A brand new ‘job bus’ is hitting the roads across Norfolk and Suffolk – to help people find work and start a new chapter in their career journey. Contract Personnel, one of East Anglia’s leading independent recruitment agencies, have launched their new vehicle – which has already been popping up in places including Lowestoft, Thetford, Norwich, Wymondham and Great Yarmouth. The vehicle is fitted with a seating area and desk – so the team of recruitment experts can carry out registrations and interviews across the region. This means that candidates, who do not have access to their offices in Norwich, Thetford and Great Yarmouth, can still be registered for work. The ‘job bus’ also has kitchen and toilet facilities on board and is emblazoned with the Contract Personnel designs, colours and logo. The firm will also soon be revealing exciting plans to appear at local events, iconic landmarks and at towns and villages across the area. To co-incide with the launch, Contract Personnel are also encouraging people to ‘spot the bus’ for the chance to win some fantastic prizes – including Norwich City football tickets. Safely using the hashtag #cplbus and tagging the company on social media is the best way to enter the contest. Contract Personnel has been established for 33 years and they offer both temporary and permanent roles – specialising in Driving, Industrial, Commercial and Engineering roles. With offices in Norwich, Thetford and Great Yarmouth, new and exciting jobs are always being added to their website. Sarah Hooper, Managing Director at Contract Personnel, said: “We are all extremely excited that our ‘job bus’ is out on the road. “We would really encourage people to follow us on Facebook to see where we are visiting and tag us for the chance to win! “Get in touch if you would like us to come to you – this is a collaborative idea and we want it to benefit as many people as possible.” Contract Personnel are also available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and are widely known for their slogan – ‘recruitment that works for you’. If you would like to find out about the latest vacancies, visit www.contract-personnel.com or you can call the Norwich Office on 01603 764044.
Efforts to segregate more recycling at Greater Anglia’s Crown Point rail depot in Norwich have helped to improve the company’s overall rate of recycling. A whopping 1,600kg of mixed recycling such as cardboard, plastic bottles and cans, has been collected since January as the train operator works to become even more sustainable. This is equivalent to the amount of waste produced by an average household in a year. Overall the company seeks to recycle as much waste as possible. However this can sometimes be challenging due to the nature of waste produced from the railway which is often non-recyclable or considered “contaminated” if mixed with food, liquid or non-recyclable items. The company has encouraged all depot users to think about changes they could make to improve recycling and has implemented changes that have boosted recycling in just a few weeks. Stephanie Evans, Greater Anglia’s Environment and Energy Manager, said: “Rail is already the greenest form of transport and we are working hard behind the scenes, together with the rest of the industry, to reduce our impact and move towards net zero. “More initiatives like this will help us to reach our recycling targets as we strive to become even more sustainable, reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency across our trains, stations and depots.” Greater Anglia is currently reviewing all waste produced across its network and plans to implement similar initiatives at other key locations and depots.
Extra donations are needed to support the work of a charity shop in Norwich. Staff and volunteers are on the lookout for more items to sell at the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) store in Bowthorpe. Donation levels have dipped since last year and it is affecting both shop sales and profits from the charity’s eBay and Amazon operation. Manager Michelle Hinton also hopes to receive more items for her bric-a-brac section, as well as CDs and DVDs. She said: “I’m not sure why it’s happened but certainly something we need help with, by encouraging people to bring in more sellable donations. “At one point, towards the end of last year, we were receiving 70 to 100 bags of donations a day but now that figure is more like 40. “We’re particularly short of items for our bric-a-brac section and could do with more things like CDs and DVDs. “The same goes for small electrical items and perhaps people don’t realise we take that kind of thing. “The only thing we can’t accept is furniture, because our shop isn’t big enough. “However, we’re grateful to receive anything else – as long as it’s in good condition and something we can sell.” The shop is one of four in Norwich, with others in Aylsham Road, Plumstead Road and Unthank Road. EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex. It has three hospices, including The Nook at Framingham Earl. “Being short of donations affects our shop but also has a knock-on effect, because we also supply items to the EACH shop in Unthank Road,” added Michelle. “It also means we’re short of things to sell on our eBay and Amazon shops. “This is why we need some help from the local community and surrounding area.” Michelle is also keen to hear from anyone interested in volunteering at her shop, which is based at the Bowthorpe Centre in Wendene. To find out more, email Michelle via michelle.hinton@each.org.uk or call 01603 732874. Photo credits EACH – Image of Bowthorpe volunteers Linda Meager, Ann Seaman and Margaret Fiddy and the outside of Bowthorpe shop
8 March is International Women’s Day. “We cannot underestimate the extraordinary and indispensable contributions of women across all sectors. Women need to be given equal opportunities in leadership and decision-making roles and efforts must be made to reduce gender inequality.” Check out the Inclusion Calendar 2022 here: https://bit.ly/3LFDkRL Do you need advice on equality in your workplace? Get in touch: sarah@ignitepeoplesolutions.co.uk
