St Elizabeth Hospice’s Accumulator Challenge is back for 2021!
Are you looking for new ways to energise and inspire your team or colleagues?
How about joining together to have fun and raise money for a worthy cause?
Choose one month between August and October to turn £50 into as much money as you can for your local hospice.
You can be creative as you like – anything goes, as long as it’s safe and legal.
We will have an online leaderboard so you can see how your efforts stack up against other local businesses and there will be a trophy on offer for the winning team.
Beryl prides themselves on changing the way cities move, by providing sustainable travel in the form of bikes and scooters (electric and manual). The business has recently taken part in the Kickstart scheme, which helps young people get valuable experience in the workplace, and now they have launched an exclusive offer for any young person taking part in the Kickstart scheme.
“Any young person on the Kickstart scheme can take advantage of a half-price bundle for the duration of their Kickstart placement (six months max),” says Phil Barrett, Community Engagement and Events Lead for Beryl.
“This means they can get 400 Beryl minutes for just £10. We hope that this will help all Kickstarters with their travel costs.”
Beryl has partnered with Norfolk County Council on the scheme, which is a great way for young people who may not have access to transport, to travel actively and sustainably.
Norwich Airport and Loganair have restored connectivity between East Anglia and the South West by launching a new Exeter route.
The launch comes one week after KLM resumed flights to Schiphol Airport, once again providing a direct link between East Anglia and Amsterdam’s global connectivity hub, offering onward travel to several destinations in the United States, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
In total, Norwich Airport has now launched 19 destinations in 9 countries, all available to book for 2021/22. This is excellent news for business and leisure passengers and a welcome boost for regional airports who have been hardest hit by restrictions on domestic and international air travel.
You can download the latest issue of FLY Norwich 2021/22, detailing each of the destinations available from Norwich Airport and the flying schedule, below.
Norwich Airport today celebrates the return of holidays to the Balearic Islands, with the first TUI flight of the Summer 2021 season departing for Majorca (Palma) at 13:45.
The popular route will operate twice weekly- on Tuesday and Saturday (from August) – throughout the summer, until 23 October 2021.
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.
In total, Norwich Airport has announced 19 domestic and international destinations in ten countries for 2021/22.
Richard Pace, Managing Director of Norwich Airport, said: “We’re delighted to relaunch holidays to Majorca with TUI. Majorca is one of the most popular destinations from Norwich Airport, and it’s great to finally give holidaymakers longing to escape to the sun the opportunity to do so with all the ease and convenience of flying from their local airport.
“We’re working closely our airline partners to ensure safe travel through the airport, and we look forward to more routes returning over the coming weeks and months. We urge all passengers to consider their health and safety and show respect to fellow passengers by adhering to all safety measures. Above all else, we welcome the return of passengers to Norwich Airport and wish them a very happy holiday.”
Norwich Airport has partnered with an established healthcare provider, GPDQ, to provide a range of COVID-19 testing options. GPDQ is one of the UK Government’s approved test providers for travel and you can book a COVID-19 tests directly via the airport website.
From 19 July 2021, in line with the latest Government recommendations, everyone entering the airport terminal building, whether to travel or for any other purpose, is asked to wear a face covering.
Please find attached a letter concerning the details about consultation on the above plan and supporting documents, which starts tomorrow and closes at 5pm on Thursday 9th September 2021.
If you have any comments, it would be very helpful (administratively) to complete the Representation Form or provide it as an attachment to a letter. If this is not possible, please include all the information being requested e.g. comment, justification and proposed change, as well as the information on pages 1 & 4 of the form.
Please send any comments to ‘neighbourhoodplanning@breckland.gov.uk’ rather than this email address.
Nick oversees the well-known, and well-respected, Imperial Hotel, in Great Yarmouth. In February 2020, the business won the title of ‘Customer at the heart of everything’ at the Norfolk & Suffolk Tourist Attractions awards. No sooner had they got the award on the mantle-piece, COVID-19 hit and Nick reflects on the headless chicken feeling they experienced. As a hotel that could remain open, they found themselves constantly moving goalposts and pivoting at every turn. They were offering rooms to the East Anglia 1 wind farm offshore teams but, whilst servicing key workers, they still needed to follow guidelines, and protect their staff. Nick talks in detail about their experiences in the early stages of lockdown, and what they have learned and implemented.
