Peerless Plastics & Coatings is celebrating having won a prestigious Plastics Industry Award for their MicroGuard™ Anti-Microbial range of protective, hard coatings, winning the Materials Innovation Award 2021. Winners of the Plastics Industry Awards 2021 awards were announced Thursday night (2nd December) by comedian Simon Evans at a black-tie gala evening, live streamed from the Waldorf Hilton in London. In announcing the Materials Innovation Award, Judges praised the MicroGuard™ Anti-Microbial project “as an exceptional piece of development for a demanding application”.With 8 finalists it was one of the largest and most hotly contested categories. “We are very pleased to have won this national award and gain industry recognition. This award belongs to everyone at Peerless Plastics & Coatings and I am very proud of our team who have worked extremely hard over the last couple of years, servicing our customers across many areas of industry…” said Peter Llewellyn-Stamp, Managing Director. “…Within this MicroGuard™ Anti-Microbial range we now have an Optically Clear hard coating, together with a Matt hard coating and a specialist Anti-Fog/Anti-Microbial coating. Having formulated this range of coatings and proven their performance against a variety of bacteria and viruses we have developed new applications and worked with customers in the UK and Europe on a wide range of projects where superior surface performance is required. Some of the Anti-microbial products launched over the last 18 months include Anti-Fog PPE & Police public order helmet visors, Anti-Fog respirator mouth covers, Covid Screens, desk/table covers and wall cladding.In addition to Anti-Microbial properties, our coatings make plastics more sustainable by improving surface hardness and chemical resistance, allowing plastic products to stand up against day to day wear & tear and cleaning regimes, extending their useful life…” Launched in 2001, and held annually in London, the Plastics Industry Awards are dedicated to rewarding innovation and exceptional performance in an increasingly competitive market. Sixteen categories cover materials usage, product design, manufacturing, training and environmental performance, and entries are judged by a panel of industry experts. For more information about Peerless Plastics & Coatings range of Anti-Microbial, protective hard coatings, click here: https://www.peerless-coatings.co.uk/coatings-for-plastic/microguard-anti… For more information on the Plastics Industry Awards, click here: https://www.plasticsawards.com/PIA2021/en/page/home
On 11th December, Ethan Dimaano will be achieving a lifelong dream by taking a skydive from Beccles Airfield in aid of Help For Heroes.This event is sponsored by Norfolk based Internet Service and Telecoms Provider FreeClix, who took Ethan on as a trainee junior technician under the Kickstart scheme earlier this year. The charity jump will take place at Beccles Airfield sometime between 10:30am and 12:30pm. All of the money raised from the jump will go straight to Armed Forces charity Help For Heroes. The money will be used to provide invaluable support for wounded veterans to enable them to overcome the challenges that life after service brings. This charity is extremely close to Ethan’s heart as his long-term career goal is to work as an engineer in the RAF. “Working at FreeClix under the Kickstart Scheme has given me a fantastic opportunity to gain experience towards my main goal of working as an engineer for the RAF. I’ve developed skills and gained technical knowledge that will be vital for me when I reach the RAF. I’m delighted to now be able to do this sponsored skydive for Help For Heroes, with the support of all of the FreeClix team.” Ethan has already reached dizzying heights after managing to fundraise almost £300 for the charity in the lead up to his dive. With one week still to go, the hope is that this total will continue to climb right up until Saturday 11th and beyond. “I’m delighted that we’ve managed to raise so much money for Help For Heroes already before I’ve even made it to the drop zone. The work they do is integral to helping wounded veterans and their families recover and I’d like to raise as much as we possibly can for them.” FreeClix director, Peter Freeman, wants to encourage people to show their support in any way they can for Ethan. “We are extremely proud of Ethan for taking on this challenge. We’re delighted to be part of Ethan’s journey to achieve his goal of working for the RAF, helping him develop his technical skills and now sponsoring his skydive too. He’s raising money for an excellent cause so if you can donate anything at all we’d really appreciate the support!” If you want to go watch Ethan dive for Help for Heroes make your way to Beccles Airfield on Saturday 11th December. The jump is due to take place after 10:30 am. If you’d like to go one step further and donate to Ethan’s fundraiser, you can do so visiting this webpage.