Malcolm Hunter, a former Senior Engineering Manager at the BBC, has succeeded in obtaining a substantial settlement from his former employer following his mesothelioma diagnosis in December 2020. His lawyer is Martyn Hayward, an asbestos-related disease claim specialist at East Anglian solicitors Ashtons Legal. Mr Hunter, 78, retired in 1997 and moved to North Norfolk after a long career with the BBC, which took him not only across the UK but also Europe, Africa, Mexico and the USA. He joined the organisation in 1962 and worked his way up from Technical Assistant to Senior Engineering Manager, retiring in the late 1990s. Mr Hunter worked at Daventry Short-Wave transmitting station and in July 1963, he moved to Television Centre for a year and then moved to television Outside Broadcast a year later. Television Centre 2, some 40 years later, was subject to an asbestos removal programme. Between 1964 and 1996 Mr Hunter worked on numerous outside broadcasts including political conferences and major sporting events. These included the Conservative Party Conference at the Grand Hotel, Brighton that was bombed by the IRA, and at further political conferences including the Blackpool Winter Gardens. He remembers being aware that there was asbestos in all of these venues at that time. He also recalls working at Wembley Stadium for the European Championship and Millwall Football Ground when scaffolders were drilling into asbestos-clad walls. At no point does he remember being offered any sort of protective equipment or specific training about how to deal with asbestos. Mr Hunter started to notice a serious shortness of breath after minimal exertion in 2020, accompanied by extreme discomfort when he lay down. In December 2020 he was diagnosed with mesothelioma by specialists at the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital. He has since undergone both chemotherapy and immunotherapy but is acutely aware that mesothelioma is a terminal cancer. Martyn Hayward comments: “The nature of Mr Hunter’s career meant that he was certainly in contact with asbestos on many occasions and had the misfortune to inhale asbestos dust. As is usually the case, this lay dormant for several decades before manifesting itself in mesothelioma. The BBC has now admitted causing Mr Hunter’s illness and conceded that their procedures in relation to protecting him against asbestos exposure were inadequate. While no amount of money can really begin to compensate someone for a reduced life expectancy, this settlement will help Mr Hunter to be as comfortable as possible for the remainder of his life.” Malcolm Hunter adds: “The motivation for sharing my story is to raise awareness of the continued dangers of asbestos. My case shows that you cannot always trust your employer to protect you. Everyone, please remember, there is still a serious risk to one’s health from asbestos, even though exposure might have occurred decades ago. I would like to thank Martyn Hayward of Ashtons for his dedication and perseverance in bringing my case to a conclusion. I cannot praise Martyn or Ashtons highly enough and I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation.”
The University of East Anglia (UEA) and Alan Boswell Group are proud to announce the launch of the Alan Boswell Group Prostate Cancer Research Fellowship. One of the biggest challenges facing doctors treating prostate cancer is predicting which tumours will become aggressive. This makes it difficult to decide on the most appropriate clinical pathway for many men. For every man whose life is actually at risk, up to 17 men go through potentially devastating treatment for a cancer that would not have killed them. Researchers from UEA believe they have discovered a way to distinguish between aggressive and harmless prostate cancer. In partnership with the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital they have developed two tests which could solve the gap in prognostics. It is hoped that the clinical studies undertaken as part of this fellowship will prove the efficacy of the tests and close the gap in prognosis, meaning more men getting the treatment they need and sparing thousands from suffering needless side-effects. The Fellowship will provide UEA with significant funding, enabling a scientist to solely work on these clinical studies for the next three years, building on UEA’s excellent work to date. Dr Rachel Hurst, member of the Cancer Genetics team at UEA, has been awarded the Fellowship and will be taking the research into prostate cancer prognostics tests forward. You can find out more about her work here: https://www.uea.ac.uk/about/giving-to-uea/our-causes/prostate-cancer-research/interview-with-dr-rachel-hurst If successful, it is hoped the tests will become accredited by national and international committees and be used by clinicians to ensure that the right course of treatment is selected more rapidly for men undergoing assessment for prostate cancer. David Ellis, Director of Development at UEA said “This very generous support from Alan Boswell Group will really help us deliver medical research which aims to revolutionise aggressive prostate cancer diagnosis and get our new tests into hospital clinics worldwide — making a huge difference to patients.” This grant is being made directly by Alan Boswell Group but compliments the existing charitable work done via the Alan Boswell Group Charitable Trust, which has seen more than £1m awarded in grants over the past three years. Alan Boswell, Executive Chairman at Alan Boswell Group said “While survival rates for prostate cancer continue to improve, there is still a huge impact on men’s quality of life, often unnecessarily. It is likely to have an impact on all of our lives in some way, as one in eight men in the UK will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. My hope is that this Fellowship will help to improve diagnosis and men’s experience of cancer treatment.”
