Member News

Did you know that last year there were 693,000 workplace first aid incidents in the UK?

This is a staggering 19.2% increase from the year before which suggests that it’s becoming more likely that you could have to face a first aid emergency in your workplace!

If not managed correctly, these types of incidents can end up with your name plastered all over the news, whilst ruining your business’ reputation and destroying your customer base.

If this isn’t bad enough, further statistics show that the average fine from the HSE, if handled poorly…is £110,000 per incident!

Norfolk-based first aid training supplier Medical Training Solutions have teamed up with Norfolk County Council to offer training that is 75% funded under their new ‘Employer Training Incentive Programme’ (ETIP).

Their award-winning first aid training courses have been designed to provide businesses with the knowledge and skills needed to deal with a wide range of first aid situations and keep you and your business safe, legally compliant, and free from media scrutiny (which include the latest COVID-19 changes to first aid!)

How does the scheme work?

If you are a Norfolk-based SME, you should qualify for the new ‘Employer Training Incentive Programme’ (ETIP) led by Norfolk County Council (NCC).

This new scheme means that NCC will pay 75% of your training costs up to £1,500.00 per business!

Medical Training Solutions are one of few training providers who have been authorised by NCC to deliver first aid training under the scheme meaning that you can book the following courses today:

Emergency First Aid at Work (1-day for small/low-risk businesses) £121.10 ex VAT £30.27 ex VAT pp

First Aid at Work (3-days for medium to large/high-risk businesses) £268.21 ex VAT £67.05 ex VAT pp

Blended First Aid at Work (1-day e-learning and 2-days classroom for medium to large/high risk businesses) £268.21 ex VAT £67.05 ex VAT pp

All of these courses are HSE compliant, nationally recognised, and last for 3 years!

What will these courses allow my staff to deal with?

1. A customer who’s collapsed.

1. A client who has stopped breathing.

1. A customer who is choking.

1. A client who has cut themselves and is bleeding badly.

1. A customer who has slipped over and broken a bone.

1. A client who is having a heart attack or a stroke.

1. A customer who is having a life-threatening allergic reaction.

1. A client who is having a fit.

Are there any other benefits of having qualified first aiders in my business?

1. Show of confidence to customers on your premises which can increase sales and revenue.

1. Reduced first aid anxiety which means more confident, productive, and high-performing staff.

1. Heightened brand reputation as an employer who invests in the health, safety, and wellbeing of their staff (we supply FREE social media packs to help you show this off!).

1. Increased legal compliance which means you’re less likely to suffer hefty HSE fines and medico-legal prosecution in the event of an incident.

What will I get if I book?

1. Award winning training that is HSE compliant in order to protect you and your business.

1. Free-onsite parking to ensure that you arrive in a relaxed state and ready to learn.

1. Supply of stationary, textbooks and handouts to support your learning and set you up for success.

1. COVID-19 PPE so that you can focus on your learning in a safe and secure environment.

1. FREE Career and workplace risk assessment advice to help you achieve legal compliance and avoid costly fines.

1. On-site refreshments to help keep you and your team in the best state to learn and achieve.

1. Training with realistic medical prosthetics that help reduce the risk of making errors in real-life.

1. Unlimited assessment attempts to reduce exam related anxiety and give you the peace of mind needed to perform at your best.

PLUS, every delegate will receive 1 x vehicle first aid kit that has been specifically designed to go in the boot of their car to give them the power to administer lifesaving first aid to their friends, family, colleagues, and other road users!

What are my next steps?

For more information about how to claim this limited time offer please see their ‘Your 5 steps to claim this limited time offer!’ infographic.

Medical Training Solutions Ltd are an award-winning first aid and medical training provider based in Snetterton, Norfolk. To date, they have worked with numerous multi-national clients supplying industry-leading first aid and medical training.

Business owners, people thinking of setting up on their own, or individuals who are looking to turn a hobby into their career are being asked to share their thoughts on pop-up spaces:  https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/7CQ8NJX

Respondents are asked to think about what type of facilities they might need from a pop-up space, and more generally, what business support they would welcome. The feedback gathered in this survey will directly inform a project looking at pop-ups in King’s Lynn that is being led by Discover King’s Lynn, the King’s Lynn BID.