The Alan Boswell Group Charitable Trust continues to deliver on its commitment to make a difference to charitable causes in the areas that we operate in. We wanted to share what our donations mean to some of the charities who have been given funds. The current Charitable Trust sub-committee have assessed 111 applications made to the Trust, sent feedback to dozens of charities and have been the driving force behind the £460,000 of grants awarded in the last 12 months. Here are some of the amazing impacts that our grants have been making: East Norfolk Riding for the Disabled The Trust donated £4,000 to the charity and they have put the money to excellent use. They have been able to purchase all of the following:
Specialised saddle which features a deep seat to support riders.
A set of ‘Bunny ears’ handles for riders who have difficulty with traditional reins.
Instructors booked onto First Aid and Safeguarding training
Training sessions for volunteers – these are much needed as no sessions have been able to run since the first lockdown and the charity are looking forward to welcoming back their volunteers and riders.
COVID safety products such as hand sanitiser pumps and cleaning products.
The remainders of the donation will be used to support activities and events taking place for service users in the future. North Norfolk MacMillan Centre MacMillan Cancer Support invested £2.2 million in the North Norfolk MacMillan Centre to help thousands of people access cancer treatment and support closer to their homes. They relied on grants such as the £10,000 donated by ABG to cover the costs of the build and despite an unprecedented drop in income of up to 50% during the pandemic, the building is now complete & the first patient has received treatment! The new centre includes:
Six chemotherapy treatment chairs with capacity to treat up to 36 patients a day.
Three new clinic rooms and two new minor procedure rooms, creating an additional 10,000 outpatients’ appointments annually and space for new cancer diagnostics including prostate biopsy.
A Macmillan cancer information and support centre.
Eating Matters Eating Matters are a Norfolk based charity which offers counselling for people age 11+ with mild to moderate eating disorders in the community. They applied for a grant of £2,500 back in March 2020 to support their services throughout the pandemic, meaning delivery via online/telephone counselling. At the time of writing, they supported 264 clients, 134 of which were under the age of 25. ‘’The funding received from The Alan Boswell Group Charitable Trust has supported counsellor fees for 100 counselling sessions. The average number of sessions a client requires to aid recovery is 18. These sessions take place on a weekly basis for an hour over a period of between 4 – 6 months. Our counsellors and support staff will liaise with GP’s and NHS tier 3 eating disorder services for medical monitoring where necessary to ensure client safety. We currently have 18 part time counsellors working at Eating Matters, one of which is a third-year student who is completing her placement hours with us.’’ The organisation has since resumed face to face counselling sessions, as well as continuing the online/telephone sessions for service users with more mild symptoms, or live in remote parts of Norfolk. Arthur Rank Hospice The hospice ran the ‘Help Us Be There’ appeal back in 2020 where they aimed to raise £100,000 to fund the recruitment of two full time healthcare assistants. The new colleagues were needed to meet the demands of people wishing to receive end of life care in their own home, overnight, during the last two weeks of life. The appeal was a great success and raised a total of £140,000 in the end, of which the Charitable Trust donated £6,608.00. Our funds directly funded 14 nights of care supporting 11 patients. The care staff were briefed each evening in readiness for their visit which involved understanding medical conditions of the patient, the family dynamics, if loved ones were present, and information about the patient which would help to ensure the patient to feel well supported by the staff member caring for them. Here’s some feedback from a family member of a hospice at home patient: ‘’We just wanted to write and say a huge thank you for arranging the lovely nurse Anne to help us with our Mum on her final night. Anne was so sweet and caring and she cared for my mum so well. My mum passed just before Anne was due to leave. We so appreciated her help and kindness. Thank you for all the wonderful work you all do.’’ The hospice were also delighted to share that during their appeal they entered conversations with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), and have secured significant funding to provide a daytime service which has expanded the Hospice at Home service to cover day and night. Nancy Oldfield Trust The Trust offers accessible accommodation, canoeing, sailing and motor cruising on the Norfolk Broads and put together an ‘Enhanced Accessibility’ project to improve the accessibility of their premises. They were given a grant of £3,746.48 to purchase an automatic door system. Since the installation of the system in May 2020 approximately 180 visitors have benefited. The visitor numbers were significantly impacted by Covid-19 and various lockdowns but in more normal years in the future we would expect around 750 to 1000 visitors to enjoy the convenience of the new system each year. ‘’The automatic door system has made it immeasurably easier for our visitors to move between rooms in our residential bungalow and this has been of particular benefit for our visitors with wheelchairs. It has also made the bungalow much safer as visitors were known to prop open fire doors with chairs despite advice and warning notices.’’
