Five stations on the Greater Anglia network have become part of a national study aimed at measuring air quality on the railway. Monitoring commenced at Cambridge, Ely, Ipswich, Norwich and Stansted Airport stations this week and will join 100 other stations across the country in contributing to the Stations Air Quality Monitoring Network, organised by the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) and funded by the Department of Transport. It is intended that the study will provide information on the current state of air quality in stations across the rail network and provide location specific air quality data which will help to inform the public about air quality at train stations. The study will help to determine baseline air quality levels, which can then be used to prioritise improvements if necessary, and will also assess how effective measures are to minimise pollution and improve air quality at train stations. ‘Diffusion tubes’ will be placed around each station to measure the levels of the pollutant nitrogen oxide. The use of diffusion tubes to monitor ambient air quality is a well-established way to determine long-term pollution concentration levels. The tubes will be placed at different areas around the station and will be changed each month and analysed over a two year period, with a review after the first year. Greater Anglia’s Energy and Environment Manager, Steph Evans, said, “I’m pleased that Greater Anglia is involved in this study and that we will be able to gain a greater understanding of air quality at some of our stations so that we can ensure they are clean, healthy places to wait. “Thanks to our new bi-mode trains, we are already improving air quality at our stations because these trains can switch from diesel to electric power when they are waiting at a station if overhead wires are available. This means they do not have to idle their engines in order to keep the lights and heating on, as they can take power from the station’s overhead power lines instead. “The Stations Air Quality Monitoring Network is the first of its kind for GB rail and we look forward to seeing the RSSB’s report and baseline data to find out how we are performing and if there is anything we can do to improve air quality.” Aside from walking and cycling, travelling by train is the most environmentally friendly form of transport and any findings from this study will help the rail industry to understand whether any improvements can be made to reduce the environmental impact of rail travel even further, as well as how other factors, such as bus and taxi traffic outside of the station which could contribute to air pollution. Greater Anglia recently joined with Network Rail and the region’s Community Rail Partnerships to improve air quality at towns and villages across its network by asking car drivers to switch off their engines when waiting at level crossings. Last year, Greater Anglia reduced its total carbon emissions by 11%, for scope 1 and 2 emissions, for the second year running and, thanks to new energy management systems installed at stations, recently saved more than 1000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent from being emitted into the atmosphere. RSSB Air Quality Specialist, Philbert Chan said: “We have to ensure air quality is at an acceptable level to protect passenger and workers health. “This is the first large-scale organised air quality monitoring campaign on the railway network, using state-of-the-art equipment, to ensure data obtained is as robust and reliable as possible. “RSSB’s analysis of the data collected will provide valuable information on air pollution, at stations across the country, allowing action to be taken to improve air quality where necessary.”
This Christmas, visit the historic city of Norwich and indulge in a luxury stay at Barnham Broom. Although just a few miles from the centre of the medieval city of Norwich, Barnham Broom is perfectly secluded in the beautiful Norfolk countryside; the perfect backdrop for a spot of festive escapism! Barnham Broom is a luxury resort with two immaculate golf courses, indulgent spa, health and fitness club, outstanding dining and a tranquil and relaxed atmosphere. With everything you need to unwind and get away from it all this Christmas, allow our team to take care of you and take all the stress out of the season, giving you plenty of opportunity to relax during this specially-curated four night stay. You can expect to feel thoroughly pampered this Christmas with our indulgent four night break. Here is a flavour of what you can expect from this very special stay in Norfolk. Your stay includes a 25 minute treatment in our tranquil Spa, use of the facilities at The Edge Health & Fitness Club including gym, swimming pool, bubble pool, sauna, steam room, table tennis and squash courts. There will also be a range of activities to enjoy during your break including archery, yoga classes, wine tasting and a race night.
Book a 2022 strategy meeting at Barnham Broom.The New Year is the perfect time to discuss business needs, get together with colleagues and plan for the year ahead. Set in the heart of the Norfolk countryside and situated on the outskirts of Norwich, Barnham Broom is a prestigious venue which offers a safe and secure environment. With ample amounts of onsite parking, spacious meeting rooms and grounds and the option for guests to enjoy an overnight stay, round of golf or Spa treatment in addition to their visit, Barnham Broom is the perfect location to come together. Barnham Broom’s meeting spaces and high-class service help to stimulate fresh ideas and encourage productivity. The recently refurbished Barford suite boasts a terrace opening out onto the extensive grounds and has private facilities and a bar. The Kimberley suite on the first floor offers a balcony overlooking the golf courses. Rooms can be partitioned and there are also two smaller event suites for more intimate meetings and events. Dine with delegates in the exceptional Brasserie or enjoy afternoon tea or drinks in the Brasserie Lounge. Take a look at Barnham Broom’s fully-inclusive Signature Meetings Package, designed to incorporate all the needs of delegates from the outset and maintain energy levels and productivity throughout the day: Find out more here.
