, which recognise the country’s best companies and projects in the HVAC sector. We have an excellent team and to be shortlisted in these prestigious awards is testament to the hard work, passion and dedication of everyone here at Finn Geotherm.” Winners will be announced in June. For more information on ground and air source heat pumps and details on Finn Geotherm, visit www.finn-geotherm.co.uk.

Babs Wilding has spent a lifetime helping others. As well as 46 years in nursing, the 74-year-old has clocked up the best part of three decades as a much-valued shop volunteer for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH). She is part of the furniture at EACH’s Wymondham shop, in Market Place, and usually gives up her time every Monday and Friday. She is passionate about both the organisation and volunteering – and would heartily recommend the latter to others. “I like keeping busy and this keeps me off the street corners,” joked Babs, who has two children and three grandchildren and lives in Wymondham. “I enjoy seeing the shop neat and tidy and I’ve made so many friends during my years here, including staff, volunteers and customers. “You get to know the regulars and everyone is so cheerful. “Spending time here is very rewarding. “EACH provides such a brilliant and much-needed service and it’s an organisation I feel very passionately about. “From a volunteering point of view, it needs and deserves all the help it can get and that’s why I’m always happy to spread the word. “There are so many things people can do to help and whatever time they can spare makes a difference, even if it’s just a couple of hours a week or fortnight. “There’s such flexibility and if people need to work around other things, like doing the school run, that’s absolutely fine. “Some people enjoy being on the till but, if not, there are many other jobs, like dealing with bric-a-brac, books, toys and clothing. You can sort, tag and price.” Babs worked in orthopaedics and surgery during her proud nursing career. In addition to being based at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, she also spent time in places like Plymouth, Portsmouth and north of the border in Scotland. She retired nearly 11 years ago, when 63. However, it was when she started working on a part-time basis 27 years ago that she began volunteering for EACH. That longevity has not gone unnoticed and she has been fortunate enough to meet the charity’s Royal Patron, The Duchess of Cambridge. “The Nook, in Framingham Earl, is an amazing place and I was there the day it was officially opened by The Duchess of Cambridge,” said Babs. “I was also fortunate enough to meet her when she opened our shop in Holt (in March 2016). “Three of us were chosen to attend and she was absolutely charming.” Wymondham shop manager Lisa Brown says Babs is “worth her weight in gold”. She said: “We can always do with extra volunteers and of all ages. There really is something for everyone. “Volunteers are invaluable and that’s why we’re so lucky to have someone like Babs. “She’s such a help, works incredibly hard and has great spirit around the shop.” “We’d struggle and be lost without her.”   To find out more about volunteering in Wymondham or organise a taster session, pop into the shop, email Lisa.Brown@each.org.uk or call 01953 607467.  

Retail managers from across the region gathered to celebrate a record-breaking 12 months for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).   The event was held at Culford School, near Bury St Edmunds, and attended by staff from Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex.   EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions and relies heavily on profits generated from its 44 shops.   It also has a fast-growing ecommerce operation.   Retail income for the last financial year was just over £6.5 million, with like-for-like sales up 17.4% compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019/20.   EACH Director of Retail Ian Nicolson said: “We came together to celebrate and say thank you for the incredible hard work and dedication of our shop staff.   “The team have dealt with such adversity in a year of constant change and we recognised their amazing efforts by handing out awards, including eBay, Amazon and Gift Aid Shop of the Year.   “We also wanted to recognise and celebrate those who have done amazing work in their community and supporting their volunteer teams.   “It was a great day and lovely for managers to meet up with colleagues and counterparts from different shops and counties.”   Among those to speak during the team-building day was EACH Chief Executive Phil Gormley.   EACH relies on voluntary donations for the majority of its income and this year alone, in terms of shop income, needs to raise £6.5 million.   Ian added: “We also want to say thanks to all the donors who continue to support us with their amazing donations of clothes and hard goods.   “They really are making the difference to the lives of children and families.   “We’re hitting great numbers to start the year but now the celebrations are over and we step into the new financial year, so it’s a case of here we go again. We’re excited by the challenge ahead.”  