Vicky Etheridge, Manager of Discover King’s Lynn explained: “The research that we’ve carried out through Vision King’s Lynn over the last few years, and from the BID’s own work with businesses in the town, has revealed a real interest in, and appetite for, pop-up spaces.

“We know that pop-ups are a great way of giving small businesses a launch pad to trade and thrive and so we are really keen to look at what we can offer here in King’s Lynn.

“But we need help from businesses and potential traders to tell us what they need, what they think, and what they would like. Whether you’re in business now or thinking of setting up, we want to hear from you – please do have your say.”

The closing date to take part in the survey is 5pm on Sunday 24 October.

Earlier this year, £25M in Town Deal funding was announced for King’s Lynn and seven Town Deal projects have now been approved by the government. Business cases and detailed plans for each of these projects are now being developed, and engagement and consultation – such as this survey – will help to shape the plans.

In this episode, Ian Fitch chats with Ian Mather, so it’s less a tale of two halves, and more the tale of two Ian’s! Sit back and listen to them ‘kicking around’ thoughts on what it really means to pursue a second career. Ian Mather is a retired solicitor and former partner at Mills & Reeves, but decided that retirement wasn’t for him, especially once the job of CEO of Cambridge Football Club presented itself.

Ian specialised in employment law and was an advocate of mediation over expensive litigation throughout his career. With the skills he learnt in how to mediate successfully and to manage his own company and staff, Ian felt he had a sound basis to step in and guide the football club to promotion.

Ian talks about the benefits of having a clear strategy and the importance of communicating this with your teams, especially when you’re new to a business. Ian looks back to the beginning of lockdown and reflects on how important it was to develop quick decision-making skills; which led to developing the idea of fan bubbles and Cambridge FC being the first club in the UK to welcome back fans.

Ian considers the key to his ongoing success is treating people decently and listening to them. During his first few months with the club, he focused on observation; what was working well and what wasn’t, and he developed his relationships with the team which helped guide them out of a turbulent time.

Ian believes passionately in clubs engaging with their communities by actively taking part in youth groups, adopting sustainable practices, engaging fans and helping out with community work. The club signed up to Fair Game, a regulatory initiative supported by Government, to make clubs more accountable. This involves closer financial monitoring to avoid closures, and creating a sustainable business model for football clubs. Ian discusses how the current financial model in our national game is broken, and provides insights into why more and more clubs are signing up to Fair Game.

This episode is a fascinating listen for business leaders and football fans alike and provides a great example of how taking risks by transferring your skills and talents to a new role you are passionate about, can be fruitful and fulfilling.

There are no red flags in this episode, only golden boots, so join us in this peek behind the scenes of the beautiful game and learn from a man working to turn its financial credibility around.

We would love it if you could subscribe wherever else you get your podcasts, so you don’t miss out on any future episodes! If you could also leave us a review we would love to hear from you, and it helps others find our podcast. 

Show notes Fair Game Cambridge United FC

podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk

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The B2B Exhibition returns on Thursday 14 October and is Norfolk’s largest business-to-business exhibition. Free to attend and attracting hundreds of businesses on the day, B2B is a highlight on the Norfolk events calendar.

The Co.mmunicate hub is the place where businesses can talk one-to-one with business specialists to help grow their business. Experts from a range of specialisms will be available for 15-minute slots throughout the day (more information on who and how to book coming soon). The hub is part of Norfolk Chambers of Commerce’s Knowledge Hour, which encourages businesses to allow employees to take 1 hour a week for learning and development.

Matthew Downing, Partner and Head of Corporate and Commercial at Spire Solicitors LLP, said: “Norfolk Chambers does a great job of supporting local businesses throughout the year and this event will be an excellent opportunity for the local business community to finally see each other again after such a long time apart. We are proud to be sponsors of the Co.mmunicate Hub, which incorporates Knowledge Hour and Norfolk Knowledge Hub, and we look forward to seeing you all at our stand on the day.”