Nominate by 13 December Our Business Awards are back and we’re celebrating achievement, innovation and diversity shown by businesses in Broadland and South Norfolk. Nominate your business for one or more of our 10 awards; we have added five new categories to recognise the challenges of the past 18 months, including Outstanding Employer, Business Resilience, Working Together, Business Innovation and Business in the Community. We also have our Retailer of the Year award open for public nomination. If you have a favourite independent retailer that goes the extra mile nominate them today and you could win £100 of shopping vouchers. If you’re a retailer, make sure you request a marketing pack to encourage your customers to nominate you. With the support of our headline sponsor Fosters Solicitors, we will showcase the best of Broadland and South Norfolk’s talent at an awards ceremony on 23 March 2022 at Norwich City Football Club. Click here for the award categories and to enter.
OPEN DAY INVITATION Wednesday 8 December Slots at 10-11am, 12-1pm, 3-4pm & 6-7pm You are invited to attend the Open Day of the new Construction Curriculum in the recently renovated Construction Workshop at Wensum Lodge. There will be a chance to meet the Curriculum Manager and find out about the programme. RSVP To book your slot, please email Olivia Bradley. Numbers are limited and are allocated on a first come first-served basis. Please bring a face covering with you as covid precautions are in place and we ask all visitors to respect social distancing requirements.
Build your skills with practical courses Carpentry and Joinery Bricklaying Painting and Decorating Plastering Tiling Find out more about a career in construction – Pathway into Construction – Featuring CV, employability, and guest speaker workshops in partnership with local industry experts. These free accessible 6-week introductory courses offer you the chance to learn a trade or explore a career in the construction industry. Come and learn the basics, whether you are considering a career or want to make some home improvements; these courses will get you started. To book: www.norfolk.gov.uk/construction 0344 800 8020 option 5
Here’s the latest update from Greater Anglia (GA), with information on performance; travel advice; train times over the Festive period and our new trains programme. Performance It’s been another very good week for performance, with punctuality averaging 95.0% across our network – keeping up the excellent track record of 2021 as a whole. It’s been a record-breaking year for performance, thanks to the dedication, focus and commitment of our teams and colleagues at Network Rail, Stadler, Alstom and our other rail industry partners. We’re fully focused on maintaining these high standards in 2022. Travel advice (face coverings now mandatory on stations and trains again, unless exempt) There have been no changes to travel advice this week. As previously advised, the wearing of face coverings on stations and trains is mandatory again, as part of the drive to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the light of the new omicron variant. Whilst the government has advised people to work from home where practical, there have been no associated adjustments to specific rail travel guidance. All train operators are operating in line with new government requirements. Customers therefore must wear face coverings on busy stations and on busy trains (unless they are exempt) and failure to do so may result in a fine (initially of £200, but potentially up to £6400 for repeated non-compliance). Our experience is that compliance with the new rules is generally very high and we will continue to remind customers of the current position through information at stations, on trains, in announcements, via social media and on line. Full details of the current coronavirus advice and guidance are available on the government website. Please note that face coverings also remain mandatory on public transport in London, in Wales and in Scotland. Across the entire rail network customers travelling by train can travel with confidence, knowing that we are taking all the appropriate steps to make their journey safe, clean and straight forward. We remain fully focused on maintaining an excellent standard of service for everyone taking the train. Our actions are in line with our safer travel pledge, which includes providing appropriate services and capacity, additional cleaning, making it easier to keep your hands clean and providing information to help you travel safely. There is still plenty of space on the vast majority of services but, as previously highlighted, at busier times we are encouraging customers to use the full capacity of the train, as most of the services which might be busy in one or two carriages have more space further down the train. Some routes, especially at peak times, may also have convenient alternative services with more capacity available, either not long before or not long after the train you were originally planning. On our website we have our less busy trains tool, which we’ve recently revised and updated to make it even more user-friendly, which lists services with fewer passengers (https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/travel-information/less-busy-trains). If you can be flexible, you can then adjust your journey accordingly, if that works for you. We continue to monitor to all services on a daily basis and review service frequency and capacity on the basis of the emerging trends, in line with the prevailing government guidance. The government is also encouraging everyone who is currently eligible to get their vaccinations or booster jabs. We continue to deliver our 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 also continue to carry out our random checks for coronavirus on our trains and our extra cleaning measures at stations, where the fogging guns come in handy for larger indoor areas, such as waiting rooms. Festive