Chris also chats to Nick about the pitfalls, and necessity of TripAdvisor; how investment is key for seaside towns and businesses; and the importance of a USP – in their case, Nick’s knowledge as a wine sommelier and the experience they offer connoisseurs in the region. They also talk all things ‘supply and demand’ in the world of COVID-19 delays and Brexit inflation; not being afraid to price things at what they are worth; the importance of first impressions; whether Eat Out to Help Out really worked; and what councils need to do to help support seafront businesses in particular.
Nick also treats us to a history lesson, as he looks back on the early days of hospitality in Great Yarmouth, as well as the foresight his father had and investments they have made. Also, Nick advocates for businesses to become members of UK Hospitality Association, who were a support to their team during lockdown.
You can find out more about the Imperial Hotel here, and can contact Nick on LinkedIn
Thank you for listening, and for supporting the podcast into series three! Don’t forget you can still catch up on previous episodes, and subscribe, on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Audible, or wherever else you get your podcasts! We would love you to rate and review us where you can, it helps others to find our podcast. You can also catch up by visiting our website here.
We are taking a break for a week, as we head towards ‘Freedom Day’ – but Chris will be back with a chat with Desmond McCarthy from BBC’s Normal for Norfolk, and owner of Wiverton Hall Farm, as he looks to the future, and we will be speaking to other businesses who will reflect on the new opening parameters. Subscribe so you don’t miss out!
This week’s chat is a real eye opener. Engagement with media can be make or break for some businesses – ever wondered what it suggests when you say “no comment”? Experienced journalist, and owner of Mediapro, Maria Veronese lets you in on what the journalist really thinks when you say that, and why it’s always best to try and take control, particularly if you find yourself at the center of a PR disaster! Mediapro offers media training to help business leaders learn how to talk confidently on the record, sticking to key points, and how to get your point or story across effectively. As Maria explains; “an interview is just a conversation with a purpose”.
As a regular face on BBC Look East, Maria offers insight on the difference between what she calls ‘PR puff’ and an actual news story, and how it’s always important to be transparent. Maria is also passionate about flexible working, particularly for working parents, and those with caring responsibilities, something she embraces in her role on the Board of Directors at the East of England Co-op.
Ian also asks Maria about the approach local news took during lockdown, and she explains how it was so important to help keep communities informed and connected. She also looks back on the stories in her career which were hard to cover, and how these stories can impact the journalist, including the times she covered a catastrophic earthquake in her hometown in New Zealand, and when she covered the Ipswich ‘Suffolk Strangler’, and Soham murders.
Learning how to embrace the media in your business will be key as we move out of lockdown, and into the new normal, which includes the world of 24 hours news, which has been bolstered by the events of the last year. You might find yourself in need of some media training one day, and Maria offers a peek behind the curtain into what you need to consider, and why.
You can learn about Mediapro and their services here
Catch Maria’s ‘Auntie’s Bloomers’ moment, and encounter with the ostriches here!
Maria’s views are her own, and are not those of the BBC.
You can listen to this episode by clicking on the button below, or we would love it if you could subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, or wherever else you get your podcasts, so you don’t miss out on any episodes! If you could also leave us a review we would love to hear from you, and it helps others find our podcast.
You can catch up on all episodes of Business Insights Chat, including conversations with Coes, Turners, Archant and Suffolk Food Hall, here
The Food Standards Agency is hosting a webinar for businesses to explain the new rules regarding allergen labelling which are coming in October 2021.
From 1 October 2021, the requirements for labelling on prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) foods will change in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The new labelling requirements will help protect consumers by providing potentially life-saving allergen information on the packaging.
Any business that produces PPDS food will be required to label it to show the name of the food and the ingredients list. This includes emphasising within the ingredients list any of the 14 allergens used in the product, as required by food law.
At this webinar, we will give background to the new allergen labelling changes, also known as Natasha’s Law. We will help small and micro food businesses to better understand what PPDS is, how it effects your food business and how you can ensure you are compliant with the new regulations from1 October 2021.
The event will be held on 4th August 2021 at 2pm.
For a chance to attend, please see the link below.