For exhibitors and visitors, the event gives the opportunity to meet new potential clients, catch up with existing contacts and have a presence at this prestigious event.

Alongside the Co.mmunicate hub, you can also meet a plethora of businesses in the exhibition, take part in speed networking sessions throughout the day, go to a free workshop or seminar, relax in the Proudly Norfolk food hub and join us for the B2B after party (ticketed event).

 Free tickets to the exhibition are now available so that you can gain fast-track entry on the day. Register here: www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/b2b

The much-anticipated Budget Statement has been released on Tuesday 27 October, giving the current Chancellor the opportunity to announce the latest Budget without national restrictions in place. Whilst we’re still feeling the impacts of COVID-19, we can now see the start of an economic bounce back, with forecast revenues ahead compared to the Budget announcement in March 2021, there comes a new optimism in the Chancellors announcement. Some of the key policy changes announced were: Increased spending for –

• Transport – £6.9bn (however this is only £1.5bn as it includes the 2019 promise of £4.2bn)
• Health – £5.9bn to tackle the backlog in the NHS
• Health research – £5bn over the next 3 years to help R&D
• Education – £2.6bn to create new school places for those with special education needs, with a £1.6bn over 3 years for the rollout of new T-Levels

Although there are no major increases, there is a continued effort to focus on investment and growth, whilst keeping the books in balance in a recovering economy. During the Budget Statement the Chancellor further announced:

• Inflation is likely to rise in the new year
• There will be a new Charter for Budget Responsibility

There were no increases to mention in tax, other than the previously announced Health and Social Care Levy which is in effect a 1.25% tax increase on all earnings and dividends. Other highlights include:

• Removal of the public sector pay freeze
• Increase in the National Living Wage to £9.50 from April 2022
• The 100% tax relief available to businesses on the first £1m of capital spend will be extended until 31 March 2023
• Cuts on Air Passenger Duty rates for domestic flights from April 2023
• Retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors will receive a 50% relief on business rates in 2022/23, with a cap of £110,000
• Alcohol rise cancelled, and lower strength alcohol will receive a drop in rates, with a further relief for draught sales and sparkling wine to be equal to still wine, based on wine strength
• The planned tapering of Universal Credit will be cut by 8% with the aim of slowing the cut by December 1, to help those relying on the claim

If you have any questions or would like to discuss the latest Budget announcement, please get in touch, call 0330 024 0888 or email enquiry@larking-gowen.co.uk. Richard Proctor Tax Partner at Larking Gowen