“It’s payback for the care and support we received” – Henry and Jane say signing up for Ride for Life is their way of thanking EACH A bereaved couple are taking on a gruelling three-day cycle challenge in memory of their “beautiful, funny and loving” son. Henry and Jane Wright are training for next month’s 200-mile Ride for Life event, being organised by East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH). It takes cyclists from Snetterton to Ipswich and then onto Milton, before returning to Norfolk. All proceeds go to EACH, which provided end-of-life care for four-year-old Douglas before his death in February 2018. The charity then supported Jane, Henry and daughter Clara (then aged seven) and they say signing up is their way of saying thank you – a form of “payback”. “There’s no getting away from the fact it’s going to be a real challenge,” said Henry, 54, who lives with his wife and daughter in Little Downham, near Ely. “I did the London Marathon for CLIC Sargent (now Young Lives vs Cancer) in 2019. “That was difficult but this is going to be a step up from that. “It’s not so much day one I’m worried about. It’s days two and three! “Having said that, we’re very excited about it. “It’s going to be an adventure and taking part is our way of saying thank you to EACH. “To some degree, it’s payback for the care and support we received as a family. “I’m the first to admit I was very wrong about what a children’s hospice entails. “I thought it was all about palliative care and essentially where someone goes to die. I didn’t know about all the other things EACH provides. “The team were there for us at the end and have continued to be ever since. “If I picked the phone up tomorrow, I’m certain help would be at hand. “We’ve been to support groups, had bereavement counselling and Clara has attended sibling days, like the trip to Clip n’ Climb, in Cambridge. “There wasn’t anyone at school she could speak to, so the sibling groups gave her an opportunity to chat to other brothers and sisters who had experienced something similar.” Douglas had more than a year of treatment after being diagnosed with neuroblastoma – a rare type of cancer that mostly affects babies and young children. He was four years old when he died in February 2018. “We’ve done a few training rides, although nothing like the ones we’re going to face next month,” said Jane, 47. “We’ve set ourselves this challenge in memory of Douglas. “We want to remember not just that he died but also that he lived. “When he laughed, you couldn’t help but laugh with him. “He was a beautiful, funny, loving, eccentric, strong-willed little boy and while no challenge will equal the challenge of living without him, we’re really stretching ourselves to cycle this far. “The support from EACH was invaluable and we owe them a debt of gratitude we can never repay. They were there every step of the way and it’s not something we expected. “At first it was alarming to be offered the services of a hospice when we were still hopeful treatment could cure Douglas. “However, it was explained that children’s hospices don’t just offer end-of-life care. “The hospices are eye-opening places but they’re certainly not depressing. Far from it. It’s not a clinical environment, like a hospital. “The wonderful nurses visited us, often several times a day, and that support didn’t stop when Douglas died. “They helped us with admin, thinking about funeral arrangements and then later with counselling and bereavement groups. “That ongoing support has helped so much.” It promises to be a real family affair as Team Douglas will also include Henry’s sister, Rebecca O’Connell, and soon-to-be brother-in-law Matt Felstead. To sponsor Team Douglas, head to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/fordouglas  

Summary: James Lay & Mark Curtis chat to Andrew Brammer, global award-winning public speaker, who believes passionately in the power of public speaking, and the wider benefits that your new-found confidence can bring to all aspects of your life. Content: Public speaking is often cited as one of our biggest fears, feared more than death itself. But what if you can hone your skills and combat your fears? Is it worth the effort? Andrew Brammer is a global award-winning public speaker and fellow podcaster, who believes passionately in the power of public speaking, and the wider benefits that your new-found confidence can bring to all aspects of your life. Andrew is also the author of both Talking the Talk, and Telling the Tale, and in this episode reflects on the themes of his career and life as a storyteller that form the basis of his books. He talks to James and Mark about how and why he conquered his fear of public speaking and developed his skills. He addresses how to cope with hecklers and the fear of failure; finding the beauty in your mistakes; managing Q&A’s; the key constructs of a powerful presentation; and how storytelling is the key. He talks around the four types of conflict that make up stories, evidenced and reflected in all our favourite movies! Andrew joined the US organisation Toastmasters, which is an internationally recognised public speaking group, and learnt how to craft stories that could engage audiences in their hundreds. He has even sold out his own one-man theatre shows, touring around the UK. Andrew grew up as working class, with no interest in business, but fell into manufacturing and learnt quickly how NOT to manage people. This inspired him into pursuing a career in management and he is now Director of PSS Steering and Hydraulics. His experience ‘on stage’ and personal commitment to putting the work and time into developing himself through his public speaking, meant he developed the emotional connection skills needed to succeed in a sales-based role. Whether that’s selling yourself, a service or a product, connecting with your audience and aligning a feeling with ‘your brand’ is paramount to success, and this can apply to both business or our pursuit of personal happiness. Listen here!