Applications for the increased incentive payment for hiring a new apprentice are open now! Employers will receive £3,000 for new apprentices of any age
Level 2, 3, 4 & 7 Apprenticeship schemes for the AAT, ACCA, CIMA, ICAEW, CTA & ATT Qualifications are covered for the incentive payment.
Employers with apprentices who have an employment start date between 1 April 2021 and 30 September 2021 and who also have a practical period (training) start date between 1 April 2021 and 30 November 2021 may be eligible for an incentive payment
If you are looking to recruit an Apprentice in to your Finance Team then we can help. Contact norwich@fi.co.uk for more info.
Gareth John, Chief Executive of First Intuition Cambridge comments on the scale of change in apprenticeship uptake in the accountancy industry and reasons for this, as well as why now is the best time to sign up an apprentice:
I have been training accountants for nearly 25 years, and in that time the biggest change I have seen in our industry has been the dramatic uptake in apprenticeships since 2015. Just five years ago only around 5% of new learners studying with First Intuition were apprentices, today it is more like 80%. What was once a niche aspect of our business has now become the norm. Every single class we teach now contains apprentices, and some classes are made up entirely of apprentices. This considerable change has come about for a number of reasons but is mainly due to the additional skills training in place for apprentices, the extra structure and support they have to their studies, and the financial benefits to businesses.
Better skills
Not only do accountancy apprentices learn the core technical skills they need to do their job, but they also develop wider soft skills and behaviours that are equally essential to career success in the industry. Skills that are built into programmes include communication, commercial insight, problem-solving, strategic thinking, resilience, teamwork, negotiation and leadership, all of which can take non-apprentices years to develop through experience alone.
Support in building interpersonal skills is particularly important for young people right now, where the pandemic has resulted in increased isolation and lack of opportunities to build such skills. Many school leavers have missed opportunities to gain essential soft skills through part-time jobs and being a part of normal school activities, such as organising plays and captaining sports teams. We covered this topic in greater detail in our virtual webinar ‘onboarding the COVID generation’ Furthermore, apprenticeships are a great way to upskill existing staff which will be important if firms cut headcount.
Better structure and better support
It can be easy for trainees to come off track with their studies when they are not part of a structured programme to help them progress reliably. Apprenticeship programmes offer robust structure and support for learners through a close relationship with their assigned Coach who offers personalised support and helps ensure they are on top of their studies. As a result of this, apprentices tend to move through their qualification faster and with higher first-time pass rates. This benefits businesses as trainees learnt knowledge and skills translate into their work quicker and more effectively.
Financial benefits
Using apprenticeship funding to pay for accountancy qualification training can save many thousands of pounds in course fees. As well as the 95% government subsidy of the training costs for non-levy employers, there is also an employer’s National Insurance exemption if the apprentice is aged under 25. Levy paying employers can utilise their levy pots.
A particular reason for the shift in apprenticeship uptake during the pandemic has been the generous government financial incentives available for businesses who recruit trainees as apprentices. These incentives were recently extended and increased, making them even more appealing. For eligible apprentices aged 16 to 18, employers will receive £4,000 if they start employment between 1 April 2021 and 30 September 2021. For those aged 19 and over, employers will receive £3,000. Apprentices will have an additional two months after the deadline of 30 September 2021 (until 30 November 2021) to start their training programme.
It is also worth being aware that non-levy employers can now reserve apprenticeship funds up to six months in advance. This means that employers who do not pay the Apprenticeship Levy are already able to reserve funds for their Autumn intake of new starts.
There has never been a better time to support apprenticeship programmes
The detrimental impact of the pandemic on jobs has meant apprenticeship incentives for businesses are better than ever as the government encourages companies to recruit and develop staff. This coupled with the skills gap of young adults shortly entering the workplace and financial restraints on businesses means there has never been a better time to sign up apprentices.