KING’S LYNN TOWN CENTRE’S INDEPENDENT SHOPS AND BUSINESSES ARE JOINING IN WITH THE TOTALLY LOCALLY NATIONAL FIVER FEST – AN INNOVATIVE CELEBRATION OF OUR INDEPENDENT HIGH STREETS KING’S LYNN IS PART OF THE TOTALLY LOCALLY NATIONAL FIVER FEST 9 – 23rd October. To show the importance of supporting our high streets, King’s Lynn is joining with other independent High Streets across the UK to put on very special £5 offers across two weeks in October, in the TOTALLY LOCALLY FIVER FEST. FIVER FEST is a free to join campaign, devised and run by Totally Locally, a Grass Roots High Street organisation that has been helping businesses and High Streets to help themselves since 2010 with incredible results.   For Fiver Fest, Totally Locally is partnering with Visa, and together, they are calling on shoppers to divert £5 of their weekly spend to support the small businesses in their communities. Fiver Fest is based around the now-famous Totally Locally £5 message: “If every adult in King’s Lynn spent just £5 per week in their local independent shops and businesses, it would mean £8.3 million per year going directly into our local economy. Which can lead to more jobs, a better high street, a stronger economy & a nicer place to live. Makes you think doesn’t it?!” Spending just £5 a week in King’s Lynn can make a big difference to our High Street, the “Fiver Fest” promotes this message. “We know Fiver Fest isn’t going to change the world”, said Chris Sands of Totally Locally, “But small changes in spending habits can really make a difference to our high streets. Just by diverting £5 of our weekly spend to local independents we give them a fighting chance to thrive. The Pandemic has shown just what an amazing contribution they make to our local communities. It’s a conversation worth having! It is for this reason, that the sixth National Fiver Fest is taking place. This time it’s even more important than ever, after how our world has changed during 2021. YouGov research has shown that 59% of shoppers have used more local shops to support them during lockdown. And they want to keep on supporting them. Fiver Fest makes that even easier.   Just some of the offers available in King’s Lynn Town Centre: • All starters £5 at Soul Café & Restaurant – lunchtime only. • £5 installation fee on all household appliance purchases at Cooper & Elms – washing machines, dishwashers, cookers etc. Saving up to £35! • A cinema ticket and a medium popcorn OR hot drink for £5 at the Corn Exchange Cinema – everyday 10am-5pm • Selected cocktails £5 at the Duke’s Head Hotel • Coffee and cake for £5 at The Wenns Chop & Ale House and The Bank House • Standard A1 prints for £5 at Prontaprint • Bacon sandwich and a hot drink of choice for £5 at Nice & Tasty Patisserie • £5 meal deal at Bitson’s Fish & Chips • Waffle and hot chocolate for £5 at Pretty Little Bistro • Selected designer pencil cases for £5 at Designs • Gin and mixer for £5 at Gin Saloon • 2 bath bombs or 2 soap slices or 1 bag of wax melts for £5 from Jaine’s Gift Box   For details of more local offers, visit: www.discoverkingslynn.com/whats-on. For any independent business based in King’s Lynn Town Centre wishing to participate in FIVER FEST, please contact Discover King’s Lynn at info@discoverkingslynn.com. For further information please see www.totallylocally.org and www.fiverfest.co.uk

Norwich Airport is celebrating the return of year-round flights to Tenerife today (September 30) with holiday company TUI.

The popular Canary Islands destination offers huge beaches and year-round sunshine. And with up to two direct flights a week from Norwich, is perfect for a winter sun break.

Richard Pace, Managing Director of Norwich Airport, said: “We’re delighted to be relaunching year-round holidays to Tenerife with TUI, giving local holidaymakers the opportunity to escape to the sun with the ease and convenience of flying from their local airport.

“TUI has already confirmed its summer 2022 schedule from Norwich Airport, with flights to Spain (Ibiza, Menorca, Majorca, Tenerife), Greece (Corfu, Crete, Rhodes), Cyprus (Paphos), and Turkey (Dalaman) resuming in May 2022 and all bookable now.”

For anyone seeking early autumnal sunshine in addition to Tenerife, flights to Corfu are currently operating every Friday from Norwich Airport (last departure 22 October) and flights to Majorca every Saturday (last departure 23 October).

In total, Norwich Airport has announced 19 domestic and international destinations in ten countries for 2021/22 and last week confirmed the start of direct flights from Jersey next summer with Channel Islands-based airline Blue Islands.

For a full list of destinations from Norwich Airport and details of how to book, click here.

Walking With The Wounded’s volunteering programme OP-REGEN has been honoured with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.

OP-REGEN, based in Greater Manchester, launched in February 2020 is a volunteering programme that offers a platform for ex-military personnel to recognise their inherent skills and empowers them to demonstrate these skills to the wider community. For those that have landed on hard times, the project aims to support these individuals and their families to reintegrate back into society and to have a meaningful positive impact on the environment in which they reside; additionally, for those not in employment the projects aims to assist in their journey back into the workplace.

Although focused on ex-military, more generally the project is supported by volunteers from all backgrounds including Corporate UK and encourages these individuals to work together, leading to a greater increase in community cohesion and safer neighbourhoods.

Fergus Williams, CEO of Walking With The Wounded commented: “OP-REGEN embodies the future ambitions of Walking With The Wounded to support ex-military seeking support and to find those that require support but are not actively seeking it.  I am immensely proud of the programme and delighted that the hard work and commitment of all those who have volunteered through OP-REGEN are being recognised by being awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

“OP-REGEN provides our clients, our corporate partners and ultimately, our armed forces community, with the opportunity to ‘serve again’ by utilising the inherent skills of the service leaver and showcasing the standards and values of those that have served.”