We’re now taking orders for our Christmas hampers which sold really well last year. Packed with great Norfolk products the hampers make an ideal gift for family, friends or as a corporate gift for your clients. By buying one of your hampers you’ll be helping our community in three ways:
Sales help fund our work preventing poverty, hunger and homelessness in Norwich
You’ll be supporting many local businesses whose products are in the hampers.
When you buy a hamper, we will provide a free one containing essential items plus treats to someone vulnerable in Norwich.
They’re selling fast so if you’re struggling for Christmas present ideas order yours today
For those in the corporate world, the festive season brings with it invitations to parties with an expectation that alcohol will be freely consumed….and you will be involved! How do you navigate these events if you’re sober? Mark and James welcome the ‘Sober Exec’ Chris Anthony to chat about navigating the corporate drinks culture. Chris talks about what life is like at the top of the corporate world; with over 25 years’ experience in the tech sector, Chris is now the Vice President of U.S. Consumer Goods at Salesforce Marketing Cloud. He stands out not only for his expertise and experience, but for his 15 years of sobriety. He offers inspiration and guidance for others struggling to navigate their way through the drink-heavy culture that exists in the competition for corporate management roles. On the morning of New Year’s Day 2020, Chris realised that he had been sober for 15 years but had not shared this information publicly. He quit drinking after it became a problem for him back in 2005 – wrecking his career path and marriage, but he kept it secret because he was ashamed that it had become an issue, and the world he lived in thrived on wining and dining, ostracising anyone ‘not playing ball’. Chris shares insight into how he navigated through his career without a drink in his hand, and how his sobriety was key to his success and happiness, leading him to discover his true purpose in life “to be of service to others”. Fast forward to 2020, Chris realised he could make a difference by speaking out about his sobriety, which prompted one of his fellow execs to ask him for help. Chris knew then that he had a new purpose and launched Sober Force, and his role as ‘The Sober Exec’, which sees him working as a motivational speaker and consultant for businesses who want guidance on how to structure their seasonal and social activities. Chris also observes how sobriety health is now good for business, using football as an example, where in rejecting the pub culture of the 70s, the modern Premiere League acts as proof that good health can maximise profits! Chris is also extremely passionate about his philanthropic work; holding advisory board roles for several non-profit organisations including Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation, and is an active mentor supporting US Navy SEALs transition into successful business roles. He talks us through how his work for them have both inspired his personal recovery and motivated his work with others. This episode explores the power of resilience, how to combat peer pressure at work, how to be prepared instead of reactive, what businesses can do to embrace EVERYONE in their team and why making healthy decisions don’t need an apology. His personal journey and professional insight make for inspirational listening, especially as we head into the Christmas season and the inevitable ‘social’ pressures this will bring. You can read Chris’s public LinkedIn statement about his sobriety, that sparked his new journey in life, here. Show notes The Sober Exec – check out Chris’s work here Follow Chris on Instagram for daily inspirational posts! @ThesoberexecThe Sales Enablement Podcast with Andy Paul LinkedIn – Sales Force – Chris appears on this podcast as a representative of The Sober Exec and not Sales Force, his opinions are his own, and not those of Sales Force. If you would like to know more about Sale Force, you can visit their site here, and connect with them on LinkedIn. Metallica’s All Within My Hands FoundationLos Angeles Forward Operating Base (FOB) for SEAL Future Foundation (SFF)Books:Atomic Habits – James ClearPsycho-Cybernetics – Maxwell MaltzTop tips – James and Mark summarise the chat: 56:03 – recognising in order to help others, look after yourself first 57:33 – never be afraid to ask for help! 59:00 – be ready, and practice/prepare for questions on a sober night out You can get in touch with James and Mark on podcast@larking-gowen.co.uk, we would love to hear your feedback on this, or any of our episodes! www.larking-gowen.co.uk/ibc