Today (Monday 12 July 2021) sees the launch of a major consultation on the future of the Norwich Lanes as Norfolk County Council and the Transport for Norwich (TfN) partnership ask for your views on a series of proposals to change how the area functions and feels. ‘Connecting the Norwich Lanes’ is a range of inter-connected schemes which make up the overall vision for the area. The proposals include; a new riverside footbridge between Duke Street and St Georges Street, making the temporary measures to remove general traffic on St Benedicts Street and Exchange Street permanent, a new cycle track and crossing facilities on St Andrews Street and creating a better environment for enjoying the St Giles Street area on foot. Councillor Martin Wilby, Norfolk County Council’s cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport, and chair of the Transport for Norwich Joint Committee said: “‘Connecting the Norwich Lanes’ is a programme of measures that aim to make it safer and easier to get around on foot or by bike, support opportunities for outdoor hospitality, boost the local economy and improve air quality. “All residents and businesses within the area impacted by the proposals have been written to directly and we are also running a wider campaign to raise awareness of the consultation and encourage people to have their say. “We’ve listened to feedback from stakeholders while the temporary measures on Exchange Street and St Benedict Street have been in place and have sought to address any concerns in what’s been put forward but this is just one aspect of the overall vision for the area. “The programme brings together projects funded by DfT’s Transforming Cities Fund with those from other sources and we want everyone to see them in context and help shape the future of this fantastic city asset and important destination for residents and visitors alike.” Norwich City Council councillor Mike Stonard, cabinet member for inclusive and sustainable growth, said: “I welcome this opportunity for the public to comment on these proposals. “This is another important step in making Norwich more pedestrian and cycle friendly, that contributes to cleaner air and helps boost footfall, which leads to local economy growth. “The St Giles street proposal is part of our ambitious Norwich Town Deal Public Realm project, and set to benefit from government funding, while the city council-led River Wensum Strategy partnership has helped to develop the riverside footbridge scheme – it’s fantastic to be part of such a collaborate effort to make the city an even more inviting place to live and visit.”
Cllr Jamie Osborn, who represents the area for both council’s said: “Many residents have spoken to me about the need for cleaner air and healthier, low-carbon modes of transport after the experience of lockdown. The proposals to make the Norwich Lanes area more connected for walking and cycling is a step towards that positive vision. The vision to reclaim space for people in the heart of Norwich is exciting, and something that I am sure the public will want to have a say on.”
Jonty Young, spokesman of the Norwich Lanes Association said: “”There are some really interesting ideas here and the Norwich Lanes Association certainly hope that as many local businesses, residents and regular visitors to the area, take part in this consultation.”
Stefan Gurney, Executive Director of the Norwich Business Improvement District (BID) said: “This is a bold proposal for a much-loved part of the city, and we’d encourage everyone – particularly the businesses in the area – to feed into discussions about ‘Connecting the Lanes’. Accessibility and transport are key to the city centre economy and trading. Looking to the future, the ability to adapt will only make Norwich more resilient, and these plans have the potential to be an exciting development for the Norwich Lanes. Norwich BID will take into account our businesses perspectives and input our views, in order to do ensure this proposal is right for the city.” The public are invited to view the plans on the project website www.norfolk.gov.uk/norwichlanes and comment on the proposals overall or the detailed changes proposed in each area via the online surveys. The consultation will run for 4 weeks until Monday 9 August. Hard copies and alternative formats can be provided on request from Norfolk County Council’s main switchboard and virtual meetings via Zoom or telephone are also being offered to answer questions and discuss the proposals in more detail. All feedback received will be analysed and, where appropriate, the plans revised in response before reporting back to local councillors along with the final proposals for scheme delivery. The web page above will be kept up to date with the latest information, progress and any relevant committee dates.
Bryan Turner Kitchen Furniture is a long-established market leader providing exceptional luxury kitchen design for discerning clients throughout the UK.
Our high-quality kitchen furniture is individually made for our clients, and each room design is a result of our talented designers’ careful attention to detail.
We are committed to continuous investment and improvement and are seeking an additional highly talented kitchen designer who has proven experience in the luxury sector. Our Head Office is in Norfolk with this role being mainly based at our new studio near Cambridge.
Essential to this role is enthusiasm, a willingness to learn and a focus on excellent customer service. We expect you to put our clients first, meeting their every need in order to build a strong and long-lasting rapport with them.
A proven track record in kitchen design using CAD programs is essential, as well as sales experience, working to targets, artistic flare and technical ability.
OTE £50,000-£60,000 p/a (salary plus uncapped commission package)
If you are ambitious and passionate about design, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Job Type: Full-time
Preferred education: Degree level
Required experience: Kitchen Design: 5 years +
Required licence or certification: Full UK Driving Licence and own vehicle
To apply or for further information please email kate@bryanturnerkitchens.com