Flights between Norwich and Exeter resumed yesterday (7 March) with Loganair, the UK’s largest regional airline, reconnecting the two major cities for business and leisure travellers alike. The direct service between Norwich and Exeter will operate twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays until 25 March. Flights will then increase to four times weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays for the spring and summer season. Operated using a 49-seat Embraer 145 regional jet, the route will see fares starting at just £64 one-way from Norwich. Richard Pace, Managing Director at Norwich Airport, said: “It’s fantastic to see the link between Norwich and Exeter has returned. This is a key route for business travel, leisure travel and those visiting friends and family.“With the growth of the staycation market, we’re delighted to have this domestic route running as it re-establishes key connectivity between East Anglia and the South-West and makes a trip to Devon really appealing.” Reservations for Loganair’s service between Norwich and Exeter can be made by visiting www.loganair.co.uk, by calling Loganair’s Customer Contact Centre on 0344 800 2855 or via your local travel agent. The full list of destinations reached directly from Norwich Airport in 2022 is: Bulgaria (Bourgas), Cyprus (Paphos), Greece (Corfu, Crete, Rhodes), Italy (Bergamo, gateway to the Italian Lakes), Netherlands (Amsterdam), Spain – Balearics (Ibiza, Majorca, Menorca), Spain – Canaries (Tenerife), and Turkey (Dalaman). Plus, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Exeter in the UK, a summer service to Jersey, with Blue Islands and day trips and short breaks to Lapland. Plus, connectivity to over 150 destinations worldwide with KLM via Amsterdam. Find out more at: https://www.norwichairport.co.uk/flights-holidays/
A trio of shop volunteers have joined forces and are encouraging others to support a leading children’s charity. Pam Baker, Wendy Foulger and Christina Welham give up precious time to work in the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) shop in Market Place, Bungay. There are 44 of the charity’s stores dotted across the region and it is one of 13 in Suffolk. EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions. It relies on voluntary donations for the majority of its income and needs to raise £5.4 million from its shops during 2022. Pam has been working in the Bungay shop since a fortnight before it opened five years ago. She lends her services on Tuesdays and Saturdays. “I wanted to do something useful, meet new people and start volunteering for a great cause,” said the 75-year-old, who lives in nearly Ellingham. “My children are grown up and I find it gives me a real sense of purpose. “I love it and always enjoy my days in the shop, spending time with customers and colleagues. “I find the work useful and like sorting through donations. I’ll help with anything in the shop but generally concentrate on our bric-a-brac section. “I’d certainly recommend volunteering to anyone, of any age. “It gives you the chance to do something you wouldn’t normally do and it’s also a great way to boost confidence. “It’s fantastic in that respect and I’ve worked with lots of people who say it really helped them. “David Scott, our manager, encourages everyone and helps them get the best from their volunteering. No-one is ever made to felt inadequate or not part of the team. “People of all ages volunteer here, from retired people like myself to young people doing their Duke of Edinburgh awards. “It’s brilliant for them and gives them a taste of what the real world is like.” Husband John also lends his support by repairing clocks, to be sold in the shop. Wendy, 73, has been volunteering for three years this month and enjoys being around customers, having previously run her own jewellery shop. Given her knowledge and experience, she takes the lead when it comes to donations of gold and silver jewellery. She also keeps the shop tidy and culls stock after a month on the shelves, to