The Witans are a small group comprising of eight local businessmen who have come together for a simple common goal, to raise money and assist those in need. This may sound like your standard charity organisation however what differentiates the Witans from their larger more bureaucratic brethren is their commitment to helping those in need directly. By casting aside the pen pushers and applications forms the Witans are able to quickly, and effectively help those whom need it the most. There are no waiting lists, questionnaires or requirements, they simply hear about someone in need and they help them. Like Robin Hood’s band of merry men but instead of stealing from the rich they buy from each other. Each business auctions a service or product from their company to which the others bid with the accumulative total then being divided into two lots of £300 contributions every quarter or more for exceptional circumstances to those that need a helping hand. The evening was commenced by Mick Whitman better known as Captain Mainwaring from the Dads Army Museum and by bidding on such items as a season ticket for Thetford Football Club, a complimentary chimney sweep or dinner for two in your own home prepared and cooked by Rock ‘n’ Roll Chef Tony Liddell it was as one member said “Great to see local businesses working together to improve the lives of the local community. On the 16th July The Witans raised an astounding £1665 which will go directly to those that need it most. If you, or someone you know is in need, you can apply for this unique contribution by emailing gez.chetal@trusthouseleisure.co.uk and simply state your reasons and circumstances. The Witans “Making the world a little better one Auction at a time” https://www.facebook.com/173401292745295/posts/3233198076765586/
Supporting Economic Growth in Norfolk in 2021 2021 has been an exciting and challenging year for all of us, the success of the NHS vaccination programme ramping up has seen the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions.We have been working together with district and New Anglia LEP colleagues to support the businesses in our region through the everchanging climate and build better foundations for the future. Norfolk County Council’s long term business plan, Together for Norfolk (TfN) continues to be implemented, our challenge is to respond to the current economic conditions in the context of TfN. Focusing on inclusive growth and improving social mobility, investing in benefitting people’s lives and delivering outcomes that will create the impetus for our future economic and social wellbeing. We have pledged as a council to work with all our partners to help as many businesses as possible to survive, and as many people as possible to stay in work or secure alternative work or training through our skills and employment programmes. This document outlines some of the council’s achievements in 2021, as we continue to invest in infrastructure, people and businesses. It also touches on our role to support the care sector and achieve better IT connectivity across the county as well as future opportunities and key developments taking place in Norfolk in 2022 and how we will continue to support new and existing businesses. If you would like to find out more about any the initiatives in this briefing document or ask any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us on haveyoursay@norfolk.gov.uk. You can view the full report below. 2022-23_business_rates_report.pdf
We are delighted to share three recent reports from PwC. New Strategy& Pharma and life sciences report – The road to responsible growth The road to responsible growth – this edition centres on the pharmaceuticals and life sciences sector. In the report, we make the argument that a focus on innovative medicines, lifecycle affordability, and geographic diversity will provide the springboard for responsible growth. The report sets sector challenges and opportunities in their economic context and offers five tangible suggestions of what to do next. Green Jobs Barometer PwC’s Green Jobs Barometer measures the relative performance of UK regions and industry sectors on their progress developing green jobs* over time. It aims to build an evidence base to assess and support a fair transition to net zero. UK Economic Outlook The report highlights ‘the triple squeeze’ facing consumers through rising inflation, higher interest rates and fiscal changes going into 2022. The report also notes that regional polarisation caused by the pandemic has been significantly more severe than any previous downturn, and explores some of the drivers of this disparity.