period train service alterations As we outlined on Monday, we have made some temporary timetable changes to reflect the impact of the rise in coronavirus cases, the linked reduction in demand, the changed demand over the Festive period and our commitment to provide a consistent service for customers, despite the impact of more members of our team being off due to Covid. We are also now entering the main holiday period when, as usual, there are service alterations due to revised travel and working patterns, along with the impact of major engineering work projects. The details are all on the website, but the headlines are as follows : Christmas Eve : Trains finish earlier in the evening than normal Christmas Day : No train services operate Boxing Day : The only GA train service operating is a half hourly Stansted Express service between Tottenham Hale and Stansted Airport 27/28 December : Sunday-style service, but with major engineering work between Colchester and Shenfield (and on the Braintree and Sudbury branches) and also in the Stratford area affecting services from Bishops Stortford, Hertford East and Meridian Water to Stratford 29-31 December : Saturday-style service in operation 1 January : Saturday-style service, but with major engineering work between Audley End and Cambridge and also in the Stratford area affecting services from Bishops Stortford, Hertford East and Meridian Water to Stratford 2-3 January : Sunday-style service, but with major engineering work in the Stratford area affecting services from Bishops Stortford, Hertford East and Meridian Water to Stratford 4 January onwards : Amended weekday service in line with the service we’ve been running this week As ever, all details are provided on line, so if you are planning to travel over this period, please check your train times in advance. New trains We’ve now accepted 44 of our new Alstom suburban trains (see picture) for passenger service, meaning we now have almost a third of those trains in traffic. That means that, combined with the 58 new Stadler trains (38 regional bi-mode trains, 10 intercity electric trains and 10 Stansted Express electric trains) already in operation, we now have 102 new trains in service, of the 191 we are receiving to completely replace all our older trains. Our new train fleet has already clocked up over 15 million miles in service, delivering a transformed service for customers on many of our routes, with key benefits such as more seats, a more comfortable travelling environment, air conditioning, wifi, plug and USB points, better lighting and much improved accessibility features. They are also contributing to our best-ever performance levels, providing quicker acceleration and braking and greater resilience, as well as enabling other service upgrades, such as the direct Norwich to Stansted Airport service and more Sunday services on some local routes. Customer and stakeholder feedback continues to be extremely positive and we look forward to more and more of our new trains entering service in 2022. And finally….. Thanks, as ever, to colleagues across Greater Anglia for again providing a very good service for our customers and communities across East Anglia, with the usual valuable support from colleagues at Network Rail, Stadler, Alstom and our other rail industry partners. Thanks also to you for all your support and engagement over the past 12 months. With very best wishes for the Festive Season and for 2022 !
Following the development of bespoke cyber security training services for a number of our clients it was clear that there was a need within businesses for courses and workshops that supported their cyber security journey from the very early stages, through to those with more developed positions still requiring some experienced support. Following a successful launch of 5 courses and workshops in September 2021 we will be continuing delivering them both in person and online in to 2022, expanding our offering in to new locations across the East of England. From January we will be offering courses in Leicester, Peterborough and Cambridge in addition to the existing Norwich and Online courses. Our cyber and information security training is focused on providing training that also brings personal benefits to individual attendees in their broader lives and not just in the workplace. Being built by our consultants who bring their real world experience of working within client businesses, the courses bring to life the very real risks facing today’s businesses, schools & charities. If in 2022 you have a focus on educating and upskilling your staff to create a more vigilant workforce, or you need to increase the levels of cyber security knowledge within your leadership team to enable better decision making, we are here to support you. Cyber security training not only achieves the above, it has the additional benefit of facilitating building a culture of security within your business. With staff coming away from the training with changes they can make immediately, and business leaders feeling more informed and empowered the return on the investment will begin that same day. Our first set of training dates for 2022 are now live and bookings are open via our website. You can read more about the individual courses by following the links below: Staff Awareness TrainingBusiness Owners and Leaders TrainingIncident Response Planning WorkshopPreparing for Cyber EssentialsISO27001 Certification As we continue to invest in our training offering we are also exploring ways in which we can add more value to delegates who are maybe seeking CPD hours or points from the time they spend in training and personal development. As we further develop our training services we are looking at building specific courses for industry sectors such as Legal, Finance, Healthcare & Charity. If you are operating in these sectors, or feel that something bespoke for your sector would be useful, then please do get in touch with us for a chat.