Walking With The Wounded is one of 241 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of nominations remains high year on year, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to make life better for those around them.

Veteran, beneficiary of WWTW and volunteer for OP-REGEN, Christopher commented: “I chose to volunteer with Walking With The Wounded after my Employment Advisor suggested it would help me if I engaged in OP-REGEN.  It’s helped me develop my confidence and add structure to my week which will ultimately support my journey back into employment which is my main goal.”

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate The Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Recipients are announced each year on 2nd June, the anniversary of The Queen’s Coronation. Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse. They include volunteer groups from across the UK, including an inclusive tennis club in Lincolnshire; a children’s bereavement charity in London; a support group those living with dementia and their carers in North Yorkshire; a volunteer minibus service in Cumbria; a group supporting young people in Belfast; a community radio station in Inverness and a mountain rescue team in Powys.

Representatives of Walking With The Wounded will receive the award crystal and certificate from the Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester later this summer. Furthermore two volunteers from Walking With The Wounded will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May 2022 (depending on restrictions at the time), along with other recipients of this year’s Award.

Creative Sponge has appointed a new Creative Director and Client Services Director in a reorganisation of its leadership team.

Agency founder Alex Tosh will again lead the agency on a day-to-day basis backed by Patrick Hennings and Martin Betts.

Patrick will take responsibility for Sponge’s Studio team and its output as Creative Director, while Martin will take overall responsibility of client relationships and oversee their projects as Client Services Director.

Joining the agency in 2017 as Art Director, Patrick has a wealth of experience working on branding and digital projects across multiple industry verticals.

He graduated from Colchester School of Art and has previously worked for one of the country’s leading property marketing agencies, undertaking projects for major residential housing developers.

Martin joined Sponge in September 2018 as Senior Account Manager before becoming the agency’s New Business Manager.

He spent 20 years working in journalism, publishing, and communications, before moving into agency-side marketing roles.

Alex, who launched Creative Sponge in 2004, said: “I’m excited to appoint Patrick and Martin as Creative Director and Client Services Director and help give the agency a fresh perspective and approach.

“They and I share a vision that will see us concentrate on the agency’s great pedigree and strength for developing powerful branding, exciting advertising campaigns, and engaging digital projects.

“We’ve seen a noticeable recent upturn in interest from existing and new clients regarding new projects, so making these key appointments, as well as adding another designer to our Studio team in the coming weeks, means we can look forward to the future in confidence.”

A multi-disciplinary construction consultancy with head office in Colchester, Essex is celebrating 75 years in business this year with a ‘charity challenge’ for staff launched this month.

Daniel Connal Partnership (DCP), with offices in Norwich, Colchester and London, launched their one-year challenge on Friday 24 September 2021, in an effort to ‘give something back’ as a lasting legacy.

The team of up to 30 DCP staff is aiming to raise £7,500 for Young Minds Trust (www.youngminds.org.uk) by walking, running, cycling and/or sailing 7,500kms over the coming 12 months – as a combined team effort, all logged on the Strava app.

Young Minds Trust is a leading UK charity fighting for a future where all children and young people have access to the best possible mental health support. They work to provide young people with tools to look after their mental health, building resilience and confidence. The Trust also works to empower adults to be the best support they can be to the young people in their lives.

Commenting on the launch Robert Dale, Senior Partner at Daniel Connal Partnership, said: “We wanted to do something special to mark our 75th anniversary and with a few keen cyclists, runners and walkers among our staff we do like a physical challenge for a worthy cause!”

“Supporting the next generation is very important to our DCP family. With recent challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown having a particularly heavy impact on young people, we feel that the work of Young Minds needs to be supported now more than ever,” he added.

The 75th Anniversary Challenge will run for a full calendar year. At the launch event last week 25 members of the DCP team ­- 6 from the Norwich office – walked, ran or cycled around beautiful Dedham on the Essex/Suffolk border. The brilliant blue skies and blazing sunshine on the day really added to the occasion, which saw participants total 383km of the 7,500km total target.