Thousands of employees across Norfolk now have access to vital help and support if they are affected by domestic abuse thanks to the launch of workplace pledge in the county. The *HEAR Pledge was launched on White Ribbon Day 2020 to encourage employers to play their part by making simple changes to policy to break the silence around domestic abuse. A year on – on White Ribbon Day 2021 – the number of organisations which have signed up to the pledge now totals 50. Nearly 30,000 employees are represented by those 50 companies which range from large organisations including Norfolk County Council, Norfolk Police, Norwich City Council, the James Paget and Queen Elizabeth Hospitals and Norwich City Football Club to smaller supermarkets, recruitment agencies, event organisers and sports clubs. The campaign – launched by the county’s **Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Group (DASVG) – is ongoing with employers across the county being encouraged to follow-suit and make that key pledge to help victims of such abuse. During White Ribbon 2021 – and the 16 days to end violence against women that follow – people are being urged to join together and say ‘no’ to violence against women. The key message this year is that #AllMenCan say no to violence against women and girls and campaign organisers hope to ‘reach as many individuals, workplaces, communities and schools as possible’. In Norfolk the hope is employers, male and female, will use the occasion to make a practical difference. Gavin Thompson Co-Chair of the DASVG and Director of Policy Commissioning and Communications at the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk, said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to those employers who have signed the pledge and shown their commitment to helping those affected by domestic abuse. “In turn they have helped tens of thousands of employees get access to the right specialist support they need and deserve. “Together we can all make a difference. One year on we are still really keen to ensure the campaign grows from strength to strength and helps those who need it the most. “We must all work together to prevent abuse and make sure our communities and homes are safe for everyone 365 days of the year. “With companies and employers having an important role to play in helping to prevent domestic abuse where it impacts on the workplace – whether someone is working at home or in the office – it is crucial HEAR continues every day of the year.” Examples of changes made by some of the companies who have signed up to HEAR include:
We have developed a new Domestic Abuse Policy and rolled out to all staff within our Employee Handbook
We ran an awareness raising programme across the whole team and updated our policies and procedures
We made changes to policies and created a lead team member to support victims.
We organised training for staff
Rachel Barnett, Head of People & Culture at Norwich City Football Club, one of the first companies to sign-up, said: “As an employer we understand our responsibility to create a culture that recognises that some colleagues will be experiencing domestic abuse and that the workplace should be a place of safety. “Through our domestic abuse policy and working to raise awareness, we aim to create a safer workplace and send out a strong message that domestic abuse is unacceptable. We have used the Club’s reach to encourage other organisations to sign the HEAR pledge, in order that we can work together to tackle domestic abuse across Norfolk”. Among the organisations locally to sign up to the HEAR pledge is also the James Paget University Hospital, which has its own Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) as well as a network of 40 domestic abuse champions across its wards and departments, to support both staff and patients. Director of Nursing Paul Morris said: “White Ribbon Day is a vital way of supporting victims of domestic abuse. On this day each year thousands of people stand up, speak out and say #NoToDomesticAbuse. “It is, however, just one day: we must work together to prevent abuse and make sure our communities and homes are safe for everyone 365 days of the year. “With more people working from home due to the pandemic, it is important as employers that we make certain that those at risk of abuse understand they will be heard – and that the help and support they need is there for them.” The Norfolk initiative won national backing in March from the country’s Domestic Abuse Commissioner Nicole Jacobs. *HEAR stands for Help, Educate, Awareness and Respond, with organisations being asked to pledge to: > Help Every employer has a duty to provide access to organisations who can help employees: We will ensure colleagues affected by domestic abuse are given access to the right specialist support. > Educate Every employer should ensure the right training is provided: We will make sure the right training is provided to staff to know what steps to take to support colleagues.