keep the store fresh and updated. “I love it and enjoy being here,” she said. “The people I work with are lovely. “Volunteering gets me out of the house and makes me feel useful. “When I had my own shop I used to love chatting to customers. That’s something I missed before starting here so it’s nice to have that social side back in my life. “It’s great building a rapport with people and trying to help them. “Volunteering is definitely something I’d recommend to anyone and, of course, it’s lovely to support such a special cause. “Jewellery is my niche and my special interest. It’s what I have the most interest in and everyone can bring something to the table, depending on their knowledge.” Christina, 67, is passionate about volunteering. It was something she started before retiring, having worked for the NHS for 35 years. “It’s something I’ve felt strongly about since hearing about EACH’s great work at Quidenham (its former Norfolk hospice, before opening The Nook in 2019),” she said. “It’s a very special cause. “When I retired two and a half years ago, I already knew I wanted to do some volunteering. “EACH was the obvious choice and I haven’t looked back since. “In addition, it gives me structure and that’s very important to me. I need it. “It’s also lovely giving something back to the community and one of the main things I do is dress the shop window. “I’d always recommend volunteering and often encourage others to get involved.” For more information about volunteering, head to www.each.org.uk/get-involved/volunteering or email volunteerservices@each.org.uk Photo credit EACH – Slideshow left to right – Christina Welham, Pam Baker, Wendy Foulger
A leading children’s charity is gathering warm-weather clothing and plans to send donations to civilians in stricken Ukraine. Staff and volunteers are sorting through surplus coats, hats and scarves at East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices’ (EACH) Retail Distribution Centre (RDC), in Thetford. They are items that would normally be heavily discounted and sold in the charity’s end-of-season sale. The goods will be handed to two Norfolk haulage businesses who are offering to transport donations to the Ukrainian border. “We’re all watching the news with a sense of horror and disbelief,” said Head of Retail Central Operations Sarah Throssell. “It’s a truly awful, desperate situation and, like everyone, we want to do what we can to help. “This is only a small gesture but hopefully it helps in some way. “It’s come in response to numerous requests from staff and volunteers, all keen to know what they and we can do. “We have two big sales every year – one at the end of the summer season and one at the end of the winter. “They include large amounts of unsold stock and, at this time of year, that includes coats, scarves and hats. “These are exactly the kind of thing in demand by aid agencies so it makes perfect sense to divert them to be used in Ukraine. We hope it helps.” EACH, which supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions, has a thriving Retail section with 44 shops across East Anglia. The charity is not requesting extra donations from the public. Instead, existing, surplus stock will be sorted and the project will be managed by staff and volunteers at RDC. “We’re politely requesting that people don’t drop off extra items at our shops,” added Sarah. “We’re unable to offer them up as collection points but already have more than enough suitable, surplus, end-of-season stock. “We’ll sort, separate and bag everything here and the plan is for the first batch to be transported by the end of this week. “More should hopefully follow, depending on demand. “In the meantime, in addition to clothing, we’ll also be keeping an eye out for donations of sleeping bags and tents.”
Two images – One is of warehouse assistant Dawn Bloom (left) with long-serving volunteers Barbara Browning and Madeline Gotts, sorting through donations at our Retail Distribution Centre, in Thetford. The other is of Barbara (left) and Madeline.