A single Just Giving page for all participants in the DCP family has been set-up to collect charity fundraising at this link: Daniel Connal Partnership is fundraising for Young Minds Trust (justgiving.com)

Established in 1946, Daniel Connal Partnership (DCP) offers a range of specialist construction services right across the UK, with key expertise in education sector builds and public interest projects as well as specialist Health and Safety training. Find out more at www.danielconnal.co.uk

What does it really take to work in one of the most respected and well-known military branches in the world? And what can business leaders learn from the lessons it teaches?

James and Mark chat to former RAF Fighter Pilot and Executive Officer of the Red Arrows Dan Lowes, who reflects on his 16 years as a fast jet pilot and qualified weapons instructor (aka Top Gun School!) and how business leaders can learn from the resilience, mistakes, lessons and discipline it takes to make it to the Red Arrows. As he says, it’s not just about being the best pilot (although that does help!)

Dan knew what he wanted to be from a young age, skipping the opportunity to go to university in order to pursue his dream of taking to the sky quicker than others, after all, why do four years at university when the outcome would be the same, just later in life. Dan’s focus on his dream was what drove him forwards in his career, with his goal never wavering, something most business owners can probably relate to!

Dan talks us through the art of a good de-brief, why they’re more important than the briefing and how businesses should embrace them; why role play is a helpful tool for businesses to adopt, helping to road test potential scenarios; how the Red Arrows stop complacency created by repetition; classic goal setting; the true meaning of team work and of course, Top Gun!

We also learn about ‘Red-teaming’, the ‘Half error technique’, and why in briefings you are called by a number not by your name – the answer may surprise you! These are insights not to be missed.

Dan now works as a private jet pilot by day and as a keynote motivational speaker by night. He will soon be found alongside Scott Radford, hosting Performance Hackers, a podcast about discovering the actionable hacks and habits experts in their respective fields can offer to help others achieve their next goals.

We would love to hear from you – you can get in touch with us on podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible or wherever else you get your podcasts, and whilst you are there, we would really appreciate a 5* review, as this helps other people find our podcast!

Show notes:

Dan on LinkedIn

Dan on Instagram

RAF recruitment

Performance Hackers podcast

Dan’s book recommendations:

Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action

The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance

Coherence: The Science of Exceptional Leadership and Performance

Time stamps:

• How to deal with complacency  – 21.20
• Working in a bubble – 30:30
• Focus and checklists – 40:00
• Brief – Mission – Debrief – 42:15
• Debrief hacks – 44:58
• Dealing with egos in a room – 58:34
• Take the situation seriously not yourself – 1:11:49

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Here at EACH we are pleased to share with you our brand new edition of Footprints with a fresh new design this Autumn/Winter.

No parent wants to go through the grief of losing a child. Sadly this is the reality for many families we care for at EACH.

“When families arrive through the door of the hospice their world has been rocked. Every family’s experience of grief is different – we work with them as individuals, getting to know them as a family and help them find ways to navigate their way through this time.” – Amy, EACH Counsellor

In this issue we tell Annabel’s story. Annabel sadly passed away in June 2020 at just five-years-old with the rare condition Cockayne Syndrome. You can read how EACH stepped in to provide bereavement support to parents Kelly and Gary.

We also take a look at the opening of the new Jetty Courtyard at The Nook, the events that were finally given the go ahead over the summer, the re-opening of our shops and feature some of your fantastic fundraising stories.

If you would like to get involved in supporting EACH over the next few months take a look at our upcoming events and campaigns:

• £23 Challenge – it takes this much an hour to fund a Clinical Nurse Specialist. If you and your colleagues raise just £23 each think of how many hours you could fund!
• Happy Christmas Ipswich 2 – back again for 2021, Griff Rhys Jones is gathering his peers for another night of comedy and music at The Regent Theatre on 6th December.
• The Big Give – the Christmas campaign is happening again this year. Watch this space for more details on how your donation could be match funded.
• Ride for Life – *NEW DATES* – 3 Counties, 3 Days, 1 Challenge! Join us for a cycle ride across the beautiful East Anglian countryside, with one and three day routes available between 6th-8th May 2022.