> Awareness Every employer has a responsibility to be aware of domestic abuse: We will not tolerate domestic abuse in any form and will provide a supportive workplace for colleagues who experience such abuse. > Respond Every employer should ensure the right policies are in place to respond to domestic abuse: We will review our policies and processes and ensure they are implemented correctly. On signing the pledge, a campaign toolkit is available for employers to download with information on help and support for staff, guidance on drafting policy about domestic abuse, internal communications and a campaign poster. Sign up to HEAR >> **The DASVG is made up of councils, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk (OPCCN), police and health organisations – all with a strategic aim to address domestic abuse and sexual violence in Norfolk. How to seek help Your Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) works with a number of organisations across the county to ensure specialist support is available for those affected by domestic and sexual abuse. If you know someone who is the victim of domestic or sexual abuse, we encourage you to seek help. The police will always respond to emergency calls – if you are in immediate danger, always call 999. Police 101 is the non-emergency number. More information on specialist support services can be found on our website here >>
Greater Anglia’s new three-carriage bi-mode train was crowned “most reliable train of its type” in independent industry awards based on reliability statistics. Greater Anglia, along with their maintenance partner Stadler, scooped two industry reliability awards for the train operator’s new bi-mode trains at the annual Golden Spanner Awards The Class 755 trains, which can be powered by either electric or diesel and operate on rural lines in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire, won a golden spanner and a silver spanner at the awards, which are held by Modern Railways magazine. The three-carriage bi-mode trains, made and maintained by Swiss company Stadler, won the golden spanner in the category of new diesel trains. It was crowned the most reliable train of its type in England, Scotland and Wales based on the ‘miles per technical TRUST incident’ (MTIN) statistics. They currently have an average of 14,767 miles between incidents. Greater Anglia’s four-carriage bi-mode trains picked up a silver spanner award, meaning it’s the most improved train of its type in England, Scotland and Wales in terms of its MTIN performance. It currently has an average of 12,164 miles between technical incidents – faults that cause a delay of three minutes or more. Greater Anglia has 24 bi-mode trains made up of four carriages and 12 have three carriages. Martin Beable, Engineering Director, Greater Anglia, said: “Our new bi-mode trains have transformed rail travel in the region, and we’re thrilled they have been recognised with two awards. “I would like to thank the teams at Greater Anglia, Stadler and Rock Rail who all made these awards possible. These awards are testament to the hard work of our colleagues, who work around-the-clock to keep trains running.” Rob Baxter, Managing Director for Stadler Rail Service UK, said: “We are delighted to scoop these prestigious accolades, just 18 months after all the Stadler-built trains were delivered. This success is testament to effective collaborative working with Greater Anglia and Rock Infrastructure and the valiant efforts made by our maintenance teams at Norwich Crown Point, who have squeezed every sinew to secure continuous performance improvement of the fleets we look after there.” The Golden Spanners awards celebrate the best of train maintenance and are handed out to train companies who make the greatest strides in train reliability. 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.