A tenacious teenager has signed up for a gruelling walking challenge to support the hospice that cared for his best friend. Marcus Amps-Woodward, 15, is taking part in East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices’ (EACH) Cromer to Great Yarmouth trek, in June. The fundraiser takes participants on a 32-mile walk along the beautiful Norfolk Coastal Path. Marcus, along with older brother Daniel, has signed up in memory of Rebekah Barber, who received care at EACH’s hospice in Milton, Cambridgeshire. She had a rare, gene-linked brain malformation called Lissencephaly and died in July 2016, aged 10. By coincidence, this year’s event is taking place on Marcus’ 16th birthday – 25th June. He said: “Mum spotted an advert for the walk on Facebook. She jokingly suggested I signed up as a birthday treat and I don’t think she expected me to say yes! “However, she planted the seed of an idea and when I get something in my mind I love seeing it through and making it happen. “From that point on I dearly wanted to get involved to try and raise as much as possible. “I’ll be doing it in memory of my best friend, Becca, who spent time at Milton. “We were born four weeks apart and grew up together. Our families are close friends and Becca’s parents are my Godparents. “My eldest sister was in the same school year as one of Becca’s siblings and two of her siblings were members of a choir that my parents run for years, right up until the COVID pandemic. “She was a good friend and she was one of the first people I met in my life, because our mums were such great friends. “We were close for a very long time and I have lots of special childhood memories of growing up together. “It was very upsetting when she passed away. I didn’t know all the details when she was poorly because I was so young myself. “I still think about her all the time. The memories come back in waves and I’ll always consider her a very big part of my life, even though she’s not with us anymore. “I’ll be thinking of her all the way when I take part in the walk. I’ll be doing it to commemorate her 16th birthday and also the anniversary of her passing, which was 7th July 2016.” Marcus, who lives in Thorney, near Peterborough, is a student at Arthur Mellows Village College. He is no stranger to walking long distances and also a keen runner. “I’m from an athletics background so feel confident, but know it’s going to be a huge challenge,” he added. “The furthest I’ve ever walked is 20km, so this is a big step up. I’m really looking forward to it. “It’s a great opportunity to raise as much as possible for EACH, as Becca received care at Milton. “The support the whole family got was incredible and made such a difference, at such a very hard time.” Hannah Forbester, EACH Events Fundraiser, said: “We’re so pleased Marcus has signed up for our pier to pier walk. “The fact he has such a personal reason for getting involved makes his involvement extra special. “Hopefully he enjoys the challenge and raises lots of money, while at the same time honouring his best friend’s memory. “We wish him well and look forward to seeing him in June.” Marcus and Daniel both set fundraising goals of £250 each but achieved that amount on the first day, thanks to sponsorship from Peterborough Round Table. Now both have targets of £750 but would love to get higher – maybe £1,000. To sponsor Marcus, who will complete his GCSEs two days before the challenge, click here or head to his fundraising page at eastangliaschildrenshospices.enthuse.com/pf/marcus-amps-woodward. To sponsor Daniel, click here or go to eastangliaschildrenshospices.enthuse.com/pf/daniel-amps-woodward There is still time to sign up for EACH’s pier to pier walk, which gets underway at Cromer Pier and finishes at Britannia Pier, Great Yarmouth. All walkers will receive a finishers’ medal and t-shirt. There will be regular refuelling stops with snacks and drinks, a lunch break and hot food at the finish. The route is clearly marked and medical assistance will be available, if needed. Tickets cost £30 or £40 with an optional coach transfer from the finish line at Yarmouth to the start line at Cromer. Walkers are asked to have a target sponsorship of £150. For more information or to book a place, click here or go to each.org.uk/support-us/events/pier-to-pier-2022/ EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire. It has three hospices, including The Nook, in Framingham Earl, just outside Norwich.
Attached images – Marcus (left) and Daniel. The other shows a young Marcus with Rebekah.
Image shows two of our popular RDC volunteers, Neville Jordan (left) and Neville Tuck (right).
East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) is on the lookout for volunteers to get involved with its daily van runs. This often involves supporting one of the existing drivers, based at the charity’s Retail Distribution Centre (RDC) in Thetford. Supply Chain Manager Roger Leggett said: “Our resources are fully stretched and any extra help would make a massive difference. “This is the one area where we could really use some extra help. “We have four vans and three of them take stock to the various EACH shops, which are dotted throughout East Anglia. “The fourth is used more for furniture runs – both collecting and dropping off – mainly in and around Norwich. “It might be that someone can drive one of the vans for us, or they might be asked to go along and help and support one of our existing drivers. “Sometimes it can be hard work and physically demanding, lifting furniture and heavy items on and off the van, and that’s where an extra pair of hands would be invaluable.” EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and North Essex. Roger added that the volunteers may also be asked to help pack and unpack vans at RDC. “We’d love to hear from anyone interested in getting involved and supporting us,” he said. “It’s an amazing charity and this particular role would really suit anyone who enjoys getting out and about, meeting people and exploring the East Anglian countryside.” For more information, email Roger.Leggett@each.org.uk or phone 01842 821620. Roger would also be keen to hear from anyone who might like to take on a different role at RDC. This could involve working in the warehouse, sorting through donations of bric-a-brac, clothing and toys.
Job Opportunity – St Edmunds Society are recruiting for a Head of Welfare with Social Work expertise to join their expanding team. St Eds provide alternative vocational education to disconnected young people aged 11-25. This role will help young people to overcome their barriers to education and reach their full potential. Find out more and apply on the link below: https://uk.indeed.com/viewjob?cmp=St-Edmunds-Society&t=Head+Welfare&jk=129a91e41b359933&q=Head+of+welfare&vjs=3