Bonus Book-keeping Services, based in Great Yarmouth offer a customised bookkeeping, payroll and/or accounting service to all size and types of business, along with self-assement tax return preparation and submission. Following on from our recent move, we are now looking to recruit a part-time Senior Accounts & Payroll Assistant to join our small but dedicated team. Job Description Experienced accounts and payroll assistant able to undertake all payroll duties for multiple and varied clients and complete accounts from incomplete records. Prepare and submit MTD VAT returns and self-assessment tax returns. Previous accountancy practice/bookkeeping and payroll bureau experience preferred. Salary dependent on experience Part-time hours: 15 – 18 per week
A new book that captures people’s reflections on life during Covid-19 has been published to raise funds for NHS charities. When The World Paused Again began life as a blog in March 2020, launched to capture people’s thoughts as the first lockdown began. A total of 75 people took part and the posts were subsequently published as a book in October 2020, raising around £600 for NHS charities. Michelle Gant, Director of The Engaging People Company, set up the blog and the book: “Writing has always been cathartic for me, and it’s something that I have been able to turn to during difficult times, and journaling particularly has helped me to process thoughts and emotions.“Which is why I thought an online journal – a blog – would be a fantastic way to help make sense of what was happening way back in spring 2020. “I decided to open the blog up to others who might find it helpful too – and I was overwhelmed with the response. By the end of it, we had enough content for a book that we could publish to raise funds for our NHS heroes.” That book was the first instalment of When the World Paused and Michelle thought that would be the end of the project. But when lockdown was announced again this year, she decided to reopen the blog. “For many people it seemed that this winter lockdown was more challenging than the previous one and once again, I thought that writing could be a useful tool to help people process what was happening.“This time, I wanted to look ahead more, and the focus was on what a pandemic taught us about living, helping people to find positivity in an uncertain and hugely challenging period of our lives. “I invited last year’s contributors to take part again and many of them were keen to do so, capturing their reflections one year on from the last time they had written.“But, it was also fantastic to see so many other people who hadn’t previously been involved want to contribute. When I closed the blog in June, 84 of us had taken part and shared our thoughts and feelings.” This included contributors from Norfolk as well as from across the UK, from places such as London, Manchester, and Tyne and Wear. There were also writers from as far afield as Holland and Abu Dhabi. And, the youngest contributor was Michelle’s daughter Thea who was aged five when she recorded her latest reflections in May this year. “When I started the blog, I was conscious that I was also capturing a moment in time for my daughter. She will only have vague recollections of the last year and I wanted to record memories for her. But I also thought she would have something to say on this time of her life.“And so I interviewed her – both this year and last – and I wrote down verbatim what she said. Her reflections, like so many in the book, moved me but made me laugh too.“I am enormously grateful to all of the contributors who have taken part and shared their thoughts quite so openly. Reading their reflections was certainly a highlight of an uncertain time.” The book, which Michelle describes as ‘moving, uplifting, and inspiring’ is on sale now priced £9.99 with all profits going to NHS charities. When The World Paused Again: What A Pandemic Taught us About living: Amazon.co.uk: Contributors, Various, Gant, Michelle: 9798497942446: Books
This week, James and Mark discuss a recent UK survey which revealed that 50% of workers, from management to shop floor level are secretly hoping for a ‘fire-break’ lockdown over Christmas, as they are facing burn out. For many, 2021 feels like it’s been a longer, more stressful year than 2020, as there appears to be more work out there for businesses than expected. They are facing the perfect storm of high demand and a recruitment crisis, so it’s no wonder teams are feeling the pressure. It’s important for business leaders to understand that many people will be facing personal challenges alongside work pressure, and it’s key for continuing success that individual stress curves are not breached for too long. James and Mark come up with their top 3 tips that can help you to prioritise your team’s health without damaging profits. We would love to hear what you think about the podcast, maybe you think you would be a great expert special guest, or there are topics you think we should cover – get in touch on podcasts@larking-gowen.co.ukSummary Top tip 1: 03:30 Is the demand really there, or are your prices too low? Don’t cash in, but consider a review. Top tip 2: 08:30 Pareto Principle 80:20 rule. Can you afford to cut your client base to protect your teams? Top tip 3: 23:50 Be aware of your team members individual stress curves – have people been doing too much for too long? Show notes The Pareto 80:20 Principle- Overview, and Richard Koch’s Book – The 80/20 Principle, Expanded and Updated: The Secret to Achieving More with LessChris Mason interview: Business coach and founder of Mindshop– episode 20 of Impromptu Business ChatListen here!
A recent EDP article on SouthGate Packing, a fast-growing East Anglian packaging equipment firm are launching a major recruitment drive as it rides the wave of the e-commerce boom. Southgate Global in King’s Lynn has already boosted its team by 50% over the past three years to meet substantial growth in e-commerce business and has just taken on 11 new employees. It is in the process of recruiting for a further seven roles across IT, customer services and logistics to boost its 72-strong workforce. Senior HR Advisor To provide engaging and fit for purpose HR support to all stakeholders throughout the employee lifecycle Ecommerce Executive To grow the ecommerce business streams by improving and optimising digital channels Supply Chain Analyst To provide efficient and accurate stock levels with just in time delivery, yet maintain optimum stock to deliver customer WOW experience. About Us Southgate are evolving the industrial packaging and order fulfilment sectors through innovation, productivity and trusted product brands. Southgate are a family owned business, employing over 60 people across multiple disciplines. We adopt a ‘can do’ attitude with a collaborative approach.