Greater Anglia (GA) will continue to operate train services in East Anglia for the next five years after their owning group, Abellio, signed a new contract with the Department for Transport (DfT) to run rail services across the region. The new National Rail Contract (NRC), begins on Sunday 19 September 2021, when the current Emergency Recovery Measures Agreement (‘ERMA’) with the DfT ends, and will run to 20 September 2026. It replaces the previous franchise agreement, which was set aside at the start of the pandemic when train operators were underwritten by the DfT, as passenger numbers fell markedly when travel restrictions were put in place. The new contract will see the continuation of Greater Anglia’s major investment programme to deliver better rail services for the region including :
Completion of their transformational project to introduce new trains across the entire Greater Anglia network
The continuation of their extensive upgrade programme for stations and maintenance depots in the region
Further initiatives to maintain the record-breaking high levels of punctuality they have delivered over the last 18 months
Ongoing improvements to customer service standards, ticketing, accessibility, timetables and energy efficiency
Greater Anglia will also be fully focused on maximising the return of passengers to the rail network and supporting the sustainable economic development of the region, as the UK recovers from the pandemic. They have already introduced new electric trains on their intercity and Stansted Express services and new bi-mode trains on their regional services in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and the Marks Tey to Sudbury line, with all 58 trains from Swiss manufacturer Stadler already in service. Meanwhile the first 29 of their 133-strong fleet of 5-carriage electric commuter trains for services on the Great Eastern and West Anglia routes (built by Alstom, formerly Bombardier, in Derby) are now available for passenger service, with more and more services in these areas progressively benefitting from the state-of-the-art trains. Greater Anglia have also improved service frequency on a number of routes in recent years; introduced other timetable enhancements, such as the Norwich in 90/Ipswich in 60 services and the Norwich to Stansted Airport direct service; carried out many improvements at stations – with Cambridge, Ipswich and Norwich all winning “Best Station” awards in recent years; introduced smart ticketing; worked closely with communities – including Community Rail Partnerships and station adopters – to enhance stations and services in line with local needs; improved accessibility for disabled customers; improved integrated transport links and achieved better environmental performance – with reduced energy usage and increased biodiversity at stations. In addition, the GA teams have delivered a very reliable service for rail travellers throughout the challenging pandemic period. Jamie Burles, Managing Director of Greater Anglia, commented : “We’re pleased to have agreed our new National Rail Contract with the Department for Transport. We’re looking forward to continuing the positive transformation of train services in our region, completing the roll out of our new train fleet, maintaining recent excellent performance and further raising customer service standards. Our team is fully committed to keeping up the ongoing cycle of improvements in East Anglia and delivering the best possible service for customers and communities on a consistent basis.”
Performance and train services Performance continues to be very good with punctuality in the current 4-week period over 95% across our network. Everything went smoothly last week as schools re-opened and more people returned to work. We were already running a full service everywhere except the intercity service, where most services are running, and the Stansted Express, where an extra 8 services a day were added to the current half hourly service from Monday 7 September. We’ll maintain our daily monitoring to enable us to assess when it’s appropriate to add in the remaining intercity and Stansted Express services. Travelling with confidence Across the rail industry, train operators are encouraging customers to “travel with confidence”, reflecting all the steps taken to provide an excellent service for passengers. The actions in our safer travel pledge, which are focused on providing more services and capacity, additional cleaning, making it easier to keep your hands clean and providing information to help you travel safely, are all being delivered. We’ve outlined a number of the extra steps we’ve been taking here at Greater Anglia in support of this commitment in previous updates over the last few months. Just a helpful reminder that it is mandatory for customers to wear a face covering when using public transport, in stations as well as on trains, to help reduce the spread of coronavirus. Children under the age of 11 and people with a disability or medical condition which means they cannot wear a face covering are exempt from wearing them. The vast majority of people are complying with the requirements, but the British Transport Police do have the power to impose fines of £100 for non-compliance, if necessary. We have invested in additional cleaning measures – including more train cleaners, new PacVac equipment for turnaround train cleaning during the day and special testing equipment to carry out random hygiene tests on trains (to help us raise standards even further) – as well as cleaning every single carriage with fogging guns (which disinfect all surfaces, including seats, arm rests, grab handles and windows) to supplement the extra cleaning already being implemented in these high contact areas. We’re also carrying out extra cleaning at stations, where the fogging guns come in handy for larger indoor areas, such as waiting rooms. It’s still important to observe social distancing. We’ve introduced a wide range of measures to make it easier for customers to do so at stations and on trains – including floor markings, one-way systems, new signs and queuing systems. We’re looking forward to seeing more and more people taking the train again in the weeks and months ahead. Thanks again to everyone across Greater Anglia for delivering a very good service to our customers and communities across East Anglia, with valuable support from colleagues at Network Rail, Siemens, Stadler, Bombardier and our other rail industry partners